Written by Eric Stockwell
Long day at the Cove yesterday with Jonathan. Not many boats out, and the recent lake-like conditions had given way to a mildly confused swell with a bit of south wind and chop and a strong current that fired up late morning. We got a few bites in the hali zone before crossing over the reef chasing marks on the fishfinder with no takers.
Landed out at the Whistle where I was about to change our gear over for some mooching, and I needed to retrieve my #3 radio out of my drybag. I took a couple of power strokes with the paddle to keep my trolled offering off the bottom and stuck my rod in the front flush-mount as I scooted forward to access my bag, and within seconds I saw the distinctive fast tap of a Chinook bite. Totally out of position, I had to scoot back as quickly as I could before retrieving the rod.
By this time my line was way out on the horizon, but no drag had been peeled – the salmon was cruising with my bait in its mouth. I started reeling and got the fish moving toward me, and it was just coming right in as they often do – it was “figuring shit out”, as my good friend Domenic describes it. I get the king in to right near my bow, and it’s a bruiser – 15 to 20 pounds! I should’ve set the hook big time, but it was too late – it turned and spit and left. Ouch! That definitely got us going though. I called Dom in on the bite, and Jonathan and I mooched and trolled and did our best to get bit for a few hours to no avail. Dom popped one on the mooch about an hour after he came over, and the Inn Keeper got out there and bagged a legal one too. It’s often the case that you get only one or two chances to bag a really special fish on any given day, and every little detail that you can dial in to your advantage will help to increase your odds of success. Fishing gives us many opportunities to improve and do better next time.
Jonathan and I went on to work the inside for some lingcod, rockfish and a short halibut before calling it a day. My guest got a proper Cove tour with a few different trolling methods and some mooching, and the potential of the Cove was on display as usual. The only guarantees are about having an experience, learning and being left with options – it’s up to us to maximize the potential of our future endeavors by adjusting the dials on our efficiency and readiness, so that’s where I’m at. A two day trip with my guy, Ed, this Thursday and Friday will provide opportunities for redemption. I can’t wait. — Eric
