It has been a couple weeks since I was last out. I have Mondays off and that is my usual fishing day, but last week was Labor Day and I wasn’t trying to hit the river on a summer holiday weekend.
I launched out of Discovery Park and was in the water at about 6:45 am with lines wet and trolling at about 7:00 am. One one rod I had on a Silvertron UV Silver/Chartreuse behind a 6″ Big Al’s Fish Flash Laser Chartreuse, the other I had on a Brad’s Cut Plug in “Netzel Special” color following an 11″ Pro-Troll Pro Chip Flasher.
At a little after 8:00 am, slightly before the bend above the Minnow Hole, the unmistakable take-down of a salmon on the cut plug rod.
A seven minute fight in which I fully understand why folks use much longer rods for cut plug/flasher fishing than the 8’6″ rods I have; many times I had reeled all the way to the spreader but the fish was still 1-2 feet below the surface, unable to get a good stab with the net.
Eventually she tired out and I was able to get her into the boat, my first of the season, 19.93 lbs on my scale, and my biggest salmon ever.
Hopefully the first of many for 2020.
View a video of this catch below.
