Nook on the 'slaw!

[JeannaJigs]

I escaped work early today, and quickly changed out of scrubs into jeans and headed over to the Siuslaw. It was an awesome day weather wise, a nice change from the weekend. The hen I caught yesterday was loaded with eggs that I cured up, and was anxious to use...it's been a while since I've fished my own cure. It paid off. After almost losing my rod tip in a battle with brush, I got down the steep embankment to the water, and was rewarded with the sight of humongorious fish completely clearing the water. Some still chrome bright, some black as tar. I was floating eggs through the deep slots, but the fish seemed to be in closer to the bank, so I mended it in a bit, and my bobber went down when I wasn't looking, I saw it pop back up and was about to kick myself, when it went down again..and stayed down! I set the hook and it was FISH ON! Now mind you, I'm using heavy braid, and a 30# leader, so I'm not concerned about break off...but that my rod is going to snap in half. It's a wimpy steelhead rod, that has no place on a fall chinook river lol, but hey, light gear is fun. (Should see what I use for Coho!) It took me 20 minutes to get this thing close enough to even get a look at it. In her previous life, she was a big fat chrome beauty...fast forward to today, she was on the fast track to being a carcass...I have never in my life seen a fish so dark still alive! I immediately felt horrible for stressing the fish, so I did my best to not stress her further, she was hooked deep so I had to bank her to get the hook out, and took a quick measurement, 39.75 inches, didn't get a girth measurement, but pound for pound, fattest fish I ever saw. Tried to get a picture on my crappy cell phone, but it kept popping up with my favorite error message "unable to capture image" when it does this all I can do is turn it off and turn it back on and try again...takes about 2 minutes..didn't have the time, so there's no pictures this time.

Awesome day on the river.

EXCEPT...it brought me to the forefront of an issue that gets me mad as ever...There was a guy downstream that came up and was tellin' me to give her the wood shampoo for the eggs.

This, in my mind, is worse than poaching. Sure it's legal...if I wanted to tag that fish, there's nothing that says I can't...but to kill a fish for eggs, and waste the carcass...whether it's tagged or not, NOT RIGHT! It should be illegal in my book. Sure, everyone wants their own home cured eggs, but ya know...it's not worth it. Eggs aren't THAT expensive, and contrary to popular belief, you CAN get good quality eggs from shops. Half the time, people don't know what they're doing curing their own anyways, so they ruin' them and would be better off running store bought.

So if the fish is dark, you know it's going to be nothing but nasty mush...let it spawn and help improve future runs...You're just depleting an already depleted resource, while killing a fish you're throwing away, so that you can use it's eggs to catch more fish...for eggs....see the cycle....

So stop it.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Sounds like you had a good day. I told you if you went you would get one. You get it at the "union pacific" hole? Totally agree with the egg thing makes no sense to me and seems a bit on the unethical side of things.

 

[Mike123]

Good for you! Way to go! :clap:
I agree.. the wild coastal chinook runs are dismal at best and to take all those
eggs and waste a carcass is just not right. Some do not care about future runs. They dont realize there is no hatchery to plant smolt in the river.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Sounds like you had a good day. I told you if you went you would get one. You get it at the "union pacific" hole? Totally agree with the egg thing makes no sense to me and seems a bit on the unethical side of things.

Negatory. Got her in a very obscure hole. I might one day show ya. LOL. It's my prized hole. I rarely run into anyone else there, it has only happened twice, It's so hard to get to, which made the guy down there VERY wierd. I was gettin' bad vibes from this guy, which is why I took off and didn't try for another, I'm pretty sure I could've got into at least one if not more fish, they were rollin' all over the place...but he was creepin' me out, and kept eyeing my machete...who does that? (axe murderer types).

 

[JeannaJigs]

Good for you! Way to go! :clap:
I agree.. the wild coastal chinook runs are dismal at best and to take all those
eggs and waste a carcass is just not right. Some do not care about future runs. They dont realize there is no hatchery to plant smolt in the river.

Yeah that crap makes me mad. People don't get it. That is the only reason the Siuslaw isclosed above lake creek, and lake creek is closed...snaggers targetting hens for eggs. So the rest of us get screwed over on bank access. I'm hoping in 4 years I will get some good karma for letting this one spawn, and hook one of her 40 pound kiddos. lol.

 

[Chrome_Chaser]

I'm planning on going down there tomorrow noon. I heard you can't fish for nook above stagecoach on lake creek, is that true?

 

[JeannaJigs]

I'm planning on going down there tomorrow noon. I heard you can't fish for nook above stagecoach on lake creek, is that true?

Correct, except...Stagecoach starts on Lake creek. The confluence of Lake Creek and the Siuslaw are a bit below the stagecoach bridge. Stagecoach ultimately follows the North/west bank of the Siuslaw. The regs are, no fishing in Lake creek, or on the Siuslaw above the confluence of Lake Creek. You can thank snaggers for that one. Your best bet is to try a few of the deeper holes past mile marker 5. There's some flats with deep slow moving shoots...visible from Hwy 36..you can't miss 'em. There's other holes, but those are the easiest to get to and easy to fish, and there's fish in there.

 

[troutmasta]

I'll bonk a keeper with the rest of em' but, doing the right thing will always reward you. If its not right its not right! Good for you!

 

[JeannaJigs]

I'm hoping in 4 years I will get some good karma QUOTE]

I'll bonk a keeper with the rest of em' but, doing the right thing will always reward you. If its not right its not right! Good for you!

A fish that dark, shouldn't be a keeper (whether the regs say it is or not)..that's all i'm sayin'. I'm all about bonkage. Let me tell ya, if it's a decent fish, i don't hesitate! wood shampoo instantly! but if it's dark...that meat is total crap. I wouldn't even toss it in the smoker to give away to family members I don't like...at which point, whether or not it's fin clipped, etc., it's going back in the drink to spawn.

 

[cobias]

good job ....and yr right

good job ....and yr right

Good job on the fish and for lettn her go!

 

[dancindanthefisherman]

salmon report on siuslaw?

salmon report on siuslaw?

have you heard of anyone recently catching anything over there? i went over a few weeks ago hooked 2 but water was blown out. have you heard weather the fishing has dropped off yet?

 

[Bfishin]

have you heard of anyone recently catching anything over there? i went over a few weeks ago hooked 2 but water was blown out. have you heard weather the fishing has dropped off yet?

The Salmon are dead on the Siuslaw. It's Steelhead time right now

 

[Thuggin4Life]

The Salmon are dead on the Siuslaw. It's Steelhead time right now

Yeah those carcacses didn't look to tasty.

 

[JeannaJigs]

There's still Chinook in there. There is always a few procrastinators. I've caught a chrome bright hen up lake creek a few years back that still had sea lice, on christmas day. There's not many in there though. Winter steelhead are starting to come in though, I know of a few being caught already at whittaker, so this is a promising sign. With the huge amount of fresh water running down this week, the upper stretch from whittaker down should fish well for winters while the water is high.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Thats what i have been waiting for.

 

[crusty old fisherman]

EXCEPT...it brought me to the forefront of an issue that gets me mad as ever...There was a guy downstream that came up and was tellin' me to give her the wood shampoo for the eggs.

This, in my mind, is worse than poaching. Sure it's legal...if I wanted to tag that fish, there's nothing that says I can't...but to kill a fish for eggs, and waste the carcass...whether it's tagged or not, NOT RIGHT! .

I have fished the slaw for going on 3 decades and that has always been a problem that ODFW has over looked back in the day when indian creek was open it was nothing but a carcass pile across the street from the first deep hole.. I am glad they have slightly pulled their heads out of their butts and closed the river above the forks but in my opinion they still need more protection for those dark fish that stack up mainly closing tide water above the mapelton mill thats where they all keg up and wait for the water to rise. the boat ramp in mapelton usually has a huge pile of black betties with their belly slit open laying beside it every fall


Crusty

 

[fourgotten]

I am glad they have slightly pulled their heads out of their butts and closed the river above the forks but in my opinion they still need more protection for those dark fish that stack up mainly closing tide water above the mapelton mill thats where they all keg up and wait for the water to rise. the boat ramp in mapelton usually has a huge pile of black betties with their belly slit open laying beside it every fall

So, basically, what you're saying is that they should cut bank anglers completely out of the season?

Perhaps more enforcement of the existing laws that prohibit wasting fish is a better answer than limiting the fishing to boat anglers only.

 

[crusty old fisherman]

So, basically, what you're saying is that they should cut bank anglers completely out of the season?

Perhaps more enforcement of the existing laws that prohibit wasting fish is a better answer than limiting the fishing to boat anglers only.

uhmm not really sure where ya get the cut the bank anglers out of the picture bit... I never said squat about bank or boat anglers. I simply stated areas that tar babies keg up and the odds of catching a edible fish should be off limits to fishing period



Crusty

 

[steelhead1]

Its sad that some peaple dont know better,or even care that dark pre- spawners and spawning fish should be left alone.To any true fisherman,this is a given.If you didn't know,betta ask somebody

 

[Fish-On Fred]

Good job on the fish and for lettn her go!

Great catch and release. Always trust your "vibes" that you get. It was wise to leave. I have several "creep" stories to share someday. Lucky you to get off work and go. Tight Lines, Fred:clap: