rogerdodger
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Here is the video from the ocean chinook that Pepper and I caught about a mile west out of Sunset Bay. What a strong fish this was, I thought sure it was a hen based on the body shape.
A big challenge using barbless hooks from a kayak is that these fish can get you moving towards them when they make a run and once they stop, line goes slack, sadness follows. I am using the technique of continuing to pedal the boat forward, keeping steady pressure on the fish and bringing it up alongside the kayak to net but also not letting it cut across behind the kayak. Your instinct, when it gets close, is to stop pedaling and just bring it in, works fine on smaller coho but one last short run from a powerful chinook, that moves the kayak that direction, usually ends badly.
I had a real gear issue with my Cabelas rod, the front grip is too small and turns (it's what holds the reel in place). It's a great one piece IM8 rod for coho and steelhead, when I can hold it behind the reel, but to get leverage on a big chinook, I need to hold the rod in front of the reel. I kept my focus, got the fish, and will take care of the gear issue before next time.
Pepper, as usual, was just amazing, never moved a hair the entire fight.
A big challenge using barbless hooks from a kayak is that these fish can get you moving towards them when they make a run and once they stop, line goes slack, sadness follows. I am using the technique of continuing to pedal the boat forward, keeping steady pressure on the fish and bringing it up alongside the kayak to net but also not letting it cut across behind the kayak. Your instinct, when it gets close, is to stop pedaling and just bring it in, works fine on smaller coho but one last short run from a powerful chinook, that moves the kayak that direction, usually ends badly.
I had a real gear issue with my Cabelas rod, the front grip is too small and turns (it's what holds the reel in place). It's a great one piece IM8 rod for coho and steelhead, when I can hold it behind the reel, but to get leverage on a big chinook, I need to hold the rod in front of the reel. I kept my focus, got the fish, and will take care of the gear issue before next time.
Pepper, as usual, was just amazing, never moved a hair the entire fight.
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