Holland 06-28 Evening - 3 for 3

[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

Janet and I made plans over the weekend to fish Sunday evening hoping the mild SE wind forecast held.  Set up Fin Warrior in the afternoon.  Swapped out a pair of 25lb mono diver reels for the reserve 40lb mono reels to mitigate the water fleas that have showed up early this year.  Pushed off just after 6:00pm and setup in 115 FOW north of the harbor heading N/NW.

The program: Five lines, two standard 1.5 set mono dipsey divers, two riggers and 300’ steel down the shoot.  Dipseys targeted 45-50’ down and the riggers 55-65’ down.  All spoons of a mixed variety on dispeys and riggers and a dark J-plug on the 300’ steel.

The clear skies darkened with the two incoming fronts.  Not sure if we were going to fish a little or fish a lot.  The BP began to drop and I knew it was going to drizzle a bit.  This got me jazzed up as fishing can be really good just before a storm, providing there is no lightening to deal with.

Started off marking plenty of fish down 50-80’ in 115-125 FOW.  Pushed out to 130 FOW and the marks were gone, same as Friday night.  Moved back in and more marks began to appear.  Everything looked good but not a bite.  The current was wacky.  Trolling speed 2.1 then 2.8mph and the dipseys per Smart Troll were up then down in the water column.  After about an hour into the troll, the first front intensified so I made the big turn to head south, put on my rain gear and trolled 120FOW back to the harbor in case we had to rip and run.  Rain started to pop up on and off.  I was thinking this was ideal.  Pulled one of the dipseys and retooled it with a mag bloody nose glow charged spoon thinking this would be money (it didn't work).

Like an alarm clock, at 8:00pm, SWR with the mag blue green spotted dolpin got bit.  Same time, same setup and spoon as Friday night.  Down a bit deeper at 66’ on a south troll, we boated a 13.5lb king.  Perfect.  Got that rig back down and at 8:22pm it went off again.  Boated a 12.5lb king.  Hard to tell them apart but I did weigh all the fish.  Changed out a now dull hook (do this!) and got that rig back down.  The opposite downrigger tipped with a mag Yellow Tail spoon (or Mixed Veggie, I never can tell) was silent this trip so I switched it out to something darker (DW Half Moon – it didn’t work).  I also pulled the SB diver orange/gold spoon and replaced it with a trusted Purple Stinger was not in the water but for a few hot minutes and bang it went singing.  Another 12.5lb king ventured into the cooler.  That one worked!!!

It was now 8:50pm.  I promised Janet I would pull lines at 9:00pm and with lightning visible on the horizon at that time, and more rain was coming down, even though the bite was good, it was time to call it a night.  The long line did nothing.  Not sure if it was the presentation or the depth of the lure as this was likely the high in the water column compared to the rest of the spread.  Janet can handle the net well so there were no one man clown shows this trip.  Three bites and three solid fish.  A very satisfying outing.  The black flies were terrible but we managed through it.  Lot of Fin Warrior cleaning tomorrow.  The fish will likely make it to the grill at the Eldean 4^th of July cookout this coming weekend.  Happy to donate.  Made simple steaks with Friday nights catch.  Salt brine for 4 hours, dry well, crushed black pepper and Old Bay, then on the grill for 6-8 min a side.  Delicious.  Brought fish to my mother-in-law for lunch.  She loved it.  Chef was very happy!

 

 

[littleboat]

Nice looking fish. Never give up! You, Janet and endurance were great fishing partners. A nice cookout. Hopefully this is the start of what we have been waiting for. Congratulations!

Lots of alewives in fish?

[SeaFoam]

Good work Zgrinder!!!!


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[zgrinder on Fin Warrior]

Ed, all three kings were females, two natural and one plant.  They had not fed recently until they met up with my spread.