King Fever 2

By Ray Gombiski. Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Chinook, Tyee, Nookers, Springs and any other nickname they have been given, but we all recognize them as the KING!

The top of the Salmon hierarchy has arrived in Puget Sound. The King has got every local fisherman’s attention with limit-fishing and excellent opportunity. For me, one trip was all it took, I now have KING FEVER!

Friday afternoon the reports started coming in. Kingston has fish, Jeff Head has fish, and Possession, it’s on fire! Friday night I spooled up the reels and got the boat ready for what was sure to be a multiple fish day. It had that feeling we all get when we were kids and opening day of Trout season was tomorrow. I think I slept about 3 hours before I beat the alarm and got out of bed around 2:30am. My excitement was building and my enthusiasm got me to the boat launch at 3:45am.   
  

After a short run to Possession we dropped the Ace High Fly to 100’. The bait is on the surface and at 4:30am there were hardly any other fishermen at the spot yet. A half hour goes by and nothing. At 5:00am we start to see some boats show up. The guy next to me hooks up immediately. Now its 5:40 and I still have not had a bite. 

I’m beginning to start second guessing my gear, depth, decision to fish this spot and just about everything else in my control. Just before I begin to make changes a king blows my rod off the clip and at that very second all confidence was restored. This fish was hot and it peeled line for a good fifty seconds before slowing down.

As I got it to the boat I noticed that the adipose fin was not totally clipped. Not wanting to take a chance with the law, I released that fish and put the gear right back down.  This time I was brimming with confidence and again the guy next to me hooks a fish. I’m watching him fight his fish and bango, another fish on! 

For the next two hours I was in the greatest Puget Sound King bite I had been in since I was twelve years old.  At one point I had fish on before my buddies could even get their riggers down. Seven fish to the net and two hours later we had reached our limit for the day.  We kept six hatchery Kings and released two wild Kings.   I sat back in my chair and thought to my self, did that really happen? Hell yes!!

The ride back to the ramp was full of high fives and smiles. It was 8:30am and the famed Puget Sound king salmon had just given me the fever. At the ramp it was all smiles as two other boats were pulling in with there limits, as well.

For the rest of the summer I will be trying to match that morning bite. I will use that same Ace High Fly, launch at the same ramp at the same time and hope that I will come into another bite like the Possession bite in July of 2010. For now the King remains King, and I will strive to keep up with him for the rest of the summer.