10-13-2013, 11:42 PM
Just wanted to say thanks for all the help! Landed my first chinook yesterday morning.
Fishing a few miles downstream from Orofino I was getting frustrated. I loved the hole I was in but had lost one spoon and one jig due to snags. Decided that the spoons I would wait to fish and tied on another jig. Started it 6 feet below my float but figured that was too deep. Dropped it back to 5 feet still thought I was bumping the bottom. Pulled out a straight purple jig and put it 4 feet below the float and money!
I think it was my 4th cast I had looked away from my float to try and figure out why my cell was ringing. Looked back up just in time to see the float dissapear. My heart jumped and I set the hook. Nothing, felt like a snag on the other end. Then all I hear is my reel drags go insane. He ran and got into a deep hole in the river, took me a while to get it out of there but I finally got it landed.
I didnt have a cameraman or a measuring tape but I laid my rod next to it and then measured my rod when I got home. It was right around 25". Here is my best solo camera shot, its real hard trying to get a pic without beaching the fish.
Guess I just dont want to beach them unless I am going to kill and eat um.
For another hour I fished the hole and watched quite a few other chinooks breach the water like whales. Pretty cool experience I think it took my heart 30 minutes to stop beating after let the fish go.
Now I just need to figure out the fastest and easiest way to land, remove the hook, and release these big fish. I dont have a net and I am waiting for my tailing glove to get here. This One I just got it up into the shallows rolled it on its side and removed the hook but that was easier said than done.
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Fishing a few miles downstream from Orofino I was getting frustrated. I loved the hole I was in but had lost one spoon and one jig due to snags. Decided that the spoons I would wait to fish and tied on another jig. Started it 6 feet below my float but figured that was too deep. Dropped it back to 5 feet still thought I was bumping the bottom. Pulled out a straight purple jig and put it 4 feet below the float and money!
I think it was my 4th cast I had looked away from my float to try and figure out why my cell was ringing. Looked back up just in time to see the float dissapear. My heart jumped and I set the hook. Nothing, felt like a snag on the other end. Then all I hear is my reel drags go insane. He ran and got into a deep hole in the river, took me a while to get it out of there but I finally got it landed.
I didnt have a cameraman or a measuring tape but I laid my rod next to it and then measured my rod when I got home. It was right around 25". Here is my best solo camera shot, its real hard trying to get a pic without beaching the fish.
Guess I just dont want to beach them unless I am going to kill and eat um.
For another hour I fished the hole and watched quite a few other chinooks breach the water like whales. Pretty cool experience I think it took my heart 30 minutes to stop beating after let the fish go.
Now I just need to figure out the fastest and easiest way to land, remove the hook, and release these big fish. I dont have a net and I am waiting for my tailing glove to get here. This One I just got it up into the shallows rolled it on its side and removed the hook but that was easier said than done.
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