April 30 Three run homer

Today was the last day we could fish for Chinook salmon. Doug, Roger and I went fishing on the Willamette River, near the mouth of the Columbia. We started fishing a little after 6:00 AM and were on our first pass through the fishing area at 6:30 when we caught fish #1. It was a nice bright salmon - about 8 pounds measuring 26 inches. We feel very fortunate when we are able to get at least one salmon on a fishing trip!

Now consider fishing with 80 to a 100 or more boats all trolling around in a half mile stretch of the river. They are all fishing about the same way you are and have two or more fishermen in each boat. The chances of catching a fish are pretty low.

At 7:00 we hook and land #2 - 12 pounds and 29 inches of fresh salmon.

It is phenomenal to get two in the boat on the same trip when we had only seen 8 caught by this time. We are really feeling good and the chances of getting number three are about the same as winning Powerball. A few more fish were caught by the armada of boats and "the bite" slacked off about 8:00. We continued to put-put around the fishing area snacking, telling fishing stories and dodging boats going hither and yon in a pattern based on the chaos theory.

10:00 "Holy Cat Woman!!" We hook another one. A nice 13 pounder that was 30 inches long.