Remember the past Sunday when JU's van got stuck? JU had to get on all four and dug the gravels with his hands to give the van some traction. Also, there were two bystanders who came to help push the van. JU felt so bad because the two gentlemen were very old and feeble. The guardian angels were working overtime to get the van out! Afterwards, it took JU one and a half hour just to get the Ave Maria into the water! It was an excellent learning experience of what NOT to do :-)
This morning JU was more prepared.
Last night, he reviewed the videos on how to do a sardine wrap on Kwikfish lures. He took his time wrapping his favorite lures for today's use.
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| Too many to choose from... |
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| One K-15 and the rest are K-14s Kwikfish lures. |
Early this morning, by 5:30 AM, the Ave Maria was ready to go. After morning prayers, breakfast, and a quick farewell to Mrs. Miracles and the children, JU departed home base at 6:30 AM. Today's sunrise was around 7:30 AM and that's the same hour that JU launched from Gritsmill. It took JU 10 minutes to unload the canoe and launch! Much better than last Sunday!
On the way to his favorite spot, JU passed the first fisherman at Gritsmill. He's been fishing already, but caught nothing. He said that it is slow today.
JU pulled the blue Arkie plug for steelhead on the way as to not waste any time. He passed the second fisherman at the favorite fishing hole. The report was the same. The second fisherman has been fishing, but no takers yet. So JU proceeded to the farthest hole before the fast water, the point of no return for canoes and drift boats. All along, the Arkie plug worked beautifully.
Finally, arriving at the hole, JU set anchor and put away the steelhead plugs. First up were the K-14 silver plug on Berkley Cherrywood rod and K-15 green plug on homemade rod. It was only around 8:15 AM? Once both plugs were out, JU started rowing the canoe upstream while glancing back to make sure that both plugs worked. About 1 mimute of rowing, the Berkley rod started pumping!
No, way!
Yes, way!
Fish on, baby!
The fish fought hard and pulled the canoe around. The canoe started to drift downstream toward the fast current. JU started to panic by now. Should he throw the anchor down? Should he cut the fishing line? Fortunately, the salmon decided to make a run away from the fast current, upstream, and pulling the canoe along. It finally got tired. When it was near the boat, JU faced the second dilemma, the net was too small! The thought did cross JU's mind of giving the salmon the Võ Nam Chi death grip :-) However, it was not necessary. The head of the salmon fitted into the net with its tail sticking out, but it was boated!
The beast was 36 inches long and weighed in at 17 pounds!
Thank you, Father!
JU was ecstatic! He picked up and went home. On the way back, he passed the same fishermen still with no catch :-( JU knows how that feels.... But the day was still young, perhaps their luck will change soon.
The current was still fast! JU had to use level 5 of the 40-pound thrust trolling motor in addition to rowing just to make it to the middle of the gravel bar. At least it was a lot less walking to the pickup point as compared to Sunday!
A special "thank you" goes out to brother PRO (pro-fisherman) for teaching JU how to pull plugs for salmon: "I love you, man."
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| 8:08 AM |
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| 8:31 AM, better leave the trout net at home next time! |
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| Home by 10:28 AM. |
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| 36 inches |
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| Seventeen pounds. |
