Finished out the coho season in north Chatham Strait. I have the fever again. And feel 20 years younger. Tweaking the gear every day to try to improve how my boat fishes, changing spoon colors, adding flashers and hootchies, changing leader lengths, etc. All to catch 20+ fish on a good day. It’s like trapping – you only do it because there’s some money involved, and there’s not a point to do it otherwise after you feed (or clothe yourself trapping) but the money isn’t the end game, it just makes it so you can go do it. And with no pressure to catch fish to make a living from it, it’s even more enjoyable this time around. I have no desire to get a big fishing boat again, and there’s no extra work to process my catch and ship it out – I just sell to fish tender like everyone else.
I soon got into a routine of camping out in my 20′ hewescraft soft top at the dock each night and could make the side benches into a bed and crawl into my Wiggy’s sleeping bag in no time. The Mr. Heather propane heater heated up the little cabin in the eve and morning and the Jet Boil is a Godsend for making coffee and reheating frozen stews/soups Sara had in the freezer.
Now on to winter king salmon season and getting that gear together for next month’s opening.