Northwest Fishing Reports

Just got home form the skok and fish broke me off and I don't mean just line. I am pissed but at the same time just walk into hte store and get a new one tomorrow no questions asked. I will give the full story tomorrow with pics of my rod that broke twice on the same fish. I will not be using that rods for kings again when I get the new one. Going back to my meat stick.

I did get to bring home a fish though.

I keep hearing about folks breaking their rods with a fish on and I can't picture how this is possible without some outside influence. The line should give out before the rod goes, unless the rod isn't rated for the line spooled on the reel. I am also aware that a rod can be damaged but not show signs of it when they are dropped or hit the corner of a hard object. I'm curious to know what brand/model the rod was that gave up the ghost while you were fighting that fish.

Same here. Was it just defective or too light for the beast you were bringing in?

Glad I wasn't the only one wondering about this.
Like said above unless there is a flaw with the pole or you are using way heavy line, completely locking your drag and doing some serious horsing (like trying to lift the fish out of the water with the pole), I just can't imagine a pole breaking.

Yeah man, what the?

I will take pics when I get home from work today, so here is my fish strory.

Went to the skok yesterday afternoon. Fished a couple holes above the bridge and only saw one fish role plus the natives added a net into one of the holes that were producing fish. So I decided to fish about 100yrd in from the mouth since I brought my eggs with me. Get down there and there are a few people driffting the flaot hole from the otehr side. So I walked down and fist tried a couple diffrent jigs with nothing. So i switch over to eggs on a clear float. Seconds cast, fish on....then off. 15 minutes later fish on and then SEAL, someone accross the way FISH on, sweet double in the hole and now two SEALs. I can see this fish running all over the place from these seals. The fish I had on and the fish the guy accross the way had on cross paths and then they both turn and our lines get tangled. fish are trying to still get away form the seals. Seal comes in and CHOMP!!!!!! not sure what fish it got but niether one of us had a fish on after that. So now the seals are in and the fish are just going everywhere. They would run up then down, then settle for a little while and then run around some more as these seals were working the river.

2 hours go by and nothing. had about a hour of of sunlight left or should I say legal fishing time left. So I figured i would give it 20 more minutes. # cast later, bober goes down and then line start peeling off. It starts running back out to the salt so i start walking the rocks and trying not to fall over as I am sliding between the mud and rocks. It turns and starts running right at me twards the shore. I finially get to see this pig and it is huge. it get about 8 feet from me and turns and jumps...SPLASH then runs a little. Then it starts acting like I can drag this thing in. Start reeling hard and ZING it takes off fast and hard. I start walking it down river again. then I put the brakes on it (hand lightly on reel) and SNAP rod breaks about a third of the way down. Just as i get out MUTHER FER! SNAP it breaks again jsut below where the two pieces come together. I am pissed and keep trying to fight this thing in. that lasted about 30 more seconds and SNAP there goes 50yrds of my line. I had to wade out in the river to get the two pieces that broke off up to my neck in the water to get these damn things.

So bottom line, pole is a little light for kings. it is a 9'6" lamiglass 9-18lbs line (i had jsut put 20 on it). It is more of a steelhead pole than naything but they guy at wholesale sports said it would hold up to kings no problem. I had jsut bought 20lb tuffline braid I seriously think that stuff is under rated.

I do think there was a nick or something around the are where it first broke at. the second one I am not so sure. Either way it was a fun fight and I will be going to wholesale sport tonight to trade that one in.


Oh yeah the hunter farm hole is still putting out fish but mainly on the out going tide. The fish are still there and it wasn't crowed at all. hunter farms was by far the worst on the river as always but the rest of the river was pretty much dead for people. I have a funny snagger story from last night as well. That will be later though...............Who climbs a tree to spot and snag fish and expects to land them?

Bummer, to hear that, especially losing fish to seals. The rod that broke is about the same rating as the rods I use for river salmon, however I load up with 15lb mono. The incident with the seals probably caused you to try and horse that fish in and you simply can't do that with a large king unless you are using a cue stick. I'm sure many of us are guilty of using heavier line than the rod is rated for, now we know what can happen! One can always tie on a leader of the proper rating to save the rod, I make a point of doing so when going after lingcod and rockfish.

Yeah lesson learned I guess. I am going to see if they can upgrade my rod to the next size up since it is the same price. I was running a 18lb leader, the leader was only 18 inches.

Since I switched my rods to Ugly Sticks I havent had any rod problems. I started with a trout pole and last steelie season bought a large Ugly for fishing Bush point and Fort Casey. I know they are not a Lami or the prestige of a G Loomis but for the 60 bucks its the darned best rods I've fished with besides my old Fenwicks. I now swear by the Ugly Stick.

racfish wrote:Since I switched my rods to Ugly Sticks I havent had any rod problems. I started with a trout pole and last steelie season bought a large Ugly for fishing Bush point and Fort Casey. I know they are not a Lami or the prestige of a G Loomis but for the 60 bucks its the darned best rods I've fished with besides my old Fenwicks. I now swear by the Ugly Stick.

I love ugly sticks tht is all I used last year until it broke on a winter steelie on the green. I gotit replaced and I will bring it out next time I fish kings.

Never use braid on the river. You don't want to be that Guy. The pole was fine but with braid there is no stretch so the rod takes the abuse. 15 pound big game and my 9 1/2 lami 8to16 has landed me several kings this year.

I will use braid still but only on my float setup

tnj8222 wrote:Never use braid on the river. You don't want to be that Guy. The pole was fine but with braid there is no stretch so the rod takes the abuse. 15 pound big game and my 9 1/2 lami 8to16 has landed me several kings this year.

Scott was floating bobber and eggs, so to say be, "That guy?" Not sure what you mean? I use braid and I will continue to use braid especially in the rivers. Not to pick on you, but I get hung up on way more Mono than Braid, hands down. Not even close.

I use braid for bobber/jigs- am I that guy??

Jens Youre that Guy!!!! Youre that guy cuz you catch too many more fish then I do darnit.We'll buy you a t-shirt that has" THAT GUY" on it. Hehehe

racfish wrote:Jens Youre that Guy!!!! Youre that guy cuz you catch too many more fish then I do darnit.We'll buy you a t-shirt that has" THAT GUY" on it. Hehehe

I'll wear it only if it is made out of braid. [love] [love]

I fish braid on my setups. Some guy tried to call me out for being that guy. Told him Id shut his mouth for him and a few other choice words. Nobody that fishes with me says crap about me having braid. I know how to fish a river. I know how to fish braid. Im pretty respected in the holes I fish. But when someone new tries to flip me crap I shut them up fast and really dont care if someones day is ruined. Braid is fine. And Being the GUY is ok too. Just make sure That guy dont have a fuse like me if your gonna try and call him out on a river.

I don't get it. Whats wrong with being "The Guy" who uses braid when fishing. Me and all my buddies use braid and no one ever says anything to us. So are you looked down upon for using braid? Sorry Scott for asking these questions, but I don't see the problem. Am I a poser if I use it?

there is nothing wrong with braid unless you tangle up with the guy next to you, i would say the pros outway the cons for useing braid by a long shot

I'm guessing that the issue is "the guy" who uses 50lb braid in the river and then proceeds to break off 100' of it after getting it wrapped up on a log or some other snag. The last thing you want to do is suck some heavy rated braid up the intake of your pump or be snagging up on it during a drift. Any of the braid I use for fishing rivers is not rated higher that 15lbs and then I use a lighter weight mono leader. The majority of folks who fish braid do the same so please don't lump us together with the snaggers and rest of the cretins who could give a rip about what they do to the enviornment.

Most people should not use braid. Some and that's a small some can get away with it. Tangle my line and I'm cutting the braid. I also have a short fuse. If you come out with a meatstick and braid, you lose respect.

Oh I lost a fish at the skok the other day. Got tangled in a braid snag.