Previous Next

I've been hitting the Duwamish for the last couple of weeks with no luck to show.

I went Sunday around 8:00 and was figuring on plunking some eggs I had from last season. I didn't have much of a supply left, but thought I'd have enough for a few hours. I got a few tugs, but I'm a bit of a newby at this and not great at anticipating when to give my line a good pull. Anyway, I had one pretty good nibble, actually while I was retrieving my cast. I didn't have quite enough lead to really "plunk", it was more like drifting since the current was fairly strong. After a couple of hours I ran out of eggs.

I was considering going home but decided to cast a few things and see what would happen. Last Tuesday I was at the same spot and had a guy in a boat go by who said he got one on a pink spinner. The closest thing I had was a pink Buzzbomb, which I tried and got a little nudge and splash. So I decided to try the same lure on Sunday. First cast, there was a nudge, second cast was fish on! The coho took 3-4 runs and put on quite the aerial show. I tried to keep it away from a log that was nearby, but it managed to go under it. I couldn't tell what was happening as I could see the lure but not the fish. There was still some tension on the line, so I eased off, and the fish came loose for a few more runs. I maneuvered the fish to shore and when I got it 5 or so feet up the bank it thrashed violently and was gone. I could see it swim off with my Buzzbomb in tow.

Dejected, I restrung another pink Buzzbomb jig on my line. It was a bigger version than the one a lost so I was skeptical that it would work. First cast while I was reeling it in I could see the lure in the water, and from about 20 feet away a bulge/ripple appears in the surface of the water charging at it. Bang, fish on! This one was even more fun than the first. Probably 5-6 runs with jumps all over the place. I got it close to shore, only to have it take off for a few more. Having learned my lesson a few moments before I worked the fish to shore and had a better plan to land it in the "too far to wiggle back into the water zone". I managed to do that and dispatch it right away. I removed the hook and as I stood up and looked back over the river, I peered down, there was my lost Buzzbomb from the first fish that I lost a few feet from shore!

It took a half hour or so for the tide to go out far enough for me to retrieve it safely. So here is the mystery: I rig my line with a snap swivel, and then typically have each lure or jig pre-tied on a leader with a swivel as well. After I lost the first fish, my line had no swivel, so I assumed it had snapped there, but since I was able to get the Buzzbomb back, without the hook or leader, the swivel on the leader had to be gone as well, so the leader snapped also. Two line breaks on a fish out of water? I know that those Buzzbombs can fatigue connections, but two breaks is perplexing.

I continued to cast for a while longer with no results. There were probably 7-8 people fishing within view, with no one else getting any action. So I finished 1 for 2 . So it appears for a brief moment I had the right combo for those conditions. Tide was right, current right, temp etc. Kinda baffling.

At 57 years old I am a newby at a lot of this. So if you saw an older guy just a little too excited over losing and catching a coho cut me some slack. It has been better that 40 years since I caught a coho, and this is the first on the Duwamish. Probably was a 2 on the rating scale, but I gave it a 3 for the occasion.

Lambojac

10/4/2016 7:02:00 AM

Pretty sweet fishing story! Glad you had some luck.

afk

10/4/2016 7:14:00 AM

Hey Sheltered if it made me feel 40 years younger I'd be a little excited too! Those brief moments of having the right combination will come more often if you pay attention to the details. Glad you felt like a kid again. Thanks for the report.

ONCOfisher

10/4/2016 9:58:00 AM

Hey that's a really well written story! I think you perfectly captured how it feels to lose a fish right at the bank...I can't tell you how many times I get overexcited about fighting the first fish of the day, drag it onto the bank, only to realize that the fish has a lot more fight in him than I thought.

When I fish buzz bombs I usually tie them directly to the main line and add a bead between the bumper and the hook (and sometimes I just get rid of the rubber bumper and use a bead only). I can see why you'd want to use a snap swivel - it makes changing lures a lot quicker and easier, but I guess you could argue that by using a swivel you are introducing two more spots of potential weakness in the setup - three in total (knot @ the lure, knot @ the swivel, and the loop knot @ the end of the leader). I've used pre-rigged leaders for surf fishing and I think for me one of the most annoying things was when the leaders would get all tangled up - it basically would take more time to untangle them than if I were to just tie it ad hoc.

Great report!!! get out there!

Sheltered

10/4/2016 12:19:00 PM

Yeah, the Buzzbomb I used was a leftover from the pinks two summers ago so it was probably getting fatigued at one end or the other. Luckily I got two chances on Sunday.

Leave a Comment:

Login

Flag

×

Why is this comment inappropriate?

Close Submit

Delete this comment? Provide reason.

No Yes

Edit

×

Cancel Save