Finally getting around to a show and tell!

[Hairbone]

Last winter I was on e-bay and bought about 20 huge flatfish for about $1 a peace each. They work for Pacific salmon and I though I could let the Lakers have a whack at em, but figured I could always troll them for northerns.


So it is LCI weekend and I already have caught 6 22" landlocks and a bunch of shakers all on anything silver and can only get bit on a north to south troll. My leadcore rod had been silent and had already given up on the slide diver as It was not producing. Two riggers were keeping my wife and I busy until the mid day lull.



The specifications for K15X kwickfish said it dove 15-17' and figured I would give it a try for salmon as I had nothing to loose and some big fish were already on the board. I let out four colors with a 50' leader with this funky clear green kwickfish. My leadcore setup is one of the heavier style Okumas you find at dicks with a magna pro linecounter. Trolling about 2.2 the rod tip just thumped, but the bait ran true.

We are trolling south and my wife is driving and she has to put the boat in neutral as we are getting cut off by another boat. The other boat is close and it felt nice to see the guys faces on the other boat as my leadcore rod doubles over and the reel goes ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzz..... This fish felt heavy and I swore I had on the mother of all lakers and was counting my prize money With about a half core our a 24" silver blasted into the sky and I was sure I was onto something. I only fished the flatfish a few more times over the next few weeks and never caught anything smaller than 22 inches. Lure was fun to run and figured you guys might like to hear something different than a spoon program. Letting the lure slow and having the lure rattle slow made for more strikes. Looking forward to trying again when the fish are more in tune to a bigger meal.

BTW.... that boat that cut me off earlier mugged me for the next three hours. Later in the day I had a huge silver break me off running a Sutton 44 on mini dipsy that jumped feet from their bow

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Thanks for sharing your experience.
If it was not for your wife slowing down the boat because of the other one cutting you off, maybe that fish would not have bitten. There's always a good side to everything.

[digitroll (ron)]

I remember in the 2nd LCI derby in 1984 Brian Plant "Supervisor" with his son in his 22 ft Mariner the last 3 hours of the derby had a boat cut him off near Eagle Mtn. and he swung wide around him and the rod went off and minutes later Brian was screaming on the CB that his son had a 7 lb salmon in the boat and later it took first place for the Jr. category. Good stuff indeed happens from your boat yielding or slowing down.

Great flatfish story and strategy!

[Thorny]

Verrry interrresting....