The one that got away 10/13 Willoughby Report
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:30 am
On some intel me and a couple buddies headed inland to lake willoughby to try to get on a hot morning bite. Arrived at 6:45, and put gear in the water. The light wind was cold and biting, and the clouds wouldn’t break we trolled south for about an hour before our first strike, a small salmon. Reset and kept going, rounded the south end and headed north. Another hit, and it’s a double on one rod, salmon top laker bottom. We figure we were dragging the laker so we check other gear and find 2 more small salmon on lead cores.
We kept at it picking up small salmon and lakers, and then decided to put the slow down a bit and try for bigger lakers. Sent the spin n glo put down 70, and kept the rest of the gear higher for salmon and steelies. A couple of bites and land a small steelie. By this time we are around 11:30, and I find a spot with a lot of marks at 75ft and a fairly consistent bottom. We get a release on the spin n glo but no one home, reset and loop back.
Then it happens, the higher rigger with a 6 inch dodger and a fly 10 inches behind fires. It had a 65ft setback down 28ft, rod tip goes up, quick thump thump, FISH I holler and jump to action, then the rod just buries over, it bent almost at the handle and the tip was almost in the water. I grab it, and immediately know it’s gone. We get the line in, and find that it snapped out 12lb leader. Check the drag on the rod and it seems right, we are sitting there in disbelief. One thing to lose a fish to a break off when you got a chance, but when it breaks off in the rod holder, you know it was a monster and there was nothing you could do.
We reset the gear and kept at it, got a nice 20 inches steelie a few minutes later, and a couple more salmon. On the last fish of the day I managed to put a hook into my palm when the fish popped off and the rod still had tension on it. We also managed to lose a slide diver to a kink in my wire.
All in all a good day. 8 small salmon up to 15 inches, 2 steelies and 2 lakers
We kept at it picking up small salmon and lakers, and then decided to put the slow down a bit and try for bigger lakers. Sent the spin n glo put down 70, and kept the rest of the gear higher for salmon and steelies. A couple of bites and land a small steelie. By this time we are around 11:30, and I find a spot with a lot of marks at 75ft and a fairly consistent bottom. We get a release on the spin n glo but no one home, reset and loop back.
Then it happens, the higher rigger with a 6 inch dodger and a fly 10 inches behind fires. It had a 65ft setback down 28ft, rod tip goes up, quick thump thump, FISH I holler and jump to action, then the rod just buries over, it bent almost at the handle and the tip was almost in the water. I grab it, and immediately know it’s gone. We get the line in, and find that it snapped out 12lb leader. Check the drag on the rod and it seems right, we are sitting there in disbelief. One thing to lose a fish to a break off when you got a chance, but when it breaks off in the rod holder, you know it was a monster and there was nothing you could do.
We reset the gear and kept at it, got a nice 20 inches steelie a few minutes later, and a couple more salmon. On the last fish of the day I managed to put a hook into my palm when the fish popped off and the rod still had tension on it. We also managed to lose a slide diver to a kink in my wire.
All in all a good day. 8 small salmon up to 15 inches, 2 steelies and 2 lakers
