Nestucca finally payed off

A few weeks ago I fished the Nestucca tide water for the first time. There were fish being caught out at the mouth, and I had a couple takedowns but wasn’t set up well and didn’t hook a fish. All of the fish that were caught were nice big fish! It was so exciting to see such a good average I knew that I was going back there set up correctly and that I had to get one of these pigs from a kayak.
A week or two later I had time of during the week and headed back out to the mouth excited and with my gear tied perfectly. There was a huge tide swing that day and I worked really hard through the whole incoming swing only to see no action at all out there. After that trip I was pist. I felt in my heart that I was going to slam a hog chinook that day and got my ass handed to me out there. I went and talked to my father in law (my fishing mentor) and reflected on the last two trips. He laughed at me and told me to give it a couple weeks.
After giving it a week I headed back. My buddy Andrew was with my and paddles rather than pedals so I thought we’d give the boat launch area a try. He set up with eggs, and I trolled the same way I was at the mouth, with a cured herring and a spinner blade. He was going to stay at the launch and I planed to troll away from the bankies. There was an opening between the bankies and the people floating out there on really random vessels. So I thought hell with it on the way up I’ll pass right through them just once. I started headed through them while kissing ass so hopefully no one would cast their spinner over my line. “Hey cool dingy. Nice paddle board! I’m just passing through, don’t mind me.” Bam, I thought someone drug through my line but I nailed a chinook right in the middle of all the bankies and the floatilla of random vessels! I was trying to walk that fish outa there but it had a mind of its own! I was going around in circles fighting that fish front and center in the center of all of them. That fish was taking turns running right toward each group!  After I got the fish in the net I peddled outside the people to put everything away and help my buddy tie up with the same rig. When we were all situated I thought it’d be best to go around the boats on the way up towards the PC bridge. There was definitely a little somewhat friendly trash talk from the paddle board guy when we past, but I just laughed the whole way by.
We trolled on up to and past the bridge. When we past the bridge there were some fish caught and my friend got excited, switched back to eggs and stayed behind. I kept right on trolling. It was beautiful up river, lots of room. Every once in a while I’d pass groups of boats fishing different areas mostly with eggs along the bank. I trolled a long ways up. It seemed like the farther up I went the less action I was seeing. There were still fish rolling but not too many being hooked, so I turned around and trolled back down. It was was a great pedal the sun was out and the tide was slowly running out making the pedal easy.
On the way past Nestucca Adventures my line started feeling bumpy bumpy, like either I was hitting bottom or maybe getting somehow nibbled but not hooking up. I just mantaind the same speed and just past Nestucca adventures out in only 5’ of water with no one else near me my pole buried! This fish pulled me all over the place and I was totally free to let it do it’s thing because aside from the spectators off on the private docks fishing behind houses there was no one! After a few minutes of the fish fighting I was able to get my line up to the swivel. I kicked the mirage drive in reverse, started kicking back, the hog layed on its side and it was an easy scoop with the net!
I was blown away! After two trips of being scunked I was limited by noon! The only thing that would have made the trip better would have been getting my pal on some fish too. You can lead a horse to water, ha ha!

The first fish was 31” the second was 35” and 20lbs, my PB from a kayak.

Sorry for all the writing, and spelling errors. I’m not great at writing and the wife was rushing me 🤗

Great story and nice photos.  Congratulations on the limit.

That is awesome Casey.  Great job sticking with it until it paid off in a big way. 

Way to go Casey!  That first one is a fatty!

Thanks guys! I can't wait to try it again, and to learn more about our coastal rivers, and tide waters!
The pics are actually posted backwards. The first pic posted was the second fish caught.

Nice feesh !

Nice to hear , Casey. I spent two days over there last week chucking spinners like a madman from the bank and only got a coho and did not see many Chinook caught by anybody while I was there.

Fantastic Casey!!  That's determination.  You never can tell the difference between pist and elation, but I think I see it in your smile.  Congratulations on your Nestucca Limit. Well Done, man.

Casey that was already really good reading by the first fish and hats off for closing out the limit. Great narrative and thanks a lot for sharing. These are the very best types of posts that NWKA has to offer!
Beauty fishes man

Way to keep the faith out there and get it done with a limit of beauties!  That's a killer score for what's shaping up to be a challenging season.  Well done Casey, thanks for the report!

Excellent blow by blow.  Thanks for taking us along!  And, Congratulations!

-Mark-

Well done, Casey!

Awesome report and fish, Casey! Reports like this are why I made an account here in the first place. Thanks for sharing the stoke!

We spent some time on the Nestucca a couple of years ago but I never even got a bump. Good job grinding it out. It may not be the type of fishing for me but the payoff is awesome if you're willing to stick it out.