Coastal Float Fish Fightin Fun

Every year I make a point of learning & becoming more comfortable with floating & fishing rivers for winter steelhead & salmon. As kayak fishermen we have ideal seasons & fisheries in large bodied water, but I've found that l'm missing out on fishing & river experience the PNW has to offer in the late fall & winter.
I metup with Sturgeon General to target the late fall chinook run on N. coastal rivers & we hit the water before first light. Just after sunrise i connected with the first fish of the day, a feisty 19lb hen that pulled me around like a pinball machine. A short ways down stream i connected with a willing bright coho riddled with sealice.
We chatted with the drift boaters & for the next couple hours the bite was slow, as we had the only report of fish that stretch of river.
The drift boats fished on as we settled into a nice spot & got back in the swing, all before i hooked up again into a beautiful chrome Chum that gave me the fight on my life. Extremely powerful & intelligent, this fish pulled me up, down & across the river to every down log & tree it could find. Several times i would bury my rod in the water & pull this fish out from under the log before finally netting & releasing him.
It wasnt long before SG hooked up with a monster chrome hen that spun him in circles & left him hootin and hollerin, spilling his afternoon beer all over. A few laughs & shortly after, SG hooks into his second chrome hen of the day & demonstrates the versatility & advantage of the Hobie all while fighting the fish peddling upstream & hovering.
As for the OK 11, I find I prefer the adrenaline rush & chaos of fighting these fish all over the river while deploying the one-arm paddle stroke to avoid the strainers & sweepers.
I got back into the drift & hooked into an eager bright native Chinook that wouldn't take "net" for an answer. She went downriver before a 30 yard sprint upriver where she took refuge under a fallen tree. Burying my rod again, I was able to pull her out a few times before she'd run right back under & I'd feel the line sawing at the submerged tree. This went on for a while & neither of us would give up. An older gentleman came up to offer assistance so i had him anchor above the scene, & hold my rod as I tied off to his drift boat. PFD removed, i dove down following the snagged line & realsed it whule watching the angered native hen break off my dropper hook and take my enticing bead with her.
What a day to be on the water! The adrenaline rush of the fish fights alone, accompanied by the smell of cow shit in the air all day, was a memory I'll never forget. All three hens were plump with big berried eggs & cut a pretty red. The bright coho was flawless & sea lice ridden. We live in a great place with much to be thankful & humbled for. God bless the PNW. Fish on friends.
Hugh

sweet!

 Great report and assessment, MS. Glad to be around fishermen testing their limits,even though I rarely do. Much respect to the paddlers. ..after hooking a decent fish,in a narrow canyon,with current,with other boats around.....don't know how you do it.
Congrats to you and the Sturgeon General!

Great report and sounds like an awesome day.  Did you guys put in and take out at the same place, or use a shuttle service?  Would welcome any additional top secret details you would be willing to share.  I'd love to get down there some time this week.

Thanks for sharing the report and pics.

Nice work and one of the best reports I've read in a while!

Thanks for sharing!

-Mark-