Lake Sammamish 9/12/08

Hit the lake at the crack of dawn.  The plan was to troll for kings at the mouth of the creek before switching over to bass/panfish.  I got AOTY points on my mind.  what do you know ... hookup!!!  But I was met with disappointment as it wrapped a downrigger of a nearby boat and broke off.  3 boats on the whole lake and I have to hookup next to one of them.  I only brought one rig (dodger trailing plain red hooks ... sockeye style) for fishing kings so that part of the day was done.  Headed over to the flats and found a nice weedline with a dropoff to 17-18 feet.  Non-stop action on smallish yellow perch in the 7-10 inch range.  Used my downrigger to anchor up on the edge of the drop (works pretty good) and proceeded to CNR about 20 of the buggers.  Hey, I got AOTY points for a 10.5 incher.  Had to head in soon so I worked the shoreline back to the launch and had one hookup on a smallmouth of about 13-14 inches.  As I went to swing it into the yak (fishing a stickbait with lots of trebles), it dropped off.  Well, I was 1 for 3 on my planned AOTY fishing ... oh sooooooo close to pulling off a 300+ point day!!!  But it was not to be.  At least I'm not in last place anymore.   

-Allen

Nice work man. Sucks about the interference calls and fumble but so as fishing eh? Sounds like a good time on the water none the less.

Z

Forgot to mention, as I was packing up a "gentleman" approached me and offered me a king.  He said he only wanted the eggs.  I don't feel good about egg gathering fishermen, but I didn't want the meat to go to waste     so I accepted the king.  Not too dark, but the meat was on the orange side.  If I have time next week, I guess I'll smoke it and bring it to Pac City.

-Allen

Sounds like a decent day out there... I'm shocked there were only three boats out there in that area.  I would have given my left nut to be on the water today, instead I am chained to my desk.  That area just to the side of the creek mouth by the drop off is always full of perch; great for breaking out the ultralight setup and having fun CNR.

What do people do with the Salmon roe; eat it or use it as bait?

It makes fantastic caviar, but is a bit fussy to prepare.  I'll see if I can et my friend Tom to write up a how-to for the recipe page.

Most guys use it for steelhead/river king bait.

Well, your out of the cellar.. 

Too busy catching big ass fish in a state(and country) that doesn't count for the AOTY...

Well, your out of the cellar.. 

Too busy catching big ass fish in a state(and country) that doesn't count for the AOTY...

Tell me about it.  I gotta fish my home waters more.  I spent the weekend reading "Animal Vegetable Miracle" which talks about eating local.  The green part of me needs to fish local.

-Allen

That area just to the side of the creek mouth by the drop off is always full of perch; great for breaking out the ultralight setup and having fun CNR.

I was working the lily pads at the point between the swimmers beach and the kayakers beach.  But I was marking clouds of fish (presumably perch) the whole way back from there to the launch.  I'm always amazed at the biomass of perch in the lakes around here.

What do people do with the Salmon roe; eat it or use it as bait?

He was planning on using it for bait.  I both eat it and use it as bait, but I will not catch a fish strictly for its eggs.  If I'm not going to use the whole fish, it gets released.

-Allen

CRAP! 

P-Dippy is on the move!   

It's like seeing an out of control Cement Truck in the rearview mirror as you decend a 7% grade.  Don't you have a trip to the Channel Islands or Mongolia or something to be at?