9-24-05 - The water is low and dirty, but the fish are there if you're patient enough to look...or lucky enough to stumble over them!

Patience and persistence pays off with my first King Salmon from the tribs this season!

Talk about a gorgeous day to fish!

The harbor! In the right spot, the action was fantastic.

9-24-05 - First Tributary King of the Season!

Waters Fished: Pike River, Lake Michigan (Kenosha Harbor)
Fish Caught: 1
Outing Date: 9-24-05
Weather: Sunny
Air Temp: 70's
Water Temp: Pike River 68F
Water Level: low, 10 CFS or so
Water Color: dirty, visibilty less than 1'
Fish Species: King Salmon, Brown Trout
Pattern Fished: Eggs, Spoons, Stickbaits etc.
Pattern Color: Chartruese in the river, silver and blue was best in the harbor.
Fishing Quality: Fair

It's time to start the 2005 King Season! It's been on my mind for months. After returning from Canada and starting a new job, only one thing could top all that - KINGS!

Yeah, I'd seen them around on my last trip out but failed miserably! Well, OK, to be fair, 2 actively cruising fish aren't the best target - we're looking for holders, resters, fish that are taking a break and prime to snap anything that flows by!

So after hitting the Pike and scouting I finally found fish. 3 hours, 3 hookups. First, 2 hens, one quite chrome, both off in seconds. Toss in a fouled fish (too much weight on the rig for the water I was fishing). Patience paid off when one of the 2 bucks in the bend gently cruised over and sipped in my flies!

One more hookup, the earlier chrome hen again hit. Darn if she didn't come off almost immediately!!! I looked around, the fish in the pool now pretty much completely fished out. Time to head somewhere else.

The Harbor! Kenosha harbor was VERY dirty; winds from the south again. I initially avoided the crowds and started casting. I switched lures again and again until finally one produced a hit - the XPS Minnow, 5", in Blue Back / Silver.

2 more hits later and I definitely was on to something. I moved. More hits, more missed fish! Renee called - she was on her way north now. Time is running out.

Time for the 5 casts rule. I moved, took my first cast...nothing. 2nd cast - WHAM! The guy next to me looked over and asked, "Fish On?" while my rod throbbed and my drag screamed. The fight went on forever. Finally, the beast surfaced - it was a HUGE brown. The blue stickbait was right there in the mouth. It made a 180 degree turn and plunged...the line went limp. @#$@#$%@#.

I packed it up and headed to meet Renee. I've thought about reporting on the rest of our day - rest assured it was spent fishing. However, it's a secret mission and I'm content to keep it that way. Win or lose, the mission didn't matter - I got my first King in the tribs!!!

Melted Drags to all this season!

  MP