9-30-05 - Fatman and Kevin with Fat's monster nighttime King!

9-30-05 - Last chance...to NIGHT FISH!

Waters Fished: Root River
Fish Caught: 0/3 personally
Outing Date: 9-30-05
Weather: Clear
Air Temp: Mid 50's to Mid 60's
Water Temp: n/a
Water Level: 65 CFS
Water Color: muddy, visibility less than 1'
Fish Species: King Salmon, Steelhead
Pattern Fished: Eggs and Flying Bunnies
Pattern Color: Chartreuse, Purple etc..

Ah, this is a short one I guess. After finishing up everything, Renee and I bolted for Racine...according to the regs this is the last night of nightfishing on our tribs. As it reads..."From October 1...". Well, imagine our surprise when, while rigging up, we were stopped by a pair of CO's who were out checking licenses. I mentioned we'd be fishing until midnight...according to the CO who checked my license nightfishing was permitted THROUGH October 1, which meant that technically a) we could fish past midnight tonight and b) we could fish until midnight tomorrow (Saturday). HMM.

Well, we got on the water to find Rich, Jim, Kevin and a few other anglers already down there fishin'. Gerry and John K. had been out earlier in the afternoon and each landed several kings, as well as a steelhead. I didn't get to see the steelie firsthand, but Gerry and John know enough that I'm very confident that they indeed did come in contact with one.

Rich was the first to hook up while we were down there...got this great big king! After snapping a pic, I asked where I should put Renee. "Up in those riffles where I just got this one" was Rich's response.

Well, it wasn't fast action, but Renee was the first to hookup. All too quickly the fish came off. Shortly thereafter, I hooked up with a smaller fish in a deep pocket...again FISH OFF!

Most of our fellow anglers moved downstream while Renee and I continued to work the riffles. Renee slid downstream to fish under the bridge. My concentration was interrupted with an EXPLOSION of water on the far shore, just upstream from where Renee was fishing. She Shrieked in excitement, but this one turned and ran downstream...FISH OFF!

RATS! Seems like Renee was the lucky charm, because right after she hooked up I too tied into a fish. At first I thought I was snagged up, but then, as you've probably heard others say, the "Bottom" started moving. I really don't know what's up...this one got away too!

Towards 11:00 PM the action just tapered off into nonexistent. Rich and Kevin called it a night. Jim, Renee and I decided to give it a shot downstream. After checking the weir (roughly 700 kings processed, 100 cohos, 15 browns and 45 steelies) we continued moving downstream to a small patch of gravel immediately above a deep pool.

Not wanting to press our luck, we fished until midnight despite the OK from the CO that "tonight" was not in fact the end of legal fishin' time. Jim moved upstream to the tailout at the head of the riffles. While hopeless tangled in the brush on the far side of the stream, a King magically appeared at his feet! Jim called me up and asked me to catch the fish...he was out of play. 3 drifts, I hooked up, and AGAIN the fish popped off!

Well, I was content to call it a night, but Renee and Jim kept fishing. As I watched, now dangerously close to midnight, another fish simply parked in shallow water right in front of me. Oh, what the HECK!

Unfortunately, I made a bad drift and found myself tied into the pectoral on this fish. RATS! I should've just kept my rod packed up for the night.

  MP