Racine 7/4 Salmon

The old Yamaha sputtered a bit this AM having been off the water for over 2 wks. Headed out of the Racine harbor 0435 finding 64 on the surface and set up between the first and second hill. Told some kings caught there yesterday and marked a lot of bait and 58 down 40. Should have dropped down further as it turned out probably that temp to the bottom in 65fow. Wed didn’t get bit until over the second hill a dink king on LBB/White Inticer 75loc. Put it back out and rod went limp. Tried to put 10’ mono in front of the wire to keep the wire on the reel and must need a lesson in tying Albright because everything was gone!! We were across the hill and out to 130fow around 630 sitting a Coho and a small king and surface temp 61.

Turned back in and a little north and once back in the 90s the fish started biting and worked the 80 to 95’ level east west troll the rest of the AM finding only 57 down 71. Mostly ran 2.2-2.6 on my NEW Depth Raider that registers the same as SOG if no current. I found that to be way easier on the old brain vs adding 0.4. I like that you can see on the larger display your signal strength and battery strength. I didn’t take time to check the surface temp vs the Lowrance as the Depth Raider Temp is now adjustable.

It was a Spotted Cow day for sure and my crew plans to drink some later today. White dodger/Spotted Cow took 7 on 80’ rigger and eventually put it on the probe rigger with a smoke dodger and fired twice. Put it on 300 copper with a LBB teaser and no dodger and took the second biggest fish @16.5#. Only board bite early was a 5 color Dbl Purple Spook and a nice bow. Always nice when the riggers are working along with wire dipsys. Pulled all the lead and switched to copper to get the boards to fire a bit in the warm water. Sitting on 13 around 0945 when the wire dipsy 180loc Dbl Aqua/Grn Inticer/glow/silver fired and didn’t stop till the counter was at 650 and Nate said “Oh my gosh this will be awhile”. He started gaining a little and the 300 copper board took off and was buried. Could hardly see the board when it came back up and the fish that splashed looked like it was in the next county! We managed to get the double in with the biggest Chinook we’ve boated in a long time at 22.5#. Ended with 4 kings, 3LT, 1 bow and 7 Coho and a couple small fish thrown back. Really happy to see the warm water bringing the kings back. Tons of bait where we were with some hooks lurking about. Talked to a couple of other boats at the cleaning station with 5-6 fish each and remarked their big kings came late in the day. Looking forward to Salmon A Rama.

Happy 4th.

Grey Beard

80-140loc 1.5 set wire white dodger/Brad’s Bloody nose 0, Brad’s NBK 1-1
60-180loc 1.5 set wire White Inticer/ Naughty Leprechaun 2-3, Grn Inticer Dbl Aqua 1-1
80’ rigger White dodger/Brad’s Spotted Cow 7-10
61’ rigger White dodger/Brad’s Wonderbread 2-3
40-70 rigger White Inticer/Naughty Leprechaun 0, Smoke dodger/Spotted cow 2-2
5 color Dbl Purple Spook 1-1
7 color Mag Bloody Death 0
8 color Mag Dirty Oz 0
10 color Brad’s Purple Frog 0
Pulled the lead and changed to copper
175 copper MT Dew Opti/chart fly 1-1
200 copper Dirty Oz 0-1
250 copper Dirty Oz 0
300 Copper Spotted Cow LBB teaser 1-1