posted 09-11-2005 02:21 PM ET (US)        

--The drive up. I left work mid-day Friday and headed up coastal Highway 101 on the 300 mile trip to Gold Beach, Oregon, a small fishing town at the mouth of the Rogue River. I was surprised at the lack of traffic all the way up the coast, for the weather was beautiful, the scenic views overwhelming, and summer isn't quite over here in Northern California. Joe later commented that he noticed a substantially fewer number of boats on the Rogue than he was used to at this time of year, and posited that fuel prices had affected attendance. By the way, you California CW members--gas prices dropped a full fifteen cents per gallon right across the Oregon border, and all Oregon gas stations are full service(!). My Tacoma didn't do too well on the often winding, up-and-down roads: 20.5 mpg up and back and I kept my speeds down to 70 mph on the freeway portions.

--Arrival. Joe and Dan welcomed me to Joe's rented fishing lodge--a nice second-story spot with picture windows and a balcony overlooking the river--with smiles, a courtesy sip or two of my signature pale ale which I brought along, then Jack Daniels, a Mexican restaurant dinner, more Jack Daniels, and fishing/Whalin' stories (getting taller and taller as the evening progressed) into the late night.

--Saturday. Joe's boat was slipped at a small marina on the north side of the river, so it didn't take long to get out on the Rogue and get our lines in the water (I'd purchased an Oregon day license for $12 early in the morning). A weather front had followed me up the coast, and we had intermittant rain squalls throughout the day, with winds gusting to 15-20 kts from the southwest and then shifting around to the northwest. I hope that one of the photos below gives an idea of the layout at the mouth of the Rogue--two high jetties perhaps three-eighths of a mile apart lead the river into the sea, across a formidable bar. There's a Coast Guard station on the north side of the river's mouth, and a small craft warning pennant was flying there all day, plus (and I'd never seen this before) there was a huge warning sign about the bar being hazardous which had lights blinking throughout the day. We saw only one boat--a perhaps forty foot long commercial salmon troller/crabber--cross the bar and head out into the lumpy white-capped ocean all day...she made her way through without mishap, and my hat's off the the ballsy fishermen aboard--what a way to earn a living (and I sure hope that folks appreciate that delicious, healthful wild Pacific salmon when they buy it at a market or dine on it at a restaurant).

Joe's OR 18 made a wonderful fishing platform (and one I was well used to), and she handled the lumpy stuff near the bar with a Whaler's usual aplomb. I won't go into detail about the fishing aspects of the trip; briefly, we trolled anchovies and small mackerel baited in a somewhat complicated 'Rogue River rig' (treble barbed hooks with small beads and spinners, very much NOT allowed in California, where we have to fish for salmon with single barbless hooks). We worked the baits up the river perhaps two miles, then back down, with Joe heading for holes he'd had luck with in earlier years. It was flat calm up the river, but down toward the bar the river became a series of 2-3 ft steep, choppy waves with occasional whitecaps in the gusting wind. Fishing wasn't red hot by any means, but Dan picked up a nice 13.5 pound king after several hours, and Joe nailed a huge, hook-jawed 35.5 pound male Chinook at about 2 p.m., just before I had to head back down to Sonoma County. Me? Well, let's just say that it was a hell of a lot of fun as always being out on the water, and that Joe was and is an amazing host, guide, boat-handler, Whaler restorer, fisherman, and tall-tale-teller. Anyway, what would have I done with a nice king salmon facing a 300 mile ride home?

(I'm scattering the following photos in no particular order, and I'll post a couple more later on this thread):

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/elaelap/KrizRogueRiverSalmon011.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/elaelap/KrizRogueRiverSalmon017.jpg

Tony

posted 09-11-2005 07:55 PM ET (US)            

Just want to say that was a nice piece you did on Capt'n Joe. The pictures were great so I sent them to Joe's wife so she had some verification that he was really "Fishing".

What a beautiful area that is up there hey? I am planning to go up around the 20th.

posted 09-11-2005 08:23 PM ET (US)            

Thanks for the great report. It looks like a good time was had by all even though the weather was a little bad. And Joe, the Outrage looks great, as always.

posted 09-15-2005 12:48 PM ET (US)            

I think Joe is getting back home today, and I look forward to his report on the weather and fishing for the rest of his time up there. (In fact, welcome back amigo, and thanks again for a wonderful Whalin' and fishin' experience.)

posted 09-15-2005 01:11 PM ET (US)            

I arrived home last night as I left a day early because the fishing was terrible. We only caught 2 fish the one day Tony was there. The day he was there is the only day it was raining.

Now for the rest of the story...

Tony was holding the center rod while the port and starboard rods were in their rod holders. After fishing for awhile Tony handed off the center rod to Dan who put on and landed a fish about an hour after Tony gave up the center rod. Dan was holding the center rod again while Tony and I watched over the port and starboard rods in their holders. The port rod where I was had a hard strike and I told Tony to take it. He said No, you take and I said, No Tony, you take.. Well, he wouldn't take so I picked up the rod and landed the 36 lb. King Salmon..

Tony, Tony, Tony... It was a nice fish and the only one I landed while I was there. The rest of the trip did not include any other fish on board besides the 14 pounder that Dan landed the same day that Tony was there. We did have one bite but the fish only bit the bait in half...

Oh Well, there is always next time which will be the fist week in October...

See this thread for more information on this trip:

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000591.html

I will post more photos when I get a chance...
Thanks for the commentary Tony and I am glad you had a chance to make it up there and go out with us that day. You obviously brought us good luck...

posted 09-15-2005 03:24 PM ET (US)            

There's a real nice bite going on right now out of Bodega Bay. I did real good Tuesday (two nice big kings before 10 a.m. fishing alone), and I'm going out tomorrow with a friend and my son to give it another try. Better get down here to 'Southern' California, Joe, before the fishing slows down.

posted 09-15-2005 05:16 PM ET (US)            

The current bite has been best down at 10 Mile Beach, pretty close in (for me--80 ft of water, trolling watermelon and green/white with a red stripe Apex lures maybe 30-35 ft down, 55 pulls behind a chrome planer), though I got one of mine Tuesday off the 'Keyhole' between Bird and Elephant. And who knows this strange season...they could be biting up at the River by tomorrow.

Give a shout on channel 77 when you leave the harbor, or maybe we'll hook up at the ramp.

Tight lines,