MyEscape
Active Member
Decided that after spending so much time getting the boat already for the season I was going out hell or highwater today. [:0] Launched about 9am from Pacific Playgrounds North of Courtenay, the wind was blowing a bit but figured it would ease like the weather channel on the VHF said. Boy were they wrong! 
Motored down to Kitty Coleman about a 10 mile run in 1 foot chop got to my spot and dropped the gear. Within 10 minutes fish on was a nice 7 to 8 pound winter chinook. Fabulous lets try again back down with the gear. Slowly but surely the the wind picked up more and more. Just as water started coming over the stern and was I preparing to pull the gear, fish on but not much of a fight so didn't pull up the other side. It turned out to be a nice sized red snapper. So dealt with that and was in the process of putting gear away when zzzzzzz fish on. 
This is great, by now the waves are getting quite big all I can think about is I need to get in now!!! This fiesty fish did not want to come to the boat so finally I had to horse it in. Nice 11 or 12 pounder. Pulled the gear and surfed the 4 to 5 foot waves mixed with chop towards the marina. I new it was low water by now and the mouth of the Oyster river was 5 foot deep going out, started my approach when 5-4-3- [:0] Motor off and up as I can hear the hull of my boat scrapping I jump out of the boat and fight the wind and waves and pull the boat over the hump at the mouth of the river til it was deep enough to jump back in. Started the motor and carefully motored into the marina. I got off the water just in time after loading the boat the tide changed and all I could see was NASTY water. What an adventure but I must say I don't think I would do it again with the wind blowing as hard as it was. 
Cheers ME
Motored down to Kitty Coleman about a 10 mile run in 1 foot chop got to my spot and dropped the gear. Within 10 minutes fish on was a nice 7 to 8 pound winter chinook. Fabulous lets try again back down with the gear. Slowly but surely the the wind picked up more and more. Just as water started coming over the stern and was I preparing to pull the gear, fish on but not much of a fight so didn't pull up the other side. It turned out to be a nice sized red snapper. So dealt with that and was in the process of putting gear away when zzzzzzz fish on. This is great, by now the waves are getting quite big all I can think about is I need to get in now!!! This fiesty fish did not want to come to the boat so finally I had to horse it in. Nice 11 or 12 pounder. Pulled the gear and surfed the 4 to 5 foot waves mixed with chop towards the marina. I new it was low water by now and the mouth of the Oyster river was 5 foot deep going out, started my approach when 5-4-3- [:0] Motor off and up as I can hear the hull of my boat scrapping I jump out of the boat and fight the wind and waves and pull the boat over the hump at the mouth of the river til it was deep enough to jump back in. Started the motor and carefully motored into the marina. I got off the water just in time after loading the boat the tide changed and all I could see was NASTY water. What an adventure but I must say I don't think I would do it again with the wind blowing as hard as it was. Cheers ME
