Well just when I think I have done about everything possible wrong fishing I find out that I can find new not to bright things to do. So step by step.

Step one: one hook a 15 to 20 lb Chinook at the edge of a hole 50 ft deep.

Step two: fight it to the boat with my Loomis Edge rod which I love matched to Vanford Spin Reel.

Step three: Fight it all over the bloody river get it to the boat and net it but leave it in the water in my large knotless net.

Step four: Put rod butt forward to the front of the boat , flip bail and give myself 6/8 slack.

Step five: Grab pliers and reach down and grab the hook give it a twist and wella done or so I thought.

Step six: As I was busy getting the spinner a Sealion comes straight up through my net and grabs fish and I swear I feel his breath!

Step seven: Sealion and fish take off under my boat with the net and the net handle swings around and whacks me right in the chin.

Step eight: While trying to figure out what day of the week it is my rod ( spinner hung in net ) flips across the boat and the tip lands on the gunnel as the reel hangs up on the storage box as the fish continues at wide open speed with my line UNDER the boat.

Step nine: You hear snap and again wella I loose 6 inches of the top section at the tip.

Step ten: You watch the Sealion proceed to shred your net for about ten minutes until he gets the fish out.

And we are not done. As this was going on a couple of old guys fishing down stream catch a nice Coho and it was ( I say was ) a really nice fish. They hang it off the transom on a rope to bleed out and motor up to me to bs about "my adventure". After a cup of coffee and conversation they swing out and put out their trolling gear and go about twenty feet as I wave goodbye and then that 14 ft Alaskan did a 180 and damn near threw one of the guys out and across the river they went boat and Sealion, not far though as the gill plate finally ripped out. Then the clouds dumped and as they motored up I pronounced that's it I am going home and have a drink which was their thoughts also.

No embellishment here in fact I think I toned down the mayhem so I can at least not look anymore foolish than needed. When fishing there are days that darn near get me back drinking and may I say without reservation this damned day is one!

J F C!

Had some friends who were shore fishing in or near San Franciso Bay. Cast way out, put the large rods on holders stuck in the beach. Went for a walk. Came back and for two of the rods there was just drag marks into the water. Nobody got hurt, but some nice rods went bye-bye.
'

They say "a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work".

After your experience, I think I would have rather had a good day at work.

On the other hand, Rivrguy was very nice to a pinniped. Collected karma points......

while reading this scenes from jaws were filtering through my head. and thoughts of a fully loaded M4.

I find a wrist rocket with marbles to be a way to keep them at bay without resorting to firearms, they get to know your boat pretty fast and keep distance from it. I had a river otter grab a surf perch while fishing at a coastal river mouth, let it go with a neat hole punched through the tail and came up to take a look at me and say W. T. F.? It was a trout rod so I think he was playing rather then stealing.. although he almost spooled me.

Melanie reminded me of an incident involving an osprey grabbing a kokanee I was reeling in after hooking it on a spoon, osprey swept down and grabbed the fish about 15 ft. back from the boat. I pulled back imm. pulling the lure out of the fish so the bird would not be caught by the hooks., by then the fish and bird were up about 20 ft. Thank the Lord for giving kokanee soft mouths. Sorry about the rod breakage, that sucks, but it doesn't sound like that was the first time it broke. Do they replace that and at what cost?

guaranteed for life but not sure with this as clearly the rod didn't fail but will find out soon enough.

That's a great story!

Lots of laughs watching a guy beach fishing on Whidbey toss out a herring under a float and set his rod down then hear him hollering as he ran waist deep to grab his rod and reel. I think it very appropriate that it was a herring gull trying to make off with the whole set up.

My Dad told me of a guy who was fishing in lake near Shasta. He was napping, and had tied the line around his big toe to act as a strike indicator. Apparently, it indicated the strike well enough to almost cost him a toe.

lol. Sounds like the Ish hit the prop that day.