Took a break from the Wind last friday and fished Springers below Rainier. Started to be a great trip, went 1 for 2 trolling herring the last hour of the incoming tide, landed a nice 20# hatchery springer. By then it was getting past high slack so we went over to anchor in a spot I've had sucess in the past.....clear back in the 80's.
Got anchored up in 26' of water, went to work gettin our wrapped flatfish out, while still gettin stuff ready, our middle rod, dipps twice then buries( stiff rod too...Loomis BBR 964c..) set the hook.....fish on. we unhook from the float and chase down the springer.
After a nice battle, I net a cookie cutter 20# hatchery like the first...wow 2 keepers in less than 20 minutes,and it's only 9:00am. So back to the hogline, and hook up on our float, punch the fish on lic., get gear back out. Then loop a 3' bleedin rope through it's gill& back out the mouth and tie to my super vee's gunnel. Less than 5 minutes later
BOOM, crunch, splash...I thought someone ran into us, I turn around in time to see a 8'-9' long,800#-1000# sealion rip our springer off the rope. The SOB then swam 75' down stream and tore the sh!t out of it while playing with it then eating it on the surface.
Luckly, we got more chances that day and boated 2 more, 1 being a 28# native that was released.
But from now on I'll bleed my fish in the fish box below Bonnie, or fish up here (the Wind) where there are no freakin sealions.

If a sea lion steals your catch does it still count as part of your daily limit? :p I mean after all you did release that fish back to nature.

Anyone else hear that shotgun blast? I didn't!

Tyler

It nice to hear about an angler who cares enough about all the animals of the sea to prepare a meal for a starving sea lion. Just thinking about it brings a tear to my eye. You my friend are a true humanitarian.

And THAT is why it doesn't bother me when I see people shooting Seals and Sealions.