Unbelievable!!!

[Andrew Zuber]

If it hadn't happened in my boat...and I hadn't witnessed it in person...

I would NEVER have believed it....

Was fishing for Chinook (King) Salmon here in SW Lower Michigan this last weekend...The fish are starting their spawning runs up the St. Joseph River.

My buddy hooked an decent one...15 pounder...after about a minute or so of a great fight, the fish makes a run towards the boat and...ready for this???? JUMPS OVER THE BOAT!!!

We're fishing out of my TV-18, and he's in the back where it's the widest...INCREDIBLE...it had to have cleared 12 to 15 feet at a height of 3 to 4 feet...wish I would have had a video camera running....one other fisherman near us saw it too...he could not believe it either...good thing it didn't hit my buddy on the jump....could have knocked him out of the boat!!!!

P.S. the fishing was AWESOME this weekend...we boated 9 Kings on both saturday and sunday...only fished about 3 hours each day....

The smoker will be fired up 'again' this week!!!



gotta love michigan,

az

 

[fatrap]

My brother and I were catching Chinooks in the Missouri River below Oahe Dam in South Dakota and I had one jump over the 90hp motor on my Nitro. Wow



fatrap

 

[Eric Aasen]

I was fishing a couple years ago on the Feather River for kings. A guy in a big Alumicraft hooked into one that ran toward the boat and then jumped into the boat. In that aluminum hull you could really hear the fish banging around all up and down the river.



NoCAL

 

[Dan Nevill]

Andy



I was born an raised on the St. Joe River. Grew up in Niles and fished from Berrien Springs to the big lake. Fished the river for Salmon, Browns, Lake Trout and the Steel Heads in the river. I believe you when you say they jump. I've sean the Salmon jump in and accross the boat during the runs. Wow I'm jelous. Havent been there fishing for over five years, I've never had enought time when visiting the family and friends back home. Oh well glad you had a good time and Oh, I've seen some big fish from there, my best was 28#.



Dan

 

[Gilbert Scales2]

Andy, that must have been a sight. I can feel your excitment.



Bubby

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I had a 4 pound smallmouth jump in my boat after I slammed a spinner in his jaw

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Dan...

I bet you're missing the River....

Most of the kings are still 'fresh'...got a few males yesterday that had just started the 'jaw hook'....I caught one just short of 20# last week....best ever was trolling out on the Lake...23#s....we're catching these jigging with our BASS RODS! talk about a fight!



az

 

[Dan Nevill]

Andy,



If you catch females still with the egg sac's cut them out soak in borax then you can cut them into chunks and wrap them around a trebble hook with a weight 16" below the hook. the hook is also on a 12-18" leader. Ancor in the river right in front a drop off and tight line the hook. This is a sure thing when they are running. you can also fish from the shore by the dam and cast the same rig or cast wooble gl;ows or spin glows. These work real good. I do miss the days of limiting out on fish. I would go down in the Dec and Jan months and wade in to mid leg depth with a 12" rod and 8# line on an ultra light real. Wow what fun. An 8-12# lake trout will give you a run for the money. You can also troll of of the Cook Plant at the water discharge. The lake trout will be all over the area. Use "hot in tot's" and troll.



D

 

[Kevin Kern]

Dan,



I bet that was a fight with a 12" rod! :lol:

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Here's a pic of one of the big ones from Saturday:

Sorry about the glare...it was either from my bald head or the fact that it was the last picture on the roll...



az

 

[TOMMY RICH]

NIIIIICE ANDY! Way to go!

 

[Dan Nevill]

Nice fish, I'm home sick.

 

[Marke Cicero]

Nice job Andy!!! Some of the guys at work and I were talking about Salmon runs the other day. It made me think of you and I wondered how the St. Joe was treating you this year.....apparently better than I expected.



Marke

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Waaay good Marke!

You should have come over!

Jake fished off the bank last night and caught 4! (I was at work late...)

Think the run here near the Lake is winding up....

But we caught a ton of them this season!



az