Another rainy morning, but we head out all the same.  Ya never really know what it’s goining to be like till you get out there.  We reach the mouth of the bay and find a fleet of boats jigging for bait.  At least we didn’t have to hunt for them for the most part.  We figured they had already located them.  We fill our bucket and get to fish’n.  Today we have grapes on the boat, to which my son remarked this morning…”You got grapes, good!”  The bait fish are thick as molasses and the depth finder thinks it’s found bottom at 20’…it’s well over a 100′. We have one hook up after another.  The bite, for the most part, is on.  The only problem is the bastards won’t cooperate and get in the darn boat.  I had at least 6 that shook themselves off just as we lowered the net, ARRRGH!  Both Trevor and I got stripped a dozen times, and he lost a few as well.  It’s hard to manuever the fish to the side of the boat with low gunnels, two outboard motors, and cramped slick deck space.  We are not as skilled and practiced as my father, so our learning curve is high. I’m not sure if my father finds our ineptitude endearing or frustrating. I suspect frustrating with a pinch of entertainment.  Earlier in the week when we first arrived and hopped on the boat, Trevor surveyed the vessel, shook his head and remarked, “I remember this being bigger”.  Yes when you were little it certainly was.  Seeing that our first two days on the water were smooth as butter, it is only natural and fair to the fish to significantly up the degree of difficulty with a touch of foul weather, and a nearly perfected art of “catch and release”, (or maybe to be PC, we’ll call it “Compassionate Release”) which is funny now, but not funny whilst in the moment.  There is no doubt, however, that the grapes worked their magic, and yet again had it not been for our superior release techniques, we would have limited in two hours or less.  

Trevor was however, King for the day.  He caught his first King salmon, which gave him a hearty fight.  He had another that required acrobatics on our part, as the fish nearly swam around the entire boat trying to get away.  A little after 1pm we pulled in our lines, as we were wet, a little cold, and for the most part, out of bait.  We would have jigged for more but a pod of humpback whales were bogarting the bait.  Several times they came in real close to us, which is both cool and terrifying.  They would circle the massive ball of bait, dive deep, continue to circle, (evidenced by the large ring of bubbles) and surface mouths agape feasting on herring.    While you can, and we have, seen this on TV, it is jaw dropping amazing to witness it in 5D.  What were the chances that on such a grey, wet and choppy day we would be treated to such an experience.  What made it even better was to share it with my father and son.  We motored in, satisfied with our catch, 6 Silvers and Trevor’s King.  Up to 1.5 boxes of silver salmon now.  We want to bring home two boxes of salmon…at least.  Tonight we feast on all you can eat fresh crab at the Whaler’s Cove Lodge, where we have been dinning each night and I dare say have gained a few pounds with their 5 star meals.