WILD BLOG: Spring Chinook shakedown cruise ...
NEW April 9, 2009 / 6:30 p.m

PORTLAND, Ore. - Last Thursday was my shakedown trip on the Columbia to make sure everything on the boat was running in good enough order to start my springer season.

I had my friends Ty and John and my Dad Lloyd along to help me drown some chartreuse-dyed herring while we were out there for a few hours.

Everything on the boat went smoothly despite sitting around without use for a few months.  At about 9:30 I looked over at my dad's rod to see it take about three nice dips, jut long enough for me to say, "Dad, you're getting bit" 

After waiting a minute to see if the fish would come back I had him bring up the bait to check it out.  Sure enough, the bait was chewed and no longer spinning.

I re-baited him, had everyone pull up, and we motored back upstream to troll back through the same spot again.

We dropped our leads to the bottom, Dad put his rod in the holder and turned around to sit down.  As he turned his back on the rod I looked over to see it buried:  "Dad, dad, you got one!"

The fish's mouth was wired shut so there wasn't much fight - it was to the boat before I could get the net ready.  But that's OK.  Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - is as good-eating as fresh springer with sea lice!

Since then we have been getting several clients into some great fish, both on trolled herring and backbounced eggs.

-DJ