Chasing the Ozy Salmon.

[alex2]

The seas have been incredably flat of late which alows me to venture out in the Pacific in my little bass boat to cast at them salmon.
They would have to be the most frustrating fish to please, tonnes of salmon sucking the surface for krill. But a hook up is sometimes hard. Others very easy.

There have been a bunch of seals that are taking the easy way to get a feed. They smash the salmon that we hook. They steal many flys

Sometimes we get lucky and land them after several runs into the back part of the backing. They are a great sport fish.

 

[littledavid123]

Couldn't find anything on the net, what is a Ozy Salmon?

Dave

 

[milt spawn]

It's Australian for Kahawai, mate! milt (Prolly should go in the Downunda or salt section tho)

 

[winxp_man]

The same is going on at the mouth of the Klamath River here in Northern California. The guys that go out to get some King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) are starting to pull in lots of heads and the damn seals seem to know when you have a hook up and one tug and the whole fish gone! Damn seals. The problem is some lots of seals now are starting to follow the salmon up river and just gorge on salmon at the ladders of hatcheries. Oregon is starting to put them down because even catching and releasing them in a different area will not stop them! They come right back.

O well I guess its life.

Thanks for sharing and looks like you got one in at least

 

[fq13]

are you sure that's a salmon? That head looks a lot like a bonito/albacore tuna to me.

 

[fredaevans]

The same is going on at the mouth of the Klamath River here in Northern California. The guys that go out to get some King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) are starting to pull in lots of heads and the damn seals seem to know when you have a hook up and one tug and the whole fish gone! Damn seals. The problem is some lots of seals now are starting to follow the salmon up river and just gorge on salmon at the ladders of hatcheries. Oregon is starting to put them down because even catching and releasing them in a different area will not stop them! They come right back.

O well I guess its life.

Thanks for sharing and looks like you got one in at least

So true. Lived in Healdsburg (minutes from the Russian River) and the damned things basked on the beach right at the mouth of the river. For fish to get past them you had to have one hell of a rain storm to blow out the river. Even then they'd swim up the river to the diversionary dam that they couldn't get by (at least that I know of).

 

[bquick]

Congregating seals have heralded the return of salmon and steelhead since I can remember. They are the least of our concern. The big threats are dams and clearcutting the tribs.

 

[winxp_man]

Congregating seals have heralded the return of salmon and steelhead since I can remember. They are the least of our concern. The big threats are dams and clearcutting the tribs.

Yes this is true but the number of seals are getting to be quite over the top to sustain the numbers of fish. The fact that damns have been put in makes it even worse then the hatcheries actually make it easier for these damn seals to get food. I have seen with my own two eye seals come up the American River here in Sacramento CA and just trash fish for no good reason. Not feeding because you can see dead fish floating down the rivers.

I would venture to say that salmon numbers can get real big again even with damns and hatcheries but the damns will not let these numbers be supported. It sucks yes but I guess we just have to live with it since people in power don't seem to care to do anything about it.

My main concern has been that the seals are so packed out in the ocean that it gets hard for them to get food because with the number of seals (here in California and other western states) flourishing that they are starting to come up in the river system in quite some numbers. During shad season here on the American river one guide counted 14 seals in one days that he could see.

I think to argue and say that it has been the case since the beginning of time well I will say that the Natives took care of that. You see a seal in the river you know that was lots of food so why not take it down? I also don't think that the rivers were the sizes they are now with damns in place. So that would make it a tad bit hard for a seal to come up all the way here and not be seen by native tribes.

I guess we just screwed up nature to the point that to bring it back it will take quite the effort. Anyways to the Op sorry to thread jack! I did enjoy your post.

Carry on

 

[alex2]

I couln't find a "Downunda" section on these forums?
Saltwater, well yes.

The water here at the moment is very cold.

These seals seem to know that you are chasing the fish and will follow you where ever you go

 

[Rip Tide]

These seals seem to know that you are chasing the fish and will follow you where ever you go

The seals out our way know perfectly well what a fishing pole is for and if they see one they'll follow you around all day watching and waiting for something to happen
Two seasons ago when I was fishing out of my kayak I went from a deep channel up on to a shallow shoal and over 40 heads popped up out of the water behind me
Haven't fished that area since

This spit of sand was once known as "big girl bar" as it was an excellent spot to hook into a big cow striper.
Try and catch a fish there now
Last time I was out there, I played "tag" with a couple of seal pups.

 

[moucheur2003]

I was fishing for Atlantics in Labrador a couple of years ago and there were some seals hanging out at the first set of rapids about 10 miles upriver from the mouth. One had even made it up above the rapids.

 

[theboz]

More sharks are needed in those situations to help balance the equation! I like the sharks that like cormorants as well!

 

[nockhunter]

A friend on mine who had a guide boat in Washington, now in Alaska had a good trick to keep seals away. When his client had a fish on and a seal would make a move on it he would send a few steel BB's at it with his wrist-rocket. The seals learned what boat not to follow after they took a couple to the noggin!

Mike

 

[kaleun]

Well, mother nature will have her way. This excess of seals is sure to be great news to the (also federally protected) great whites.

Of course when they become abundant I wouldn't want to be out there on a kayak or a bass boat for that matter.

"We are going to need a bigger boat," Chief Brody.

 

[Ard]

Paul,

You need more sharks.