Dory Log Entries

This page contains selected fishing log entries from 1978-1991. Detailed records were kept for every year we fished including the log entries, areas fished, weather conditions and catch records.

(picture, top right) Dad running the hydraulic gurdies to check for fish.

Directions: Click on the links below to navigate through the log entries.

Background	1977	1978
1979	1980	1981
1982	1983	1984-85
1986	1987	1988
1989	1990	1991

Some background information that may be helpful here is that the entries for 1977 were written when I was 14 years old. This was the first year my father and I were involved in the commercial salmon troll industry, and to be honest we had a lot to learn. It was in 1979 that we started putting things together and were on par with other boats of our size. In 1986 we reached a turning point in chinook fishing as we learned of new techniques that worked very well.

If you're a current or former salmon fisherman, I hope the following entries provide some momentary reflection upon similar adventures of your own. If you're just browsing and have no ties to commercial salmon fishing, read on and get a taste of a truly incredible experience!

6-15-77 (Day 1): Today was our first real day to go fishing. Hundreds of boats were firing up their engines this morning in the dark for the "all salmon species" opener. Lots of boats were heading out between the Yaquina Bay jetties. It was like a parade of lights. Word came quickly over the CB radio that the weather was very nasty offshore and that boats were heading back to port. So I guess we get to try again tomorrow.

6-18-77 (Day 2): Our first day fishing on the Carolyn Kay ever and it seemed like forever. We followed another boat from Port Dock 7 out to a place called the Rockpile because they have a device called a LORAN that tells you where you are out in the ocean. We apparently headed for the south end. We lost sight of the other boat so we were on our own. It took awhile to catch some fish, but we finally caught a dozen silvers. Unfortunately I left the wheel to look at our catch and we tangled our gear. A hard lesson to learn the first day. Our trup home took about an hour. We also caught a few red snapper and lingcod. We sold our fish to Ocean Fresh Seafood on the Newport Bayfront.

June (Day 2): A flat ocean and nice day. Unfortunately we only caught one 12 lb. chinook.

June (Day 3): Fished a long time in the fog and drizzle. It was very cold and boring. We didn't catch a single fish!

July (Day 22): Fished off the Yaquina Head lighthouse and had our best day for silvers to date- 22! We also caught a pink salmon or humpie as people around here call them. Fished with Hal on the Tami S. He has sort of been our mentor. He's been fun to visit with on the dock too. He has a lot of stories that always begin with "Years ago...."

July (Day 23): Another good day - even better than yesterday! We fished off the lighthouse again and caught 26 silvers and 2 humpies. The fish seem to be moving north.

July (Day 29): Fished off of Seal Rock and caught 4 chinooks along with four silvers. We caught the chinooks and Little Joe plugs. Our favorite is the Little Joe 120.

August (Day 37): We caught our largest fish yet, a 23 pound chinook north of the Yaquina Bay whistle buoy. We also caught 6 silvers too.

6-15-78: A rough ocean. Today we installed our new LORAN and it's not working well. On strike!

6-30-78: Good day! Nice ocean. Caught first halibut today and two large chinooks, many silvers and saw a blue shark by our boat.

8-10-78: went out to the Rockpile. We caught 9 smilies including a 21-pounder. Helped a troller come in because of electrical problems. Arrived in port a 9 pm with 40 yd. visibility.

8-12-78: Got up late. Didn't expect to get out due to large swells. A boat blew up right by us as we were headed out in the bay. No fatalities as we were right by a man in the water who was rescued by another boat. We caught 2 smilies today.

8-29-78: Got our biggest chinook ever - 25 pounds! Motor broke down. Almost ran out of gas. Bothered by sharks again!

6-30-79: We are ready for the season opener, but are the fish ready? Tune in tomorrow when we answer this mysterious question....

7-1-79: ANSWER: Hard rain, rough ocean, strong winds = didn't get out. The bed fell apart just when I got out. We'll try again tomorrow.

7-5-79: Very sloppy weather in the morning. Nice in the afternoon. We had one of the highest catches! Hooked and lost the largest chinooks ever by us. Caught 2 halibut but the season was closed so we let them go. We saw a huge basking shark behind the boat! Hope we can succeed tomorrow. We plan to fish the same place.

7-6-79: BEST DAY EVER! We scooped 'em! 44 silver , 3 chinook and a humpy. Slow morning. Very satisfied. Plan to find the fish again.

7-12-79: Best day ever..again! Real good ocean. 54 coho, 1 smilie and 2 humpies. All fish were deep. A shark tangled our deep lines - no fun.

8-20-79: Late evening bite.. We (Terry and us) discovered the fish. Lots of dolphins, sharks, giant rips and fish. Went to port in the dark.

7-15-80: 32 silvers on the first day.Hot morning bite. Slow afternoon. Nasty afternoon wind. Had fun!

7-19-80: Slow morning. Few fish and lost most we hooked. Long dry spell, then wammo! - small productive clatters of fish. But I cut my finger and fell in the bay at the gas dock. Our total was over 6 times our morning catch.

8-11-80: Pulled the big one - 29 lbs and a total score of 10 and 3 out on the Rockpile. Great day. FLAT ocean. Not too foggy.

9-3-80: Went to the spot that I pulled a few two days ago. Brian and I were the highliners today. Snotty trip coming back in. The meat line produced!

7-1-81: Surprise at the jaws. Went across breaking bar before dawn - never again! Rough ocean - winds up to 30 mph. One fish. Good experience for me {my father} - proud I can handle the boat alone. Very happy to see Terry, and look forward to the next two weeks.

7-3-81: Finally got a halfway decent ocean most of the day. Scratched 27 slips. At the end of the day it got snotty and foggy, but it was an enjoyable day for all. It was sort of a long ride one and a half hour fide in from the Rockpile. Caught and released 5 halibut but no chinooks today.

7-9-81: Wow! What a day! We fished until 8pm. We were the highliners of the dory fleet with 25 silvers and 1 king. All scratch fishing. We're tired but the train doesn't stop here. We'll head out for more action tomorrow. We worked the 841-846 LORAN lines in 37 fathoms all day.

7-16-81: Woke up late. I was sorry Terry had to return to Coast Guard duty in Coos Bay, but was grateful that we had 2 weeks of fishing. It could have been different. Went out to the whistler and poked around for chinook for an hour - no go. Came in and had dinner with my parents. Ready to charge south tomorrow. I'm rested and ready.

7-18-81: Put in at 13000 LORAN line on a school of fish. Pulled 6 - then the overheating alarm went off. Seaweed! It took 15 min. to cool then the fish were gone. Pulled a few more and then ran to the North End and caught the rest.

7-23-81: Great Day! Caught 27 slips and 6 kings. We were one of the highliners today. I'm glad I could fish today, but I have to go back to Coos Bay tonight. Oh well, good luck dad!

7-28-81: Quite a day! I have never worked so hard. I went until I got a cramp in my arm - couldn't pull fish anymore, or I could've caught 20 more silvers. I was alone except for Wayne, Bob, Terry, Dennis, Denny and Larry (he took me to the hot spot!) No real adventures except for a snagged chinook on the side. I thought I had a 50 pounder on!

7-29-81: Another good day! Started with a chinook, but otherwise a poor morning. Hit a hot spot, then another, then another. Trolled from the North End to the other side of the Pile and fished on top. I'm utterly exhausted. A killer whale came close!

7-30-81: Trolled down center of the the Pile, LORANing it all the way. Larry (Nitehawk) told of chinook bite past the South End. Pulled gear and ran, put in, and started breaking leaders. Had at least 10 kings on and caught 3. New line broke. We must go to 70 lb. test for plugs and whole bait.

8-12-81: Well, we caught 58 fish today, a record for us! Just steady, one-by-one action most of the day with 2 hot clatters. We even pulled a flounder off the top spread. Had a great time!

8-13-81: Another tricky day! We lost a lot like yesterday which was frustrating, but we did better than most with 46 fish. I have to go back to Coos Bay tonight, but I will be back next weekend. I had a great two days. We are exclusively fishing with green and white mini hoochies.

6-22-82: The boat is in the water. The problems were many, but it looks pretty good. The docks are strangely quiet, it looks like lots of people are staying home, or will put in at the last minute. A small problem with the motor, I fixed it myself.

7-4-82: An unbelievable day! Fish were everywhere! Ran off Seal Rock, put in, and both float lines broke as I was putting gear out! Took 1/2 hour to get started again, and red hot fishing was waiting. The weather was 15mph from the SW, hard to catch fish and steer. I pulled 4 spreads from each side, cleaned 6 fish, and then repeated. Didn't run floats. It is an extremely effective technique. The boat is a mess. I'll clean it up and get to bed early.

7-5-82: Today was a better fishing day than yesterday, but I was too tired to do as well as I could have. Really miss Terry. My hands hurt bad. I need tomorrow off, but will go out. Fished straight out, about 40-45 fathoms. Saw the CG Cutter "Citrus", Terry's old CG ship.

7-7-82: Great day! Huge swells, at least 22-24 feet, at the bar. Came in early with a score of 30 and 4. Spooky at the bar. Boat is leaking.

7-9-82: Went south - another fine day! I was konking them. Had to work hard as the fish are in little pockets. Pulled a 14 lb. king that measured 27.5" It looked like a football and had ripe eggs.

7-10-82: The word is the season will close very soon. This is the year I thought I could fish 30 days, make $ 15 - 20,000 and pay off the boat loan. Got blown in at 10am with 35 mph wind. Tough sledding. I just foot-trolled home as it was too rough to run home. I'm exhausted, discouraged and my hands and back hurt.

7-12-82: What an ending to the year. Jenny and I fished off of Dan's house. Zero fish for awhile. Finally we found a few. Jenny got real sleepy, but woke up and did a fine job of helping. At 11:30, the Fish and Wildlife people called on the radios and stated the season was over at noon.

7-1-83: Traditional opening day! Rough and rainy. Went out for an hour and pulled one mall silver and a small albacore, not a mackerel as some folks surmised it must have been. It's good to be back though.

7-2-83: Guess what/ We went out and came back in. The ocean was not fishable, especially whe the coho price is only .90 cents! The few coho that are around are raggy looking. Later that day....................................................

At 2 pm we decided to head out to see if the ocean calmed down, due to boredom and frustration. Surprise! It was okay and we caught 24 slips and 2 medium kings. BUT --- guess how much money that brought? $150? $130? No, only $99.40!

7-3-83: Went back to the same spot as last night (10 microseconds above Beaver Creek at 26 fathoms). Slow scratch fishing today. Pulled more leopard mackerel. Not sure where the hot spot will be tomorrow. Slow fishing all over. We did have a decent catch compared to others though. Nice ocean conditions.

7-7-83: Brian is in town. We took the boat out today, and we managed to find a few kings at 6pm. It was a slow gradual scratch for 22 silvers as a final score. We stayed out until 9pm. We fished between the 819 and 919 LORAN lines in 50 fathoms of water in rain squalls. Dad greeted us back at the trailer with a great stew that had been simmering for hours.

7-15-83: We went out to the same area as yesterday (33-37 fathoms off Newport). Fished an area with "High & Dry", "Wanderer", and "Flying Fish". We ended up with a much better grade of silvers today and ended up with 40. The season should stay open through at least the entire weekend. I'm done fishing for this season. It's back to CG duty in Texas for me. I wish dad the best in the second half of the season when it opens up again.

7-25-83: Went toward the South End. Pulled hake from top to bottom. Trolled north and hit a great spot. Pulled 18 in about 20 minutes. The LORAN went out so I couldn't get back to the fish. Trolled to 35 fathoms in front and caught 12 more. The first half of the season ended today. I took by tired, sore body and a sick LORAN home.

8-1-83: Second season opened with a nice ocean and weather. Went to the South End. I got into fish early in a patch. I was all alone, no other boats close to me. It quit for me, and I scratched the rest of the day. Hardly anything was caught by anyone after 1 pm. Hard work as the currents are postively murderous. Tomorrow is forecasted as wind and drizzle. Sounds like a lousy day. A person from the game commission was recording fish data (weight, length...). They're checking to see if El Nino is causing skinnier fish than normal.

8-9-83:Trolled with Bert on "Sea Bear" at 25-30 fathoms just a little north. I found fish, and pulled 17 and 1 in a short time. I highlined at the fishdock with 20 and 1.

We didn't fish the Carolyn Kay during these years. The coho fishery was almost non-existent after El Nino due to strict fishing regulations. In 1984 I completed my final year of Coast Guard duty. In 1985 I dabbled around with crabbing in Alsea Bay with not a lot of success, but I had fun. I spent the rest of the year working on a larger boat fishing for crab, halibut, black cod, salmon and tuna. In 1986, coho seasons returned (50 per day), the chinook fishing was excellent, and the Carolyn Kay returned to sea.

6-5-86:Dropped in the gear south of the bar. Caught a large king right away. Ended up with 3 large kings all caught on hotspots with C29CR hoochies. It's good to be fishing the Carolyn Kay again.

6-8-86: Dad came and fished. We pulled four kings just south of the bar. Large swells in the afternoon. It was good to fish with dad again.

6-20-86: Received a tip from Harold about some kings down off Seal Rock last night. He was right, they were there. Pulled 24 kings today, the most ever by our boat. Lots of silvers - probably could've caught a 100 or more if I were allowed to. Used four spreads per wire and a lead spread (which really worked great today). The hotspot flashers with C28's and C29's are hot items with the kings! Found a glass float. Beautiful ocean and sunshine galore. One of those days to remember!

6-27-86: Another classic day! Beautiful ocean, sunshine and fish. Trolled from the whistle buoy south about 20 mikes. Ended up with 6 large and 4 medium kings. Time to head to Bend for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Excited for the coho season.

7-1-86: Silvers everywhere. Pulled 50 in a few hours. Trolled for kings after catching quota. No success and had to release a lot of coho. Went in early. Coho price is $1.00 per lb. The money is in kings, but the price for large is only $2.35.

Several silver salmon mixed with a few kings caught in a flurry and ready to be cleaned.

7-7-86: Coho everywhere! Brian radioed me about a chinook bite in deep water at noon. I was very tempted, but it would've been close to whether I had enough gas or not. I ended up with 58 coho and 4 kings. There are so many coho. If there was no daily quota, a small boat could easily catch 100-150 per day. The trick is to get the fish cleaned quickly on the sunny days.

7-13-86: A typical day this year. 50 coho by 9-10 am. Trolling for kings is an option, but there are so many coho to release in the process that it's not worth it. I can't help but wonder how many fish I could catch if there was no quota.

7-24-86: The coho season is over today. Finished it off with 52 and 1 chinook. The plan is to gear up for chinook in August.

7-30-86: Fished south of Newport and wound up with 13 kings! A good way to begin the chinook season.

8-10-86: Howling NW wind and sideways blowing black fog = no fishing for awhile. Trolled for only 2 medium kings.

8-17-86: I agreed to voyage to Florence from Newport by sea with Mark on the dory "Lady Scarlett". There isn't much going on off Newport so I'll try my hand fishing off Heceta Head. The trip was interesting and a bit nerve racking. We ran to Cape Perpetua and then trolled south. Fog moved in and I lost sight of Mark's boat. The LORAN started acting up- good timing, huh? No fish, Mark only caught 1. The fog miraculously burned off enough so that Mark and I could run together. The fog moved in again. We finally located the Florence whistle buoy and navigated up the river. A bit scary, but fun at the same time.

8-18-86: Great ocean. Lots of boats. Few fish. Lost the few that I had on. Ended up with 1 small king. Not quite what I expected.

8-19-86: Today is more of what I had in mind. 13 kings and a great ocean! Fished with "Lady Scarlett" and "Jireh".

8-24-86: Dad came down today. It was his first trip out of Florence. We fished south today and had a great time. We ended up with 22 kings even though only 4 were larges. The joint venture hake fleet were working offshore of us only a few miles out. The fog threatened to blanket us but instead was a little hazy at times.

8-29-86: It rained cats and dogs. I caught 2 small kings. It looks like it's about over. It's been a great season though.

5-29-87:Received a phone call from Denny. He said there were some kings down off the Alsea River. I decided to take the day off from classes and go fishing. The weather report called for a low to move in later in the day. I pulled 4 nice kings then the wind came up. Fished home. It was raining by the time I left the dock.

7-1-87: Fished from Beaver Creek south to Seal Rocks. Pulled 8 kings. Nice ocean.

7-6-87: Fished south again today and caught 5 kings. Apparently there is a huge school of kings off Coos Bay. I don't have a large enough vehicle to tow the boat down there.Harold suggested that I motor the boat to Reedsport. I could start fishing in Florence as the fleet extends that far north. He has offerred to let me crash in his camper in Reedsport. I think I'll do it.

7-7-87: Made the voyage to Reedsport. What a neat trip. I ran down past Florence and dropped gear. What an armada of boats! Apparently they extend all the way to Coos Bay! Fished 35-40 fathoms from Lake Takenich to Windy Bay. I only fished down about 25 fathoms as there were massive number of hake below that line. Ended up with 10 kings and 10 coho. There is a catch ration restriction of 1 king to 1 coho. Caught the last large right at the whistle buoy.

7-9-87: A beautiful day! Fished all day and caught 9 kings and 18 coho. I was real tired handcranking today as I had to continually run the gear to keep the coho off. I lost a few including a nice large at the boat due to a sloppy gaff job. Frustrating! I may meander back up to Florence before the winds start to blow again.

7-10-87: Ran north and dropped in south of Florence. Trolled north with little success through the afternoon. Caught up with the dory gang north of the Florence bar. Giant schools of bait were raining out of the water. I trolled through the bait schools expecting to load up with fish, but the springs were very quiet. Weird! The wind started picking up at about 2 pm and so did the fishing. By 5pm the NW wind was howling and the large kings were on the bite. It was hard to hold the fish let alone a course. While trying to bring in the large kings, the boat would invariably turn around and head south. Landing fish was a trick and I lost more than I care to admit. I ended up with 8 kings and 10 coho. The bar was breaking during ebb tide so we all had to stay out and get pounded. I'm glad there were a lot of fish to keep us busy. It took forever to get fuel and deliver fish.

7-16-87: Back in Newport with dad on the boat. Expected to load up on coho. Final score 6 kings, 5 coho and a halibut. Hey, we still made $273.12! Fished north of the bar in 38-42 fathoms. Big swells today between 10-15 feet.

7-18-87: D'Ann came down to visit. It was raining and blowing a little. I told her that I doubted if the ocean was fishable, but I would go check out the situation at the dock and probably return home soon. Ten hours later I met her at the dock with a catch of 7 kings, 23 coho, a halibut and some rockfish. I fished the edge of the North End in a sloppy ocean and rain.

7-26-87: Fished the North End again today and surpassed yesterday's score. Ended up with 14 kings and 28 coho. Nice ocean and lots of boats.

7-28-87: The weather continues to cooperated and so have the kings. Today's score: 18 kings and 17 coho.

5-21-88: It's great to be back. The oceanwas beautiful and unusually warm for this time of year. Dad and I trolled out in front of Newport and ended up surprisingly with 8 kings! A fun way to spend a Saturday.

5-29-88: Trolled south of Newport and caught only one king. The pull cord spring on the hydraulic engine came uncoiled just when I had a heavy pumper on. I never did get to see the fish as I had to take the spring mechanism apart. I also trolled into a large log which made its way down my port deep line and stripped several speads off before I finally got free of it.

6-9-88: Spring term ended yesterday so it's time to concentrate on fishing. Fished down off the Alsea in a steady SW wind with about 2 dozen boats. Ended up with 18 kings. It was one of those days where the boat rocked around a lot and I was always busy doing something. I fun day though!

6-24-88: Fished right out in front near the <Yaquina Bay>Whistle Buoy in 20-22 fathoms of water. Total catch for the day was 6 large kings ,4 mediums, and 22 pounds of rockfish. What a great ride in today. It only took a few minutes to reach the jetties.

6-25-88: Caught 7 kings down off Beaver creek in close to shore as I did yesterday.

7-1-88: Fished north of the Siuslaw River entrance up near the Sea Lion Caves in the company of Terry on the Blue Angel and Steve on the Tiburon. Had consistent king action all day and landed 19. They all came on C28 and C29 hoochies fished with hotspots. Most fish were mediums. Also picked up my 2 for 1 ration on coho. Fog accompanied us in on the trip home. Several boats were bumper-to-bumper on the way across the bar. It was ebb tide with little visiblity. Kind of a scary ride with waves stacking up and hissing behind my back.

7-5-88: Switching from handcranking to hydraulics has been great, but the pullcord on the Honda engine pulled apart again and unwound the spring. Not a fun way to begin the morning. I was unable to get it to work right so I had to head back to port. Too bad because I caught 4 kings in about 30 minutes.

7-6-88: A guy at the Honda dealership showed me how to wind the spring real tight so I shouldn't be too hampered by this again. A back up pullcord mechanism has been ordered as well. We're finding that it almost pays off to have two of everything. This seems to be a bit overcautious, but on a good fishing day preparation for unknown disasters can be the difference between pennies and a thousand dollar day. Of course storage space on a 22 foot boat is also limited. Today went well with 12 kings and my 2 for 1 on coho.

7-16-88: The first fishable day during the wide open coho season. Dad came down to Florence to fish. We fished north of the bar and caught 58 coho but only 4 kings which is below par for this season. Prices are great. Today we netted $703 for our efforts! We also saw a huge log moving along with the current and swells. It was like a giant battering ram and we had to keep our distance. I kept envisioning what destruction an encounter with that log would be like (loud, quick and wet). Talked to Denny up off Newport. He reported good catches up that way.

7-17-88: Only 11 coho here today. Bummer! The guys off Newport did well. Should I stay or should I go(like the group the Clash sing)?

7-27-88: After heavy wind and frustrating engine problems, we're fishing out of Newport today with most of the other dories. Today was awesome. 60 coho and 18 kings! Better yet, with this year's great prices, today's catch yielded $1,233.75! Not bad for a day's work. Fished off the North End of the Rockpile.

8-4-88: Went out toward the Rockpile again today for the 6th time in 8 days. I heard the weather was already snotty but no one was heading in. They were right. I encountered a steady NW wind with thick fog. With heavy $$ to be made I kept going for an endless 13 mile/1.25 hr pounding. Folks over the CB radio said that the sea calmed down at the 40 fathoms range -- well, it sort of did. Actually, it's amazing to see people, including myself, so driven by the big dollars. I've seen boats in mass turn back to port in conditions less than there were today. Anyway, I put my gear down on top of the pile and pulled into the traffic jam of large and small boats. Next thing I know, I have 4 kings with one 23 pounder. A few moments later I notice the swells have increased as had the wind. Common sense told me to pull gear so I first veered toward shore (13 miles away) and trolled east until I had room to pull my gear. To my surprise I had two more kings hanging there. I headed home and made it into port by about 10am. To my amazement I netted $304 from 6 fish. What a year!

8-6-88: Thank goodness dad came today. I'm getting tired of fighting boat traffic on the Rockpile alone with trying to pull gear. The hour rides each way are a bit tiresome too when you're by yourself. We didn't have much success right away, but this has been a typical occurrence during this run out here over the past few weeks. Dad spoke to Denny on the CB. Denny wasn't getting anything either and was already thinking of heading back to port. He said he just wasn't in the mood to fish. Well I wish he had stayed. The show began at about 10 and went most of the day. Final count was 18 kings and 28 coho. A lot of fish came on plugs. Second best day in terms of dollars -$1128!

8-8-88: The party is over on the Rockpile. The fish seemed to have moved. However, after trolling toward shore in the late morning, I found some kings around the 30 fathom range and ended up with 10. I also came up with 29 coho.

8-18-88: More good coho fishing out in front in 25-30 F of water. Usually the silvers thin out around this time of month but the past few days have been steady. A few kings are still around but they seem to be mostly in the medium category. It's time for the feeders to hand close to shore anyway. This was my last day today. The wide open season ends tomorrow evening with chinook only beginning on the 20th. Dad will fish solo tomorrow to wind up an incredible year. I took time to just gaze out toward to west to view the boats and the whole scene. It's been one of those fairy tale years and I don't think anything can top this one. I just had to savor one last moment as it will probably be 10 months until I'm on the water again.

6-8-89: Dad and I put the boat in today and rigged it up for kings. We did this casually, but ended up getting most of the boat put together. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take the boat out for a spin and put the gear down, mostly just to work the bugs out. Wouldn't you know it, we got into a few fish. Unfortunately we lost several kings due to broken leaders. Upon closer inspection, we were using line that wasn't in the greatest shape and was from the previous year. It was one of those things you do to save a few bucks, but it ends up costing much more time and money. Anyway, we did land 4 large kings and one medium. Not too shabby for a few hours of working out the kinks. Is this a continuation of last year's great fortunes?

6-11-89: After a slow morning, the kings started coming in small clatters. We ended up with 13 kings just fishing south of Newport in 25-30 fathoms of water. We enjoyed the new Impulse LORAN with the plotter. We marked several spots where we caught fish and were able to drive right back through the exact spot. A lot easier than trying to return to two different LORAN numbers.

6-12-89: Another decent day's work with 8 kings although the fishing was slow in the p.m. The price on kings is down from last year.

6-17-89: A slow day with only 2 medium kings. Rumors abound that the price for coho will be around $1.00 per pound. OUCH!

7-3-89: Today was the first day of the coho season (50 per day + 3:1 coho to king ratio after 50). The boat was in fine form with a score of 59 and 3. The rumors are true - $1.00 per pound of silvers! Bring on the kings!

7-4-89: Another coho slaughter and a handful of kings. Even at $1 per pound with a few kings, one can make wages. It's nothing like last year though in terms of $$$.

7-14-89: Today was the last day of the 50 coho per day season. A slower day today with 30 coho and 1 large king.

7-19-89: Went to the north end of the Rockpile in deep water. Lots of shaker halibut. I would just get the lines all the way up and then back down and quiver, quiver, quiver, the spring would shake indicating another halibut begging to be released. Final score on day one of the 2:1 coho to king season = 1 med. king and 2 coho. I didn't even pay for gas, let alone groceries and dinner.

7-21-89: Decided to head to Florence since Newport has dried up. Several of the guys have been fishing in real close to shore (less than 20 fathoms) in crab pot territory for a few very large kings. Whole bait is the plan. I ended up getting 3 large kings and 6 silvers. Perhaps a good move?

7-27-89: After a few no fish days, I decided to head back to Newport. Today I had absolutely no action, and I got snagged on a crab pot and lost $100 of gear, so I picked up what gear I had left and motored up the coast. Lucky it was a nice day.

NOTE: This was the last day I fished in '89. The weather turned foul, the fish never showed up consistently near shore, and I decided to work for a painting contractor in Corvallis/Albany. Not my ideal August and ending for the salmon season, but painting did pay the bills. This season was a reality check

NOTE: We didn't fish the early king season in 1990. I was immersed in student teaching responsibilities, and I had the opportunity to battle a case of the chicken pox in May! The 1:1 king to coho ratio season began July 4. A very restricted coho season.

7-4-90: Wow, what a great day! I have been very nervous about this season with all the restrictions, pale memories of 1989, and the nagging thought that I'm dependent on kings being close to shore. Prayer does work as I decided to follow past history and put the gear in down south around Beaver Creek in 25 fathoms. On a beautiful day I ended up with 8 nice large kings, 1 medium and some coho. Altogether $424.96 - good news to someone who had very little operating $ left. I am staying on Denny's boat in South Beach Marina. I'm thankful for the free rent. He's not fishing much this year. Nice fireworks display tonight although I'm tired and it's noisy here. My legs ache as I'm not use to getting rocked around in a dory.

7-5-90: A very drizzly, breezy and foggy day. Only a few kings and a few silvers. Fished only the morning.

7-21-90: Finally got out after some really crummy weather- NW winds!Fished the North End of the Rockpile and ended up with 4 and 4.

7-24-90:Fished off Seal Rocks and landed 5 and 5. The kings have come up near the surface on plugs lately.

7-25-90: A score of 8 and 8 today. The kings are still coming up high on plugs. This little stretch of kings has really saved my bacon financially.

7-26-90: A score of 9 and 7 today. The fish seem to be creeping northward along the beach. The wind kicked up again.

NOTE: 8-6 was the last day fished. I went to concentrate on finding a teaching position.

6-24-91: Fished the first day of a wide open/no restriction coho season. The result - 73 coho off Beaver Creek to Seal Rocks in flat, but drizzly weather. It was pretty much non stop labor all day.

6-25-91: About the same day as yesterday with 2 kings added in as well. Fished the same spot and experienced the same weather.

6-27-91: The first 100 fish day since dad's day in 1982. It was either pulling fish or cleaning fish all day long.

6-28-91: Only 38 coho today. The fish seemed to have moved. Fished the same area, perhaps a little north.

6-29-91: About the same result as yesterday with a few kings thrown in as well. Waiting for another school to arrive. Fished just south of the bar in 40 fathoms. Calm drizzly weather.

7-1-91: Hmmm... a $48 day. Only 12 coho. Where are the fish? NW wind today. I figure one might as well fish as much as possible since the quota will fill quickly this year.

7-9-91: A nice day after some crummy NW winds. Fished off the North end of the Rockpile with some of the dory fleet. The ocean was flat and it reminded me of the good old days. Pulled 28 coho and just 2 kings. The big story was that I had one of the largest kings I've ever seen up to the boat. It was just cranking on the springs BIG TIME. It was on a short hoochie-flasher lead spread. The fish just cruised off to the side like kings typically do. The spread was tight like a guitar string. I looked at the fish and it looked at me. I just knew it was a matter of time before it snapped the leader. Seconds later it just gave a quick sharp head jerk and disappeared. WOW!

7-10-91: Another gorgeous day at the North End. Tallied 41 coho and 6 kings. Another big story: Remember the fish I had on yesterday? Well I got a second chance. While running gear I noticed my port float spring taking a big jerk and there seemed heavy tension on the line. Sensing a possible blue shark, I pulled in my port deep and then brought in the float line to avoid a nasty tangle. This caused the boat to circle, but I was more curious as to what was going on with the float. While bringing in the float, I noticed the davit doing some heavy pumping action. Not a typical blue shark manuever. I prepared for a possible big king.... I was correct! About 4 spreads down on a 232 Tomic plug was another big king. We tussled for quite awhile, the fish crossing the wake several times. Finally I boated the monster which weighed in dressed at 33 pounds. A lot of ooohs and aaahs at the fish dock. What a great day!

7-11-91: The final day of the coho season. No big monster today but a respectable 48 and 5. Navigated in with the Blue Angel and used the plotter to find the whistle buoy due to heavy fog. I found the buoy dead on from 14 miles! Had a good dinner with Don on the Osprey. This will probably be the last day fishing this year, not unless I fish for kings later on. A fun coho season though - just like the 70's.