The boat pulled in 140 rockfish in about 45 minutes. Limited the salmon by noon. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Ok, I kind of got a hate on now! Not really, nice day of fishing! You wanna go Steel Head fishing, let me know! Late August is THE time to be on the Mighty Deschutes, those Fall "B" Run fish are EPIC! And the occasional Fall Chinook can really work you over but good!
How do you put that much fish up? Smoke, Can, Freeze, distribute and eat Fresh? Unfortunately here in Florida Gulf Coast area I usually only take a double fish fry batch of anything that can be eaten fresh at one trip out. Regulations on saltwater fishing are such that you almost need a nerd Lawyer with you armed with volumes of regulations, various measuring and weighing devices and picture books to absolutely identify every species caught. There are some species not regulated at all that through trial and error I have found to be excellent table fare if prepared properly. These are mostly smaller or bony species that are ignored or scorned by most but can be dressed and pressure canned to dissolve the offending bones, or put through a grinder with a fine plate twice then made into fresh fish patties which are pan fried. Waste not want not!
That haul was for the whole boat. We all got to take two home. And I vacuum sealed the salmon and rock fish fillets and tossed them in the freezer.
Yeah but they don't have near as much fun as you do trying to get that catfish in the jonboat before a gator strips it from your line.
I was hoping you would tell us about crossing the bar at the mouth of the Columbia. A treat, that trip would be.