20.5lb

Comment

Comment by James Feasel on January 8, 2011 at 11:05am

John,  We had several get away too. Add the ones that got away to the foul hooked releases, voluntary releases, release by regulation and kept salmon, it equaled shoulder surgery for me after I got back home. Now that's a fish trip!  My recovery is going ok and I should be twisting that auger in the next few days.

Comment by John Sheehan on January 6, 2011 at 2:14pm

More than makes up for it I'd say .They are hard to land .I know I lost every one I ever hooked!!

Comment by James Feasel on January 6, 2011 at 2:04pm

Tom, I fish mainly the TB dam area from a boat. A good year for me is one trip in the spring and maybe 2 in the fall. I see and hear of plenty of successful wader and shore fisherman when the fish are here. The fishery has seen a recent decline and this fall was poor. I think it will rebound. Some salmon do come to the TB dam.  Try above TB for 'eyes and smallmouth. I don't know of any specifc north IN pounder lakes, but many lakes in that area should be good for 3/4lb specimens. I'll keep you in mind if and when I get up that way.

Comment by thomas j swank on December 26, 2010 at 4:17pm

hi Jim,  Sorry I havn't responded earlier. I'm glad you fish Twin Branch or wherever. I used to fish there a lot and never did real good. I mainly fished the dam from the shore, sometimes as far as the run by the steelheaders parking.  I heard that few if any kings get up that way as Indiana doesn't raise them anymore. Am I correct? Then when the state started fixing the dam, it seemed lie the fishing got real poor, at least where I fished. Before they put in the fishing pier, I at least got hook-ups even though I lost most of them. Indiana put it to us as the steelhead and salmon are no where near the numbers they used to be. I'd love to fish with you if you know the river. I'm gettting old but I have a couple good years left hopefully. How's the walleye fishing? It was starting to come on when I quit fishing there. I heard that there is a lake north of elkhart that has pounder bluegills . Do you know anything about it? Give me a call sometime when its a little warmer. I don't care what is biting, but i do love river fishing! My number is 260-749-0119.

Still the biggest Coho I've ever seen. Tom

Comment by James Feasel on December 14, 2010 at 11:38am

Mr. Swank, Guess we're kinda St Joe brothers---I fish a little further upstream around Mishawaka In. I fish for steelies in the Joe and have landed only a couple salmon there and had several defeats thru the years. WA is Washington state---what an awesome place. It was definitely the fish trip of my life so far. Big fish with incredible surroundings. I felt like I was dreaming at times. Yeah this is also the biggest coho I've ever seen. Even cooler is that it is a wild buck and not a hatchery fish. Up to 25lbs is not unheard of in the Olympic Penisula. Looking at Alaska for a shot at a 30. I think 10, maybe 12lbs is a good coho in our great lakes area. I never did land a king while I was in WA. I was beaten at least twice by 30lb class chinook. I did net a few for my cousin. Largest was a 36 lbs hen. Also cool was some mountain stream fishing where I caught my 1rst wild cutthroat trout and wild rainbows.

Comment by thomas j swank on December 14, 2010 at 7:38am

I've had three  kings that size, up to the boat. After fifty minutes all of them found a way to break off. I fish the St Joe river in lower michigan and there's lots of boats. The salmon will head for the nearest anchor line and wrap themselves around it.Smart fish! I might add that i have never seen a coho that big. Does WA mean the state of Washington? Anyway, one hell of a fish! I think Indiana buys some of there Skimania from Washington.

Comment by Dale Fortin on December 14, 2010 at 6:05am

that is a good sized salmon. Big.