A few months ago I decided I wanted to get my wife and 2 girls out salmon fishing for their first time ever. Since my boat is a little small if conditions are rough on the big water, I booked a charter with Scott (Bay of Quinte Fishing Chaters).
We met Scott shortly after 6am in the morning and after a quick safety briefing we were off. The lake was a bit more choppy than expected but we made our way out in comfort in the Wooldridge to the fishing grounds.
Scott quickly set up our spread of downriggers, dipseys, copper and leadcore.
After not too long we had our first fish on the mooching rod on the rigger, the family was a bit reluctant to start so I bought in the first fish of the day, a nice monster chinook, we didn't weigh it but I would say it was around 2 pounds.
Atleast we had something.
A short time later as Scott is rigging up another rod to switch out the mooching rod, we have another fish on the mooching rod, my 10 year old daughter is up this time. I helped hold the rod and hold her in the waves as she worked the fish and reeling it in. It was a long fight but she did a great job, quickly learning when to take her hand off the mooching reel handle and let the fish run, she didn't bang up her knuckles once! After a nice battle we land a nice 18 pound chinook. Great job!!
The next rod to fire is a wire dipsey and my wife is up, battling the first salmon of her life. She did a great job and after a nice battle she lands a nice chinook in the high teens.
The last person up in our rotation is my 8 year old daughter "Mighty M" and she didn't have to wait too long and the wire dipsey rod fires again. She only weighs 50 pounds plus she has a broken arm, so I was not sure if this was going to work very well, as the fish makes a nice run right of the bat. I sit on a cooler and Mighty M sits on my knee and as I hold and pump the rod she reels the fish in. After a lengthy battle we have a nice 25 pounder in the boat, the big fish of the day!!
Seeing as the fish had been getting bigger as the day went on and my turn coming up I had high hopes for a big one, the next rod to fire is the copper set up and after a short battle I land my second chinook of the day another monster around 5-6 pounds.
As the day went on we had a great bbq lunch on the boat, the waves did not calm down as predicted by the weather man and my girls had fun standing up pretending they were surfing when a good wave would rock the boat as we trolled.
Before calling it a day so we could head home, my 10 year old daughter lands her second fish of the day a nice 22 pounder on the wire dipsey. We also had one other rip on the wire dipsey but he didn't stick.
So we finished the day with 6 chinooks, red cheeks and a great family memory. My kids think we need a bigger boat now
my wife not so convinced yet.
A big thank you to Scott, I have meet him numerous times and stayed at West Lake Willows, but this was the first time fishing with him. It was a great experience, he was great with my kids, who are quite shy. We will definitely be booking again, maybe a fall Quinte trip.
Note the kids are holding my 2 fish, they let me hold their fish.
Tight lines and be safe.
JimW
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