My buddy Tim said it best, “The season of energy drinks and sleep deprivation is officially here.”

That’s the truth when it comes to this type of fishing. King Salmon fishing from shore is probably the greatest thing ever.

I spend way too much time analyzing water temps, winds, waves, air temp,etc etc when this time of year arrives.

This past week I decided it was time… time for me to pack my gear, load up on caffeine, and put some mileage on my car.

I believe it was Wednesday evening I went out after work for the first time of the year, and the water temp was there. The bait fish were present. I casted and casted. Got drilled while using a KO wobbler around 10pm, and it was a swing and a miss. My heart was thumping and and I was back to a place I left off at during summer of 2009.

20 minutes later I connected. The fish hit like a ton of bricks. My drag was really dialed down because I have a lot of faith in my fireline. I knew something was up rather quickly when the fish didn’t give too much of a fight back.

2lb king.

It was a fish, and a start.

Saturday AM (12am departure) I was back on it again. The withdrawal is bad for this disease, and I had to get out again. Joined by Tim and Keith, we were ventured north. Upon arrival, we were greeted by severe weather – lightning, thunderstorms, and 30+ MPH wind gusts.

We took a breather halfway through the morning. I took a nap in my car. Around 4 am, there was a window.. a small one, but a window. The kings had slid into the shallows and I’d say that 5 or 6 fish were hooked up. Tim was rewarded with his first King of the year during the fury.

I had my chances.. two hookups within 5 minutes of each other, and two failed conversions. I had chipped my last guide and with a vicious hookset and the sharp and exposed guide sliced my line. Not once, but twice.

I was in need of some sleep.

Saturday night and into Sunday I rested up. Slept til noon or so. I got on the laptop, and went through my favorite summertime bookmarks (some are listed on my blog) checking the temps and winds.

The stars were lining up, and I had a craving. I had to get out again. The addiction is bad. Its real bad.. it consumes my normal life. Friends? What are those when it comes to salmon season? That’s how bad it is sometimes…

I arrived at my destination with Keith around 6pm. Winds were gusting straight west and the water was cold. Bait was present, and I was confident either Keith or myself would get some play.

730 pm. Green/Chrome KO wobbler. It hit like a freight train about 60 yards out from the pier. King? No. The fish bit in the upper water column. Must be a steelhead..

Wrong.

The Special Ed pose - Lake Michigan Style

12 lbs of brown. The thing gave a great fight, but was easily overcome with fatigue – most likely from being as porky as it was.

The sun fell, and the program switched to kings. Glow spoons – you name em, we throw em. Moonshines, KOs, Krocs, Cleos.. gotta see what gets bit.

11pm, 1 oz anchovy blue glow moonshine produces.

1130pm, 1/2 oz glow green KO gets bit. Fish snaps off on Keith.

1135pm, 1/2 oz glow green KO gets bit. Keith muscles in a steelie.

1145, replacement 1/2 oz glow green KO gets bit again. Keith wins, 10lb king on the deck. Unfortunately no pic of this one for the camera battery gave out on us.

1215 pm – back on the ride home to Chicago.

I didn’t blog last weekend, but here’s a quick recap on how things went -

Last weekend I got out for a fishing tournament – a great time was had. Quality fish landed. Team Brush & Roll finished in a very respectable 8th place amongst a great group of fishermen. That weekend the fish were deeper.

Amazing how west winds brings em in.

Do your homework boys, its Salmon Season.

Rumor has it that there have been a few fish taken up north by the hardcore spoon chuckers. A couple of salmon associates I regularly reconnect with each summer decided to take a trip up north this week and see for themselves, but the report was negative. No king sightings.

The kings are still out deep, so the way to get em is to chase em offshore, and that’s exactly what I did this weekend as part of the crew for Team Brush & Roll. We fished the second Salmon Unlimited Tourney for 2010 this Saturday.

The action was hot and heavy in relative shallower off-shore water (50-80 fow). We had trouble getting 4 lines in the water for the first 90 minutes or so (we run 9 lines with the full program) because we were constantly getting bit and had fish on.

When the action had settled down, we had boated 5 nice kings (4 being close to 10lbs or more). Then the storms hit. 1 – 2 footers turned into 3-4s as the wind kicked up and had the boat rocking. After a brief cold shower, we set out to deeper water, making it up to 130 fow where we picked up a smaller coho and shaker king that was released without putting a net on it.

Our tourney was abbreviated because we decided to pull lines and shoot back to the harbor after hearing reports of a massive storm heading our way with winds in excess of 50 mph!

We ended 7 for 15. The ratio wasn’t there, and we definitely had the opportunity to put up some big points for the tourney!

The jerseys also arrived, and I have to admit- If we aren’t finishing on top, we are looking real good trying!

The next stop on the 2010 tourney trail is Saturday June 19th.

http://www.gsmtournament.com/