How to avoid getting spooled

[bigfish1965]

I used to fish the Whirlpool in the golden days of big salmon (early 80's) when the baitfish where plentiful and 40 pound fish were not uncommon nor where 40 fish days.

Occasionally you'd hook into a real goliath..a fresh run 40+ fish. We didn't have Power Pro or anything like it so we were all running Ande or Trilene mono. Usually in the 12 pound range. Yeah it was a challenge. A big fish with a 15 mph current equals lots of running down the shoreline.

When we felt that a spooling was inevitable we simply would put the rod straight up in the air and quickly drop the rod tip right into the water. This almost always stopped the fish immediately. The pressure would stop..they would stop. We could occasionally then slowly entice the fish back or hope they spit the hook. It didn't always work, but did many times save me some spoons. Failing that we would grab the spool and hope the knot let go.

But with today's lines and smaller salmon, I don't see it happening.

[BillM]

Rick, I used to fish the hydrodam down in St.Catharines a lot when I was younger. Once those big fresh runs chinooks got into the current, forget about it That reminds me, I really need to get down to the whirlpool late one night, have you been down yet this year?