We'll be leaving August 5 to Port Hardy to experience another year of what the sea has to offer!
Oh! And maybe we'll get to see everyone's favorite Canadian!
See you here buddy !!
Todd
:d
Look who is here today ! We just killed a bottle of high test rye.
Cheers
Todd
Better Jack than me... again!
Jack and his wife made it out for a late morning fish.
Of course the Mrs gets the big one. Lots more released.
Outstanding!
Looks like a great day!
What was the temperature out there?
Warm for me but not for you ..... lol
Todd
That looks like a typically great Port Hardy trip!!!! So Cool!!! - john
Sweet.
so that is what a salmon looks like... dominick
Nah, that's Todd
Nice fish and glass flat water....I'm guessing you were just around the corner fishing the wall. Wish I was there
awesome!!!
Quote from: Maxed Out on July 16, 2025, 10:31:07 PMNice fish and glass flat water....I'm guessing you were just around the corner fishing the wall. Wish I was there
10 min run..... so far.
Cheers
Todd
Nice!
Only 2 more weeks!
GA Mike
:fish
You're teasing the Calie guy's, eh. The season is so limited and regulated there it doesn't seem worth going.
Quote from: Alans Buddy on July 13, 2025, 04:07:26 PMWe'll be leaving August 5 to Port Hardy to experience another year of what the sea has to offer!
Oh! And maybe we'll get to see everyone's favorite Canadian!
I like those tiny hoodies, are they can holders/coolers?
where did you get it witht alan tani logo?
Quote from: steelfish on July 24, 2025, 06:11:50 PMQuote from: Alans Buddy on July 13, 2025, 04:07:26 PMWe'll be leaving August 5 to Port Hardy to experience another year of what the sea has to offer!
Oh! And maybe we'll get to see everyone's favorite Canadian!
I like those tiny hoodies, are they can holders/coolers?
where did you get it with alan tani logo?
They're koozies from Puffin. Can/bottle keep cool holder. I had the iron ons made and applied them myself.
Cool beans Ben.
Todd
So much happening!!!
Lol, speed limit sign says 100. You're obviously north of the border. Canadian mounties dont take kindly to speeding, gotta convert to KPH. 25MPH= 40KPH, so your speed limit is 62.5 mph !!
Hope you catch lotta fish !!
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 07, 2025, 03:08:40 PMLol, speed limit sign says 100. You're obviously north of the border. Canadian mounties dont take kindly to speeding, gotta convert to KPH. 25MPH= 40KPH, so your speed limit is 62.5 mph !!
Hope you catch lotta fish !!
My brother's old GTO (not the classic car the one released like 20 years ago) used to have a button to change from MPH to Km/H and the needle would jump to the metric speed. So when he was trying to impress girls he'd tell them to watch the gauges, then stomp the gas and press the button. The car was quick, more about spinning tires, revving loud, and looking cool, not so much the fast quarter mile times, but that made it seem like a rocket to the unaware. It worked better than it should have.
What was the outcome, Boss? Were the Mounties typically Canadian polite? I'd prolly tell 'em I hate the tariffs on Canada and think it's a bad idea 'cause I love our Northern neighbors. Then again, they'ed prolly think I was B.S.ing 'em really go after me.
Im pretty sure canadian police didnt stopped the fishing plans, so, I will keep waiting for the fishing repor
;D
They ended up getting a written warning..... Canadians are nice.
The boys are fishing today
Limited on everything today. Awesome fishing.
That's a beauty! And the fish is a nice one too.
Nice ling you got there boss. Perfect eating size !!
Limited on everything yesterday. Awesome fishing.
https://youtu.be/OAUE9yKIH4M?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/vPwuZXXnmdw?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/ZFpcM9khKf0?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/vY-OV5EWzr0?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/WZ66YI7YcRM?feature=shared
19 pounds and 20 pounds, dressed
Dang Alan how big is your freezer?
Chromers !!
Quote from: alantani on August 09, 2025, 01:01:56 PM19 pounds and 20 pounds, dressed
ay caramba !!
if you ran out of space in your freezer I have a big one ^-^
We got a bunch today. Fished their coho. And a couple for me.
Cheers
Todd
Sweet! - john
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 09, 2025, 03:26:26 PMChromers !!
Ted they are always chromers here. :d
Cheers
Todd
Coho!
mike again!!!
Beautiful fish. We don't see many mooching reels here.
Great job,,,, ;D
Alan, can you explain why the Canadians love those direct drive reels?
Randy - I will defer to the experts but I will also take a stab at the answer. After having the pleasure and the honor of fishing salmon with both Maxed Out Ted and Hardy Boy Todd, I will say that while salmon are beautiful and tasty fish that I suspect they just don't pose much of a challenge or fight when hooked up on a conventional/multiplier reel and rod combo? -John
Tradition!
Most of them have a drag and when you have a four-inch spool you don't really miss having multiplying gears.
Kings vs Cohos; best tasting? Best pound for pound fight?
Quote from: MarkT on August 11, 2025, 06:05:16 PMTradition!
This and it is more fun/ skill to play them plus you have infinite drag control when palming the reel. Fly fishermen know. Anyone can just turn the handle on a multiplier. Salmon dont really require it IMHO.
Todd
i think that the guides give us these reels just to get a laugh.
Quote from: alantani on August 11, 2025, 08:47:56 PMi think that the guides give us these reels just to get a laugh.
Alan, I think that you hit it on the nose! Mark, I'm sure that tradition is a factor, in fact when I asked that question of captain of the boat when we were salmon fishing at Quadra Island a few years ago, that was basically his answer. Todd and John answers make sense too, it's a lot more fun to catch those beautiful fish without the benefit of modern technology, although it seems like a big king can give you a real workout on light gear. They come tantalizingly close to the boat and then take off on short runs, over and over again, while you pray that the hook doesn't pull.
That trip is on my bucket list!
Steve
Quote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on August 11, 2025, 03:54:22 PMAlan, can you explain why the Canadians love those direct drive reels?
I resemble that remark. Lots of guys in washington use the single action reels for chasing salmon in the saltwater. They're commonly referred to as "knucklebusters", cause if the salmon turns to run, and you dont let go of the knob, the salmon will tear the knob from your fingers and your knuckles will get smacked as the handles turn when the salmon is taking out line. The drag is very minimal on these reels, and mostly keeps the reel from backlashing into a knotted mess. I've reeled in several halibut up to 100# with my knucklebusters, and lotta king salmon up to 55#.
Gregg, pound for pound, a 15+ pound coho is by far the toughest fight. They can be just a few feet from the net, and turn and go zero to 50 in a split second. The best fighting king salmon is 18-22# pounders. The bigger ones get tired fast. Kinda like a slender athlete can do 100yd dash, and hardly be winded, but a fat outta shape big guy will collapse after doing 100yd dash. As far as eating goes, coho is every bit as good as king salmon in my world
Quote from: alantani on August 11, 2025, 08:47:56 PMi think that the guides give us these reels just to get a laugh.
That is one of the reasons they are laughing ..... ::)
Todd
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 11, 2025, 10:11:38 PMQuote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on August 11, 2025, 03:54:22 PMAlan, can you explain why the Canadians love those direct drive reels?
I resemble that remark. Lots of guys in washington use the single action reels for chasing salmon in the saltwater. They're commonly referred to as "knucklebusters", cause if the salmon turns to run, and you dont let go of the knob, the salmon will tear the knob from your fingers and your knuckles will get smacked as the handles turn when the salmon is taking out line. The drag is very minimal on these reels, and mostly keeps the reel from backlashing into a knotted mess. I've reeled in several halibut up to 100# with my knucklebusters, and lotta king salmon up to 55#.
Ted, I know that you have caught one hundred times more salmon than I have seen in my life, and I'm sure that there have been countless amazing catches made with those single action reels (you could say the same about 50 yards of mono wrapped around a 2 liter soda bottle), but I still don't understand why you would prefer them to a conventional reel. Is it just tradition and sportsmanship, or is there something that makes them better suited for salmon fishing?
Quote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on August 12, 2025, 03:19:58 AMQuote from: Maxed Out on August 11, 2025, 10:11:38 PMQuote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on August 11, 2025, 03:54:22 PMAlan, can you explain why the Canadians love those direct drive reels?
I resemble that remark. Lots of guys in washington use the single action reels for chasing salmon in the saltwater. They're commonly referred to as "knucklebusters", cause if the salmon turns to run, and you dont let go of the knob, the salmon will tear the knob from your fingers and your knuckles will get smacked as the handles turn when the salmon is taking out line. The drag is very minimal on these reels, and mostly keeps the reel from backlashing into a knotted mess. I've reeled in several halibut up to 100# with my knucklebusters, and lotta king salmon up to 55#.
Ted, I know that you have caught one hundred times more salmon than I have seen in my life, and I'm sure that there have been countless amazing catches made with those single action reels (you could say the same about 50 yards of mono wrapped around a 2 liter soda bottle), but I still don't understand why you would prefer them to a conventional reel. Is it just tradition and sportsmanship, or is there something that makes them better suited for salmon fishing?
In my honest opinion, yes, the single action reel is better suited for salmon. The drag on these reels are about 8-10# max, and they arent suited to fish with the drag tightened down. Holding a knob in the fingers is more drag than the reel has. A person can hang onto the knob and not let the salmon take line. Its kinda hard to explain, but a knucklebuster and a 10-11' medium or heavy action rod gives the user total control over a salmon, and can feel every slight movement the salmon makes. When a salmon rips off line and the reel spins so fast you cant see the knobs...its a spine tingling event. When im fishing solo, i have to set the rod down with half hanging over the gunnel, and grab the middle of the rod open handed with one hand and net in the other. Many times, the salmon will then take off and I hafta set the net down and work my hands back to the reel and coerse the salmon back to the boat to try again. This wouldn't work with a multiplier reel. I see guys with multiplier reels reeling and reeling, but not gaining any line. With the direct drive theres no wasted reeling. If I'm reeling, I'm gaining line, and no pump and reel, its just reel reel reel. The single action reels also have very simple internals, and rarely require servicing. The guys in canada use Islander single action reels made of aluminum and cost $500+. Mine are shimano graphite reels and cost $100 and I dont worry about them getting banged around. Next time I go fishing I'll post a few pics
These setups are pretty strait forward to use. I used to be involved in a derby for the blind, and would let the blind person in on how the single action reel works. One derby I had a guy that had fished the derby for 37 years, and he took right to the different reels we were using. We got into some nice coho and he landed 6 in 46 minutes. All 6 were weighed and none were under 10#, and his biggest was 15.5 pounds and he won the derby. It was the biggest coho ever landed in the 47 year history of the blind derby. He fished the knucklebusters like a seasoned pro, with very little coaching from me
Ted summed it up. Even some Americans get it .... :d
Todd
Quote from: Hardy Boy on August 12, 2025, 04:11:33 AMTed summed it up. Even some Americans get it .... :d
Todd
Well Todd, it was a guide in barclay sound BC that introduced me to the Canadian way of chasing salmon, and that was early 1990's. Soon as I got home from that trip, i went to my local tackle shop and bought 2 knucklebusters and a couple 11' whips and never looked back
It's called sportfishing so there's nothing wrong with making it a bit more sporting.
Ted (Maxed Out) hit the key points. Looking at it from a purely reel function standpoint:
The non-direct drive reels that we normally use don't allow for a maximum winding load that is greater to the drag setting. This can be a disadvantage when you target larger fish with lighter drag settings. Normally, you want the extra load when winding.
With a non direct drive, you would need to be constantly fiddling with the drag, and it is still impossible to back off quickly enough when that fish makes a sudden run.
The other difference is that these reels gives you the equivalent of a 1:1 gear ratio, which is handy when you are fighting a fish with a longer, softer rod that is not so good for pumping. But it sucks for the times when you need to wind fast. This is the main tradeoff.
Nearly all fly reels are direct drive (AKA single action) for the exact same reasons. Even the big game gear.
I have to confess that I am not exactly sold on the efficiency of direct drive for salmon trolling with modern braid. But the experience when using this gear is still a blast. If you want the authentic experience, you have fish with a crazy long bendy rod and a single action reel. Tweed outfit is optional.
-J
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 11, 2025, 10:11:38 PMQuote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on August 11, 2025, 03:54:22 PMAlan, can you explain why the Canadians love those direct drive reels?
I resemble that remark. Lots of guys in washington use the single action reels for chasing salmon in the saltwater. They're commonly referred to as "knucklebusters", cause if the salmon turns to run, and you dont let go of the knob, the salmon will tear the knob from your fingers and your knuckles will get smacked as the handles turn when the salmon is taking out line. The drag is very minimal on these reels, and mostly keeps the reel from backlashing into a knotted mess. I've reeled in several halibut up to 100# with my knucklebusters, and lotta king salmon up to 55#.
Gregg, pound for pound, a 15+ pound coho is by far the toughest fight. They can be just a few feet from the net, and turn and go zero to 50 in a split second. The best fighting king salmon is 18-22# pounders. The bigger ones get tired fast. Kinda like a slender athlete can do 100yd dash, and hardly be winded, but a fat outta shape big guy will collapse after doing 100yd dash. As far as eating goes, coho is every bit as good as king salmon in my world
We've been friends for a long time and I had no dog in this fight, but here ya go funnin' on my runnin' skills.
If anyone would like the little DTF transfers of the AT logo, send me your address.
Ben
Ok, a quick follow-up on using single action reels for ocean salmon fishing.
Went out solo this morning fishing for king salmon. After releasing a few that were small, i remembered i wanted to take a pic of my reel in action. Grabbed my cell phone and just before I took a pic, my lure got hammered and instantly came off from the release clip on my downrigger. A nice fat 18 pounder. After getting my gear back down, finally got the pic of my knucklebuster. Its a graphite shimano and holds approximately 350yds of 30# mono. Up north in Canada its more common to see Islander knucklebusters, same size and same basic reel, but the Islander is all aluminum and more expensive. Also note, these single action knucklebusters are underhead reels.
Heres a better pic of the shimano reels i use for salmon. Drag knob in the center, and this one has seen over 20 years of use and lost 1 knob to Davy Jones locker, and with one knob missing, it will bust the knuckles half as bad. This shimano is the 2000gt which has a larger arbor than the 4000gt. Both reels are same size, but the 2000gt holds less line. Very simple internals. Just one drag washer on the center post. Reel comes apart by unscrewing the drag knob. This reel is also easily switched to left hand retrieve, by swapping around the L shape piece seen inside the reel. The line guide also gets moved over for left hand setup, and the line would be wound on the reel opposite direction for left hand configuration. The L shape piece actuates the freespool. The freespool lever is on the taiplate.
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 23, 2025, 07:44:41 PMHeres a better pic of the shimano reels i use for salmon. Drag knob in the center, and this one has seen over 20 years of use and lost 1 knob to Davy Jones locker, and with one knob missing, it will bust the knuckles half as bad. This shimano is the 2000gt which has a larger arbor than the 4000gt. Both reels are same size, but the 2000gt holds less line. Very simple internals. Just one drag washer on the center post. Reel comes apart by unscrewing the drag knob. This reel is also easily switched to left hand retrieve, by swapping around the L shape piece seen inside the reel. The line guide also gets moved over for left hand setup, and the line would be wound on the reel opposite direction for left hand configuration. The L shape piece actuates the freespool. The freespool lever is on the taiplate.
None better!
Ted, is there any reason for the cut of half of the head on the Salmon?
I dont recall seeing something like that before
Quote from: steelfish on August 26, 2025, 05:19:30 PMTed, is there any reason for the cut of half of the head on the Salmon?
I dont recall seeing something like that before
Alex, I was wondering if anyone would notice that. Here's the answer...
That salmon had a chip inserted into the head at the hatchery when it was a baby. When I get back to the boat launch, a fish checker scans the head, and if it has a chip, then they cut the top half of the head off for analysis by a state biologist, and the chip will let our fisheries dept know which hatchery it came from.
Quote from: Maxed Out on August 26, 2025, 07:28:35 PMQuote from: steelfish on August 26, 2025, 05:19:30 PMTed, is there any reason for the cut of half of the head on the Salmon?
I dont recall seeing something like that before
Alex, I was wondering if anyone would notice that. Here's the answer...
That salmon had a chip inserted into the head at the hatchery when it was a baby. When I get back to the boat launch, a fish checker scans the head, and if it has a chip, then they cut the top half of the head off for analysis by a state biologist, and the chip will let our fisheries dept know which hatchety it came from.
thats pretty cool.