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FROM THE DECK
by Captain Jack
King Harbor, King Salmon Run
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Captain John Ridge displays his 10 lb. King Harbor King [Harbor] Salmon. |
Well Mates, ya better be sitting down, wit a friend; caus'in ya ain't gon'na belive this story. Last week whil'st I was working down in the engine room of me wee boat, I hear this yell from me neighbor Step'in Wolf, "Hey, Captain get yer lard butt over here and look at what John got!"
I'm thinking John, who has a boat a few slips down the way, has caught another sweet Halibut. A King Harbor home guard, a secret that most wit dock space know is no secret. The Halibut love the harbor and any place wit sand has 'em.
When I get to his dock finger, pole bent over and line going out by the second I say, "Now, what do ya got?" "It’s big and I don't know what it is. Damn thing came out of the water like a rocket then took off up the channel!" Now, John here is fishing wit a Shimano fresh water rod, six-pound test and a crocodile jig. He was just goofing off while waiting for his niece and nephew to arrive for an in harbor Bonita trip. He decides to kill some time and catch and release a few Mackerel. A 3-inch crock jig is good for catching just about anything wit a fin. What John don't know is he going to catch something special. Very special...
Finally, the fish is behind his boat and we can see color. He turns to me and asks, "Well, what is it? I know it's not a White Sea Bass!" That's when I see the tail tell spots, "It’s a Salmon. I'll be damn, a Salmon!"
But it wasn't no ordinary Salmon. It would turn out to be a female King Salmon and she was full of eggs. Plus, there were two male King Salmon running along wit her rite up to the time that she was netted.
We put her in the live well and get all the cameras ready. John sez, "Well, Jack what do you think she is doing down here all the way from Alaska?" "How about on vacation or lost," I reply. "All I know is this is going to be one for the history books."
You see, it has been recorded through the years, King Salmon will travel all the way to Ensenada, Baja California, though most stop around San Diego. They will try to find some freshwater stream or river to swim up; but, alas, there ain't a decent outlet south of Point Conception. Any Salmon that goes south ends up as seal bait! AArg...
Later in the week, I interview some of the old timers who have nabbed a few Salmon off Redondo Beach. They all agreed, to their knowledge, nobody ain't never got one in the back of King Harbor. There is a spot off Manhattan Pier and one just outside King Harbor at the high spot in front of the pier; but that's about it.
Here's what I think. Back before Redondo was Redondo there was an Indian village about rite where the AES is or ole Edison Power plant. There was a fresh water lagoon, a burial ground and a stream that fed rite into the far corner of the harbor next to where the King Harbor Marina office is now located. Me thinks, that old stream is still running underground, under the Edison plant, seeping out just enough fresh water to trick a school of Salmon to swim to the back of the harbor for a look see. AArg sez the Captain...
Hear tell that there is over 1000 King and Silver Salmon spread out all over the harbor. They be mixed in wit all the Bonita and Green Back Mackerel. Also, some bullet Yellow Fin Tuna along for the ride. If'in ya get some of these exotics call Jack, Okay? Over...
As to the rest of the fishing, from the Mountains to the Sea, it's Indian Summer and that means fish and a chance for more fish. Look, down Diego way the boys are still landing Albacore and now some Yellowfin Tuna. At the Islands man! There be those big Yellowtail; ya just got'ta find'em. The South Bay is filling up wit fall Squid and that means home guard Yellowtail and White Sea Bass. The fresh water boys are landing all the Trout they can find wit a few Bucket Mouth Bass for the cooler.
Hey, keep sending me those fish pic's and fish tales to the ER, Captain Jack at P.O. Box 427, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 or Email at easyreader@earthlink.net. ER