Here's the one that got away... then didn't...

Hooked up at 77' on the downrigger around 8:30 this morning close to the green can using green/green flasher/squid. Not much of a takedown and then screemed off line. When I finally looked around I only saw one other boat in the area, not that close to me but I waved them off anyway... waved em off again... waved em off again and yelled "he's taken out a lot of line"... waved them off again (they really hadn't turned away, let alone raised their riggers). We finally started chasing the fish around a little and seemed to be in the clear when... "ping" - no more fish, or flasher. I don't get that mad but did let them know that "it was a nice fish but we'll never know how nice!"

Then things got interesting...
A boat came by to commiserate with us and the boat a couple boats back yelled over "I think that's your fish!" We turned around and motored over to where they were pointing. First I saw my flasher on the surface, then the fin of a fish floating bottom up. My brother-in-law reached out to net it and with a flip of it's tail it was right side up and swimming away. But that wasn't the end of the story. We could see the flasher and sometimes see the fish swimming around near the surface so we sttarted to follow it. After three times getting close with the kicker, I finally fired up the big motor and kept after it. Just when it had turned away a little more quickly and I was sure that was the end of it, it turned 180 degrees back towards the boat and practically swam into by brother-in-laws net at the bow of the boat... a 24 lb king!

So I got my hooks, leader, and flasher back plus the biggest fish I've ever caught out here. I don't think I want to know exactly what the regs would say in this case and I certainly didn't have much time to think about it when I was in the middle of it. But, I just had to share the most interesting fishing story I've had to tell for a while.

Not just tons of other action this morning. We did see two other fish caught around 7:30 by the green can.

That's a good story. I'm glad you got your fish!

I say bonk and grill it!

Nice fish.

Well, the main thing is that you got your fish!

Great fish story!. Thanks for sharing....and glad you got your fish.

nice, I love it.

Way to go!!
Congrats!!

Great job !! & kudo's to the boat that pointed it out to you.

Had a similar experience sockeye fishing years ago....after breaking off the fish flailed on surface 50yds back & another boat headed right for it with a net out & poised. We quickly ran back & fortunately I knew the guy & he conceded my fish & dodger back to me.

WOW! Nearly the exact same thing happened to me 3 weeks ago on Elliott Bay (except for the 24 lb part, this one was only 8).
I had taken a friend and his girlfriend from Ohio out, she was all psyched to catch a Salmon. I was doing my best to find her a fish but it was getting pretty late in the day and I was smelling a skunk when we finally hooked up at about 1:30 pm. She played the fish for a couple of minutes and started to get all giggly. I was beginning to feel relieved, knowing that I had helped to make her salmon dreams come true, and then suddenly the line went slack. The fish had wrapped itself around another guy’s rigger and cut the line. After we realized what had happened, one of the guys in the other boat said "hey! it’s right over there!" I looked, and saw the flasher cruising around on the surface, darting back and forth. It reminded me of "Jaws" when the shark was dragging the buoy around. We carefully sneaked up on it, I was really just hoping to net the flasher and maybe try to get the fish that way, or at least get my gear back, but luckily I got both the gear and the fish in one scoop of the net!

By far the weirdest way I've ever boated a fish.

It was delicious.

Anyone else?

AWESOME! They're all gonna die too ! Just tell the gammie, "hot pursuit" !

Here's the "one that didn't get away!"