Fishing with Pepper: Ocean Chinook out of Sunset Bay Oregon

Pepper and I had just 2 things left on our salt water kayak fishing bucket list: a big chinook salmon (ocean or tidewater) and an ocean caught salmon. We checked off both those things with this butterball chinook buck- 34", 21.5 girth, 20 pounds. Video gets right battle quickly and it's all there, 100 foot run starts at 3m35s. Brand new Okuma Cold Water low profile line counter reel performed flawlessly. But I had equipment issues with the Cabela's IM8 rod, really good 1 piece blank but the whole front grip turns (it is what locks the reel in place), totally unacceptable for a fish of this size. But you fight the fish with the gear you hook it on and that is what I did.

Big shout out to MooMoo Outdoors, it was this video of his:
   • Chinook (King) Salmon Limit at Pacifica on...  
that focused me on the importance of continuing to move the kayak forward and keep pressure on. He lost one in the video at the kayak by stopping to land it, then he got the next chinook by keeping the boat moving.

Thanks to all my NWKA friends that have added to my ocean salmon fishing knowledge, I love learning from others and passing along what I know.

Pepper is just amazing on the back of our Hobie Outback, her head is just under my left elbow the entire time, she never moves even with the netting taking place right in front of her big nose.

Pepper's safety gear: custom fitted crimson/gray wetsuit from doggiewetsuits.com and MTI Underdog floatation PFD.