How to troll a seagull

jbett98 · Dec 12, 2017

I was Springer fishing one morning on the Willamette River right below the Clackamas River in a large hog line when one of the boats went out of line with a salmon.
A guy trolling in a 14" boat zooms up river and tries to troll in the slot that was just vacated by the guy drifting down river.
The back bouncers 2 cycle motor was smoking a lot of oil and stunk something terrible, so a guy in the hog line told him to please get out of there and fish someplace else, but he didn't budge so the guy that asked him to leave tossed a bucket of popcorn up in the air and half of it fell into the trollers boat.
You couldn't believe how fast and how many seagulls swooped down on the popcorn from seemingly out of nowhere.
He didn't stick around for long and boy do they leave a mess.

Gaucho Gringo · Dec 12, 2017

I had one take my herring salmon fishing and it got hooked. Trying to reel in a bird is a totally different experience than reeling in a fish. I was just trying to get him in close enough to cut the line between my herring dodger and the double hook herring rig. I used to tie all my own hooks so no big loss there but didn't want to loose the herring dodger and mooching weight. Finally got the seagull in close enough to do it but what a battle.

moose · Dec 12, 2017

CoastRange57 said:
Gas tanks are on the outside of the frame rails in those ??

Yes.

I used to have a hatchback pinto but i needed more room.

moose · Dec 12, 2017

Gaucho Gringo said:
I had one take my herring salmon fishing and it got hooked. Trying to reel in a bird is a totally different experience than reeling in a fish. I was just trying to get him in close enough to cut the line between my herring dodger and the double hook herring rig. I used to tie all my own hooks so no big loss there but didn't want to loose the herring dodger and mooching weight. Finally got the seagull in close enough to do it but what a battle.

I caught a duck once. Nothing like flailing around in a small boat with an angry bull mallard on light fishing tackle. Its like trying to swat a bee the size of a, well, duck.

parallax · Dec 12, 2017

I saw this seagull outside of my hooch this morning.

CoastRange57 · Dec 12, 2017

moose said:
Yes.

I used to have a hatchback pinto but i needed more room.

My son was given a 64 1/2 Mustang and the floor of the trunk was the top of the gas tank. Not one of Fords better ideas. We had to add the retro kit to add some sheet metal to create a trunk floor. Yeah, about 18 gauge sheet metal. I threw that away and added some good flat diamond plate. The guy he sold it to complained about that, I said fine take it out it is your car now.

coyotecaller · Dec 12, 2017

parallax said:
I saw this seagull outside of my hooch this morning.View attachment 412979

I think that is an Ibis... I could be wrong

Mikej · Dec 13, 2017

jbett98 said:
I was Springer fishing one morning on the Willamette River right below the Clackamas River in a large hog line when one of the boats went out of line with a salmon.
A guy trolling in a 14" boat zooms up river and tries to troll in the slot that was just vacated by the guy drifting down river.
The back bouncers 2 cycle motor was smoking a lot of oil and stunk something terrible, so a guy in the hog line told him to please get out of there and fish someplace else, but he didn't budge so the guy that asked him to leave tossed a bucket of popcorn up in the air and half of it fell into the trollers boat.
You couldn't believe how fast and how many seagulls swooped down on the popcorn from seemingly out of nowhere.
He didn't stick around for long and boy do they leave a mess.

I'd always heard that's what you did when someone dropped the hook to close below you. I haven't fished salmon hog line up in the OC area for more than 20 years so haven't had the need for the technique.