Fishing My New Downriggers at the Tulalip Bubble

The wife wanted to hang out with her girlfriends on Saturday, so the boys went fishing! It was our first time fishing the place officially called the Tulalip Terminal Area, and unofficially known to fishermen as “The Bubble”. It’s currently the only place in the north sound that’s open for salmon fishing. I don’t understand the science behind why this one little area is open while everywhere else is closed. However, I think it’s usually because they know that there’s no endangered run chinook in that location at that time.

It was also the first time using my new electric downriggers. I had the boat wired for them last year, but only recently got around to buying them. For my installation I needed the cords extended by quite a bit. My stepdaughter Nina, who is a journeyman electrician, did a masterful job of replacing the entire cables from the motor to the plug with longer ones. They looked like they came from the factory that way. Electric downriggers are a game changer. First of all, they’re just much bigger and beefier than my old manual ones. They extend much farther from the boat, reducing the chance of getting tangled. When you get a fish on or want to change your tackle, you just hit a button to pull the 15-pound cannonball back up to the surface. Since I often fish at 100 feet or deeper, it’s hard to crank that up manually very often. They also reduce the number of things you have to manage, and things that can go wrong, while you’re reeling in a fish. They really make fishing more enjoyable.

We fished from about 9:00 all the way until 4:00, with a lunch break in Langley, without catching anything. There were lots of other boats out there and we didn’t personally see anybody else catch one all day. The fish counter at the dock in Everett said that plenty of people had caught salmon in the morning though. One hilarious dude was out there on his boat loudly singing country songs without a shirt, and playing air guitar. I guess if you aren’t catching anything, you might as well enjoy yourself while doing it.

At the fuel dock I was standing there waiting while Dave was buying my gas, and a guy in a big Regal floated up. I asked if he needed help and said “Yes, please!”. He was approaching the dock and his fenders weren’t even out. I, a random bystander, was left to hold his big boat off the dock with my own strength. I tried to grab one of his fenders myself, but then I noticed it wasn’t even tied to the boat. Finally another guy on the boat came up to the bow and tied off the fender so that he could use it. Then we noticed that his dock line wasn’t out either. It’s amazing to me how many people out there own expensive boats without having a clue as to how to operate one. I try to run my little boat as if it’s a naval vessel. I’ve been told I’m downright anal about cleaning it, but I often find admirers at the boat launch (like today) who marvel about how new it looks. It’s tiny but it’s mine, and I believe in taking care of it.

Although we definitely need to improve our skill, I’ll say that if you’re just into fishing for the fish, then you’re going to have a disappointing experience. To me it’s about the adventure, the camaraderie, the chance to learn new skills, and the chance to be out in nature. Of course it’s always nice to catch a fish, but it was a beautiful day to be sitting on a boat with a friend