The Modesto Bee
By Jing Cao
 July 17, 2012

Sharon Olson had Lady Luck on her side Monday as she snagged probably the first salmon of the season at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers.

Olson, who drove from Roseville to Discovery Park with her husband, said the parking lot closest to the dock was already filled at 6:30 a.m.

She said she and her husband floated out around 7:15 a.m. to join about 40 other small vessels and a spattering of fishermen on the shores, all hoping for a bite on the first day of salmon fishing season.

After 15 minutes of trolling – where fishing lines are drawn through water, typically by moving the boat slowly – Olson hooked her 16-pounder.

Olson has fished with her husband, Rich, for 40 years – as long as they’ve been married.

“It was fun because we were close to all the anchored boats when I got it in the net,” Olson said. “And all the people around applauded and honked.”

Most others were not so lucky. As of 11 a.m., only four fish had been caught.

Around this time every year, chinook salmon, commonly known as king salmon, begin their long journey up the Central Valley rivers to die by hook or spawn.

A severe decrease in the number of fish had closed fishing for salmon in 2008 and 2009. This year, estimates from the ocean harvest indicate high numbers, which predict a fruitful season.

To control against overfishing, the California Department of Fish and Game limits each angler to two salmon per day, but that cap may not be necessary.

“If you got two in a day, it’s exceptional,” said recent retiree Marty Johnson of Sacramento, who has been fishing since the age of 6. He had walked around the shores of the American and Sacramento rivers in Discovery Park for an hour without seeing anyone catch a salmon.

The salmon season lasts until the end of December, though some areas close earlier to allow the fish to spawn undisturbed.

During their swim upstream, they don’t eat, which means that fishermen can’t lure them with food. Plus, once they pass by an area, they won’t be back, so anglers have to choose a spot that has salmon traffic.

“They’re striking out of anger, and it’s harder to catch them,” said Terry Johnson of south Sacramento, who has fished for salmon for 32 years. “You got to get that lure in front of them.”

Despite the challenges of angling a salmon, recreational fishermen keep coming back because they are hooked by the rich taste.

“Right now, they’re as fresh as you can get,” said Rich Olson. “This time of the year, it’s almost like catching them in the ocean.”

Original source