My son caught a nice 30 pounder two weeks ago. I'm waiting until they get up the rivers, and Gray Davis and the enviro wacko's decrease the river flows to be able to fish. Our rivers are flowing even higher than last year. Long story for another thread sometime.
I bought a new 10 weight Spey Rod (very long 15' fly rod) just for the Salmon Bumper crop this year. I hope to start fishing for them at least one day per week starting next week and maybe tomorrow. With that rod, one fish per day is all that your shoulders and arms can take.
The KALI Ocean Salmon harvest of kings has been excellent all season. We don't see much decline in prices at the stores. When we drive to the coast, we take a cooler. Then we go on to the piers. My wife selects the salmon. Then the fishermen and I negotiate the price. They get more than the grocerers will pay and I pay less. It is a good deal for them and us.
Sounds really nice, Grampa Dave.
We work a similar arrangement with the shrimpers along the GA coast where my parents live. A good sized shrimp fleet operates out of Darien GA, near their house. When the boats come in from the day's fishing, we take a couple of plastic buckets and go down to the pier just below the US 17 bridge in the middle of Darien. You can negotiate with the shrimpers for a bucket of shrimp right out of the net. If you don't mind picking over your shrimp and removing seaweed, little dead fish, etc., it is DIRT cheap. They'll run it through the sorter for you for a little bit more, if you want large shrimp for a party or something (or you just don't want to peel as many!)
I have NEVER had enough shrimp, not even in Darien.