Ketchikan Alaska Aug 26-Sept 3 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Holy Mackerel · 09-04-2007, 12:59 PM

Got to Ketchikan around noon......

We rented a car, as our lodge was about 3 miles from town. drove through town, stopped at the first "crick" we saw....
salmon going up stream...

Met up with Howard, the kayak fishing guide www.yakfishalaska.com ... reports had been slow lately for Salmon, a few weeks prior it was "hot,"
of course slows down, when I got there...
Still Beautfil country... so many trees....

We started to troll buzzbombs, I remember these from my salmon fishing days in Chico...

Got a Coho, the preferred salmon to catch, and eat...

We tried to bottom fish for a while, got all the rock fish you wanted, but I was not there for that...
fishing was slow.... but we got to feed a bald eagle that was pretty cool...

Basically, I just held up the dead rock fish, and the eagle shot out of the tree like I was in a Wild Animal park show,
going about 120 miles per hour directly at me, I threw the fish in the water, and it swooped it up... we did this a couple times...

Video of Eagle...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gRM-Bsu9XJs

A ketchikan slam...

dinner....

Next day.... Rented a 20' skiff.... did the down rigger thing...

Not much action on the cohos... Some guy in a small boat had some luck... they use weird stuff up there...

Trish goes bendo

on rockfish... ah, what the hell, I was on vacation!

Funny thing about the weather, it went from sunny, to windy, to rainy, to sunny, to rainy, to rainy, to rainy, to sunny....
Fed some more bald eagles and called it a day... not a bad rate on the boat, $200 from 6am to 7PM...
Weds headed up to the forest service cabin in the bush for four days/3nights...

It was basically four walls with wood bunks... a counter and table.... right next to a creek... We read in the log, "lots of bears" by those who had stayed there....

The trail leading up to bearland...

there is actually great trout fishing in this creek... something I enjoy, but getting munched by bears not so much...
again weather varied day by day...

We caught lots of "dogfish" sharks.... pesky bastards!!!

Set out shrimp and crab pots.... ran into a local who was fishing for halibut, he said we were crazy for being out in little "skiffs"
About an hour later, he showed up at our cabin with ~100lb halibut, and an ~80lb halibut... This pic does no justice,
it would have been unreasonable to ask him to pick it up, but it was BIG!!!!!!!

The guy in his skiff... gave us some herring for bait, caught more sharks...
actually saw where he was fishing,
but with the weather, and Trish, didnt want to risk it...

Collected the shrimp and crab pots... first the shrimp, you have to use a
2speed reel..... so tiring, but good payoff...

Also picked up the crab pots... Dungeoness crabs....

Pink salmon swimming by our kayaks.... could have freegaffed them... no I didnt try that...

Our pre-cooked feast... crab, and shrimp, more than we could eat, very good....!

Last evening there, across the creek on the beach, about 50 yrds away, saw a mother bear, and her two cubs come out of the bush....
pretty cool, pics came out fuzzy...

back to ketchikan, took it easy on Sunday, did the tourist stuff, sat in a smoky bar, lots of gruff Alaskans gettin their drink on...

All in all a fun trip, pretty unspoiled terrain up there.

Chris

09-04-2007, 12:59 PM	#1
Holy Mackerel Señor member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,627	Ketchikan Alaska Aug 26-Sept 3 Got to Ketchikan around noon...... We rented a car, as our lodge was about 3 miles from town. drove through town, stopped at the first "crick" we saw.... salmon going up stream... Met up with Howard, the kayak fishing guide www.yakfishalaska.com ... reports had been slow lately for Salmon, a few weeks prior it was "hot," of course slows down, when I got there... Still Beautfil country... so many trees.... We started to troll buzzbombs, I remember these from my salmon fishing days in Chico... Got a Coho, the preferred salmon to catch, and eat... We tried to bottom fish for a while, got all the rock fish you wanted, but I was not there for that... fishing was slow.... but we got to feed a bald eagle that was pretty cool... Basically, I just held up the dead rock fish, and the eagle shot out of the tree like I was in a Wild Animal park show, going about 120 miles per hour directly at me, I threw the fish in the water, and it swooped it up... we did this a couple times... Video of Eagle... http://youtube.com/watch?v=gRM-Bsu9XJs A ketchikan slam... dinner.... Next day.... Rented a 20' skiff.... did the down rigger thing... Not much action on the cohos... Some guy in a small boat had some luck... they use weird stuff up there... Trish goes bendo on rockfish... ah, what the hell, I was on vacation! Funny thing about the weather, it went from sunny, to windy, to rainy, to sunny, to rainy, to rainy, to rainy, to sunny.... Fed some more bald eagles and called it a day... not a bad rate on the boat, $200 from 6am to 7PM... Weds headed up to the forest service cabin in the bush for four days/3nights... It was basically four walls with wood bunks... a counter and table.... right next to a creek... We read in the log, "lots of bears" by those who had stayed there.... The trail leading up to bearland... there is actually great trout fishing in this creek... something I enjoy, but getting munched by bears not so much... again weather varied day by day... We caught lots of "dogfish" sharks.... pesky bastards!!! Set out shrimp and crab pots.... ran into a local who was fishing for halibut, he said we were crazy for being out in little "skiffs" About an hour later, he showed up at our cabin with ~100lb halibut, and an ~80lb halibut... This pic does no justice, it would have been unreasonable to ask him to pick it up, but it was BIG!!!!!!! The guy in his skiff... gave us some herring for bait, caught more sharks... actually saw where he was fishing, but with the weather, and Trish, didnt want to risk it... Collected the shrimp and crab pots... first the shrimp, you have to use a 2speed reel..... so tiring, but good payoff... Also picked up the crab pots... Dungeoness crabs.... Pink salmon swimming by our kayaks.... could have freegaffed them... no I didnt try that... Our pre-cooked feast... crab, and shrimp, more than we could eat, very good....! Last evening there, across the creek on the beach, about 50 yrds away, saw a mother bear, and her two cubs come out of the bush.... pretty cool, pics came out fuzzy... back to ketchikan, took it easy on Sunday, did the tourist stuff, sat in a smoky bar, lots of gruff Alaskans gettin their drink on... All in all a fun trip, pretty unspoiled terrain up there. Chris