2010 AK Report

[Sherpa]

Just got back this morning from three weeks in Alaska. I had an amazing time as always. I have to admit that the fishing could have been a little better for me but I am not complaining one bit. I started off on the lower Kenai River and had some of the best weather I have seen in Alaska. It was the only time I have ever fished up there with no shirt on to be comfortable. The fishing that day proved to be pretty frustrating. I probably had 6 or 7 fish on that all got off. Mostly just fin hooked fish that I would have had to release anyways. Still pretty fun to fight them for a while though. Nothing I have caught fights like a salmon. We saw a black bear with two cubs while driving but didn't get a good picture before they went into the woods. Also saw a few moose out on the Kenai Peninsula and one grizzly cub. Here are a few pics of moose and the grizzly cub.

Didn't see mama but she was close for sure.

Went back home after that for a couple days to clean the fish my dad got while dipnetting and to do some flying. The weather was not the best so we just did some touch and go's(land and take off without stopping) at the airport. That was pretty fun and I learned a lot in a short time.

Round two of fishing was our trip out of Homer for halibut. Got my butt kicked on this one. Ten foot seas in an 18ft boat=me giving up my breakfast to the sea. Had them drop me off in Seldovia while they went back out. They got some fish at least so that was good. I took a nap on a picnic table bench while getting over all of that and had a couple ravens visit me. They probably thought I was dead and I'm sure I looked like it.

Continued....

[Sherpa]

I saw tons of sea otters around Homer and Seldovia and managed a few pics later in the day when the waves calmed down.

Here is one in the Seldovia Harbor. This guy was not very shy at all and ignored lots of passing boats.

After Homer my dad and I went to hidden creek right by where the Kenai dumps in to Skilak Lake for another shot at some salmon. And after watching my dad get a couple I finally got my first fish of the trip. And what a beast it was.

Here it is. Didn't get a tape or scale on it but I don't think I will get another fish like this again in my lifetime.

All I could do was laugh and proclaim "I'm on the board". Things picked up and I finally got a real fish to be proud of and both of us got our three reds for the day.

It was unreal how many fish we saw in there. They were coming by us by the hundreds and it did not take us long to get our limit. I have more pics to post from Whittier and our little fly out trip to the Kustatan River but I will probably do that tomorrow.

[Shoot2Kill]

I lived in AK for 5 years prior to moving to MN...just reading your thread sent me into a tailspin depression about how much I miss that place!

[senco 1]

Great pictures. Man I love the scenery up there!!

[Sherpa]

I hear you shoot2kill. I was there three weeks and was still not ready to come home.

After Hidden Creek I spent the night in Girdwood and got picked up by my brother to spend the day on his father in laws' boat in Whittier. I don't have any pics of it, but there is mile or so long tunnel going through a mountain that is the only way to drive to Whittier. It's only one lane so you can only get through at certain times. When I was younger you had to drive onto a flat bed train car and the train would take you through the tunnel while you sat in your vehicle.

It was foggy and rainy in Whittier and still beautiful. Here is a picture of the mountainside and some waterfalls dumping into the ocean. All of the white dots on the rocks are birds. I guess this is a huge breeding ground for them.

Same area a little closer up to the mountain.

We dropped a couple sets of shrimp pots off in about 500 feet of water first thing so that they could soak for a while. I think we got around 100 or 150 shrimp in about 4 or 5 hours in the water. Here is the bucket full of shrimp.

There were some pretty big ones in there.

We tried to find some Halibut or Rockfish while we were out there but only pulled in one pretty small Rockfish and some kind of anemone slash starfish looking creature. Unfortunately it let go of the bait when it got close to the surface so I could not get a picture of it. There are some weird creatures down there.

Another little trip I did was a fly out in my Dad's little plane for some silver salmon. We flew across cook inlet and followed the coast down to the Kustatan River and landed on this little grass strip right on the edge of the river. It was a little wet but there was enough dry runway for us to make it work.

Here is another one from on the ground. You just land, jump out, set up a chair and drop your line in. Such a fun way to fish.

This was the first time I had used this method for silvers but it was just like catfishing. We would just put a slip sinker above a swivel and let a chink of salmon eggs sit on a hook 18" or so below the swivel. People were even using bells and pole holders.

The mountains off in the distance from the Kustatan.

[Shoot2Kill]

AAAGH, dude you are killing me with this post. ha. Great pics man. It's gotta be a huge bonus to have access to a plane! Did you grow up in AK?

I used to love fishing for silvers with roe under a big bobber....man they just hammer that stuff. You ever fished Fish Creek south of Wasilla? We used bobbers there or just let it float with the current. It was like fishing in a swimming pool for Silvers....clear water, a pool with about 300 silvers packed into it....chuck that ball of roe out there with no weight and just let it float right into the pack and WHAM, fish on every time. Dang that was fun.

[jwmiller33]

very cool pics sherpa! it looks like you had an awesome trip! your dad having that plane up there really gives you some advantages over the average fisherman going up there for a fishing trip! thats funny you did some "chumming" over the side of the boat. i was close myself when we were out for halibut but managed to hold it back... makes ya appreciate those fisherman who spend everyday out on that stuff. very cool pics. we will have to get together sometime and fish somewhere in duluth and share more about our trips

[Sherpa]

Thanks guys. I am glad you liked the post. I am definitely very lucky to have access to a plane while up there. It opens up so many opportunities not to mention it is an amazingly fun way to get around. I didn't grow up in AK shoot2kill but my dad has lived up there for almost 20 years. I have been going up there for as long as he has been there so it is kind of like my second home. The longest stretch I have been there was in high school when I would spend all summer up there. I hear you about the silvers. I wish I could have stayed longer so I could go after them more. They are so much fun.

JW, I definitely was thinking, how do they possibly do this every day. They must get used to it though. I will not be going back into that big of waves in that size boat again if I can help it. I will be trying for halibut again though, that's for sure. I'm up for hitting the water and trading stories sometime. Let me know and we can figure something out.

[mainbutter]

Great pics

You don't know waves until you're an 8 year old in 12 foot waves in a 28 foot boat. That was MY first halibut experience. My brother got sick as a dog, somehow I didn't. My dad had to help reel in every single fish I hooked, even with the rod in the rod holder.. lol.