Sittin' Pretty

My Fish Story

Woke up this morning at my usual 3:30 am and made breakfast and lunch for everyone going out King fishing. Had a couple of checkouts I was working on when Jimmie called and said there would be an empty seat on Adams' boat at 9:30 if I wanted to fill it. About 8 I started getting sleepy because I've gotten into the habit of taking naps in the morning after I'm done cleaning the lodge. I thought I would lay down for an hour and woke up at 10:30. I called Adam and he said he was right out front of Riverbend and to call when I got there and he'd come ashore and pick me up. So, I took my time getting ready. Took a shower and made me a lunch.

I finally arrived at Riverbend about 12:30pm. Shortly after I boarded the boat it started raining pretty good after drizzling all day. Nothing that rain gear can't handle and being from Valdez I'm used to fishing in the rain.

After an hour or so of fishing with not even a bite for the four of us anglers I pulled out a small snack bag of Swedish Fish I make up for the fishermen's lunches. I offered some to my fishing mates who politely declined. I popped one in my mouth and one in the river to the fish gods. Next thing you know my pole is bending and I've hooked an infamous Kenai King. The work had just begun. I stand up and start reeling while listening intently to what the guide is telling me to do. Keep your pole up! Let the fish go when he's taking line! Don't give him any slack! Twice I got him to the boat and as soon as he saw the net coming at him he took off again. The third time Adam was able to scoop him up. At that point he spit out the hook but luckily he was caught.

We took pics, put him in the box, punched my king stamp and everybody (but me) went back to fishing. Your only allowed one king per day/2 per year sportfishing on the Kenai. My fishing mates then asked me for some Swedish Fish. One for their mouth and one for the river. Too bad it didn't work for them like it did for me.

Now I can say I've sport caught all 3 Alaskan King Species. The Copper King, the White King and the Red King. After almost 30 years in Alaska!

My Red Kenai King weighed 40 pounds and was 45 inches long. Gutted and headed he (it was a male) dressed out at 30 pounds of meat. I gave the head to a native friend for her to make Fish Head soup. I dropped my fish off at Ed's Kasilof Seafoods (http://www.kasilofseafoods.com/) for processing.

All I had to do was show up and fish.

Thanks Jimmie Jack and Adam! Your the best of the best!!

Louie's Deadliest Catch

Got treated to Louie's by some guests and enjoyed a pound of Alaskan King Crab. Now I can't say I've never been to Louie's in Kenai anymore. Its one of the local restaurants we suggest to the out-of-towners for a top notch dinner and nobody returns dissappointed. Now I can put my fork where my mouth is. Price on the menu for King Crab was market value. If you have to ask you can't afford it.

Bbbq'd Red

Fresh caught Kenai Sockeye with McCormick Crusting Blends Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary, with Panko ... on the grill. That is good stuff.

Fish for Fun

One of Jimmie Jacks guides, Adam, was out fun fishing today on his day off. Thats what fishing guides like to do on their time off. He took a buddy out with him on the drift boat and his buddy caught this 65 pound Kenai King!

As soon as I heard I rushed down to the river for a photo op.

Paul was there to skin it for mounting after measuring the big fish. 53 inches long with a 30 inch girth. He held it up for me to get my picture taken with a BIG Kenai King.

A 1000 kings came through the sonar day heading up the Kenai River. We will see more of these big fish landed this week.

Fish Art

Paul DeAngelo of www.DeAngeloFishArt.com stopped by the lodge today to check out Jimmie's mounts.

He's been going around to Alaska lodges collecting fish skins to mount at his shops in Oregon.

Kenai Kings are very popular at Sportsmen shows.

This is the last week of Kenai King fishing. It closes on Friday the 31st. Its been a fast 2 months of working every day. Then theres a low the first 10 days of August til the Silvers start running. I am looking forward to the break. I'll be going to Wasilla and picking up my stuff out of storage and storing it here as I will be back to this lodge next year.

Backyard Dipnetting

Notice the handles on this Alaskan's homemade dipnet.

The North Road

I drove out the North Road all the way to Captain Cook Discovery Park the other day. Here are a few of the pictures I took on the way.

The Tesoro Refinery. I worked on the expansion in 1986 when I was an apprentice pipefitter. This is where I learned not to run in a refinery. People see you run and they wonder why and follow you and you could start a stampede.

I had to stop, park and take a picture.

The "swimming hole" at Stormy Lake. I just got my feet wet. Kind of windy, cold at Stormy Lake that day.

Ptarmigan crossing the road on the way to the park.

As far as my front-wheel drive Toyota went.

Monster King

Mouth of the Kenai River as seen from the bluff with Alaskan dipnetters busy in the distance.

Check out this good fishing story: Monster Kenai king caught for a Kodak moment

Kenai River Flounder

Struck me funny to see halibut hanging from the hook this far up river.

Kathy's Pizza

A friend spotted this place in Anchorage and took a picture. Too tired to upload all the pictures I took on the Kenai River today. Instead of a nap on this beautiful summer day I tried my luck king fishing... for fun. They were catching reds off the bank so I'm going to try that tomorrow.

I'll have to check out Kathy's Pizza joint some day. See what her wraps are like.

Edited to correct that Kathy's Pizza is on Knik-Goose Bay Road in Wasilla, NOT Anchorage. Thanks Jen. :)

Red Burnet

Those are Lupines in the background but are the other flowers Cattails? I tried to find out to no avail. If anyone knows what they are please let me know. They sure are a pretty magenta and are growing wild on the roadside.

Edited to change title to Red Burnet. Thanks Ken for figuring out what they were!

Loud Plugs

Colorful and aromic (herring tied on) plugs used as bait for king fishing look pretty all lined up and ready to go.

Wetting a Line

Got to go king fishing today. Twice, for an hour or so. No king for me. Today. Going again on Tuesday morning. Going fishing every chance I get!

Top Heavy

Plant Your Wagon

Smokey Daze

70 forest fires burning in Alaska; Minto Flats is largest

Soldotna was clouded by smoke from the nearby Tustemena wildfire today causing closure of the Skyview pool.


The sun burned orange and gave off an eerie Mars like glow to earth.

A good rain would do us good. Soon.

Black Jaxx BBQ

His T-shirt says "Once You Get Our Meat In Your Mouth, You're Hooked!"

Fish Stepping Stone

Edited to add all the stepping stones in the walkway.

Fish Bread

Please pass the butter.

Fisherman in the Mist

Six a.m. at the boat launch on the Kenai River July 1st. Opening day Fish & Game allowed bait for Kings.