fishing report from Howard Mckim / Alsaska (pics)

exactly! with those furry hobbit feet of yours!

count me in if you go to Alaska. Just give me the dates a few months ahead of time. Maybe its time to try and put a trip on the hook-up page and warn Howard of our arrival.

I'd highly recommend September. Cohos are usually around pretty heavy and they run about 15#.  Halibut are good too. Right now I have 9/2 - 9/10 off. My schedule the rest of the summer gets really full. I think I pulled a kayak fishing first and now have a contract with Royal Carribean for next season, but the week I mentioned is open. I'd say a remote trip is in order. Four or five days in the bush. I could get 4 to 6 of us to wherever we want to go. Prince of Wales island, Misty Fjords, Boca de Quadra, Duke island. There's endless possibilities but the point is that you'd be catching your meals and living in the woods for a few days, out of your kayak. There's some forest service cabins around too, but they don't always coincide with good fishing/kayaking areas.

We could also do something like 3 remote days, then spend a couple of days around here where I know the good spots a whole lot better.

I have the gear and can arrange it all. Ketchikan is a lot closer than you may think. Remote trips are a total blast, especially with experienced kayakers. You'll be 'living' kayak fishing. I have room in my house for the nights we'd be here. Now I'm all fired up just sitting here! Who else is serious about doing something like this?? Life is short. Grab it by the huevos.

9/2 is my birthday.....hmmmm .Got me thinking here.

Count me as very interested, especially if a remote trip is involved.  Labor day is September 4, so one less day of vacation required.

Congrats on the cruise line arrangement.  Hope the clientele is adventersome enough -- you don't get to pick beforehand do you?  What do you do when you're guiding someone you can't stand (besides have your pet eagle dive-bomb them)?

-- Dave

Ok. I am slept on it. SIgn me on. I'll send you an pm. I think we should shoot some video and make "the great north kayak video" why we are at it.

-Brian G

I just checked the price of airfare. Running about $615 round trip out of san jose. That doesn't include the taxes, airport raping charges, homeland secuirty....etc

-Brian

This sounds like an incredible opportunity.  My Brother and I would definitely be interested.  Maybe we can start a post on who is in.  Come one Chuck
Joel, Joe, Freddy, Stuart, Sean, Whoever!!
Its far enough out that some of you guys have along time to work on the WAF.

Jdyak

jd, I am in. Just need to pin a date, and decide who is dying in alaska so we can get a deal on plane tickets...............

In, as far as I know right now!!!

-Allen

Alaska and united are about 360 round trip

I think the 360 is one way?

That's sounds great I am very interested. I was planning on going up there the next year in 07 and Kona in 06. I guess I will just have to switch.
I have Relatives in Juneau and Ketchikan and would extend my trip a few days to go to Jueau.

Howard
I know the fishing is great but my number 1 thing to do would be to paddle among some Orca what are the chances of that?
Any chance of hitting the estuaries or lower reaches of some streams for some silver or steelhead?

brian, I just called and verified. Its $360.00 that is with a advance notice, forgot to ask how much of one. Also, an internet special.

Wow. Sounds like a lot of you are serious about getting up here. That's great. I count at least eight possibilities from the above posts, and a couple more on top of that.

It looks like I'll be a boat owner by the end of the week. If things work out I'll have a kayak hauling boat that will get us to where I want us to go. Then we can anchor up and kayak and camp, and try a couple different spots for variety. This would limit each trip to four people plus me. This will mean two trips. I actually have 9/2 to 9/13 available so two trips is possible on my side. I realize you all know each other and if everyone wants to go at once we can take a tour boat and have them drop us off somewhere and pick us up later. It will cost more this way, but if you guys can give me an idea of what you're after I'll get it together and will post the final details before the end of the week. I'll know about my boat probably tomorrow and that will determine what we can do.

I can't wait to get out there and fish with all of you. Most of my summer is spent pampering people who have not only never been in a kayak, but have never fished either.

mickfish, there is a good amount of orcas and humpbacks around, but no particular spot they hang out. The spot I'm looking at offers protected inlets and pinnacles, and open ocean around the other side of the island. That's a good spot for whales but I can't make any promises. As for silvers, those are cohos (not sure if that is what you were talking about) but they are coming in heavy in Sept. As for steelhead, I don't target them, but folks get them above Ward Lake which is accessible by road here. I wouldn't count on any steelhead out in the bush.

I'll post again before the week is out with final details. And oh yeah, to you hawaii bound guys, alaska is way better than hawaii. Ok, except for the bikini factor..

Howard McKim

Ketchikan Kayak Fishing
www.yakfishalaska.com
907-225-1272