Sitka, Alaska full post---Trip of a Lifetime!!!

So here's the shortened version of my Alaska novel.  The extended version would have set a record for longest post!

The Plan:  A good buddy of mine has a friend who is a part time guide in Sitka.  He extended the offer for us to come up, stay at his apartment, fish from his boat, with his gear.  Twist my arm!!!!!  Having a stay at home wife raising our boy, still paying off student loans, I knew this was my only shot at an Alaska trip for many years. 


Day 1 (Friday, June 8th):  Drive from Redding to Sacramento, fly to Seattle, fly to Ketchikan, fly to Sitka.  In town by 5:00, meet up with our buddy, grab our licenses, beer, bait, and ice for the morning.  Off to the bar for a few drinks, turn in at midnight.

Day 2- Saturday:  5:00 wake up call, launch boat (24 ft. Carolina Skiff), and run about 7 miles out to Venscari for halibut to 40 lbs, lings to 30 lbs, but no salmon.  Wind kicked up by around 11:00, sending us for the harbor.  Run to the store to prepare for our camping trip on days 3-5 (more beer, tackle, etc.).  Still have plenty of light, so we launch boat again and go to the local salmon hatchery to cast spinners for salmon staging to enter the hatchery gates.  Again, no love on the salmon, so we head to a pinnacle nearby for non-stop rockfish.  Big fish was a yellow-eye around 8 lbs (which made excellent fish tacos for dinner!).  The bald eagles gave us an awesome show picking up the few floaters we tossed back, snatching fish not 10 feet from the boat.  Awesome sight!  Back to the harbor, and back to the apartment.  Turn in at 1:00 a.m.

Day 3- Sunday:  5:00 wake up, load boat with all camping gear, and run about an hour north of Sitka to Piper Island cabin.  Set up camp, run to Fish Bay and set crab pots.  Head to the Shark Hole, finally stick a pair of 30 lb kings for the boat.  Several more come unbuttoned, but at least we got some salmon stink on the boat!  The trollers all around us were hooking up consistently, but our mooching set up was a tough go.  The wind drove us back to inside waters, where we set up in 300’ to drift for butts.  A few nice lings, and it was time to get back to camp.  Cut some firewood, and picked mussels off the rocks, which were a nice complement to the cold beer and warm fire.  It was getting dusk (10:00) so we made our way back to the crab grounds.  A dozen nice dungies made their way into the cooler, which steamed up beautifully and made for a midnight dinner.  Pots were re-baited, and we made our way back to the cabin.  The cabin was awesome, with a nice oil heater, 4 bunks, table, and clotheslines to dry our gear.

Day 4- Monday:  6:00 wake up (sleep in, yeah!), and it’s a nice drizzle.  Back out to the salmon grounds, and after 4 hours we had only one king in the boat, with very few hits.  We decide to try a new halibut hole, and my buddy nails a nice 110 lb’er.  One shot with the Glock .45 and the fish was in the boat.  Maybe it’s just me, but it’s quite satisfying to have to put a bullet in the head of a fish just to bring it on board.  By this time, we’re cold, so it’s time to run back to the cabin to warm up.  The evening takes us back to the crab pots (6 more fatties), and then back to the halibut grounds, where the tide must have been perfect.  The evening brought us our big fish at 224 lbs (6’4” long, 2 shots with the Glock!), several in the 25-50 range, along with a 40lb ling.  With tired arms and sore backs, we run and make a final pull on our crab pots to find another half dozen or so keepers.  We counted our blessings while cleaning fish till well after midnight in the cold, dark, rainy Alaska wild.  Truly an experience I’ll never forget!  Back to the cabin for a 1:00 a.m. crab and chili dog dinner, with again plenty of ice cold beer (hot coffee sounded better, but who’s complaining!).

Day 5- Tuesday:  5:00 wake up, looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day.  We’ve got all the halibut we need, so we break camp and head back to the salmon grounds for another shot.  A few bumps, a handful of rockfish, and an empty beer cooler send us on the ride back to town.  We drop the fillets off at the processor (nearly 200 lbs of prime cuts), and head back to the apartment for some much needed rest.  Unfortunately, the local kids had decided it was party night, and proceeded to drink and smoke it up until 3:30 a.m.  This was the major drawback to our accommodations, as our friend was sharing a two bedroom apartment with a 21 year old who thoroughly enjoyed the late night.  My 3 buddies managed to pass out and ignore the scene, but I couldn’t sleep with the racket going on.  The highlight of the night (morning?) was a 250 lb dumbass pissing his pants and passing out onto the hardwood floor.  He was out cold and the party ended on that note, so it was finally time to get some sleep.  45 minutes later it was time go get up and fish.  Sleep is overrated anyway…

Day 6- Wednesday:    We heard the coho were in at Beyonkin, so we made the run about 10 miles offshore to the small island chain.  The charter nazi’s were there in force, with most hooking up consistently on the troll.  Our mooching technique got us a pair of beautiful kings, and a pair of scrappy coho’s.  With the salmon bite off and the rockfish picking away at our herring supply, we decided to call it a morning.  Of course, we had another 10 hours of light left, so we ran back to the house, switched to fly rods, and motored into a protected cove with a nice river running into it.  I have no idea what it was called, or even where we were for that matter.  I do know it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, with snow fields, waterfalls, and forests all converging at the shoreline.  Awesome sight.  We beached the boat, and set off on foot upstream, hoping to find Dolly Varden or rainbow’s, but had no luck.  A mile into the hike, one of the guys fell in while crossing a log, so it was time to trek back to the boat for a change of clothes.  No bears seen, but plenty of sign!  Glad to have brought my pistol around (the locals told me my .40 would have made a great noise-maker!).  The boat ride back to town was uneventful, just the normal mix of humpbacks, otters and eagles.  Bedtime came early, around 11:00.

Day 7- Thursday:  With our local buddy having to go to work, we had the boat to ourselves.  Three California boys, with a full tank of gas, fresh bait, cooler of beer, and unlimited options on where to go.  Decisions, decisions…we decided the salmon may still be around, so it was back to Beyonkin (carefully following the GPS through the rocks).  Another pair of kings, and another pair of cohos rewarded us for our efforts (lost one unattended mooching rod/reel  to a rockfish while netting a king).  Back to the harbor, clean fish, deposit at processor, and then begin boat maintenance.  We had put on over 60 hours on the motor, so it was due for a servicing.  After cleaning gear, it was time for a feast and another 6 hours of sleep.

Day 8-  Friday:  Another group of friends was coming into town, so we picked them up from the airport, handled fishing licenses, gear, etc.  They wanted to go straight out, I opted for the tourist day, and got my souvenirs’/pictures/bags packed.  As it turned out, no salmon, no halibut, just a handful of rockfish for their afternoon efforts.  The night took us to the Legion for karaoke and the Pioneer bar for brews, and capped an awesome trip that I’ll never forget. 

Day 9-  Saturday:  Dropped off at the airport at 5:30 a.m., flight leaves at 11:00 a.m., leaving 5 hours to kill.  Breakfast, sleep, then beer is served.  Land in Sacramento at 8:30 p.m., 2 ½ hours north to Redding, re-arrange freezer until 1:00 a.m. to get all that delicious fish to fit, and pass out for the day.

All told, I spent just over a grand on the trip...and have memories that will last a lifetime.  If there's any chance you can make a trip like this happen, do it!

Tight lines & enjoy!
-Ben (aka Benwa)

VERY COOL!

thanks for the report 

one day i'll be there too, hmm one day......

is that a fish caught in the cage?

james

Unbelievable!!!  Sleep is certainly overrated!!

Wow! Awesome trip...really the trip of a lifetime.  Thanks for sharing.  Beautiful pics.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great report.  I am ready to go.  I have the WAF and just need the time and the good buddies to go with.

Awsome trip and photos. I'm in Soldotna at the moment and it is past 11:00PM and it is stilllight outside. Been going on 7.5 hours of sleep total for the past three days. Tired, but still functional.

I think I set a record for the fastest landed king salmon over 40 pounds this morning. I hooked, fought, and landed a 50 pounder off the Kenai at 6:30 this morning and got it in in 3.3 minutes. She just gave up. My friend also got one a bit bigger and it took him 55 minutes from hook to net. Dragged him 8 miles down river. Pictures will follow when I get home.

No love on big butts since the wind is blowing had out there in Seward. We still got a few small butts along with bomber black rockfish and silver salmon.

Good night

Awesome report, Ben.  Great photos.

Awesome!

Incredible!!!

We'll be there in less than two weeks. Your post has certainly whetted my appetite for Alaska Action!!

thanks for sharing with the group!!!!

Allen

The halibut will hit the grill again tonight...I've actually found it's kind of like fine wine, just getting better with age.  Or, it just brings me back to sitting around the campfire up there!  Good luck up there Allen, take no prisoners splashdown, and to the rest of you, start saving your beer cans!

And James, the fish in the crab pot was bait, but we did usually have a few sole sneak their way in on the soaks.

-Ben

First time I went halibut fishing in Alaska our guide/friend took his gun out and fired it into the water.  We jumped out of our slicks and he explained as he chuckled that that's how he has fun with his buddies.  They all think we got a nice fish. 

I cant sleep after reading posts like that. Damn.

I will be in the Seward area for a weekin August.  I was wondering how much does it cost to get your fish processed and shipped home? 


Jody