Tired of fishing - Alaska kayak and non-kayak

Pics later but here's a wrapup

2 days fishing on the Kenai from a sled - 25 lb King, and plenty of Reds. Buddies boated about a fish and a half per person, from 12-45 lbs. The rats went back in the river. Since it had been slow fishing, we kept my 25 pounder, but it was the smallest of the keepers.

3 days fishing in Kodiak - lings from 12 inches to 54 inches ( 30 lb lings from the kayak). More Blacks and Duskies than I can remember, most fish running 5-6 lbs, some to 8. I was using 16" Kelp Greenling for bait and have a shot of one Ling that had completely inhaled it. I struck out on Halibut, but my cohorts on the boat had fish from ping pong paddles to 100+ lbs. I never picked up a Yelloweye, but others on the boat did, to near limits (5 per person) one day. Conditions were amazingly calm, I was able to keep a beer perched on the compass recess at the front of the Prowler cockpit. I've got a nasty sunburn too. I also managed to catch a piece of Alaska. When I felt that absolutely dead weight, yet was able to gain line, I knew I had a rock No pics, as it released itself at boatside...

1 day fishing Prince William Sound out of Whittier from a friends PB. Plenty of Blacks and Duskies, but the grade was comparable to California, not Kodiak. I picked up a couple Yelloweye and some Pink Salmon as well. There were also a couple Silvers boated, and a good Halibut was released at long distance.

My hands are so tore up, that I have to wear gloves when fishing due to the abrasion from lipping rockfish. I'll be back in CA on Friday to head to Elk, but I'm so tired of cleaning fish, that I'm planning on only keeping big lings, and Maggies rockfish.

I'm tired of fishing. But may hit a local river for Silvers later today

Scott

Way to go in Alaska Scott. Did you get a chance to get a silver? Those guys are fun!!!!

Nice to see Whittier get a mention in your post. I worked there for a couple of seasons way back when. Prince William Sound kayak Center was the bomb!
I kayak fished salmon there, but not much else.
Can't wait to see your pics!

Sounds like a great trip Scott. Looking forward to the pics and hearing the details first hand at Elk.

Great report, one of these days I got to go up there and get tired of catching big fish too, you lucky dog you. Ben

Hi Scott:

 Good thing you don't have to do it as a living!  Your story sounded like too much of a good thing. Do
you still want the Smoker?
                                                                                       Sorry for your fishermans'  burnout!
                                                                                        Ernie
                                                                                       

Tired of fishing???  Always good when you can say that and you were catchin em too. Nice report.

Might as well hear Donald Trump say he's tired of making money.

thank you   very exciting report
enjoy

One of the guys on the trip was a professional photographer that also runs an online camera and optics store. He hooked me up with the Olympus 720, but I only grabbed a few on the water shots. There will be more pictures to come, but here are a couple highlights.

This ling was about 30 lbs or so. it's smiling because it just completely inhaled a 1.5 lb Greenling that was hooked to a 12 oz jig head. I don't know the exact weight as it was released. I'd already kept a similar sized fish that I caught from the kayak, and a 50+ pounder from the boat, so was holding out for something bigger.



I learned that if you are going to take underwater shots, be sure to get the droplets off the lens before taking other photos. That's the Greenling I mentioned earlier. It's about 16" long, just to give you some perspective.



Note the horrible Kodiak weather. Nothing is holding that beer in place, it is just that flat out there...



Scott

SICK UW shot of the ling!!!

Hi Scott:

 Good thing you don't have to do it as a living!  Your story sounded like too much of a good thing. Do
you still want the Smoker?

Ernie,

Yes, I still want the smoker. I'll be down in the Bay Area later this week, so maybe we can make arrangements. Most of my fish is going to be shipped via Alaskan Air Cargo late this week, so I'll have some Yelloweye for you.

Regards,
Scott

That UW shot of the ling coming up...kinda spooky.
If Lings reached weights of a couple hundred pounds they would be wayyyy scarier than white sharks.
Love the "beer on deck" shot.

20 lb Yelloweye?




Cooler full of Orange fish




The "small" ling that I caught from the kayak. I'll eventually get the photo of the big ling.




Set up for kayak fishing Kodiak




Kodiak sunset. This is around 11:30 PM

Scott,  where did you get the kayak from up there?

-Allen