I am sitting at Anchorage Airport with Dave Erving from England waiting for the flight to Kodiak which is dalayed due to foggy conditon in Kodiak Island. I am afraid they might cancel the trip. Weather is always a big problem to fish Kodiak Island or Aleutian Islands. We also have gale warning forecast around Kodiak Island tomorrow, but it looks good from Thursday.
Report from Kodiak, Ak
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Joined
·
216 Posts
Kil, you need to go to the Bush Company if your flight is cancelled... The girls are not bad for AK... LoL Ken
06-25
It was rainy and windy all day. No boat sailed today as we had wind upto 50 miles, but even miserable condition couldn't stop us fishing.
We met our Captain Kageyama-san and river guide, Aoki-san, who guided Mogi-san in Kodiak, founder of Japanese style jigging.
Aoki-san gave us valuable infomation about river fishing. He said sockeye run just started and fishing is still slow, but we decided to try anyway. With the help of Kageyama-san and Aoki-san, we got all the equipments and headed to the south.
There were 4-5 flyfishermen fishing sockeyes and saw a few guys land sockeye. But I saw only couple of sockeye swimming up for a couple of hours. We decided to drive northwest of the Island for dolly vardon from shores, but it was dead low tide and high wind against us.
However this kind of fishing remined me of fishing trout in Delaware river alone years ago. Suddenly I felt I have been involved in competitve fishing with crowd and forget about fishing in solitude for long. Even though I fish with Dave for the first time, we fished like we did for a long time together as Dave has as the same enthusiasm as much I have and has appetite for variety of fishes and fishing styles.
We are going to fish with Capt. Kageyama-san today and plan to stay in the bay as wind still is blowing until early in the afternoon.
I hope Dave can catch his first halibut today.
![]()
![]()
Who said all fishes are big in Alaska ?
![]()
![]()
![]()
This post edited by KILSONG 10:07 AM 06/26/2008
It was rainy and windy all day. No boat sailed today as we had wind upto 50 miles, but even miserable condition couldn't stop us fishing.
We met our Captain Kageyama-san and river guide, Aoki-san, who guided Mogi-san in Kodiak, founder of Japanese style jigging.
Aoki-san gave us valuable infomation about river fishing. He said sockeye run just started and fishing is still slow, but we decided to try anyway. With the help of Kageyama-san and Aoki-san, we got all the equipments and headed to the south.
There were 4-5 flyfishermen fishing sockeyes and saw a few guys land sockeye. But I saw only couple of sockeye swimming up for a couple of hours. We decided to drive northwest of the Island for dolly vardon from shores, but it was dead low tide and high wind against us.
However this kind of fishing remined me of fishing trout in Delaware river alone years ago. Suddenly I felt I have been involved in competitve fishing with crowd and forget about fishing in solitude for long. Even though I fish with Dave for the first time, we fished like we did for a long time together as Dave has as the same enthusiasm as much I have and has appetite for variety of fishes and fishing styles.
We are going to fish with Capt. Kageyama-san today and plan to stay in the bay as wind still is blowing until early in the afternoon.
I hope Dave can catch his first halibut today.
Who said all fishes are big in Alaska ?
This post edited by KILSONG 10:07 AM 06/26/2008
Joined
·
216 Posts
Kil, Come August those rivers will be full of salmon. We use to surf out at the missile launch all the time, my commercial boat use to dock there in town across from the B&B Bar.. Got to love Kodiak Have a safe trip.. Ken
06-26
It was still windy in the morning. After waiting a few hours we decided to go anyway as wind died down.
we jigged herring in the harbor as we thought we might have some baits. I enjoyed one of the best herring jigging in years. They are thick and big.
![]()
![]()
After making enough baits, we fished close to the harbor in the bay in protected by islands. There were lots of cod and whiting. Yes, WHITING. Pacific whiting are big and very aggressive to attack big jigs. I might arrange whithing charter to Kodiak.
whiting is as big as small cod.
![]()
Pacific whiting hitting a big halibut jig
![]()
Dave's first Pacific cod
![]()
Dave and Gakeyama-san
![]()
Dave's first halibut ever.
![]()
As weather was getting better, we ventured outside of islands and we encountered constant 8 - 12 ft waves. We didn't fish long there,but we saw bigger fish there. We have a high expectation for tomorrow's fishing as weather forecast is great.
![]()
![]()
Dave's first lingcod
![]()
This post edited by KILSONG 04:13 AM 06/28/2008
It was still windy in the morning. After waiting a few hours we decided to go anyway as wind died down.
we jigged herring in the harbor as we thought we might have some baits. I enjoyed one of the best herring jigging in years. They are thick and big.
After making enough baits, we fished close to the harbor in the bay in protected by islands. There were lots of cod and whiting. Yes, WHITING. Pacific whiting are big and very aggressive to attack big jigs. I might arrange whithing charter to Kodiak.
whiting is as big as small cod.
Pacific whiting hitting a big halibut jig
Dave's first Pacific cod
Dave and Gakeyama-san
Dave's first halibut ever.
As weather was getting better, we ventured outside of islands and we encountered constant 8 - 12 ft waves. We didn't fish long there,but we saw bigger fish there. We have a high expectation for tomorrow's fishing as weather forecast is great.
Dave's first lingcod
This post edited by KILSONG 04:13 AM 06/28/2008
Joined
·
216 Posts
Got to love the weather in AK... Here's a few Pictures of when I lived and worked up there 22yrs of the grind!!!
Attachments
06-27
Finally we had a nice weather. we decided to go to Whale Pass instead of Ugak Island as we thought there were still big swells in open water.
David got his wish. He caught and released about 40 - 50 halibut on jigs though they were mostly 10 - 40 lbs range !!
When halibut fishing was hot, it didn't take one minute to get bites. We also found cod honey hole. If we stayed there long, we could catch over 100 cods in 10 - 15 lbs range each easily.
We plan to go to Ugak Island for big halibut and king salmon tomorrow.
our boat
![]()
Kodiak town
![]()
![]()
![]()
scenary from Whale Pass
![]()
Dave fighting a halibut and the catch
![]()
![]()
There were many multiple hookups
![]()
arrowtooth
![]()
herring marks. Herring and crill were thick in Whale Pass,
![]()
Halibut hit any jigs we used.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Cod were thick.
![]()
![]()
too many halibut. We released all halibut and cod.
![]()
![]()
This post edited by KILSONG 04:17 AM 06/28/2008
Finally we had a nice weather. we decided to go to Whale Pass instead of Ugak Island as we thought there were still big swells in open water.
David got his wish. He caught and released about 40 - 50 halibut on jigs though they were mostly 10 - 40 lbs range !!
When halibut fishing was hot, it didn't take one minute to get bites. We also found cod honey hole. If we stayed there long, we could catch over 100 cods in 10 - 15 lbs range each easily.
We plan to go to Ugak Island for big halibut and king salmon tomorrow.
our boat
Kodiak town
scenary from Whale Pass
Dave fighting a halibut and the catch
There were many multiple hookups
arrowtooth
herring marks. Herring and crill were thick in Whale Pass,
Halibut hit any jigs we used.
Cod were thick.
too many halibut. We released all halibut and cod.
This post edited by KILSONG 04:17 AM 06/28/2008
Joined
·
409 Posts
Small World
Fished Kodiac June 12th --- 23 rd --- I have to say it was the furthest I have ever traveled for so little fishing action. I went there to flyfish Kings in the Red River --- It is the worst year in all recorded history for returning Kings --- there are several possible explanations: 1)I can't fish 2) global warming 3)delayed return 4) overfishing. On Kodiac the King salmon fishery is basicly collapsed and closed. The river I fished was the #1 or 2 spot in the whole world and I did the trip with experts who have fished it since 1992 and they were also skunked.
Alaska is an awesome place but the fishery has definitely been pounded. I also did the jigging halibut, rockfish, lingcod thing. It's a confidence builder --- lots of fish. However,there are no longer many large halibut taken from Kodiac. I would recommend Alaska for seeing nature and the wildlife, (bears,eagles,mountain goats) but as a fishing destination IMO, the value isn't there: everything is very expensive.
PS---I met the Capt of a dragger working out of Kodiac. I was interested in what those guys earn, so we got talking about pay and catch. He got 14% cut after expenses and during a single trip they had pulled 1,600,000 lbs, with the average cod being 27lbs. So, I guess that there are some species that are still abundant.
Fished Kodiac June 12th --- 23 rd --- I have to say it was the furthest I have ever traveled for so little fishing action. I went there to flyfish Kings in the Red River --- It is the worst year in all recorded history for returning Kings --- there are several possible explanations: 1)I can't fish 2) global warming 3)delayed return 4) overfishing. On Kodiac the King salmon fishery is basicly collapsed and closed. The river I fished was the #1 or 2 spot in the whole world and I did the trip with experts who have fished it since 1992 and they were also skunked.
Alaska is an awesome place but the fishery has definitely been pounded. I also did the jigging halibut, rockfish, lingcod thing. It's a confidence builder --- lots of fish. However,there are no longer many large halibut taken from Kodiac. I would recommend Alaska for seeing nature and the wildlife, (bears,eagles,mountain goats) but as a fishing destination IMO, the value isn't there: everything is very expensive.
PS---I met the Capt of a dragger working out of Kodiac. I was interested in what those guys earn, so we got talking about pay and catch. He got 14% cut after expenses and during a single trip they had pulled 1,600,000 lbs, with the average cod being 27lbs. So, I guess that there are some species that are still abundant.
06-28
We fished an offshore bank near Ugak Island. We had a great success here on a trip a few years ago. But we encountered loads of cod school in nice 15 - 20 lbs range. I fished cod for long, but I never experienced such a hot cod bites. We made one long drift on the bank which lasted about one hour and I caught and released one halibut and 27 cod on jigs. It was not 'one cast, one cod', but it seems 'one turn of the reel, one cod'. This was my fourth trip to Kodiak, but We seldom caught cod on previous trips. We had to move after one drift to find halibut. We tried around Ugak Island, where we had 18 halibut in 50 -100 lbs in 50 minutes a few years ago, but we didn't find big ones this time though small ones are numerous.
I am just happy Dave finally had a decent 60 lbs halibut on a local lead head jig. He even caught a nice king salmon on a special jig purchased at Mogi's shop in Japan. He said he didn't have even a touch on the jig when he fished in Tanzania, Africa, but it seems halibut loved it.
We fished over 12 hours and Kageyama-san said it was the time he fished so long in last three years. He jokingly said he hate me when weather is bad as he has to go anyway if I am around.
We are going to fish red salmon in a river with a guide, O-Oki san today.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
We fished an offshore bank near Ugak Island. We had a great success here on a trip a few years ago. But we encountered loads of cod school in nice 15 - 20 lbs range. I fished cod for long, but I never experienced such a hot cod bites. We made one long drift on the bank which lasted about one hour and I caught and released one halibut and 27 cod on jigs. It was not 'one cast, one cod', but it seems 'one turn of the reel, one cod'. This was my fourth trip to Kodiak, but We seldom caught cod on previous trips. We had to move after one drift to find halibut. We tried around Ugak Island, where we had 18 halibut in 50 -100 lbs in 50 minutes a few years ago, but we didn't find big ones this time though small ones are numerous.
I am just happy Dave finally had a decent 60 lbs halibut on a local lead head jig. He even caught a nice king salmon on a special jig purchased at Mogi's shop in Japan. He said he didn't have even a touch on the jig when he fished in Tanzania, Africa, but it seems halibut loved it.
We fished over 12 hours and Kageyama-san said it was the time he fished so long in last three years.
He jokingly said he hate me when weather is bad as he has to go anyway if I am around. We are going to fish red salmon in a river with a guide, O-Oki san today.
Joined
·
216 Posts
Kil, That area has been very good for Cod and Halibut.. Halibut should be moving into shallow water this time of year, but the Cod fishing has been making it tough to get the baits down to the Halibut. I've told guy's up there for years How great the Cod fishing is and how the guys back east would go crazy over it, They just laughed, kind of how AJ'S are to guys in NC. Ken
06-29
Today was our last day fishing in Kodiak and it was a special day for Dave and myself as we landed our first sockeye on fly rods with the guidance of Oki-san. We fished Pasagshak River, about 30 miles from Kodiak town. The river was crowded as it was Sunday, but they were much more civilized than the crowd in Salmon River, Upstate of NY and we had no problem to fish with them and fight sockeye through them.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Oki-san's special sockeye fly
![]()
Oki-san fighting a sockeye
![]()
![]()
Dave fighting sockeye
![]()
![]()
![]()
This post edited by KILSONG 12:45 PM 06/30/2008
Today was our last day fishing in Kodiak and it was a special day for Dave and myself as we landed our first sockeye on fly rods with the guidance of Oki-san. We fished Pasagshak River, about 30 miles from Kodiak town. The river was crowded as it was Sunday, but they were much more civilized than the crowd in Salmon River, Upstate of NY and we had no problem to fish with them and fight sockeye through them.
Oki-san's special sockeye fly
Oki-san fighting a sockeye
Dave fighting sockeye
This post edited by KILSONG 12:45 PM 06/30/2008
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
