2016 Southeast Alaska Fishing Trip

[Steve-O]

Headed back up to Prince of Wales Island for my annual salmon fishing adventure.

First flight to Seattle in a few hours then up to Ketchikan and over to the island.

17 trips to POW makes me not quite a local but no longer a tourist...So I guess I'm a local tourist now.

Other than one trip to Icy Straits in 2011 for halibut only, I have found that POW fits me well.

This is the first summer trip for King Salmon as the others have been for the fall coho run so this will be a new treat for me.

Will start posting catches as soon as it happens, this evening through Monday next week.

I was considering the TANK for the halibut but the guided regs state a non-resident may harvest a reverse slot fish up to 44" or over 68".  So unless the entire boat wants to anchor up and kill a bunch of fishing time targeting a big halibut, we each get a smaller slot fish.

Therefore the TANK would be overkill. The lodge owner even thinks his halibut gear is on the bulky and heavy side for small fish. I will have two Omotos, two Okumas = a 40s Trio and a Komodo baitcaster, and some Japanese jigging rods. The Kings will be handled with Abu's or Shimanos and 10' GLoomis rods, mooching and maybe trolling.

[thorhammer]

Good luck brother, keep pics coming!!!!

[Tightlines667]

Good luck!

[Steve-O]

Thanks. Fishing is good. Limiting on Kings and halibut each day. Had a break today, fishing again Monday.

Wi-fi is sketchy and slow at best.

A better, full report later.

I will get pics downloaded asap.

[Tightlines667]

Sounds like sucess to me.

[David Hall]

Looks like success!
Very nice.

[Steve-O]

Thanks, got piles of pics. Just getting over my sea legs. We had flat seas on up to 15 foot rollers.

Limited on Kings each day as well as halibut. Added rockfish and lingcod to the fish boxes as well.

When mooching was hot we mooched herring from 100' up to 50 or so and back down. Picked up Kings near the bottom frequently.

When the mooching bite died we dropped the downriggers to 60' dragging a flasher and hoochie.

The Kings had bellies full of 6" squid.

Got back home and a killer busy catch up day at work.

Few more pics.

[Steve-O]

A few mo'...

[Steve-O]

And some mo'...did I mention we had Dungeness crabs two nights for dinner?

Some other lodge meals(sorry no mouth watering pics) included: Big steaks, beer batter halibut chunks, fresh salmon with a killer seasoning rub, cornish game hens, Bayleys Irish cream cake, blueberry cheesecake, carrot cake, needless to say I was unable to fish the pounds off each day and came home weighing 5#s than when I got there.

[Steve-O]

More, more, more...

[Steve-O]

Sea Lion -1...Steve - 0

Had a pesky sea lion snag my halibut. After a brief tug of war with me yanking the fish away twice I lost the battle. The sea lion surfaced with the fish across the belly and shook the head clean off.

Pulled a few fish prints in the evening and the lodge staff really dug them so I passed on some to those who wanted one. Watch in the pics for scale.

[Ron Jones]

Looks like a blast. I love me some of those Yellow Eyes.
Ron

[Steve-O]

Yea, we had a good time. One or two more days would have been nice.

Me with a keeper size halibut....this was one of the few for the trip that taped right on the max inch limit. We released a lot of little chickens and over sized fish.
I reeled up a 50, 75 and 90 # fish. Another reeled up a 120# and the oldest angler - a 150 # . The boat rods were Trevalas with Avet reels.

[swill88]

WOW!

great report and pics Steve....Thanks!


did the mooching yield bigger salmon?

steve

[Newell Nut]

Great looking trip. Thanks for sharing.