The King is wearing a Parka

I don't have to point out the "normal" winter we are having in Southcentral including the below zero snaps we have been experiencing all winter long. I saw LawngJohn's post about his lack of success last weekend so I did some investigating. Those planning to jump on one of the heat wave windows we are also seeing and drag a bait or two might want to reschedule.

The water temperature at the harbor and off the Homer Spit was 30°F a couple days ago. The upper headwaters of KBay has ice and temps throughout the bay east of the Spit are also in low 30's. These temperatures have moved the baitfish food supply out into warmer waters and as you would expect, the kings have also left too. One recent charter ran 25 miles out in Lower Cook Inlet and did well on the kings they were targeting. But back inside the bay and off the Spit its pretty much void of most kings. A few are available starting out around Seldovia where water temps are bouncing around 39.9°F today.

With continued forecasts of more sub zero weather it looks like water temps will continue to drop for a while longer. Recent new slush ice was documented as far south as Ninilchik according to satellite imagery.

Its really a bummer that our convenient fishing hole may be reluctant to give up a fish for another month.  No doubt if this cold water trend extends into late March its going to impact the Homer Winter King Derby results too especially for the smaller boats and kayaks that will have a limited range.

As a comparison, last year on this date, Feb. 9th I was fishing with Shane and friends at Bear Cove for winter kings. The upper bay was wide open water. The water temperature was 40.9°F on the fish finder. We caught 5 kings and a 75 pound halibut on troll gear. That is how significant the El Niño impact was on our ocean waters in 2016.

There's always shopping to do online for more tackle and accessories!

Good report.  Talked me into another week of work. Hope to put it towards more fishing K-bay  this summer.

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Good stuff KK.  this not fishing is killing me.  I am amazed at how few weather windows we are getting for the weekends.  If its not the waves, its the roads.  It will get better.

-10 when I woke up in Anchorage.  Thought maybe I would go ice fishing...-20 up north.  Nah.  I have work to do and maybe I can work on some year end stuff.

Argh.  getting old and lazy.  lol. 

Yeah, last time I checked Homer temp early this morning it was only 5 above zero at the harbor.   Ironically Monday will hit 38°F and Tuesday will top out at 39°F. But snow/rain/ice pellets for those daily forecasts. And snow for a week straight coming. Its been a very roller coast winter for sure.

The weather windows as you say haven't been kind to anyone this winter except ice fishermen. I turn on the NOAA weather band every evening and when they are calling for Small Craft advisory and severe freezing spray even the big boys lay low. They don't use the term severe very often.  I'm so desperate for SEEING open water I drove by the Kenai City dock just to see liquid water at the mouth of the river....and even wondered if I could drop the boat in to pedal around the ice bergs. Ha

13 Below in Soldotna this morning but we only have about 14" of snow on the undisturbed ground. Might be a slow break-up for the lower Kenai River ice this year to slow down spring king fishing. That might be an advantage for the poly fleet. Am hoping to focus on the early run Kenai kings in late May launching from Cunningham and working the tidal zone up to Mud Island.  Perhaps try a drift from Centennial down to Big Eddy and working the rip line over and over could produce a good fish and work Poachers on the way down too. Stewarts is just below Big Eddy for a launch but I don't think you could pedal hard enough to go up river to get in the hole. But maybe go to the other side and then walk the boat up to the bend to get into the hole. I'll have to scout it out this spring for that potential. Airplane and BE were fairly hot fishing last year for my guide friends during the early run.

BTW, in anticipation of measuring that big king for AOTY I just bought a 72" aluminum ruler at HomeDepot yesterday to make up a real HOG Trough. LOL  That rule will cover up to a 200 lb. halibut @ 72" too. 

Cold spells are at least good for working on tackle and boat gear projects.  Just about ready to start working on a waterproof battery box for the FF.  And I did open the packaging for my SideKick Ama to make sure all the parts were there when I get ready to install it. Just haven't figured out how to get the Outback into my living room where its warm to work on it. (I think you Rudy gave me that idea from an earlier post.) LOL

My kayak is in the living room now.  My girlfriend remains unimpressed. 

My kayak is in the living room now.  My girlfriend remains unimpressed.

Just buy one of those wall mounted storage brackets to store it "out of the way" or maybe the pulley system and hang it from the ceiling over the couch where you can't stand up anyway. 

Or better yet, buy her one too and you will both have the same problem. LOL

Definitely feeling the not-fishing doldrums, so much so that I was stoked to land a spot on a buddies boat last weekend where we did 5/7 just off the bluffs. The fish certainly are out a bit right now. The plus side for me down in Kachemak with these cold temps is that hopefully the aphid destruction occurring over the last several warmer winters will have been wiped out come spring time. Counting the days until then!


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Definitely feeling the not-fishing doldrums, so much so that I was stoked to land a spot on a buddies boat last weekend where we did 5/7 just off the bluffs. The fish certainly are out a bit right now. The plus side for me down in Kachemak with these cold temps is that hopefully the aphid destruction occurring over the last several warmer winters will have been wiped out come spring time. Counting the days until then!

I hear that! Almost ready to haul the boat up to Kenai Lake and be one with the swans for a little while in the open water by the bridge just to get the hull wet. THIS winter is not what I was expecting for my first winter fishing for kings from a kayak. That record-breaking El Niño cycle definitely spoiled all of us the previous 2 winters.  There is starting to get a few BTUs in that sunshine now and lots of daylight again so good times are just around the corner.

I keep watching the Homer Spit Webcams for a realtime weather check. Some tempting days between the storms but the cold water has definitely scattered the fish. Once I get caught up I hope to get down there and do a PB trip with a friend who charters all winter and get some firsthand reconnaissance on fish location in case there may be something within pedal power range. Maybe I can talk him into spending some time around the Spit for our benefit.   In the meantime perhaps this next heat wave this weekend will give me a chance to pull out the kayak from the trailer and add another Scotty base mount and rig up my battery box system.  Well, that is after I shovel out from last night's six inches of snow that has buried everything again.

(I too am keeping my fingers crossed on the aphid annihilation. Soldotna has had some 24 below days here this winter which I'm hoping knocked down the aphids and skeeters. Last two summers have decimated my birch trees and hoping they survived the onslaught to recover this year.)

I've heard people talk about "the bluffs" before.  I haven't spent a ton of time fishing around Homer.  On the NOAA nautical charts, I see something called "Bluff Point" right next to Diamond Gulch, about 5 miles west of Homer.  Is this what people are referring to as "the bluffs"?

I've heard people talk about "the bluffs" before.  I haven't spent a ton of time fishing around Homer.  On the NOAA nautical charts, I see something called "Bluff Point" right next to Diamond Gulch, about 5 miles west of Homer.  Is this what people are referring to as "the bluffs"?

Yep, that's it.