NorthWest Kayak Anglers

Regional Discussions => Alaska Kayak Fishing => Topic started by: leith010 on August 25, 2017, 12:04:29 PM

Title: Kodiak for a month!
Post by: leith010 on August 25, 2017, 12:04:29 PM
Hey all,

Don't mean to brag (I sort of do  ;D), but I was just transferred to Kodiak for the next month for my job!   If anyone makes it out there and wants to try some fishing, shoot me a message. 

Matt
Title: Re: Kodiak for a month!
Post by: Mark Collett on August 25, 2017, 10:22:18 PM


  I have to assume you will have a kayak with you ???
  Ya might want to hook up with Klondike Kid...I'm pretty sure he was going to be there in late summer. He hasn't spoke up on here for a while . There might be a connection there.

  I would absolutely love to fish up at Kodiak . A bucket list item never realized perhaps  ::) :P

  Best of luck out on the water , take pics , and share (make jealous) with the rest of us.
Title: Re: Kodiak for a month!
Post by: Klondike Kid on August 29, 2017, 11:34:43 AM
Hi Matt

I spent first two weeks of July on the island with my Outback. Primary objective was to capitalize on their sport season for dungeness crab and their 12 crab per day limits. That was a total bust. Never saw a single private or commercial pot buoy on the north side of the road system in any bay. Inquiring with locals and they responded by saying the sea otters on that side of the island have wiped out the crab. And in fact in two weeks I only saw 3 otters. Apparently they have eaten everything and left for more favorable feeding grounds. South side Pasagshak Bay was the only pots. No one was catching anything, not even juveniles, females, or starfish. Barren wasteland on that bay too as numerous boats returning to the beach ramp reported to me about their pot success. Comm pots had 6" of moss on their buoy lines so they weren't even actively fishing them - just storing in the water. Out of a total of 25 hours of soaking 3 rings in various locations and bays I never had anything hit the bait on my crab rings.

As a first time visitor to the Emerald Isle my fishing was as much reconnaissance, scouting and exploring as it was putting fish in the freezer I brought along. :)

For the shortest paddle to productive waters probably White Sands beach out onto Monashka Bay puts you in deep water and near shore structure very quickly  but rockfish limits have been reduced to 3 per day on that side of the island. Mill Bay is an easy launch next to the parking lot and is the closest direct line to Buoy #4 where powerboats have a lot of success trolling for salmon and catching halibut. About 2.63 miles from launch. I went out there within a few hundred yards of the buoy, staying closer to Hanin Rocks to fish that structure. Currents not too bad but must be considered especially if the wind kicks up. Small rockies and greenling around that reef. If you look on your chart slightly northwest of Hanin Rocks (and light) there is a mound out there that was attracting powerboats on anchor. Apparently that rise is attracting something to fish for. But it was another 3/4 mile out into open ocean I was not familiar with so I only went about half way trying to find structure before skirting around pods of whales to get closer to the rock again.

I will say, most of the bays have a lot of shallow flat water with no pinnacles, rocks, reefs, etc. unless its in water too shallow to attract any decent size fish. I was peddling 5 1/2 to 6 miles out of Pasagshak from my campsite at the boat launch to get into attractive bottom conditions outside of the bay. But next stop is Hawaii so 6-8 foot swells was the norm. Literally fishing among the humpback whales that were everywhere around me. Sometimes just 50 yards away. Spooky. Got so I would tap on my hull to let them know I was just overhead....just in case.

Deep water in most bays is a long haul from the few launch sites. Mayflower Beach on Kalsin Bay is a very nice spot for beach launching and camping too. A local pulling out his boat brought in a 40 lb halibut he got on salmon troll gear.  I had hoped to get out to Anton-Larsen Bay but the last half of the road is gravel and relentless rains before I arrived put the road's condition about equal to an Air Force practice bombing range and not doable while dragging a trailer.

Overall it was much more challenging to find the success I was looking for but I attribute that to being a total newbie to the area and fisheries as is the case anytime you head out by yourself in a new location. And I maintained a good measure of common sense as I was all alone on this adventure.   I did break in my Outback with the first halibut I've ever caught from a kayak hitting the scales at 92 pounds. Got a few nice black rockies too all out in Ugak Bay outside of Pasagshak. I could see the rocket launch facility from my fishing hole.  2 hour trip back to camp with the halibut. But surprisingly with it strapped to the side of the yak I was still making 3mph most of the time. And no chance of taking water through the rudder cable holes from putting weight on top.

Here's hoping you find the opportunities to get out on the water. I hit unbelievable weather, 2 rainy days and 12 blue bird sky and calm seas days. Even the locals were amazed.  Good Luck.
Title: Re: Kodiak for a month!
Post by: katinalaska on September 01, 2017, 11:58:05 AM
Wow! I would say catching 92# halibut is good success! Way to go! Glad to hear from you....I've been waiting to hear how your trip went. I would love to see a picture of that fish! I'm getting excited for the winter king fishing in Homer. I'm hoping to spend a lot more time down there this winter.


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Title: Re: Kodiak for a month!
Post by: Mark Collett on September 02, 2017, 08:02:13 AM
Wow! I would say catching 92# halibut is good success! Way to go! Glad to hear from you....I've been waiting to hear how your trip went. I would love to see a picture of that fish! I'm getting excited for the winter king fishing in Homer. I'm hoping to spend a lot more time down there this winter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  Gotta agree------ a 92 lbs butt is impressive.
  Sounds like the recon mission has been a success. At the very least you are fishing a lot of new water and had 12 days of good weather. That has to be a rare occurance for Kodiak in the summer.
  What other objectives did you have for Kodiak ? Have you thought about hunting down there too ? Trying to find a 100 lbs butt ?
  Any chance you're going to post a picture of that 92 pounder ? You know we love some fish porn.. :o  so  bring it on.
  Too bad about the lack of crab. That is surprising but understandable with sea otters around. Them crabs are out there somewhere...