Trip of a Life Time ... Alaska Style

First off ... I F*ING LOVE ALASKA!!

OK now that is taken care of ....

Misty Fjords 2012 was a trip of a lifetime!

Sunday midday the crew rolls into Ketchikan to sunny and 70!! WTF is going on here... there is way too many people wearing shorts that shouldn't be and the blinding glare of bright white skin is over powering, but it is a great sign of things to come.

I met up with Thomas and shortly after Howard. Howard was in the zone and needed to get a few things done before he and our Camp Guide Eric head out. So we head down to his boat and help load some gear and send him off for a 4 hour crossing to the camp site. Thomas and I take care of a few more things then go for a great little hike where the HWY in Ketchikan dead ends. We head back to town to meet up with the rest of the crew and grab a bite to eat.

Monday 06:00
The transport boat is loaded and everyone is on board. (That includes my 150 pounds of gear) I never am able to pack light for this trip. The way I see it if I get all the way out there and I wish I had one piece of gear and I left it home I would be pissed. Only option ..... bring everything!!

The transport boat made the crossing in just under 3 hours and I was chomping at the bit to fish! First we gotta unload.



The view from my front porch.



Not long after we are on shore Ed and I hit the water. Ed is a hardcore kayak fisherman from San Diego and just chomping at the bit to catch some fish.

Twenty minutes later we are just outside the opening in about 30 FOW and double up on fat Coppers on our first drop. Second drop for me is one more nice rockfish..... Third drop results in a doubled over rod. Shit, snag ... then HUGE slow headshakes!!! HALIBUT!! and a good one.
I am fishing with a 9 foot 8-12lb medium steelhead spinning rod and a small spinning reel w/ 30# braid! This brute had me doubled over and I could barely move her. That rod kicked ass!

She came to the surface 3 times and the Bogga Grip wouldn't even fit around her jaw! Eventually the braid parted from her teeth. Hell of a start to the trip.

Ed and I continue to drift around the island and it isn't long before he is hooked into a halibut himself.

It is a nice 30ish pounder and the first halibut out of the water for the trip. We are loving life.


The rest of the group joins us from around the back of the island and all of us continue to fish together. I hooked into a small 10 pounder that was going to be dinner until it flipped out of the boat. Piles of rockfish were caught including a nice yelloweye that ended up being dinner.

A few drops later and I jig up my Kalins Big-N and it doesn't move. Then it does move!! There was no mistaking the headshakes of a really big fish! This time I had the big guns out and she was hooked to my heavy rod. For the next 15 mins we played vertical tug-of-war. I would take 50 feet she would scream out 40 back. This was a strong strong fish. Finally she broke the surface and was all HEAD!!



I got her to the surface three time before the hook pulled out. Biggest fish of my life! Easily 100+ probably over 120.

As soon as she was gone Howard suggested that we move towards the great drop off that kicks out some killer ling. As we paddled over I watch the depth finder drop from 85 to 145 in about 20 yrds. THIS IS IT!
First drop down and my Big-N's doesn't even hit bottom before it is crushed!

Another epic battle and I have the largest Ling of my life in my lap! Tapes out at 44.5"!!


Right now I am on cloud 9 and just hooked the two biggest fish of my life. DAMN I LOVE ALASKA!!!!

Round out the day with some more rock fish, then dinner on the beach.

Oh ya .... that was only the first day!

..... More to come

Congrabulations there, pard!  Love them big ol' Alaskan flounder... !

Did you make all your own arrangements or did you use someone for lodging and transport?

Hope tomorrow brings tight lines and sore arms!

- Bud

Looks great. That's a LINGZZZZILA for sure!

Sometimes I really miss living up there.  SE AK reminds me of Kodiak a bit.  I wish I would have known about kayak fishing at the time.

That's some huge b!tches . .I wanna go Alaska too! Nice job! Did you have to bring your own kayaks?

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WOW   great trip is right!Much jealousy!Nice report and photos.

Very nice!  Damn Ling makes you look little

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Wow,

Great stuff.  can't wait to hear about the rest of it.

Wow!...and Wow!  Looks like a blast!  I would also like to know the details of how one sets up a trip like that.

JEALOUS!!!!

Must start saving sheckles.

Dude. That ling is massive. :O


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Dude. That ling is massive. :O


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Yeah, it makes my 5th place ling from the ORC look like bait!

*stands up and claps*

Damn.  Just damn.

UNREAL!  Would love to see more pics.  You Didn't keep the big butt?

God, just the first day!

If that was just day 1, I can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip.