Looking for an adventure with my new outback

So I just purchased a new/used hobie outback (thanks to Martin, and advice from kardinal). I'm wanting to get out and adventure/fish/explore. My considerations are homer, whittier, or seward. I'm thinking of staying at a Public use cabin for two - three days at either caines head, decision point(Whittier), or halibut lagoon. This is weather dependent obviously and I'm only going to venture out if conditions are calm. I would like to make the journey by paddling but would consider a water taxi if necessary. I've done missions like this is southeast but never in south central.I'm wondering if anyone has any insight. Is this wishful thinking on my part? I've got nothing but time on my hands and need to get out and explore.


Plan B is to forget the public use cabins, long hauls and crossings and go camp near ninilchik and troll for kings for a few days.

  Hi Ferns ,
  I have no idea what or how much experience you have in a kayak so if I may offer a suggestion or two-- bear with me.
  Take a few trips out in familiar (to you waters) and get used to how your new boats handles and feels on the water. Rig up any accessories you think you might want on board and have some fun 1st. Then consider other more long range options.
  Guess I'm just really saying -- test the water a little before you dive in head 1st. You will be glad you did.
  When you are comfortable in your boat-- then go exploring. Test your limits and allow them to grow. Taking a more relaxed approach to fishing Alaska's water might prove more valuable than just diving in without said "testing"
  Just my 2 cents.
  Have fun and be safe out there.

I just returned from my first Homer trip!  Couldn't find/catch any Kings, but just lots and lots of polluck.  We'll have to go with Rudy and learn from the master himself.  After 5 hours on the water my toes were beyond frozen...i'll have to fix this before I head out again.   

Good day though, and the drive was breathtaking. 

Headed to Homer tomorrow...weather willing!

Pollock? That's not good it I guess it's sorta good.  Means bait in the area but pollocj avoidance gear is not as effective as normal gear.

This time of year, the single biggest piece of advice is "perseverance"

How many pollock and exactly where...unless the answer is everywhere....

Let's fish!!!!

Mostly found them towards the end of the spit. I didn't see any bait balls as I drifted/trolled in front of the condos.  Maybe just bad timing. I love the easy launch point though, very convenient! 

  Hi Ferns ,
  I have no idea what or how much experience you have in a kayak so if I may offer a suggestion or two-- bear with me.
  Take a few trips out in familiar (to you waters) and get used to how your new boats handles and feels on the water. Rig up any accessories you think you might want on board and have some fun 1st. Then consider other more long range options.
  Guess I'm just really saying -- test the water a little before you dive in head 1st. You will be glad you did.
  When you are comfortable in your boat-- then go exploring. Test your limits and allow them to grow. Taking a more relaxed approach to fishing Alaska's water might prove more valuable than just diving in without said "testing"
  Just my 2 cents.
  Have fun and be safe out there.

Yea your probably right. I think I had a big siege of excitement after buying the yak and I wanted to shoot the moon. I think I'll head down to homer area bit spend a day at skilak ( frozen?) or cooper landing to get my bearings.

Ferns. For me, saltwater seems easier than a river. Lakes are obviously frozen. Where are Ya again?   Homer spot is an easy launch.  If you are looking just to get the kayak wet, Whittier or a Seward are both easy if you watch the forecast.

Yea I'm in anchorage. I'll probably hit homer next week. I may have some questions about rigging for king trolling.

If Ya haven't yet. Take a look at
https://sites.google.com/site/kayakfishingalaska/locations/homer

If Ya haven't yet. Take a look at
https://sites.google.com/site/kayakfishingalaska/locations/homer

Checked out your site and that will be a huge help. I'm mostly interested and prefer halibut over salmon. I've caught hundreds of salmon in my life and only 1 halibut off a yak. You 105lber is insane! That must be a yak record? Can you tell me a bit about depth finders? I'd like to start rigging this boat to be prepared. I'd like to get something decent .

If Ya haven't yet. Take a look at
https://sites.google.com/site/kayakfishingalaska/locations/homer

Checked out your site and that will be a huge help. I'm mostly interested and prefer halibut over salmon. I've caught hundreds of salmon in my life and only 1 halibut off a yak. You 105lber is insane! That must be a yak record? Can you tell me a bit about depth finders? I'd like to start rigging this boat to be prepared. I'd like to get something decent .

I am a salmon guy.  But last year's King closure really opened my eyes to halibut.  They are a blast and they are ten times more of a blast in hsallow water and from a kayak. 

I know of 4 100 plus pound halibut from a kayak.  The "record" is something on the order of 185 pounds from howard Mckim out of Ketchikan.  Some say it doesnt count since he had to drag into shore to subdue.  I say BS...that's one hell of a catch.  Someone I don't know did it off of Clam Gulch supposedly a few years back and was in the paper.  AKrod on this forum caught a 100 pound plus halibut last year from Cook Inlet as well.  it can be done!!!

My first few years I used the Hummingbird pirahana max 160 or something like that.  $80 bucks.  I stepped up to the lowrance 4 without GPS and it was AMAZING in terms of detail.  But I can't say I have caught any more fish with it.  It also eats a LOT more battery than the hummingbird black and white.

The areas I fish, I haven't had a need for GPS.  Its just going to burn my batteries down.  Maybe on my next one I will consider it.

So What you need: Low end black and white unit that can read to 300ft.
What you probably will get: Lowrance 4 to 7 series color unit.

What do the other folks from Alaska think.  I just haven't found a use for GPS or sonar that helps me find one edge of a reef or anything like that.....yet.

Starting in Late April, I have expectations of hitting halibut.  It will be slow till end of May mid June.  But we catch halibut consistently through about September.   

May is my favorite time of year for halibut as they tend to run shallower.  From what I can tell, the beauty of halibut fishing in Cook Inlet off a kayak is that you can use literally trout gear.  Don't even bother with what people might consider conventional halibut tackle.  I love my Trevala jig stick and want try a similar seeker rod this year.  My reels are avet sx and release sg reels.  My Shimanao tld20 looks HUGE.  Stay light and you will enjoy it a whole lot more.  You won't ever be fishing below 100 ft.  On average I'd say 40ft deep. 

I'm rigging my 4wt flyrod up for some for this year. 

If Ya haven't yet. Take a look at
https://sites.google.com/site/kayakfishingalaska/locations/homer

Checked out your site and that will be a huge help. I'm mostly interested and prefer halibut over salmon. I've caught hundreds of salmon in my life and only 1 halibut off a yak. You 105lber is insane! That must be a yak record? Can you tell me a bit about depth finders? I'd like to start rigging this boat to be prepared. I'd like to get something decent .

I am a salmon guy.  But last year's King closure really opened my eyes to halibut.  They are a blast and they are ten times more of a blast in hsallow water and from a kayak. 

I know of 4 100 plus pound halibut from a kayak.  The "record" is something on the order of 185 pounds from howard Mckim out of Ketchikan.  Some say it doesnt count since he had to drag into shore to subdue.  I say BS...that's one hell of a catch.  Someone I don't know did it off of Clam Gulch supposedly a few years back and was in the paper.  AKrod on this forum caught a 100 pound plus halibut last year from Cook Inlet as well.  it can be done!!!

My first few years I used the Hummingbird pirahana max 160 or something like that.  $80 bucks.  I stepped up to the lowrance 4 without GPS and it was AMAZING in terms of detail.  But I can't say I have caught any more fish with it.  It also eats a LOT more battery than the hummingbird black and white.

The areas I fish, I haven't had a need for GPS.  Its just going to burn my batteries down.  Maybe on my next one I will consider it.

So What you need: Low end black and white unit that can read to 300ft.
What you probably will get: Lowrance 4 to 7 series color unit.

What do the other folks from Alaska think.  I just haven't found a use for GPS or sonar that helps me find one edge of a reef or anything like that.....yet.

Starting in Late April, I have expectations of hitting halibut.  It will be slow till end of May mid June.  But we catch halibut consistently through about September.   

May is my favorite time of year for halibut as they tend to run shallower.  From what I can tell, the beauty of halibut fishing in Cook Inlet off a kayak is that you can use literally trout gear.  Don't even bother with what people might consider conventional halibut tackle.  I love my Trevala jig stick and want try a similar seeker rod this year.  My reels are avet sx and release sg reels.  My Shimanao tld20 looks HUGE.  Stay light and you will enjoy it a whole lot more.  You won't ever be fishing below 100 ft.  On average I'd say 40ft deep. 

I'm rigging my 4wt flyrod up for some for this year.

I would certainly consider dragging the fish to shore is legit. I mean come on, the guys on a kayak.. My one and only halibut off a yak was a 35# in Ketchikan. I had no sonar , gaff, net or anything and i had to ninja grab it and wrestle it on my boat. Anything bigger and I'd be hard pressed in that situation. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a separate GPS unit. Like a hand held garmin   spots and not kill the sonar battery. Can you get the lowrance units and others locally or cheaper online? I'm assuming you can. Does the color offer significant benefits? I may go for the black and white if not.


In terms of gear you mentioned trout gear. I tie lots of flies for salmon/steelhead and would be into making halibut flies if possible. Otherwise I'm assuming I should buy the gear you recommend on your site?.... Wait a 4 wt fly rod? That seems absurd to land a halibut of size on.

The GPS is handy for finding spots in open water, there is a postage stamp sized spot of gravel between hive and rugged island out of Seward and its surrounded by mud for a mile or so in each direction so its hard to find without a GPS since you are so far off the shore.

You can fish in the mud all day and not get a hit but for that ten minutes you drift over the gravel you will pick up a yellow eye or chicken just about every time.

I was looking at finder/GPS combos but I think I way go without the combo. Our family does enough backcountry hiking and hunting that I have a handheld GPS already so I think that will fill the need for waypoints on the water just as good as the land couple that with a Delorme Inreach and I can text message from anywhere a GPS works.


Didn't a Soldotna kid catch a 205 pounder out of a rec kayak a couple years ago in cook inlet? A small little yak from sports authority or something, went out in jeans and a t shirt.  I also think a guy in Finland brought a #300+ fish up and had to take it to shore.

After reading the story, not that I would have done anything differently,but this kid is lucky he is not dead.  But at the end of the day, he got his fish.  Having a 100 pound fish jumping in and out of your lap is a recipe for disaster. 

http://peninsulaclarion.com/outdoors/fishing/2012-06-14/soldotna-teen-lands-barn-door-%E2%80%94-from-a-kayak

Yeah that was the one, 205... 104 a little off on my guess. Things can go bad quick in the water, much quicker in cook inlet