Son testing new Kokatat Gear: Seward Aug 15, 2015

Took my ten year old son out to Seward to test out some of his new kokatat gear.  I got him a large youth supernova paddling suit, aries youth PFD and Seeker footwear. 

He absolutely loved it.  He got to swim in PWS and then fish the rest of the day.  My kid has a huge head despite being a scrawny kid, so the neck gasket leaked a tad more water than I would have thought.  Still it wasn't very much. The large youth is huge on him but still his head barely fit through the neck gasket.   I feel a LOT better about taking him out on the water later this fall with a paddling suit versus any two piece combination.

I can't believe how warm he water is in PWS.  61 to 63 degrees.  Should be 52 degrees.  It was like bath water.  It has to be impacting the fishing.  We caught a ton of pinks and juvenile black cod but no silvers.  I may go look for silvers later in the month but if I am going to strain water to not catch target species, Im going to focus on the last of the halibut plus kings from here on out. 

It looks like he is having a blast!

In the immortal words of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Teach your children well" Nice job Rudy

That boy will be out-fishing me in no time. Kokatat makes a great product for sure. I love my gore-tex paddle suit.

nothing like having the kids out. miss mine bad.    What are you doing with the Sables? Thought about hitting Seward this weekend to try for silvers but would be happy with a cooler full of good eating.

nothing like having the kids out. miss mine bad.    What are you doing with the Sables? Thought about hitting Seward this weekend to try for silvers but would be happy with a cooler full of good eating.

We eat them!  They aren't quite as oily as the big ones but they are black cod.  Little soft and sometimes too fishy for western palates.  But it is one of the most expensive fish in Alaska in terms of price paid to fisherman.  I am going to try and smoke a few, and then make some black cod kasu zuke!.  Yummy!!

I did save a few to try as bait. 

Heres what I did last time with my fresh Sables:

I got some of those little cedar papers, soaked em for 15 mins.  Put butter and fresh dill and a shake or three of garlic salt on the top of the sablefish.   Wrap the wet cedar paper around them, and slap em on a hot grill.  The cedar wraps smoke bit adding some flavor, and keep the steam around fish at same time.   Turned out pretty good really.

Better than pink salmon for sure!

That's awesome - would love to get my son into some gear like that... if he were more into fishing.