Planned Trip: Homer 10/30-11/2. Advice?

The Kayaks have been neglected for the last couple weeks due to... you know...Kenai trout season. But since thats "kind of" slowing down I figured I'd get out and chase some feeders; I've been meaning to for a while.

I've got the coho killers, Brad's Super Cut Plugs that I've good luck with this year, and will probably even bring some red label herring as back up. Any other tackle recommendations? Any suggestions on flasher; i.e. size or color? I've got an array of the Fish Flash Flashers and a few others I've picked up that look fishy.

How is boat traffic as of late? I realize the launch is closed but we've been beat off of the water down at Land's End due to boat wakes, that was mid-summer though. Is that a decent starting point this time of year?

Any updates of the fish depths? How have the pollack been?

One last questions, any recommendation on gloves for this relatively cooler time of year? Preferably ones that don't reduce your dexterity or at least aren't a paint to get on and off.

Really any advice is appreciated and will get us heading in the right direction. I expect to strike out at least one day this week, but even a few hook ups would be considered a success.

If all goes well, look for us down there as well.   I am hoping to fish at least two tides that weekend, assuming wind and wave are agreeable.

Going to have to bow to the master - K-84 will likely jump in with even better advice and you can bet I'll be watching for it! - but I am bringing two types of flasher - the ones I intend to use are the triangle shaped bladed flashers that you can run really close to either a weight or diver.   I'll put the Coho Killers or rigged herring about 3' back from that.   I'll have the other style - the classic oval bent tin and the bladed oval plastic models, but you end up having to rig them longer, with at least 2 feet between the planer or weight and the flasher, then longer again to your bait.   

If I am working shallow I will be running large weights in the 8 to 16 oz range.  If I have to step out deeper (like 40 to 60 feet) then I will switch to weighted divers - like the Luhr Jensen Double Deep Six, with 4oz lead keel weight.   

I have fingerless gloves that are not terribly warm, and some old crappy neoprenes.  Haven't found a pair yet I can tie a knot with my cold hands.   Share if you find a killer pair that works well.   I have watched Kardinal84 scoop ice out of his ice fishing hole at minus 30 before - bare handed - so if he wears gloves I'll be surprised!

Hoping the weather cooperates and we see you there.

I'll give it a crack.  Uh...what AKRider said...

Ok, maybe a tad more.  The good news is there is very little pollock in the area.  That means you can run bait.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Silver Horde Coho Killer spoons.  They will catch fish and I use them with 100% confidence.  Because the spoon has its own action, you can run them behind the fish flash type triangular flashers that spin but don't impart any action to the bait.  As AkRider said, you can attach the weight directly to these types of flashers.  The advantage here is it allows for a longer leader to the bait or lure which I like. 

Oh a top rule to follow in any Kayak fishing is once you reel in as far as you can, the bait/lure cannot be further away than a rod length or you won't be able to net the fish.  The number one reason I have seen lost fish is every one runs too long a leader. 

Oh...back to bait/lure selection.  But you if you really want to catch a king, I would recommend right now running red label herring on two 5/0 gamakatsu hooks snelled slightly longer than a bait length apart.  If you don't know how to rig a bait to spin, then go buy the helmets that make the herring spin.  I personally think that bait only works a little better in terms of getting hits.  But what it does do is give higher percentages of hook ups with two hooks and chemically sharpened hooks like owners or gamakatsu.  They don't get off as often either.

The lightest I snell them on is 40lbs fluorocarbon.  I mainly use 60lbs and 80lbs.   Guides use 100lbs.  They aren't leader shy.  I have hooked them on 200lbs halibut leader.  Oh, my main line is 50lbs braid.

Typical advice is fish in 40 to 60 ft of water about 20ft down.  But lately they have been running SUPER shallow.  I would start by trying in 15 to 30 ft of water about 10 ft down.    I caught them using a down rigger with the leader only 4 or 5 ft back.  They apparently aren't sacred of the kayak.  Weight depends on the flasher size and trolling speed.  I'd probably use something like 8oz to start.  If you have a sonar and are marking bait deeper, without a down rigger, your best bet is a deep six diver. 

So here is a write up.   Follow the link to more details on the gear.  But once again, you can use bait right now.  A lot of the basics are here except there is no pollock.  So you can run bait and down riggers.  The best time of day always seems to be about two hours after high tide all the way to the low.  But fish are caught at all phases.  Dawn and Dusk are really good usually. 

the area where it dog legs is the best part.  I fish at the dog leg corner to a few hundred yards east to the buoy and in front of the condos about 75% of the time.  I launch in between Lands End Hotel and the condos. 

https://sites.google.com/site/kayakfishingalaska/locations/homer

Finally here is the spot weather forecast:
http://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-151.42712&lat=59.59084#.VjBQDoTufHg

Homer webcams
http://homerwebcams.com

The Buoy at the edge of Kachemak bay
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46108


So there ya go!  Did I miss anything???  I would think that for the next several weeks and frankly through mid December, If you put in the time, you will catch a fish.  Maybe not every day, but they are there. 

Good luck! 

RE: Gloves

I got a look at my old neoprene gloves, they have splitting seams and are crumbling this year, so have decided to trash them and try the Simms insulated neoprene gloves - seem to be a good fit both in the hand and tight at the wrist - so NOT a belled wrist with velcro like the old glacier gloves.  I am expecting them to be a bit hard to get on with cold hands, but they should work under the velcro cuffs on my drysuit shell.

I'll have them with me when I head south on Friday AM, will let you know how they work.   

Oh yeah...Like AkRider says, I don't wear gloves...even ice fishing.  My one "outside two deviation" anomaly that actually helps with fihsing. 

So, this weekend.  I think I am going to attempt it Sunday.  Mainly because I have the kids and Saturday is Halloween.  Also because Sunday is the first day of November and it would be nice to get my 15th month out of the way early.  Finally, the tides are such that its better Sunday than Saturday.  here is why.

Generally speaking, the fishing is better a the tide goes out.  It's simply the outflow of water from the inner bay flwoing past the spit and concentrating bait right in front of the condos.  That's is what causes the shelf to develop in front of the Northern most condo.  As I have stated before, at least for the way I fish, the best time is about two hours after high tide.  High tide sunday is 5:54 am.  That coincides with sunrise at 8:28 am.  I would wager a few dollars that the best fishing on Sunday will be from 8:30am till noon.  It's a bigger tide so the current should be flowing decently.  I like bigger water movement myself. 

It will be critical to hit the water at first light and fish hard the first hour or two.  That window of opportunity is shorter Friday and Saturday.  Having said that, there are always fish available.  It's just a lot more straining of water it seems like before you get a strike.

So generaly speaking...

As the tide is going out.
I catch 75% of my fish in the green zone.  20% in the blue zones and 5% in the yellow zones. 

As the tide is coming in, the fish are distributed more evenly.  If there is no pollock, the yellow zone can be a fairly decent producer as well. 

It is pretty critical to have a sonar as the dog leg at the Northern most condos is a lot more pronounced on the water.  Criss crossing between 15 and 30ft of water with the gear running at 10ft has been producing though they should be moving deeper.  My plan is to start shallow especially at low light if there is no surf and water is relatively clear. 

If water is murky (green tint vs blue tint) I try to go deeper to find cleaner water.  Generally the most success over the years has come in 50 to 60 ft of water about 20ft down.  But I am going to stay shallow until something changes my mind. 

Great info and a super clear post with infographics, etc.   Thanks !

  Hope to see you at dawn on Sunday.   

?? Does your tide software take into account the daylight savings time change...  make sure to set your alarm accordingly !

Wow! Feel like a baby, getting spoon-fed information. I really do appreciate it, and it means a lot because of the effort that is put into making a trip to homer. I know you have put alot of water hours to get where you guys are at. I keep psyching myself out. I had relatively good success during coho season, but to me this winter king thing seems like a whole different ball park.

My goal is to be on the water almost all day with the exception of maybe stopping in for lunch and to warm up; as long as a long list of variables (winds, swells, currents, etc) cooperate. Is an all day endeavor reasonable at this time of year from your guy's experience? Are the currents around the spit like Whiskey Gulch and the rest of cook inlet in that you should be off the water at ebb or flood tides or consider it heavily into your float plan?

Do you guys run whole herring exclusively this time of year?

Once again, I appreciate all the help. I'll keep an eye for you guys (I'll have plenty of beers to go around). I'll be in a grey Jeep with two yellow Ocean Kayak Prowler 13s.

OK.   So don't psych yourself out, it's going to be nice in Homer.... But this is what I woke up to. ...  Beer sound good - look for a pair of red and yellow Hobies near the condo beach.   Heading out soon -first tide tomorrow for us. 

Weather picking up.  But should be do-able.  Still planning to fish first light Sunday but hard to say with certainty.

AKStumpy,  sorry if its too much info or its things you already know.  It's hard to stop when I get going on talking fish and a lot of these posts are "practice" for one day when I may try and write a book or something.  lol.

I look on the advice I give on my web page and I realize some of it needs to change.  Its ot necessarily wrong, just more info.  Keep in mind, though I guess I am considered one of the more experienced at this King fishing thing off a kayak in Homer, I have only realy been successful for a few years.  a LOT more to be learned and passed on by everyone. Not even close to having this fishery completely dialed in.

Hopefully you will contribute a report after your success!!!!!!  Good luck to ya and AkRider!  Maybe we will see ya Sunday!

Never too much advice! even the redundant info has its importance; I could easily be forgetting gear or consideration that are very obvious.

I will certainly report back!

Thanks Kard, you are the man!

My goal is to be on the water almost all day with the exception of maybe stopping in for lunch and to warm up; as long as a long list of variables (winds, swells, currents, etc) cooperate. Is an all day endeavor reasonable at this time of year from your guy's experience? Are the currents around the spit like Whiskey Gulch and the rest of cook inlet in that you should be off the water at ebb or flood tides or consider it heavily into your float plan?

My assumption is that you won't be on the water all day unless you plan on doing some catch & release. Follow the other's advice as I have done and you will catch fish. The currents in Kachemak bay around the spit seem to be much less of an issue than cook inlet. I'm hoping to be there Sunday as well but might have to wait till Tuesday. Thanks again to Rudy for all of his advice, my freezer is much more full because of him. I made a delicious grilled ginger/sesame winter king last night for dinner. I'll post the recipe later on. Hope to see you guys Sunday, have a safe drive.

Arrived Homer 4PM to find 34 degrees and mixed rain with snow slush falling.   Grey skies, 3 miles visibility, occasionally less. 

Sea is breaking about 2 -4 feet at/across from the Lands End and between there and the condos.   

When we first arrived, I could have happily launched, but clearly not ready - by now glad I didnt - will wait for AM tide and the dawn to get after them.   Hoping it sits down a bit overnight.   --> counting on it!

Made it down last night driving was smoothe with exceptions of turnagain pass, with several inches on the road. Camped at the fishing lagoon campground. Large waves crashing off the western side of the spot of the shoals, smaller waves breaking off the end of the spit, going to get a better picture of conditions once sun is up. Good thing I brought the fly rods as backup to hit the Anchor👍

Looking like a good launch up between condos and lands end.   A bit later than I thought but starting to set up now.  Breezy but lots calmer than yesterday.   One boat near the green can.   CU on the water.