Corpusfishing.com

The Trash Heap · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:35 am Post subject:

brando99, I agree there are more choices of halibut charters out of Homer than anywhere, but I think it's more exciting to launch a six-pack in the surf at Deep Creek/Ninilchik, and the runs to and from the best halibut fishing spots are shorter. Only made one trip out of Seward for halibut and rockfish, and it was great fishing, but almost a 3-hr run each way.

The comment about the pinks/humpies was almost right, but during an even-numbered year on the Kenai River it's more like 20-30 per hour, not per day. The struggle is to find a lure or bait they will not take while you're really fishing for silvers/cohoes. Pinks are best if you just keep the females and smoke them, but even then they don't taste nearly as good as the others you named. On our first trip many years ago, we left a bathtubful of frozen pinks at my cousin's house in Anchorage; he had two great big dogs to feed. Chum salmon, also known appropriately as dog salmon, are even lower on the totem pole of culinary delight, and often fuel the sled engines.
_________________
The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!

The Trash Heap · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks to Robul, here are some pix from the June trip.

Lynnda Kahn with her 117-pounder

Normally, this stretch of the Kenai River just below the Russian River confluence is so full of sockeye fishermen it's known as the Combat Zone, but this guy has it all to himself.

I think the lure was invented to imitate the fish it snagged. Name both.

Sadly, although this was the only take down the whole trip, we had to release him. See the gap in the dorsal fin where he was snagged?

Can't get enough of Lynnda's personal best.

This black rockfish should be . . . . black. May be a case of partial albinism in which the black pigment which normally blocks the orange pigment is suppressed.

Mostly Texans in this crew photo. Note the Breakaway shirt.
_________________
The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!

robul · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 26 Jun 2007 Posts: 2677

awesome pics!

OutCast · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject:

Very nice fishes on this thread. Many many samiches.

larry meinert · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

Do not take a halibut over 50 lbs. Like I said, I lived minutes from Puget Sound for 4 years. I fished off shore, the Strait, and the Sound. No one ever kept a halibut over 50 lbs. I caught plenty of halibut. I don’t think I ever caught a skate. Search parasites of pacific halibut. Bioline.org is a good one. The study covers the increase of parasites with the age of the fish. The older fish habits make it more prone to mercury poisoning. Worms are only one of the 54 parasites of older halibut. Next time you keep a 150-pound halibut, ask the guide if he would like some sushi. See what he says.

A 4/10 sounds like it would do the trick. We always used a pistol. Most of the halibut I caught didn’t know that they were not on the bottom much less hooked until they got a mouth full of air, then the light came on and down they would go like you said shaking their head. No pole could stop them until it hit bottom then you began the slow process of pulling it back up again. The trick is, if you decide it’s a keeper, to shoot right before the head gets out of the water. You have to hit the brain or it just pisses him off and down he goes again.

Maybe the water is colder in Alaska and there are fewer parasites. If you ever catch a halibut near Washington, don’t keep one over 50 lbs. L

Tallboy · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

Try Bigbluecharters.com great prices and fishing. We go each year

frayed · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject:

great pics Trash Heap
_________________
Jeff

Get Busy

brando09 · Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 6

If you are interested in fly in prices, check out Rusts website...
http://www.flyrusts.com/alaska-fly-in-fishing.html

As far as halibut trips, they very a lot. They range anywhere from 250-400 dollars for a day trip. But you pretty much pay for what you get. If you pay 100 dollars for a trip, expect to get 100 dollars worth of guidance/tackle/bait.

Another thing to remember is licensing fees... you can check them out here
http://www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license/prices.html

Dipnetting is around 150 bucks for most drop off services. They literally take you out to a place on the Copper river, and help you tie yourself to a rock and then leave. They come back sometimes and check on you. But getting a boat would be better. You can still dipnet from a boat, without the uneasy feeling of leaning over the edge of the river. But it can be considerably more money. + dipnetting requires a Chitna permit, which you can get from the state

As for the halibut size- being good for eating thing... I've caught about 10 in the 80-100 lb range and they have all been amazing. I've never even heard of worms in big halibut! It might be a problem, but I have just never encountered it.

crab_n_fisher · Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: Alaska Fishing...My FAV!

crab_n_fisher · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:41 am Post subject:

I got off work at 3 am and have an appointment at 9:45 am this morning. I decided not to get any sleep, since I have today and tomorrow off ("I'll get all the sleep when I die -- Sam Elliot in "Roadhouse"). The winds are currently @ 25-40 mph, with gusts to 75 mph (www.wunderground.com).

Thought I'd add a cautionary link to not getting excited over dipnetting for Salmon this far up Cook Inlet (about 12-15 miles from the house, at Fish Creek):

http://s592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/wasillajay/Fish%20Creek%20Aug%204%202009/

The nasty (up-to) 30 foot tides pump muddy tidal water far upstream into ocean-emptying, crystal-clear creeks that drain into it. (If that is not a Halloween "Horror Treat" then I do not know what is!)

It is two hours south (and beyond) where dipnetting will remind ya of the pretty ocean ya grew up with in Corpus.
--

Oh, landed my first amateur photography pic on a web site*:

http://www.alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Sonar/cottonreds.html

(Notice my long-haired Viking cousin on the left? *Sweet!*)
--

A professional photographer has been giving me tips, and if ya noticed my pics have become much better than those in the past that I've posted.

Tallboy · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

Bigbluecharters.com

crab_n_fisher · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:43 am Post subject:

Proper etiquette dictates that I thank J. French for his informative posts and the wonderful pictures posted. Duly noted!

He is also correct on the "taste versus texture" conjecture another inquired about, in regards to the yummy halibut. My cousin will trim the bigger fillets to about 1 1/2" thick, cube and batter in tempura and deep-fry. There isn't nothing like "ribeye from the sea," all in itself!

In regards to finding charters or remaining frugal (heck, ya spent a small fortune getting to this state anyway, so why not try to save money by finding a local fisherman with boat and avoid paying through the nose?):

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=16262

Three nights in Whittier

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have 2 spots for this weekend, leave Friday afternoon, come back in Monday morning, (sleep on the boat) shrimping and fishing, non or light drinker, (I like a beer with supper) Non smoker or on the bow and can help with the boat. (mostly the anchor when pulling with a bouy) I live in Anchorge, send me your number and I will call you today after 5:30PM. Thanks Bill
---

(Crab here):

That is not the only thread on the subject. There have been many this year. It takes a willing and eager person to remain patient, inquire and a little searching to "hook-up"; and you'd be better for it, by not being pressured into keeping small fish to limit out on a charter versus when you may have 24 hours or more to release with a private friend what you don't want to take home!

(To me, my pricing is akin to Kelly Blue Book: Why pay a dealership value 4500 for that beloved truck when a private seller will only cost ya 2700?...And ya know that trade in will net ya only 600 bucks toward the purchase price of an inflated value of said truck versus what you'd get on the street!)