Rattlesnake Bob

Okay....here it is....Rattlesnake Bob's big king. If any of you have read the comments coming on the blog, I'm sure you have noticed a number of them from "Rattlesnake" or "The Snake". Bob's comments have been marking time until he got up here to catch his big king. I'm happy to say that Bob got his king on the afternoon trip yesterday. I don't know about Keith, but I was feeling pretty happy for Bob....this wasn't his first king, but his largest king at around 45-50lbs.

It has been a good week so far. The weather has been mostly clear, in the mid-60's and the king fishing has been consistent.

I will post another update to cap off the week.....gotta share those fish pics and stories!

"Fun Boat" Sunday

Sundays in July are the days that I get to go out and practice what I preach. Jane calls our second boat the "Fun Boat" because it's not used for guiding/business. Anyway, Jane was anxious to go out fishing and after the day my boat had on Saturday I was less than enthusiatic. It wasn't that we didn't catch fish, 4 to be exact, it's just that they were small and my clients released them.

Well, every trip and everyday is different on the Kenai. By mid morning we caught 8 kings and decided to keep 2. It was a rare day for two reasons. The first is I kept a Kenai king. I haven't done that in a long time. This is becasue I sometimes feel that if I keep a king I may be taking a future king away from one of my clients (karma?). The second is Jane kept one on the same trip. The king I caught is a perfect fish for the smoker. The fish Jane caught is a perfect fish to keep for the eggs. With the type of fisherman I have the last couple of weeks of July I can never have too many eggs. The fish I'm holding is 49" and is close to 60lbs. Jane's fish is about 30 lbs.

What a great "Fun Boat" day. Let the smoking begin!

The Kings Are Coming

Well, we are making our way into July and the fishing seems to be picking up. Each day has resulted in kings, some requiring more patience and work than others, but they are coming in.

Pat and Carole ended up with a couple of nice kings yesterday morning and Don and Rocky repeated the count in the afternoon. Keith was really pleased about the afternoon.......both fish were females, so more bait!

A quick update on the sockeye salmon. About 50,000 have entered the river so far. Not a fishable daily amount quite yet, but they are making their way in.

We still have cool, damp weather. I'm wishing for more sunshine, but it certainly beats the heat most of the country is experiencing right now.

Icing on the Cake

July is definitely here. The fishing has been getting better and the average size has been picking up.

Above you'll see a photo of Joe, Kevin, Mike, and Parker. These guys booked 4 half days of king fishing. They experienced the gamut of what it takes to catch a king on the Kenai. On one trip we'd catch a few, on another none. We'd catch a small fish, and then a nice one. We'd miss a strike, then we had one snap off on a rock......Sorry Mike, it may have been the biggest one of the week! More often than not there was a lot of waiting around for a bite.

On our final trip it all came together and 4 nice Kenai kings were brought to the boat in short order. They're patience and perseverance was definitely rewarded. Jane and I have always said that everyone has an opportunity to catch a king on a single trip. However, the more "saddle time" you put in the more likely you'll run into a "trip of a lifetime." Great going guys and I know your first trip to Alaska will not be your last.

Happy July

Well, July is here......so things are getting busier on the Kenai. Normally, I'd say that July is the best fishing, weather and daylight month. So far July is bringing weather that is up and down (it is raining and cool today), we do have lots of daylight and the fishing is looking up.

On Tuesday, Keith fished with the Voegler family from MN and each of the 3 boys caught kings. Mom and Dad were left out of the loop, but I'm guessing they didn't really mind. Wednesday continued with the Doan family from FL. In the morning the boys again got a couple of nice kings...around 42-45 pounds. Mom and Dad each had chances, but the kids ended up on top. Keith was impressed with the boys' competiveness and skills....it made the trip even more enjoyable for him. Tuesday afternoon's trip gave the adults a chance to get even. The group from ME got a couple of kings to keep the week going. These guys will have a chance to even it up with additional trips this week. I'll keep you posted.

For non-fishing updates...the wild flowers are getting thick along the roads. I'm wondering this year if I have haven't been very observant to them in the past or if there are just more right now. The sides of the roads are full of Lupine ....it seems like so much more than last year. They are springing up along our driveway both at the cabins and at our house. We've also got lots of bright pink wild roses. The daisies seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the last two days as well.....and a bright yellow flower that I can't identify. I think I need a book of Alaska wildflowers! The fireweed hasn't started blooming yet. Normally it starts in July, but it has been so cool this year it could be late. The stalks are everywhere though, so the blooms should start soon. The saying goes, when the blooms reach the top, summer is over. If they start late, do we get a longer summer?

Since Keith is fishing a couple of trips a day during the month of July, I'll have to post the fishing updates. Getting it straight from him will get you more detailed information (and more entertaining info), but when I post I'll add pictures! I hope they are catching some good photos right now. I guess I have to wait until 6pm to find out.

Jane