Fishing Report Week Ending 6/9/13....The Big 5-0!

It's funny how the world works.   It's often said that when one door closes, another one opens.   On Wednesday the group that scheduled a fishing trip with me on Thursday called and said they had to cancel.....door closed.    I was a little disappointed because the river was starting to clear and the fish counts were improving.  I felt like we would have a great day on the water but I completely understood why they were cancelling.  Before I could get too down I got a call from my friend Boo, from Tall Tale Charters and he said he had two seats open for halibut fishing in Homer on Thursday and he asked if Jane and I would like to go.....door open! 

I always love Homer whether I'm fishing or not.   Homer is a great town and we had a great day on the water.   Nice weather, a great crew on the boat and plenty of fish that wanted to bite.   Between Jane and I we caught and released over 30 halibut.   Nothing large, but perfect eating size halibut.

This is one of the reasons I like being in Homer.  If you're a fan of the reality show Deadliest Catch, and who isn't, quite a few of the boats featured are docked here in the offseason.  This is the boat that Wild Bill is running in the current season of the show.

This is the boat that Elliot Neese captained in 2012.   I normally see the Time Bandit in port, the Hillstrands are Homer natives,  but not this time.  The thing that always amazes me is how small these crab boats really are.   Mike, who was fishing with us on Thursday, said he couldn't believe how small the galley and sleeping quarters were.   I told them that's why they often fish for 30 straight hours, because no one wants to climb into a bunk unless they're dead tired.

So, on to the Kenai report.  My friend Jeff had a group of 11 people that wanted to fish on Saturday and I was fortunate to receive a call from him to help out.   All I can tell you is when the call comes from boat 003 you feel honored.  To use Jeff's vernacular, "I was on the A-Team."   So the photo above is the first fish of the year in my boat.   That's one of about 20 hooligan that found it's way on our hook Saturday.  But fortunately, hooligan weren't the only fish that we caught.

Just before noon we had our first real bite of the year and to the boat came a nice 12 pound Kenai king salmon.   This is the first fish Colby has ever caught which also makes it the biggest fish she has ever caught which also makes it the most fish she has ever caught.  Trifecta!   After a couple of quick photos in the net, we released this fish unharmed and I am more than confident it continued it's journey to the spawning grounds.

 

 

Couldn't make this report with having a photo of the real "A-Team".   That's mom and dad in the front (Jenelle and Kevin), Colby and Cydney are in the back.  With moose, eagles, hooligan, salmon, perfect weather, and great company, it was hard to beat the day.   Thanks guys for sticking with your trip even though the river changed to catch and release after you booked it.

 

Okay, so tomorrow seems to be a big day for everyone in my family.  To me it's just another day, and another number.   On June 10th I turn 50 years old.   Jane has been asking me if I want to do anything special and I told her not really.  She seems disappointed but I remind her that I feel like everyday is my birthday so this day is no big deal.  There's no reason to go "all out" so I told her a nice home cooked meal is an excellent way to celebrate the day.   You know, it's kind of funny that when I look back on my life I use to think that being 50 was real old.  Now that I'm here I've changed my opinion (imagine that).   I've got my health, I've got a good life (and wife), and I can't wait to see what the next 50 years will bring.

 

Come back next week and visit the blog.  This old man will have another report for you.  Ha!