Fishing Report Week Ending 10/18/15

It ain't over until it's over.  For this past week, it definitely wasn't over.

I got a text Thursday morning from my friend Brad Adams asking if I wanted to go fish the middle Kenai river with him. Brad is a former Kenai guide extraordinaire who left the river for a career as a bush pilot.  Because of that he doesn't get to fish like he use to.  He told me his goal was to get a few silvers for the freezer and I said I would be happy to help him.

Mission accomplished.  In two hours of casting kwikfish, we kept 6 nice silver salmon.

Friday morning I get another text from Brad asking if I wanted to go fishing again.  Now he said he'd like to get a few silvers for the smoker.  In an hour we landed these six silvers.  Thanks Brad, glad I could help you sock away a few fish for the winter.

While I was fishing with Brad on Friday, I got a text message from my old pal Jeff Raisanen.  He keeps a boat in Homer and wanted to king fish on Saturday.  His problem was he was coming with his 2 year old son, Ross, and he needed another adult on board.  Why not?   Within the first ten minutes of trolling around the Homer Spit, Jeff lands this nice feeder king.

About ten minutes after our first fish this 28lb king slammed the lure.  It was by far the largest feeder king that either Jeff or I have ever seen.

It was a great day and the bite was continuous.  A 2 fish limit for everyone!

The icing on the cake was that one of the kings was a white king. From the reports I've been hearing, there's been more and more white kings showing up in Kachemak Bay this year.  Many people think they're a delicacy, while others say they're no different than a "normal" king. The way I see it, it's a win/win situation no matter what.

For the week ahead, unless I get a bunch of texts from guys who haven't winterized their boats, I suspect the only fishing I may do is from the bank of a river.  Kenai, Kasilof, Anchor?   There are definitely choices available.

See you next week.



Beaver Creek Cabins & Guide Service

White King

We all know there are red king salmon swimming around Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.  But did you know there's an "Ivory" or white king too?   The photo above is a side by side comparison of the two.   Strange, isn't it?

If you haven't heard of a white king it's probably due to the fact that only 5% of the total king population are white kings.   There aren't many found in our area of the state, mostly around Homer, so if you're determined to catch one I would suggest your efforts should be focused in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia.   It's estimated that 15%-30% of the run in this area are white kings.

What causes the flesh to be white?   The normal deep red color of salmon flesh comes from it's diet of crustaceans (shrimp, krill, crab).  According to the biologists, white kings due not have the ability to process the pigments that are found in crustaceans and that is why their flesh is white.

What does this mean for the flavor?   A white king is oiler, hence tastier.   Last fall was my first time trying white king.  A friend of mine caught one in Prince William Sound and I thought it was absolutely terrific.  Probably the best I ever had.

So, if  you don't catch a white king while you're in Alaska can  you buy one?   Yes, you can buy them at a fish market but you're going to pay almost twice as much per pound than you will for other salmon.   It's a simple case of supply and demand:  if you have less white kings you charge more.

Well, that's it.  That's all I know about white kings.  If you found this fish oddity to be of interest be patient........I'll blog about left handed halibut one day!