Videos From Our Alaska Trip

[Phil Lilley]

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These are humpback whales. They were feeding on small fish all around us. We were drifting, not really fishing but did have lines down. We sat and watched them for about 30 minutes... was one of the highlights of my trip.

[Phil Lilley]

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These are pink salmon running the beaches of Kodiak. We hit the fresh run pretty much right on. The guys had hookups almost on every cast at times either throwing a pink, weighted fly or a pink jig and by the video, you can see why.

I sat the camera, on a tripod, in about 2-3 feet of water off the beach and it wasn't long the pinks would school by. You can see some that are already turned into their spawning colors and others are still silver, fresh. We kept the silver ones for eating- they are very good if they're fresh out of the salt.

[exiledguide]

May be the best thing about Alaska, you never know what kind of animal will show up. People pay well over $200. to go on a whale watch cruise for a few hours and you got to see about as good of a humpback show while you are fishing. Everyone who loves the outdoors owes it to themselves to get up there at least once! It is amazing how dependent all life in Alaska is on Salmon every thing including humans eat the salmon.

[Phil Lilley]

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[watermen]

glad you had fun Phil, Was good to see you stirring around charley's. Miss Kodiak this time of year, Just not alot of fun after 1st of October. Whales are getting thick and everywhere most years. Haven't been back in 2 years, was curious how the silver trolling worked out and if you got into any of them?

[Bill Babler]

Our last day group went out with Mike on the Reel Fun They limited on Kings, Cohos, Rockfish and Halibut. I believe it was the second best day on the water for any of our groups. We had several members catch Hally's over 180 pounds and lots of guys catch 100 pounders. Salmon really just were taking off as we were getting ready to come home. As you sound like you probably already know, there are cohos and kings year round in the salt at Kodiak.

Silvers in the streams on Kodiak have been getting later and later. October being the best month. Fred at Olds River Inn and Cabins told me they had fresh Silvers in the Kaslin, Olds and Pasagshak in January. Said without a doubt October was by far the best month for Silvers on the Road System Last year. 6 yrs. ago we caught them great in September out of the Olds and Chiniak, but Fred says they just are not there in good numbers now till later part of September and later. Few years ago when I was on Kodiak we stayed at a B&B out a Chiniak. Woody the owner said without a doubt his best week is always the week last week of October on the Olds, and he has caught them good on the Road at Kaslin Pond the week of Thanksgiving. Mother Nature usually does not put all her eggs in one basket.

AS far as weather is concerned look at Cincinati, Cleveland, Chicago and compair it with Kodiak, very similar. Kodiak has less days under 32 degree than all of them or very compairable. October on Kodiak although rainey is an average of 47 degree. It has an average of 134 days with at least some period of time at 32 or less. Springfield Missouri has 106 days with 32 or less. Kodiak gets a very favoratable Pacific air flow. It is however very rainy in October.

Been doing some research on the Sacramento River on Kodiak and it is full of fresh Silver Salmon in November. Depending on the ammount of rain and the fresh water flow in these rivers, the Silvers keep comin in later and later.

One of our saltwater Captains was deer hunting the Sacramento River out on the Cape last year in late November and he said the river was just teeming with Chrome Bright Silvers, from the mouth on up. They had had a big rain the week before and the river was flowing lots of fresh water and the Silvers had their noses stuck in it.

[watermen]

Glad you guys got into the feeder kings. I spent 14 years on the rock and always saw good silvers in october just not the main push. What the locals don't tell you is the weather is mild by Alaska standards, but 3 hours of daylight and cold with ocean humidity is cold kinda like here with the heat and a dew point of 75. Tell the boys to run you out to saltery one day on the bikes it's a cool ride. The guy that owns the point in kalsin is named dave tell him guff said you need a day on the bikes. Hes a good minn boy and loves to talk humting and fishing.

[Phil Lilley]

Sean- we 4-wheeled over the pass over to Saltry last year- it was a cool ride. The river was slow though and not many fish- lots of people. There's one or two lodges over there now and with others going over I guess it's getting popular.

Thanks- we did have a great trip.

[Bill Babler]

Pretty timley post. I had spoken to a group of guys going over to Saltry Cove Lodge prior to Phil and I going to Kodiak. I guided one of their members this summer and he told me he was going to Kodiak. I asked where and the dialog began. They were there last week, from Springfield. He called me today and said they had a nice trip although he could not believe the ammount of 4 wheel activity there was over there. He said it has kind of like a motor cross race track. He had been told the Silvers would be there when their group were, but the owner said they just were not in yet, running late.. "Right." I told him before they went I thought it might be a bit early. I know these lodge owners have a limited time to sell and only so many weeks, but Silvers do not hit the fresh water on Kodiak in the middle of August.

Said they saw lots of bears and did fly out to a lake for Rainbows? and also fished the salt, with limited success. Caught quite a few dollies and caught some reds and Pinks in the river. They did not fish the beach for fresh pinks, he said they were pretty Used up in the River.

Visited about our trip and he said it was nothing like the fishing we had, not even close.

They had been given the option of the 4 wheel deal to get to the lodge, but chose to fly in, and said that was the right decision by far. I guess this year there have been quite a few big 4 wheel trucks and vans going in along with the wheelers. I would think the road would have to better than it was last year to get these rigs in, but where there is a will there is a way.

I looked at the parking lot of the road everytime we drove by and did see lots of trailers, but not as much as last year in September, but he said there were plenty.

Said kind of like the jet skies on Lake of the Ozarks. Way, way to many people. It is kind of funny, cause the road system was really void of many folks this year. We had the beaches almost to ourselves and did have them completely to ourselves most of the time.

6 yrs. ago, there were only 2 guys commercial guiding the 4 wheeler trips. Now the Kodiak vacation guide is just full of them, must be at least 10 or 12 different crews going to saltry. Way to many.

Sean, do you know anything about the Sacramento River? I guess the area can only be accessed by boat, plane or thru the Ranch on the Cape. Hear the fishing is very good and the deer hunting is excellent. Would like to give it a try. Maybe next year I'll go later and see if I can find a way to get on it. The Game Farm has a little website but the prices for access are unreasonable.

Thanks Bill