****Jigfest 2025****

[gotmuddy]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

I hope someone took the salmon fillets home with them I left in the frig

@BigHandsRob took one, and I took the other.  I brined it yesterday, tonight it goes on the smoker.

[Phil Lilley]

1 hour ago, gotmuddy said:

@BigHandsRob took one, and I took the other.  I brined it yesterday, tonight it goes on the smoker.

Good.  I didn't want it to go to waste

[Quillback]

Sadly, I don't recall any french fried potaters, maybe next time.

 

[BilletHead]

4 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Sadly, I don't recall any french fried potaters, maybe next time.

 

Love this, kinda like deciding what time and what to eat at jigfest. 😆 Uh Humm

  #somuchtoeatnevergohungry

[Terrierman]

Just to back up Cody on the gravy - no packets involved.   After all, we do have our standards.

And it was as usual just a great time.  I searched the memory banks and in 13 years with a lot of different people involved - I can't think of even one cross word ever being passed.

Thanks to all for everything that happened one more time.

[gotmuddy]

15 hours ago, Terrierman said:

Just to back up Cody on the gravy - no packets involved.   After all, we do have our standards.

And it was as usual just a great time.  I searched the memory banks and in 13 years with a lot of different people involved - I can't think of even one cross word ever being passed.

Thanks to all for everything that happened one more time.

I agree, even though @WoundedOne wadded up my left light hanger on my trailer thursday!

[BilletHead]

28 minutes ago, gotmuddy said:

I agree, even though @WoundedOne wadded up my left light hanger on my trailer thursday!

  Pat should give him boat trailer backing lessons. 😆

[jdmidwest]

On 12/16/2025 at 10:47 AM, Phil Lilley said:

Good.  I didn't want it to go to waste

How do you bring them back now?  Back when I went, you could pack a cooler with dry ice and fly them back with you for a nominal fee.  But that was before airlines started charging by the ounce for luggage.

Overnight freight is not cheap from Alaska.

[Quillback]

9 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

How do you bring them back now?  Back when I went, you could pack a cooler with dry ice and fly them back with you for a nominal fee.  But that was before airlines started charging by the ounce for luggage.

Overnight freight is not cheap from Alaska.

When I went up to Sitka 20 years ago, when you came back to the dock they'd take your fish, fillet them, vacuum seal them, and then freeze them solid.  When you left they'd meet you at the airport with your fish packed in a waxed cardboard box, one box could hold 70lbs. of fish.  No insulation in the box.  Load up the boxes in the luggage compartment of the plane and fly to your home airport.  In my case that was Seattle which was a couple of hours by air.  However one of the guys with us flew to Phoenix.

When I got back to the house, the fish were still frozen solid.  The guy from Phoenix says his made it fine too.  Talking to Marty @BilletHead at jigfest, that is the same way they got their fish home from Alaska, he says they had a little thawing around the edges.  He didn't mention if they got charged for it by the airline.

When I fished up there you were allowed two carryon's and a box counted as one carryon.  I brought back a full 70 lb. box and one that had 50 lbs.  Halibut and salmon.  I guess they would charge for that today.

On the flight out of Sitka, which I remember as being an MD-80, there were stacks of boxes being loaded on board.  Plane was full of recreational fishermen.  The airlines flying out of Alaska are used to dealing with the fish situation.  

[jdmidwest]

By 2007, they cut back to 1 luggage and carryon, we ate our salmon there and did not bring any back.  You could pack it and ship it or smoke it and ship it.

That was last time we went up.