The Opener

Well We fished 2 and a half days after the opener when a Big Southeaster blew in. Winds were supposed to blow 20-30 and have seas 10-12 ft. We got blown off about 10 yesterday morning (July3rd) Had a little bit of a scary situation happen 4 miles from shore, but nothing Capt. Ken could not handle, anyways lets just say my faith in God is stronger now than ever before. I will tell whole story later.
Since there was going to be no fishing for a day or two we have traveled to Craig, Ak to sell fish and resupply or fuel-water and fuel.

I am posting some pics of the fo'scle pronounced (folk sul which is really a forecastle) where my bunk and the galley is. It is not very modern or nice but it is sufficient and has produced many great meals and wonderful short nights of rest.

Our days now are starting at 3:30 a.m., at which time I wake up Ken and I start the coffee. He switches the batteries and starts the engine to get it warmed up. After the first pot of coffee is drank we head out to fish. Usually takes about 30 minutes to and hour from our anchorage to where we start fishing. Ken sets the gear the first thing, so things are going on in just the right order. We set out 4 wires that have anywhere from 6-12 spoons-hoochies or spoons on each wire. Then it is just a waiting game to watch for the springs (bobbers) Ken calls them to start bounce and shaking. Then we take turns running the gear. When you bring a Coho up up lift him on board and thump them in the head with a club right between the eyes to quiet them down. When you land a King you guide pull them to the side of the boat and knock them in the head with the backside of your gaff and then gaff them in the head and pull them aboard. Then when things are slow we dress them and put them in the slush bags in the hold and the monster tote on the deck. I just uploaded a pic of the springs that indicate you have a fish on, you see the bell hanging below it? When that thing is swinging erratically and bouncin you have a fish on. In rough seas it is sometimes hard to see them hit. And after staring at them for hours its easy to miss one, so we run the gear quite often anyway and at the same time we will clean off the jellyfish off the gear and lures.

Our days usually end around 7 p.m. so the days are long. And my neck and back ache but I am really enjoying myself. On the way to our anchorage in the evening I start supper and when we anchor its eat then crawl in your bunk and sleep. No trouble falling asleep thats for sure.

Hard to believe I am so confined and so far from the everyday conveniences and I feel at home and safe and secure. We listen to the radio alot but after you have heard fox news-cnn news and espn and fox sports 12 hrs a day it is just background noise. We listen to every Royals game as Ken is a Huge KC fan and KSU.

I am mad I just figured out I forgot to download pics of unloading fish this morning at the cannery. With the totes full of the beautiful fish. In the first 2 and a half days we caught 53 Kings and 120 Cohos.
Well maybe this evening I will get an hour and walk back up here to this little coffee shop and download some great pics of unloading the salmon.

Well I am sure I have bored you all enough.

I will add a couple more pics one is a HUGE Red Snapper I brought up, by the way we have caught a bunch of other kinds of fish like black bass-ling cod-bunches of Halibut and other species of rockfish I have never seen. We caught a Ling Cod so big that you could have easily put a gallon milk jug in his mouth without touching the sides, I should have got a pic of it but I am sure we will catch another one.

Once again a big thank you to all my family and crew at Myers for letting me live this dream adventure. I LOVE IT up here and someday hope to spend a bunch of time up here. Jodi can deckhand for me, and Dave Renken can come up and fix all the crap I will break.