Last Fish of the Year

My fishing buddy Jane Miles and I went out in search of a final "winter king" for the season yesterday. "Skookum", our boat, is coming out of the water for a required layup from December till March, so the last king of the season needs to be memorable: it was.

We fished from 10:30 in the morning till 3:30 in the afternoon without any action. "Winter Kings" are king salmon that are not local fish. They aren't here in Kachemak Bay to spawn. They generally come from Canadian rivers to spend their ocean life, 2-5 years, feeding in our rich waters. That means they're here 365 days a year. What a great fishery to be able to catch fresh king salmon whenever you want!

As darkness approach, a snow squall moved up the bay and started covering our trolling gear. That's when this fish hit and even though it only weighed in at 13 pounds, it made multiple runs from the boat that were strong and exciting. Jane netted the fish and we ran for the home.