Saturday, September 29, 2012

Last update for Yes Bay!

It is hard to get out of the daily habit of posting something on the fishing report, this morning while I was making some reservation calls for 2013, I realized I had a couple pictures on my boat camera that needed to be uploaded, so here they are. These are from a "real foggy" morning with our last group.

The first one is Batman's boat after they just boated a real nice double of silvers!

Yes I can tell in the picture he is putting the net away and we were closer than the picture looks. The fog was very dense.



Next is my second "Fog Bow" of the season. This is a fairly rare occurrence but a full explanation can be found by googling Fog Bow!



We are taking new reservations for 2013 daily, make sure you have your reservations in and deposits made, space is going to be a premium next season!



Capt Jim
(Professor)




Friday, September 28, 2012

Fall Schedule

Well my last season at Yes Bay Lodge in beautiful SE Alaska is complete! I was very sad to leave Yes Bay this year, but also very anxious to start my new adventure for the remaining part of 2012 and beyond. Hard to believe that I will not be returning to Yes Bay!

I flew from Ketchikan to Kalispell Montana on Wednesday the 26th of September. Picked up at the airport by my buddy who has stored my truck and 5th wheel while I was gone for the summer. We had a ton of projects planned for the summer for the truck and the 5th wheel. I list a little summary of projects which my good friend Jim worked on while I was gone and a few we have finished since I have been here.

Here is my 5th wheel all washed and ready for my arrival!



1. Fix brakes on trailer - Jim took care of this while I was gone, a small electrical problem - that will make traveling and stopping much easier.
2. Check brakes on truck and oil change - all done when I got here!
3. New tires on trailer - Done while I was gone!
4. New tires on truck - was real lucky here, Jim found a very nice set of tires on Craigs List for a great price and hardly used. Thanks to friend Dustin at Les Schwab had them mounted and balanced and on the truck! They look great and the truck is much quieter and handles way better!



5. Installed a new generator in the bed of the truck - remote start which will make it nice! Pic on this tomorrow!

6. New television mount - custom fabricated by Flinchbaugh engineering!



7. Today we finished the wiring for the TV and installed an A/B switch and repaired the cable TV hook-up for when I am in a campground...I don't have to run the wire out the window and into the TV - We repaired the trailer hook-up wire and also the antenna hook-up wire to the A/B switch so just a matter of hooking the cable to the trailer outside hookup spot and hit the switch!

8. Installed two waterproof tool boxes in the back of the truck bed behind the hitch to store my tools and trailer hook-up supplies. This will make some more room in the trailer and the cab of the truck.



Travel Plans - My schedule for the next month is pretty well set. I will be here in Kalispell for the next couple weeks, I have to wait until my stuff arrives that I shipped down from Alaska. I am also going to make a few short trips into Glacier National Park and the Bison Range again. Plus continue to make the trailer a little more liveable. New inside stereo and a few other projects.

Then around the middle of October I am going to take a leisurely trip through Yellowstone and the Tetons and end up in Salt Lake City on the 23rd of October. I may have a friend meeting me in Salt Lake for a little vacation and rafting trip scheduled out of Moab Utah, then down through Monument Valley and back over to Antelope Canyon and two additional slot canyons out of Kanab Utah ending up in Zion National Park then back to Salt Lake City. After that my schedule is up in the air, I am in contact with several places to work and spend the rest of my winter, but plans have not been finalized as of yet.

Stay tuned for more details and some great pictures this coming month!

Capt. Jim - "The Gypsy"

Traveling and photographing the Southwest



Saturday, September 22, 2012

September 22nd - Final Fishing Report

The end of the season is always a time with mixed emotions, the crew is all anxious to leave and yet sad to see the summer end.

We were very fortunate this year, we ended the season with a huge bang! We had a large group of 18 who had the entire Lodge for the past 4 days of fishing (or should I say catching!)! It was a fantastic group some were returnee's and a few first time visitors to the Lodge but they all knew each other so there was a lot of ribbing from boat to boat all day everyday and especially at dock time! Every one of them had a great time and we could not have asked for better weather or fishing! It was a huge success and a fantastic way to cap off a wonderful season at Yes Bay.

Successful - I would say so the group is leaving with 1335 pounds of frozen fish! That is dressed, frozen and vacuum packed!

Here are our final catch pictures for the 2012 Season!

















Look at that 14 plus pound Yellow Eye - and a side note on the King - It was caught while halibut fishing in 178 feet of water on the bottom!



And how about this nice Squid! You never know what you will bring up from the bottom around here!





Always an Adventure at Yes bay Lodge in SE Alaska!

I will be giving a Lodge/Crew update tomorrow!



Capt Jim
(Professor)




Friday, September 21, 2012

September 21st - Fishing Report

The day started out perfect with very calm winds and calm seas and tons of real dense fog, so the travel time to the fishing grounds was a little longer, but it didn't matter the fish waited until we got there to turn on and turn on they did with many boats having a limit of 6 per person way before lunch, then they went in search of bottom fish and quite a few of them were found as well! It was a superb day of fishing at Yes Bay with a ton of silvers on the dock, some great halibut, good sized yellow eyes and rock fish!

The pictures will tell the story and there are a bunch!













Look at this late season feeder King! And a white King to boot!











And a little Guest fun! What it means we have no idea...but it must mean something to them!!





Always an Adventure at Yes bay Lodge in SE Alaska!

Capt Jim
(Professor)




Thursday, September 20, 2012

Septmber 20th - Fishing Report

I fish, therefore I lie!!

I lied yesterday when I said, "It just don't get any better than this"...well today proved me wrong, because from a weather standpoint it got better, the salmon fishing slowed a little, but the weather was amazing. Calm winds, bright blue skies and very warm. The water was glassed off most of the day and when it wasn't glassy it was a very minor breeze chop!

We had a great day of fishing, after yesterdays amazing silver day many boats planned to focus on the bottom for halibut after getting some silvers early...so the entire afternoon by most boats was pounding the bottom and we were rewarded, with some great yellow eyes, some nice rock fish and a good selection of halibut!

Lots of great pictures today and look at the bright sunny weather this afternoon when the boats hit the dock!

















And Snapper with a Sculpin he brought in for Myron!





Always an Adventure at Yes bay Lodge in SE Alaska!

Capt Jim
(Professor)




Wednesday, September 19, 2012

September 19th - Fishing Report

I apologize for skipping a day on the fishing report, but we had an exchange day with all guests departing and a large group arriving to finish our season. This group is our final group, so four days of fishing then the season ends!!

It just don't get any better than this in September - GREAT silver fishing and GREAT weather! Little cold this morning and of course some dense fog, but once the sun burned the fog off the temperature went up and the fishing stayed hot. There were a few lumps in the water this morning, but once the tide turned it flattened right out to nearly flat calm, in some areas t was actually glass calm...sunny skies with white puffy clouds reflected in the water made for a wonderful scene and top it off with real good fishing all around.

Over 85 silvers hit the dock, plus some nice rock fish, a few yellow eyes and a couple nice halibut...it was a great day at Yes Bay!!

Lots of fish pictures today!!

















A couple guests having some fun!



A Guest artist at work!





Always an Adventure at Yes bay Lodge in SE Alaska!

Capt Jim
(Professor)