June 13th - A cold, windy, rainy with hail fishing day!

It was a cold day today and the fishing was pretty slow for our first guests. Axman was up to the task though and spent a full day out there battling the elements!!

All the guides went out fishing today as well, new group of guests arrive tomorrow and pretty much everyone will be fishing from now through the middle of July!

Trolling for salmon today was pretty much the norm for everyone, with only a couple of undersized shakers released...and of course a couple rock fish which managed to track our baits down.

Most boats pounded the bottom during the tide change and only Axman's guests managed to pull one out of the deep. A real nice 27 pounder.



The Williams party with their halibut!!

Some good news late in the day - Black Fly decided to go out and see if there were any Kings around and he had one on! (The same old story about the one that got away!!) And he assured us that he also had a couple other knockdowns! But nothing hanging on the bragging board, but hopefully this rain will bring the fish in and start them moving towards the rivers....

It was a cold, windy, rainy and beautiful day at Yes Bay Lodge in SE Alaska!!

Capt Jim

June 11th - Training Day

WOW - What an exciting day today was, especially for the new crew! The weather turned today, cold windy and rainy most of the day. Hunting for King Salmon was still the order of the day with 3 boats out fishing! All Day!

Kicker with new crew; Capt Guy Hickman and Capt Al Bermitz lead the way in with the only fish worthy of some pictures. Guy Hickman at the end of the day stopped at the mouth and landed an early season record halibut of 106 pounds, with Capt Al and old Kicker cheering him on!!




Guy and his 106.7 pound halibut!!



Another one of Guy and his 106 pound halibut!!




Capt Al Bermitz with a nice yellow eye!



Capt Al with one of his "bigger" rock fish!!

The rest of the boats brought in some very nice rock fish and some stories of cold, windy and rainy fishing weather.


Guy also managed to get some real nice pictures of the killer whales, Old Crooked fin and his pod of killers made their appearance again and Guy was lucky enough to actually get one of a killer breaching, so a good time was had by all!!



Crooked Fin!



Killer Whale Breaching!



Killer Right by the boat!!

So in Yes Bay tradition, Guy got to hit the water after all the cleaning was done. Over a hundred pounds and you go for a swim!!



Guy Making the leap!!



The cold swim back!!

All in all a fine day of fishing at Yes Bay Lodge in SE Alaska!!

Capt Jim

June 9th - Training Day 4

4 boats left today in search of some King Salmon. Today was the first day the new guides took their own boats out with some seasoned guides as guests and trainers. The goal was to try and locate some incoming Kings salmon and try for a halibut or two and some rock fish at the tide turn.

Batman and I went with Capt Guy Hickman. It started out nice a calm a little overcast but overall it promised to be a decent day fishing. We trolled all morning with only a couple small rock fish and 1 small flounder which all went back to grow up a little bit.

The we broke for lunch and decided to pound the bottom for some halibut and larger rock fish. We managed 3 nice yelloweyes right off then moved to some deeper water for a halibut. One messed with our baits for a few minutes and Batman thought he had it hooked once, but it got off. A few minutes later, Guy hollered Fish ON and the struggle began, we were in close to 400 feet of water at this point, we had drifted off the ledge. Guy managed to bring up a real nice 45 pound halibut.



Capt Guy with his first decent sized halibut!

While we were out fishing the dock guys set a line on the dock in front of the Lodge and lo and behold, there must be a million of them around because old Dewey and Johnson reeled in a real nice 33 pound halibut and lost another bigger one!



Dewey - "Cutter" with the 33 pounder!!



Professor and Crew with the days catch!

When we hit the dock we were the only boat with anything photo worthy besides the dock guys, the rest of the boats spent their whole time trolling for salmon and only managed a few rock fish at the end of the day!!

Another fine day of fishing in beautiful SE Alaska at Yes Bay Lodge

Capt Jim

June 8th - Training Day 3

Three boats fished today in search of Kings and Axman landed another one - a nice 20 pounder which happened to be a white King, beautiful fish! Plus a real nice yelloweye snapper and a decent rockfish...good day of fishing guys!!



L-R - Capt John Mills - Axman, Capt Al Bermitz and Capt Guy Hickman

The other two boats managed a few rockfish but struck out on the Kings and Halibut, although several layed claim to the ones that got away, halibut at least!!

My day was spent running one bailed out crew member to town and spent the day in town working on computers in the office and returning with our last crew member. Except the one we now have to replace for the office.

Calm seas and overcast all day but warm and pretty decent overall, temperature around 61 degrees....

Another fine day of fishing at Yes Bay Lodge in beautiful SE Alaska!

Capt Jim

June 7th - Training Day 2

Most of the rest of the crew arrived today, including Slice and Slammer, they spent the afternoon getting their bags unpacked and gear stowed away! While most everyone else went out fishing...

Batman took Phil Chieco and Al Bermitz and Axman and Kicker took out Guy Hickman. Both boats went for the full day with packed lunches determined to find some Kings and take some time to fish for some halibut.

Axman's boat strikes again!!




Captain Guy Hickman the boats catch for the day!!

1 real nice 20 pound King reeled in by Kicker and a nice small halibut and a couple rock fish, they had a fairly slow day but were somewhat productive!

Batman's boat worked Bell Island area and trolled and trolled and trolled and also pounded the bottom, with only one knockdown.

Beautiful weather day with blue skies and sunshine and pretty warm - 65 degrees. Downright hot in the sun!! Little bumpy with some afternoon wind on the way in, but all in all a beautiful day in SE Alaska!

Better luck tomorrow...

Still a good day fishing at Yes bay Lodge in SE Alaska!!

Capt Jim

June 6th - Crew Guide Training Day 1

A host of new guides for Yes Bay arrived yesterday and today was their first day out fishing with the seasoned guides!

Ans what a perfect day for it...fog in the morning and clear blue skies behind it, bright very calm and warm sunny day, not our normal style of weather, but a great day to be out on the water and fishing.

Batman and Kicker took one boat with one of the new guides, Capt Guy Hickman. They managed to get a small chicken halibut, a real nice yelloweye snapper and a nice sea bass. Oh and Kicker managed to haul in a very big skate off the main! I only wish I would have been on the boat to laugh as he realized all his effort was for naught!

I took out a couple new guides and we trolled for King Salmon for and hour or so, then did a little bottom fishing on my secret yelloweye hole and brought up two decent yelloweyes. Then we picked up to join Kicker and Batman on the main for some halibut. We pulled up and within 5 minutes of arriving we had a double on. One small chicken and a very decent 33 pounder! All in all a very good morning.



L-R - Capt Jim Lucas - Capt Al Bermitz - Capt Phil Cheico

After lunch we headed back out for some serious trolling time to land a King. Another guide had arrived, Capt Greg Walters so Kicker stayed in to get his boat set up and Batman took two and I took two...trolled for a steady four hours with only one small sea bass to show for it. We did manage to catch a couple shakers in the morning but nothing going in the afternoon. We stopped on the way in and caught a nice keeper rock fish and had to put back a small Ling Cod!

All in all a great day of fishing at Yes Bay Lodge and a super group of new guides.

Capt Jim

Pirate Flies Again!!

Exciting day around the Lodge today as our new plane arrived up yesterday from Seattle and was out to the Lodge this morning on it's way to Juneau for certification. Passed with flying colors, so we are all set for the season. Nice almost like new Beaver, beautiful interior and nice paint job. Just have to do a little work on the tail with the famous Pirate Logo and it is ready for guests!!

Join us at Yes Bay for a wonderful fishing vacation or book a tour on the new airplane with Pirate Airworks - Ketchikan, Alaska!

Capt Jim

First Guest - First Fish

We had some visiting people around the Lodge today they were on a yacht anchored in the back bay and Axman took them fishing. Managed a nice 24 pound king and three beautiful rockfish. The season starts at Yes Bay Lodge in SE Alaska.

Make plans to join us!!

Capt Jim

Home Sweet Home

Home at last at the Lodge with plenty to do. Had really hoped to get a line wet today, but work got in the way. Finally got my laptop fixed and back up and running yesterday, so all is well. Axman arrived the other day and we spent yesterday getting his boat set up, tackle room cleaned and organized and ready for guides. Got another boat ready and figured early this morning would be a good time to wet a line and catch some fish....however, Pappa Hack decided it would be more fun to paint the fish house and trim the trees in the front of the Lodge, so a day of hard labor was his choice for us....

Hopefully we can get some fishing done in the next day or so...now that my computer is fixed, will get some pics posted tomorrow or later tonight.

Stay tuned for fishing soon!!

Capt Jim

Home at Last!!!

Great travel day on Wednesday - Ohio to Denver - 30 minutes early. Denver to Seattle - 30 minutes early. Left Seattle on time - arrived Ketchikan on time. Luggage arrived intact, quick ferry ride and cab ride - checked in hotel - After a long travel day it was good to rest and try and get my body clock adjusted to the 4 hour time difference.

Quick run to the liquor store - my stock was there per my email to the store!! All is well! Morning trip to Tongass Trading for some secret spoons and tackle!! In to Yes Bay office, met up with Art, Dewey and Johnson - out to Knudson cove marina, Dewey loaded a boat with 20 cases of bait and headed out, my boat was next in the water, loaded luggage and some of Johnsons things and made a bumpy ride out to the Lodge in about 1.5 hours, not too bad!!

Today - squaring away the tackle room, cleaning boats and getting mine ready to fish!! I am anxious to get started. Have 6 boats out here, will spend the weekend getting all the boats set up and ready for more guides and staff arriving next week!!

Make your plans NOW to visit Yes Bay this summer for some fantastic fishing!!

Capt Jim

I will start updating the Yes Bay blog and this blog pretty much daily from now through the end of the season, so stay tuned for our summer adventures!!! Pictures as soon as I get my computer up and running!!

Alaska Bound!!

Well I am finally on my way to Alaska tomorrow morning bright and early!! I have been in Ohio for the past week visiting family and it has been fantastic. EXCEPT - My laptop died, lost the boot record so the machine won't boot up. I will need to reload windows when I get to Alaska and hopefully that will solve the problem, maybe have to reload all my software. If not I will order a new laptop!! UGH

I am anxious to get back to the Lodge and home where I belong. The fishing is already starting with several early Kings caught...so it promises to be a great season.

I hope you have made plans to visit the Lodge this summer, I always look forward to returning guests and new ones alike!!

Come Fish!!

Capt Jim

Long Overdue!

Well I finally got up the balls to do something I should have done a long time ago! It is amazing what a dumb ass I can be sometimes!! I know most of you will agree with that statement, but anyway, it is rectified now.

I started on Facebook this past fall when my High School class started planning a reunion, I was badgered into it and have found it quite interesting catching up with some old friends.

Most of you know that I have been married a time or two and the last little foray into matrimony ended in what can only be described as the "War of the Roses"! Sadly the end result was the loss of contact with my stepson, a kid who I helped raise from the time he was about 2 1/2 until he was 18. He was the primary reason I stuck around! Well we both were pretty beat up and hurt by all the legal goings on and we drifted apart, both wondering if the other one still hated the other...

This past Sunday I did a search on facebook to see if he was on there. I knew where he was living and some things about what he was up to, but really decided that it was time to either re-establish contact or get my head handed to me...but worthy of the effort for sure.

Luckily he has grown into a fine successful young man and I guess we both have matured a bunch and have decided to let the water that has already passed under the bridge remain that way. So a few emails with some explaining back and forth and a little update and we are back in contact and it is great!

Will lives in the palm beach area, has a good job and travels a bunch as a management consultant. But more importantly he has a real nice 31 foot Jupiter fishing boat and spends his leisure time diving, spearfishing and hook and line fishing. He just made his first crossing in the boat a few weeks ago to the Bahamas. So I guess all the fishing he did with his Grandfather and I stuck! Check out some of his catches!

Now it looks like he could teach me a thing or two!



So needless to say, I am happy we have hooked back up and hopefully we will continue to stay in touch...looks like a short trip to S Florida will be on my agenda in the fall!

As I said, I should have done this a long time ago, I can be very stubborn sometimes, to a fault!! And who knows, maybe I can convince him a trip to Alaska would be a good thing!


Speaking of which, I will be leaving Florida a week from today to head to Ohio to visit Family and then towards the end of the month on my way to the Lodge. There are still a few spots available for those who have not made their reservations yet, get in touch with Kris at the office and get your dates confirmed! It promises to be a great season!!

Captain Jim
(Professor)

Please Support this project and protect the Wild Salmon

The Migration Begins! - The "Get Out for Wild Salmon" Video from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo.

If you can do anything to help, please do!!

Go Here: http://www.salmonaresacred.org/

Capt Jim

The Yes bay View - This was taken last year and I am anxiously awaiting my departure in a few weeks to be back "Home" in Alaska.

All the guides are hired and the rest of the crew. They all have their reservations and are looking forward to a great season of fishing with our guests for 2010, both new and returning!

If you haven't finalized your plans to visit Yes Bay this season, call the office and make your reservations soon as we are nearly filled, although there are still prime dates available for small groups of 2 or 4!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone back at the Bay for 2010!!

Capt Jim

Fun Video - Tarpon on Fly with broken Fly Rod

A good friend of mine, Captain Dave Dant shot a pretty neat video of a tarpon on fly, big fish and while fighting the fish the fly rod broke...BTW - Capt Dave is one of the best guides in the Tampa Bay area and specializes in sight fishing for tarpon, snook, redfish and trout.

Pretty neat, go to his blog or web site and check it out, I just got the videos posted online...

Blog: http://sightfishtarpon.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.sightfishtarpon.com/CDDTarponVideo.htm

Enjoy,

Capt Jim

Yes Bay Lodge - Trailer

Old Yes bay Video

Take A Kid Fishing!

This was written for the York Dispatch by a very good friend of mine and former fishing guide at Yes bay Lodge, Andy ( Whiplash) Snyder!

Get a kid hooked on fishing

COLUMN By ANDY SNYDER For The York Dispatch
Updated: 04/09/2010 07:00:40 AM EDT

Preparing for a child is a daunting endeavor.

Not only do I have to worry about the "normal" things, such as clothes, food and college education, but as any angling and hunting nut does, I have to contemplate things such as making sure my tackle bag has enough room for some spare diapers and whether I'll need a two-man deer stand this season or next.

With a couple of months to go before I hear those first intimidating, yet invigorating screams of my first child, I must admit I was a bit jealous this past weekend. As I walked the banks of the area's streams in search of trout, my eye was drawn to something else, those brightly colored children's fishing rods bearing characters such as SpongeBob, Snoopy and Barbie. I was a tad jealous -- not of the rods, but of the opportunity to take a kid fishing. Sharing in a first fish, a first deer or even a first cast are all memories I look forward to making over the next, well, lifetime.

Seeing so many fathers and mothers helping their sons and daughters search for trout this past weekend reminds me of a line I've heard a lot as I read all of the obligatory books and attended all of those repetitive parenting classes in anticipation of a little one. It says: "Children don't need your presents. They need your presence."

What could be a better reason to introduce them to the outdoors? Instead of plopping your kids in front of a TV set and letting some violent cartoon raise them, take the time to show them what lies outside.

Chances are it will become a lifetime activity that you can enjoy as a family for years, perhaps even generations.
What if you don't know how to fish or don't know much about the outdoors? No problem. It takes about as much skill to catch a fish or take a hike as it does to fire up a computer game.

Even if you still don't think you have what it takes to get the job done, there are plenty of outdoor-oriented camps coming up. Invest in a week of on-the-job training and you'll surely create a fan of the outdoors.

If you want to take a kid fishing this spring, here are a few pointers to get you started. First, keep things simple. All you need is a cheap rod, a can of worms and a few hooks and weights. Next, let them do the work. It may be a little more frustrating for you, but it will be a lot more enjoyable for them when they get to feel that first addictive nibble. Finally, keep it fun. Don't let the pressure of catching a fish overburden the joy of sharing time together. Some of my best memories on the water don't involve fish.

Getting ready for a third seat at my kitchen table is a scary notion, but knowing that I'll soon have a live-in fishing partner more than makes up for it. I just hope I can find a pair of waders that small.

Andy Snyder writes about the outdoors for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at sports@yorkdispatch.com. Read his blog, "The Outdoors Insider," at the Blogzone at yorkdispatch.com.


Enjoy,


Captain Jim

Anticipation!!

Hard to believe we are only about 10 weeks away from Lodge opening! I am busy getting ready for my annual trip North and I am anxious to get going. I went to the Post Office today and shipped two large boxes of my things up to Alaska, with the airlines charging so much for luggage and especially extra bags, it is easier and less expensive to let the post office do the lugging!!

This past week I have been busy confirming all the information for the new guides, we look to have a great crew for 2010, with a bunch of returning guides and lodge crew, so it should be a smooth opening and an easy training week!

I am very anxious to get back fishing in Alaska...as cold as Florida was this winter, in some ways I felt like I never left, ironically there were several days when it was warmer in Alaska than here in St Petersburg! Must be that global warming thing people have been talking about!

If you haven't made your plans to come to the Lodge this year, now is the time. There is still a little space for small groups in some prime times, so give Kris a call and make your plans now!!

I hope to see you up there and look forward to fishing with all our customers for 2010!!

Captain Jim Lucas
Head Guide - Yes Bay Lodge

www.yesbay.com

Last Guide for 2010 Season!

Well, I had all the guides set for this season and then wouldn't you know it we had a drop out. At least it was for a good reason. Captain Greg Wickline had taken a job running a supply boat to Haiti for the relief effort and decided he wanted to continue with his efforts, so he sent me an email that he was going to have to decline our offer for a job.

No Problem - I had 3 Captains on standby - one good seasoned veteran fisherman who accepted right away then called the very next day saying he just fell off of a ladder and was going to have to have shoulder surgery, so he was out for this year...No Problem - Call Number 2 on standby, he is excited, accepts the position, then sends an email the very next day saying he decided to accept a regular full time management job, better for his career!

No Problem - Contacted Number 3 and BINGO - So far so good, it has now been two days and he is still on board, even sent pictures so I think we have finally rounded out our 2010 Guide Staff.

So let me introduce Captain Greg Walters.



Greg was born in Sitka Alaska and has fished his entire life, even at a another Lodge in SE Alaska, so he comes with experience. He has also spent quite a few years on large Yachts all over the world.

I think all this mess has helped us through fate, get a really good member for our guide staff!

Only a couple months and the 2010 crew will be heading to Alaska and setting up for your visit, we look forward to a wonderful season.



Oh and for all you "Cookie Monsters" out there, heard the best news today we have a returning crew member from year before last - Janna - so we can look forward to some wonderful cookies to munch on while we are out fishing.

I am really happy to hear she will be joining us as part of the kitchen crew this year!

Can't wait to get fishing again!!

Captain Jim
Professor

2010 Salmon Projections

According to the latest State of Alaska - Fish and Game Report we are in for another fantastic year of salmon fishing with all species up or at the same levels as last year except the pink salmon run, which will be a little lower this year, more back in line with a normal year as last year was one of the largest on record.

Here is the detailed data from their report - Predictions say salmon season will produce fewer fish By LAINE WELCH - Alaska's 2010 salmon season will produce 15 percent fewer fish, if predictions by state fishery managers hold true.

The statewide, all species harvest is pegged at 138 million salmon, compared to last year's catch of 162.5 million salmon, the 12th largest take since 1960.

According to the 2010 Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections report just released by the state commercial fisheries division, the shortfall stems from an expected decrease in pink salmon catches.

The statewide breakdown for this year's projected salmon catches calls for a slight bump up for Chinook to 515,000 fish; for sockeye, a catch of 45.8 million reds is an increase of 2.5 million; the coho catch of 4.4 million is up just slightly; staying the same is the chum forecast of 18 million fish. For those hard to predict pinks, a projected catch of 69.1 million is about 28% lower than last year.

Make sure you make plans to join us this year as it promises to be a good one!!

Capt Jim

I really need a dog like this!!

Jim

Sheepshead fishing

February 18th - Surprise Fishing Trip

I was heading down to Gulfport on some photography business with a plan for when I finished to stop by and see Capt Dave Dant to have him help me set up my new fly rod that I am taking to Alaska this summer. So as soon as I finished, I called Capt Dave to see where he was and of course he was out fishing...he said, where are you and I said not far from Gulfport marina, he said lets go fish, we'll come in and pick you up, bring along the fly rod I'll get it set up while you fish for some nice sheepshead!

Now - who could turn down an offer like that, so 20 minutes later, I am climbing on the boat and off we go!

First stop right in Boca Ciega Bay near the marina, we fish some pilings and in no time we have a couple real nice sheepshead in the well. I had no fish at home, so decided to keep a few for dinner.

We fished most of the day and even managed to get my fly rod set up. Although, I have ordered some better line which I will put on when it gets here.

Fish for dinner - had 4 real nice keepers, we released the rest, but these guys are good eating.

Capt Jim Lucas

Final Pictures from trip to and from Alaska 2009

I have now upgraded my photography site to allow the purchase of pictures, this also includes the fishing photos taken at the fish weigh in at Yes Bay Lodge, so if any of you want your fish pictures, you can find them here.

http://captjim.smugmug.com/

Search through the Alaska galleries and you will be sure to find your pictures, then you can purchase any that you would like, there are a number of sizes available and they are quite reasonable.

Enjoy the slides from my trip on the cruise to Alaska on the MV Ryndam and my trip home through the Canadian Rockies.

Getting ready to return to Alaska the end of May! Can't wait!

Capt Jim

Good Bye Captain Mel Berman

An old friend passed away today. Capt Mel Berman a long time Tampa Bay fishing guide and radio and television personality. On the air for almost 25 years every Saturday morning, I awoke most every Saturday morning listening to his show.

I have known Mel now for almost 5 years, he asked me to be on his show several times, although it never worked out, I told him that his show was for the Tampa Bay anglers and that people would not be interested in hearing about my fishing in Alaska or the various techniques we use.

Saw Mel on the water many times and he was always gracious and friendly. We only fished together a couple times and it was a pleasure. He was a very knowledgeable fisherman and loved to share his experience.

Anyway, he will be missed for sure.

Capt Jim Lucas

Final 2010 Guide Additions

Well the entire Guide staff is now confirmed and ready to go. We have three additional returning guides for 2010.

Captain Fred (Fireman) Rovey will be joining us for the beginning of the season, June through mid-July. You might remember Fred from the 2008 season which was his first year guiding at Yes Bay.



Then the dynamic duo of the Captain Sean (Harvester) Roberts and his fearless buddy Captain Sean (The General) McCossin will be returning to finish the season at Yes Bay. They spend the early part of the season out on Prince of Wales and have fished at Yes Bay for years. They will arrive around the beginning of August and close out the season with us.

Captain Sean Roberts - He's the one in the orange pants!



Captain Colin McCossin - He's the tall one!!



We are looking forward to another fantastic year at Yes Bay. The rest of the staff is nearly complete as well, so we are all making plans for a fantastic summer at Yes Bay Lodge in beautiful SE Alaska,

Capt Jim Lucas
The Professor

Fish Kill Update

I have received several emails asking about the fish kill in Tampa Bay and I found these pictures in the newspaper yesterday. In one retirement community they removed over 8 tons of dead fish… Where I live they also removed a bunch, since I don’t keep up with the goings on around here, I missed the opportunity to participate. Although, when out fishing with a buddy of mine the other day, we picked up two large trash bags full and could have done that many times over, we just collected the ones near the boat ramp.

Sadly many of the fish were snook, but happily the majority were tilapia and salt water catfish and some mullet.

Jim

2010 Yes Bay Guide Staff!

Our Guide staff for 2010 is all set. We had a ton of applicants and were lucky to stay focused and hire only guides with full time guide experience.

Our complete staff from last year is returning with the exception of one - Capt Sean Hagen (Shamrock) will not be returning. You might recall he and his girlfriend Ashton (Our wonderful bartender) went to town one weekend last season and got married. They were engaged before they arrived in Alaska. Well the honeymoon must have worked, because Ashton is due to have a baby in a month or so, which means Sean will be changing diapers instead of fishing in Alaska. Congratulations Sean and Ashton!

Slice returns for his 17th year and Slammer returns for his 11th year, Kicker and I return for our 4th years, Axeman returns for his 3rd year, Batman returns for his 2nd year and we have 5 new guides for 2010.


Capt John Luman - John hails from Oregon and has a ton of Pacific NW fishing experience as well as several years of Alaska fishing, so we are glad to have him. That is a nice King Salmon he has there, we expect many more in 2010!


Capt Guy Hickman will be the youngster of the bunch and hails from the Florida area. Guy runs a guide service out of Vero Beach on the east coast of Florida. For those of you who are not familiar with Florida fish - Guy is in the water with what is known as a Goliath Grouper, formerly called a Jewfish, until someone decided it was not politically correct and changed the name. They are a protected species and must be released. They have been known to weigh up to 700 pounds.



Capt Phil Chieco is another Florida guide and fishes from the east coast of Florida as well. Phil has a real nice dolphin fish (No relation to the Dolphin mammal), very good eating. It is also know as Mahi Mahi on the west coast and in Hawaii.

We have one other new guide - Capt Greg Wickline, no picture yet as he is very busy working running a supply boat between Miami and Haiti to help with the Earthquake relief effort. He can be commended for his service and getting involved. He promises to send a picture when he returns back to home in a week or so.

I will be sure to post it here.

I look forward to fishing with these guys for the 2010 season and beyond. Yes Bay Lodge is proud of the fact that we are always able to secure top quality fishing guides and 2010 promises more of the same.

Capt Jim Lucas
Professor

Cold Weather Damage

It is hard to believe how much damage our cold winter has caused, the fish kill seems to get bigger and bigger everyday. Mostly because the water is warming up and now the dead fish are beginning to float and it is much more obvious the amount of fish that have died. The good news is, the fishing still remains pretty good, the trout and redfish were not affected too much. Seems that the only real sport fish that has been seriously affected is the Snook. A fish we all value and had just made a huge come back from the red tide from several years ago. So hopefully the season closure will help them again regain a strong footing in Tampa Bay.

Agriculture also took a huge hit with the strawberry season cut short, the orange groves have suffered and the vegetable farms got almost entirely wiped out. Another little know industry is the tropical fish farms, they were devastated. Most will be out of business as they had no way to keep their breeding ponds warm and lost their entire crop. So if you have an aquarium, plan on spending more for some of those little tropical fish!

I took my walk yesterday morning at Sunken Gardens, just to see how much damage there and it was depressing. This place is normally very lush and green and the sun barely shines through the canopy of the jungle. Sadly, they will have much planting to do and trimming before the spring wedding season as there are many weddings performed there. I was happy to see the resident flamingos were still in their glory and took a few pictures.





Then it was off to Sawgrass Park for my real walk along the boardwalk for my exercise. It was very dead there as well, but managed to see a nice squirrel and a baby gator, so it made the trip worthwhile...







I have finished hiring all the guides for the 2010 season at Yes Bay Lodge, we will have a great crew again, with all but one guide from last year returning. Sean (Shamrock) Hagen will be changing diapers while we are fishing, he and Ashton are expecting a baby soon and she refused to give him a hall pass to come back to Alaska. We are planning on a full crew for 2010 as bookings are very strong, so if you have yet to make your reservations you better get to phoning Kris. There are some great show specials right now, so make you plans and join me and crew at Yes Bay in 2010!

Capt Jim
Professor.

Tampa Bay Fish Kill

The picture above is from the newspaper.

Here is a nice trout I caught.

I went out fishing yesterday and it was a very slow day. Water temperature is still way low and the fish are not chewing. The water temperature in the bay and along the beaches went down into the low 40’s which has caused a pretty major fish kill in Tampa Bay and in fact in most areas of the state of Florida. So much so that the Fish and Game has decided to extend the block on keeping any Snook this year. There are literally thousands of dead snook floating around the Bay and with the season scheduled to begin on the first of February, they decided to keep it closed for at least the rest of this year and they may extend it for another year after some final research on the total kill.

Jim

Alaska 2009

Here are some pictures that I took on my trip to and from Alaska this year!



Enjoy,

Capt Jim

Christmas Gifts

I decided to do something different for the girls in my life this year and all summer I collected Otoliths (Ear Bones) from the yellow eye snapper which were caught on my boat. Sometimes I passed them on to my guests and sometimes they made it into my collection for the summer, with the plan to have some jewelry made for my sister, my niece and my grand niece.

So now that Christmas is over and the secret is out, I can show you how they turned out!



The Otolith or earbone is particularly large in most bottom fish or reef fish as opposed to swimming species such as the salmon or tuna. They have long been collected as good luck charms and were very popular as jewelry among Native Americans.

I had a local jeweler who makes custom jewelry order in the ear ring stock, then drill a small hole and mount them on the ear ring stock. They are quite striking and certainly unique.



All packaged up in a nice jewelry box they are very nice and made a very unique gift and something that very few people will have or for even know what they are.



All of the ear rings I made this year were from Otoliths from the yellow eye snapper. These are also called Red Snapper in Alaska, very similar to a grouper from Florida although bright orange in color. They are also a VERY tasty meal and a prized catch in Alaska! The largest caught on my boat this year weighed over 11 pounds and there were a couple a little bigger brought in by other boats.

In many cultures these are called "Lucky Stones'., on one side an angled groove forms an "L" or "J" and are said to represent "Love & Joy". They have been found at ancient Indian archaeological sites and were used in commerce and worn for decoration and worn as good luck charms to prevent sickness. Ancients considered them valuable in treating certain diseases.

According to history, Otoliths were known as far back as at least to the time of Aristotle. For centuries Lucky Stones have been used as protective Amulets to ward off evil, made into jewelry and traded into far away lands.

Scientists value the Otolith, because they contain growth rings and can very accurately determine the age of a fish and it's growing cycle.

Enjoy,

Capt Jim

Happy New Years!

Gulf Sunset!



My Good Friends:
Johnny K Marshall (Tramp) and Sandy Strickland (Lady)
Ready for a true Southern Dinner: Fried Chicken, Black eyed peas, rice and gravy, dressing, and of course some collard greens.



Very Cheap entertainment!



The ever watchful Hound Dog at rest!



Florida Wild Pig!


My New Years weekend was an absolute blast! Took off from St Pete Friday afternoon and drove for about 2 1/2 hours North to Crystal River to finally visit some old Yes Bay Lodge friends from the 2007 season. Sandy (Lady) and Johnny K (Tramp). Johhny went back to work as an engineer and has been working for the past 16 months at the Crystal River Nuclear plant, in charge of the rebuild of one of the steam generators. That job is almost complete and he is not sure where he will be heading next, so I figured I better get up there to see them since it had been since end of season 2007 since I had laid eyes on them

Not a bad drive up, got there mid-afternoon and as soon as I arrived, Johhny K was out starting the boat and off we went for a short boat ride and fishing adventure. Cold as hell out, but we still managed to catch a couple trash fish, something he is very good at!

So a wonderful boat ride and a beautiful sunset over the Gulf! Clear skies and very cold weather were on the horizon, but we were going to fish the next day no matter what. Johhny K just had to prove to me he knew where the fish were! He actually gave me a choice, fish, pig hunt or go deer hunting. I chose fishing.

Back at the dock we all headed into the house to warm up and it was Happy Hour! Johnny K had made up some special fish sauce which he put with some salmon before dinner which was fantastic. I will be putting this in the new Yes Bay cookbook which I am working on now!

Sandy had some chicken set out to fry and we were in for a true southern fried chicken dinner, which was wonderful! Add rice and gravy, some collard greens and blackeyed peas and it was a meal to remember! More drinks and some great conversation finished out the evening then off to bed for a good nights rest before heading out on the boat in the morning.

About 4 AM, I awoke to sounds in the kitchen and lo and behold, Johnny K was up working on some recipe he had learned in India for our breakfast. I went back to bed and let him keep experimenting.

Up around 7:30 or so to some great smells from the kitchen, fresh bacon was cooking and Johhny K was still working on getting some crepes to come out right to be filled with the India concoction. Table set and everything ready to go. Good scrambled eggs, bacon and these wonderful crepes with a potato filling that was wonderful.

We drank some coffee after breakfast and waited until the air warmed up a little before heading out for some fishing. Did manage to see some wild pigs on the beach which was fun, guess we should have gone pig hunting! About 10 hours later and after anchoring in about 49 spots and freezing our asses off, it was nearly dark again and I had a grand total of 2 fish on the line...1 ladyfish and 1 very small saltwater catfish. Sandy had manged 2 lady fish and finally at the last stop, Johnny K managed to hook a lady fish! So, Ol Johnny K had once again proved to me that he knew where the trash fish were!

I will give him the benefit of the doubt, the water temperature had fallen down to less than 55 degrees and the fish just were not biting.

Back in the house to warm up again and have some cocktails then a wonderful steak dinner. A little more wonderful conversation catching up and reliving old memories, then time for bed again.

Another early morning wakening to wonderful smells from the kitchen. This time a true southern breakfast. More bacon, some eggs and some cheese grits, cheese toast and fresh coffee and juice. Who could ask for more!

Sadly it was time for me to return home and get back to work, but it was a wonderful way to spend my New Years weekend!

Captain Jim

Behind The Scene's News!

I have received numerous requests for copies of the various pictures which are posted on the blog. For the most part, they are available by right clicking on the photo and saving it. However, these are low resolution versions and are not that good when printing.

So in an effort to remedy this problem, I have upgraded my SmugMug account to allow people to purchase prints of any of the photographs that are on the site. This includes virtually all of the 2009 Catch pictures. They are divided by the months and you can easily find the pictures you want with a little searching and just put them in your shopping cart, when you are in a gallery just click on the thumbnail picture on the left side and a larger version will show up on the right side. Then there is a drop down above the picture that says “BUY” you can either buy that picture or buy pictures from this gallery, I find it easier to just say buy this picture and then select the size you want and the quantity you want. Then return to the gallery and select any additional ones you would like.

The pictures that are uploaded are small versions and some of the larger print sizes will not be available. If you have a particular photo that you would like a larger version of, highlight the photo and hit the “INFO” and get the file name and email it to me and I will find the original picture and upload it within a couple days and will let you know by email that the large size is now available and you can go online and order it.

Feel free to poke around my SmugMug site and in addition to the “Catch” pictures, there are some wonderful pictures of the Lodge and other scenes around Alaska which are all also available for sale.

In the side bar of this page are several slide type shows, all of these will link directly to the SmugMug site or you can click this link to go directly there:

http://captjim.smugmug.com/

Crew – I have heard you and will be gradually adding some more of the crew photos onto SmugMug in case anyone wants prints. I have also put a few of the videos up, thanks to Kenny and Joel. Also, out of spite, I have put the much requested “Living with Ron” video from the 2007 season.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and we all look forward to a fantastic 2010! Make sure you have made your reservations for this upcoming season as the show season starts in a few days and will fill up quickly. Our bookings remain strong for this coming year!

Captain Jim

(Professor)