By Pete Gray

 

I love it when a plan comes together!  Our Let’s Talk Hookup/Davis Boats trip to Whalers Cove Lodge in Angoon, Alaska was fantastic….again. Mark and Kristine Powers continue to improve the lodge each year, making an incredible destination better and better. This year they built a new deck off the main lodge with a pool table, fire pit and other amenities all with a beautiful view.  This year was extra special for me as my wife Lolly joined the fun. We stayed in one of the beautiful suites and had a fabulous deck overlooking the water for cocktails after our fishing day.  We fished with our good friend Rich Topp aboard a super comfortable 32 foot aluminum boat powered by twin Yamaha 300 outboards that was stable and fast.  She had plenty of fishing room and equipped with everything you need for a great day on the water. Captain Ethan Broody has been working at Whalers Cove Lodge for several years and knew where to go and what to do.  This is true of all the captains at Whaler Cove, most are seasoned with many years in the area, and all are top rate.  One of the best parts is how your fishing day begins…

 

after a hearty breakfast, you take a short walk from the lodge or your room and stroll down the private dock.

The first day of our 4 day trip started with a scenic 45 minute float plane ride from Juneau to the lodge.  We were escorted to the dining room for a great breakfast, then off to the “boot shed” to get our rain gear and boots. Whalers Cove has top of the line gear ready for you to use,

no need to drag your own up!  We climbed aboard the boat and headed to start our day catching halibut.  The slot limit on halibut this year was 38 inches or less, about a 30-pound halibut.  We caught plenty of halibut both over and under the slot, and in less than an hour we had our 3 fish limits. Next up was salmon, which was unusually slow.  Normal condition, Coho salmon were in abundance in mid-August, but the last 2 years has been unusual in south east Alaska.  It could have something to

do with the crazy weather this summer. Whalers Cove had not had a drop of rain in 3 weeks…the water temperature was 62 degrees; the air was in the high 70’s. Great fishing weather but unusual.  We still managed several salmon, but not our 6 fish per person limit which in previous years was the norm.  Next up Captain Ethan suggested we target trophy halibut and ling cod.  Fishing Shimano Flat Fall 160-gram jigs in 150 to 200 feet of water we managed to catch and release some amazing ling cod. We even had a “keeper” 34 ½ inch ling cod in the narrow slot limit  of 30 to 35 inches….and everything else needs to be released.  Rich Topp hooked into something large- after a prolonged battle on light gear we released a 64-inch halibut that was estimated at 140 pounds. We all had plenty of fish to take home, so the thrill of catching and releasing these monsters was great.

Let’s Talk Hookup regulars Bob and Carole Blum fished with first timers Brad and Patty Fraiser aboard the

Providence with Captain Johnathan.  They had fantastic days on the water in flat calm conditions.  Every evening around the dinner table Patty and Brad talked about how thrilling their day was and the new experiences they had.  They hand only been fishing once

before in their life, and were thrilled with everything at Whalers Cove.  Bob was a great coach on the boat for them.

We did a similar program for the next 3 days, each day catching our limit of halibut. Our best salmon day was our limit of 18 on the last day…and we did all of them in about 90 minutes.  We were having too much fun catching the amazing variety of fish on the Flat Fall.  I even caught several Coho and small king salmon on the 100-gram Flat Fall.  We tried some of the other brands that our Captain had on the boat, but it was the Shimano brand that out fished them all. I was using a Shimano Talica 16 reel filled with 80 Power Pro which I brought with me on the trip.  Certainly, a big advantage to have the power while jigging for big fish.  The boat was equipped with Torium 16 reel filled with 65 pound Power Pro…while not a 2 speed, these reels performed great!   When our fishing day ends, our longest run back to the lodge is 20 minutes, every day was flat calm water! Largest halibut of the week was 68 inches or 170 plus pounds, which earned a two for the price of one trip back to Whalers Cove Lodge. There were several halibut caught and released over 100 pounds by the group.  We had 2 on our boat alone, Riche’s 140 and I had one at 120.

They call Whalers Cove Lodge Alaska’s Fishing Paradise, and it certainly is!  The accommodations are fantastic, our room had a king bed, fireplace and sitting area with a huge shower and bathroom.  The food is fantastic, every meal is an adventure.  The lodge is a great meeting place before and after fishing. The staff is there to take care of all your needs. Guest services manager Jay is there ready to help before, during and after.  Owners Mark and Kristine are there every day to help too.  Mike, who is in charge of fish processing, will custom make your boxes to your desire to take home.  Most guests took home 2 – 50-pound boxes of fileted salmon, halibut and rock fish.  The fish processing is top of the line and all included in your package.  Most years we take a freshwater excursion to catch Coho in the river, but due to the lack of rain this year, there was not enough water in the systems.  It is certainly an option on most years that you should take advantage of.

New this year was the addition of kayak fishing guide Chris Mautino.  Chris is a wealth of knowledge on kayak fishing in Alaska and has set up an extraordinary program for anglers. They have a fleet of Hobie Pro Angler and Hobie inflatables.  Chris can take you from the lodge, on a “mothership” to great spots, and they even have several kayaks staged at the various river to explore the remote spots available.  You can combine a kayak and charter boat trip to make your trip even more exciting! Check the special kayak page at www.whalerscovelodge.com for more information.

We started our trip with our good friends Brad and Patty Frasier in Gustavus, Alaska- the entrance to Glacier Bay.  We stayed at some cool cabins called Cottonwood Cabins and did the fantastic Glacier Bay Tour as well as explored the tiny town on bicycles over 2 days.  It’s an easy side trip from Juneau, which is where you Whalers Cove Lodge trip begins and ends. I highly recommend you take advantage of the experience.

Our trip for next year is already almost full, but General Manager Jay can do some magic sometimes to get you in.  Dates are August 11 to 15, 2020.  There are several couple that come in addition to singles and groups.  All are welcome, from hard core anglers to casual, and will enjoy Whalers Cove Lodge. Speaking of hard core, Harold Davis from Davis Boats and his wife Ardith co- sponsor the trip and also bring a bunch of hard-core anglers.   For more information or to book a trip check www.whalerscovelodge.com or call 800-423-3123.