MY EIGHT DAYS OF FISHING CHRISTMAS/ ALASKA PENINSULA

Well hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!  I awoke this morning only to find another great fishing trip on my list, a return trip to the Alaska Peninsula, Pumice Creek Lodge.  I have fished this area for monster silver salmon for the past 27 years and now call it my home away from home.  On the Peninsula there are more huge brown bears than people and hundreds of thousands of monster silver salmon return home from the sea to their native river to spawn.  The weather on the Peninsula is harsh to say the least with normal strong winds and rain.  However, the fishing is darn right spectacular!  Days catch of a hundred silvers is possible if your arms are worthy and days of hundreds of arctic char can be easily completed.  Gary LaRose, owner of Pumice Creek Lodge, has been in the guiding business all his life.  While staying at the lodge you have the option of fishing for silvers at the Cinder River, which in my opinion has the largest, most abundant silvers on earth!  Or, you can fish Arctic Char at Lava Creek where the action is non-stop.  Alaska is a spectacular, vast land where vast herds of caribou roam, some of the largest moose and brown bear call home, and up north Polar Bears can be viewed!  Alaska was probably the best purchase the USA has ever done and am sure with the vast mineral resources available, Russia kicks themselves in the rear everyday after selling it very cheap.  Make sure to visit Alaska when you have the chance and you will definitely return numerous times like I have.

Speaking of Christmas, make sure to thank God on how blessed each one of us are.  Having been fortunate to visit many International countries, most here in the USA do not realize how good they have it!  Most, are lucky to find a meal for the day or a cup of water to drink.  Clothes are a blessing for most.  They do not have modern items such as computers, television,or any contact with the outside world! They is no going to the grocery store to fill your stomach or heading to the local doctor to cure your illness. They live each day more or less to Survive!  God bless each and every family on this day of celebration of  the birth of my Christ!

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING/ TANZANIA TIGERFISH

Tigerfish are one of the most ferocious freshwater fish on earth!  Their giant teeth puts a scare to anybody who handles them as evident by the numerous bite marks in our guides arms!  Tanzania is situated  in Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean between Kenya and Mozambique.  It boasts some of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in the world plus some of the fishing for monster tigerfish.  The Mnyera and Ruhuji Rivers are rarities as the tigerfish here grow to enormous size.  20 pound + tigers are caught daily during the dry season.  These tigers are not the goliath tigerfish found in the Congo, but a separate species altogether.
The housing at the lodge was very comfortable as each client is given his own safari type tent which is larger than the 1st floor on my house.  You are next to the river so many sleepless nights happen as you are dreaming of hippos, elephants, crocs, etc.. entering your tent!

 Noises are heard throughout the evening and hippos walked through camp practically each night!  Tigerfish are extremely difficult to get a good hookset in as their mouth is very hard thus making hook penetration difficult.  Normally the enormous teeth of the tigers are just stuck in your lure.  Tigerfish are one of the top freshwater game fish and hopefully Santa puts this great trip under your tree tonight!

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING/ JURASSIC LAKE ARGENTINA

Argentina is rapidly becoming my favorite International destination having fished La Zona for many years and now have ventured into the Southern remote Patagonia Region at Jurassic Lake Lodge. Over the years I have made numerous friends in Argentina and enjoy seeing a few of them each visit in Buenos Aires.   Here, some of the largest rainbow trout on earth swim.

The lodge sits on the Barrancoso River where literally thousands of large rainbow trout enter for their spawning cycle.  Numerous rainbows over 20 pounds are caught each week.  My largest to date is a monster weighing 23 lbs.  All fishing here is done wading either Jurassic Lake or the Barrancoso River.  Friend and owner, Carlos Casanello has made numerous improvements in the lodge which now boasts of a beautiful main lodge building and newly built guest rooms overlooking the lake.  So, if a monster rainbow trout is on your fisherpersons Christmas list, give Carlos a shout here on Facebook or write him at carlos@jurassiclakelodge.com

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING/ PAPUA NEW GUINEA

In my opinion Papua New Guinea bass are the strongest freshwater on earth pound for pound.  A 40 lbs PNG bass will give you the battle of your life.  A 50+ lbs bass might be impossible to land.  During our visit we flew out of Brisbane, Australia to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.  Here outfitter, Jason Yip of www.sportfishingpng.net greeted us.  Jason is the only outfitter to have permission from the natives to fish the top rivers in PNG.  Recently, Jason has utilized a large houseboat, the K2O, as base camp to gain access to very remote areas on the Island.  I fished the remote Gulf Providence during my visit.

 Numerous monster PNG bass and barramundi were landed.  In fact, Jason set the IGFA all tackle world record during my stay.  This record was topped recently by one of Jason's clients. PNG has the unworthy reputation of on going tribal warfare and being unsafe.  I found the exact opposite to be fact.  Not once during my stay did I feel unsafe.  I visited numerous villages during a day of fishing and found the natives to be very friendly. I visited a local tribal school of which had a huge ceremony for our visit and presented us with Keys to their Kngdom!  I highly doubt there is another fish on earth which could pull me to my knees such as my 40+ lbs PNG bass did.  I cannot brag about this trip enough.  Do it now before the crowds start to come to PNG.

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING/ THAILAND

Thailand is rapidly coming one of my favorite fishing destinations worldwide!  You can catch fish of enormous size as long as your arms are worthy!  There is a huge abundance of Mekong Catfish, Giant Siamese Carp, Snakehead, Arapaima, Redtail catfish, and many other species.  Most trips start in the fantastic town of Bangkok where the nightlife is legendary to say the least.  Travel to Thailand is also relatively easy.

Most top outfitters will provide all the tackle necessary including quality rods, reels, and lures so you do not have to pack bags full of fishing gear.  Some of my favorite venues are BungSamRan, IT Rivers Monsters, and my favorite town of Hua Hin!   The top outfitters are John of www.bkkfishingtour.com or you can find him here on Facebook under bkkguy.  Francois Helias is the other outfitter I can highly recommend.  You can find him at www.anglingthailnd.com.  So, if you want to catch the largest fish in your life, Thailand would be the choice!

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING TRIPS- SURINAME LAU LAU

Ever want to set hook into a huge Semi-Truck?  Well, travel to the remote rivers in Suriname and battle the monster Lau Lau/ Piraiba and you will soon realize what I am talking about.  Suriname is a remote country located in the Northeastern Atlantic coast of South America.  It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south.  Outfitter, Paul DeBoer, who is here on Facebook knows the best rivers in Suriname to catch the Lau Lau.  During my trip a few exceeding 200 pounds were landed, but they get much larger if you dare battle one that size!  Broken rods, stripped reels, snapped hooks are the norm when battling these beasts.  You will be fishing in the remote Suriname rainforest far away from modern civilization.

Paul utilizes a small houseboat for your sleeping/eating quarters and pulls a few smaller fishing boats along the way.  After hearing rumors on the battling abilities of these Piraiba, I can vouch for them as evident by my sore arms which ached for weeks after the trip.

MY EIGHT DAYS OF FISHING CHRISTMAS/ UGANDA MURCHISON FALLS

Murchison Falls is one of the last remaining places on earth to catch monster Nile Perch.  Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest National Park.

Here vast herds of elephant, giraffe, cape buffalo, hippo, and many many others roam with the Park. Viewing lions is also a possiblity. The Falls are on the Victoria Nile below Lake Victoria.  The Nile River plunges 140 feet as it flows through a cleft in the rocks barely 20 feet wide.  Here, there is an abundance of oxygen rich waters which makes the Nile Perch fishing good.

 During my stay a few years ago, a few monster Nile Perch over 100 pounds were landed.  We were guided by Paul Goldring of Wild Frontiers.  We stayed in the Red Chilli Rest Camp which was quite comfortable.  Even if you are not into fishing, I highly recommend this trip for wildlife viewing as it is simply amazing!  I definitely have this trip on my return list.

MY EIGHT DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING TRIPS/ MALDIVES

Just got done shoveling show and am tired of it as cold winter has arrived here in Whiting.  Soon, I will be sitting on the white sand beaches of the Island of Maldives waiting for Maakeyolhu fishing Charters to pick me up and motor out to the various reefs in search of monster giant trevally and other saltwater species.   Maldives sits out in the Indian Ocean down from India and across from Africa.  It is composed of 26 coral atolls which are made up of hundreds of Islands.  The weather is extremely hot and the winds are very low  making for calm seas.  Moosa Kaleem is the owner of the charters and will greet you in the capital of Male.

The airport is mostly an island so all transportation is done by boat.  We motor about 45 minutes to our very comfortable suites.  I always thought the topwater strike by the amazon peacock bass would be difficult to top, but when these giant GTs hit you topwater popper, hold on tight.  Numerous fish will be lost as you cannot stop these brutes from getting into the surf and cutting your line.  So, for the time being I will pull out my sun screen and dream about heading back to Maldives.

MY 8 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FISHING TRIPS/ La Zona

This will be the 1st in a set of dream fishing trips to get your fisherperson as a great Christmas Gift.  Fishing for golden dorado has become a passion for me.  By far the top location for dorado exceeding 40 pounds is located near the Salto Grande Dam in the town of Concordia.  The dam is 1/2 in Argentina and the other 1/2 is in Uruguay.  There is a restricted zone ( La Zona)  of 1000 meters extending from the dam. Only 2 boats are allowed into this zone and only during the days of Friday to Monday.   When the dam turbines go on the golden dorado go on a massive feed.  These dorado are tough and mean and can literally destroy lures, break rods, strip drag reels, etc..  I have fished here since the opening about a decade ago.  Recently, government restrictions have declared 500 meters from the dam as a no entry zone.  This means that fisherman are not allowed to fish in this no entry zone.  Conversations between La Zona representatives and the Argentina government is underway to put the zone back open as agreed upon when contracts were written and signed.  That being said, the 500 meters away from the dam in the restricted zone should still produce golden dorado of massive sizes.  I will be there again very soon to check what if any effect the "no entry" zone has done in terms of catch rates.  For more information on this exceptional dream fishing trip you can contact Hector Bradanini or Lilian Farquharson here on Facebook or contact Untamed Angling.  Watch for my report early in January on my adventure back to La Zona "Home of the Monster Golden Dorado"!

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

American Legacy Fishing Company can provide all your Christmas gifts from top of the line fishing reels, rods,lures,  terminal tackle and clothing.  The store is based in Evansville, Indiana, and ran by friend Tom Ashby.  Tom is one of the largest Shimano salesman in the United States and has contacts with all the top fishing companies including my favorite, Daiwa!  American Legacy Fishing Company also has competitive pricing on Costa sunglasses and various brands of clothing.  Give Tom a shout at 1-877-402-6350 plus check out the site, www.americanlegacyfishingcompany.com

ANOTHER GREAT FISHING CHRISTMAS GIFT

With restrictions being placed on Airlines when traveling to far away destinations, it is impossible to check in long 1 piece fishing rods as baggage.  For years I have been using a Side-By-Side Rifle Case made by Plano to store 2 piece rods and tackle..  This particular case has 2 components into which you can store your fishing rods, tackle, and reels.  The case has heavy-duty latches, is lockable, and airline approved.  The case measures 53in x 12in x 6in.  I have found this to be a much better option than using telescopic rod cases as I can store much more in the rifle case.  So before you fly out on your next fishing dream trip, consider the Plano rifle case.

Christmas Fishing Gifts

Looking to give that fisherperson in your life a fabulous Christmas gift?  Well, Kermett Adams of www.klures.com makes the finest wooden lures available here in the United States.  Peacock Bass fisherman worldwide have been having great success using his topwater choppers and poppers.

 Golden dorado fisherman, such as myself, have great success using the Daly diver and Kermett's choppers.  Each lure is handmade out of the finest California hardwood available.  Triple coiled split rings and high quality hooks are attached.  Wire through construction is present with many of the hook hangers attached to a swivel to prevent a monster fish from tossing your lure. Contact Kermett at kkadams@aol.com or check him out here on Facebook.  Also check out his website at www.klures.com

JURASSIC LAKE LODGE/ ARGENTINA--HOME OF THE MONSTER RAINBOW TROUT

Recently had the opportunity for a return trip to Jurassic Lake Lodge which is located in the Patagonia Region of Southern Argentina.  Here, we fished for some of the largest rainbow trout which swim on earth.  We arrived in the small tourist town of El Calafate and had a 6 hour drive to the lodge.  The scenery on the drive to the lodge was outstanding.

 El Calafate is known as the Tierra de Glaciares.  We also saw numerous Guanaco,  a few lessar rheas, and a Patagonia wolf along the way.

The fishing was outstanding for monster rainbow trout pushing the scales up to 22 lbs.  Numerous trout over 15 lbs were caught by everyone in our group of 7.   Jurassic Lake, a.k.a. Lago Strobal has an incredible amount of protein-rich scuds which allow the trout to grow to amazing sizes.  The lodge is located in an extremely remote area as you will not see anybody else during your stay.                     

 Am planning on heading back in 2017 to catch more monster rainbows.  For more information on this spectacular fishery give me a shout at doradokiller@hotmail.com or write lodge owner            

Carlos Casanello at carlos@jurassiclakelodge.com                                                                        

ALASKA REPORT

I was again fortunate to fish the Alaska Peninsula for the 27th straight year.  Stayed at Gary LaRose's Pumice Creek Lodge.  Fished the Cinder River for silver (coho) salmon and Lava Creek for arctic char.  Was at the lodge September 11 to 18, 2016.  The fishing was simply unbelievable.  My best day for silvers was a whopping 101 landed between 12 to 20 pounds.

 All in the group had great days.  The char fishing for char was practically a bite per cast.  One day my group of 4 landed and released over 700 char.  The second day we fished Lava Creek I counted 161 char landed my myself with the others around the same figure.

 The fishing at Pumice Creek Lodge keeps getting better each year.  Gary does a great job making sure things go well and guide Rudy really knows where to put us on the fish each day.  The season on the Peninsula has turned to fall with colder weather and some rain and strong winds which is typically.  The lodge is located about 100 miles south of the town of King Salmon.  Here, you will not see any other fisherman other than perhaps a monster brown bear!  Check out Gary's site at www.garylarose.com.  Cannot wait to get back in 2017!

ALASKA STATE RECORD PINK SALMON BROKEN TWICE

The standing Alaska pink salmon record lasted 42 years until last week!.  The monster weighed 12 pounds 9 ounces and was landed on the Moose River.  Earlier last week the long standing record was broken with a 12 pound 13 ounce pink caught on the famous Kenai River.  However, this Alaska record only lasted 3 days.  Robert Dubar landed a 13 pound 10.6 ounce which measured in at 32 inches and was also caught on the Kenai.  The current world record pink is a beast weighing 14 pounds 13 ounces and was caught in the state of Washington.  Pink Salmon run every other year flooding numerous rivers.  During the spawning season pinks get their famous hump back which also gives them the name humpy!  They are a blast to catch on light tackle and can be had cast after cast.

Transporting fishing rod

Currently, it appears the airlines are placing stricter restrictions on the size and amount of bags one can check in during flights.  Most airlines allow for 1 bag to be checked during International Flights free of charge.  High fees are then enforced for additional baggage.  Transporting fishing rods can be a chore.  Not only due they use up your free baggage, but many airlines now have size restrictions.  What I have been doing is to use quality 2 piece fishing rods and pack them in a Plano Side-By-Side Rifle Case.  The case is lockable and airlines approved.  It has side by side compartments of which I place all rods in one side and fishing tackle in the other side, thus having a checked bag and not paying the high fees.  This particular case is 53in x 12in x 6in which allows for lots of room.  So, before paying additional baggage fees on your next fishing trip, consider a side by side rifle case!

REDHOT REDFISH ACTION

Avid angler and friend Dr. Gary Clark along with friends Jeff Stagg, and Don Cutter recently spent 3 days with Capt. Keith Kennedy of Born To Fish Charters out of Venice, LA.  Dr. Clark reports the action was nonstop for all 3 days with multiple triple headers.  The majority of the bull reds weighed in over 20lbs with the largest being 31lbs.  This was Don Cutters first trip for redfish with Capt. Keith.  Don whom many will remember for running peacock bass operations in the Brazilian Amazon was amazed with the quality and quantity of reds!  He says he definitely will return.   Gary and Jeff are avid anglers fishing with Capt Keith many times during the year.  Gary said the top lures were any 6 inch plastic shad and the 7 in Monster 3X-Big Lures under popping corks.  The Monster 3X was recently introduced by a Brazilian Company at ICAST.  The owners claim numerous giant golden dorado have been landed on this plastic since it was recently introduced.  Dr. Clark says this is the toughest plastic lure he has had his hands on and the stretch of the lure is amazing!   I definitely plan to check this lure out before my next trip to LaZona.   Capt Keith has a few openings remaining but they are booking fast.  His 3 day trip offers one of the best bargins in the fishing world.  Keith does the cooking with delicious meals, provides the housing, and all fishing equipment.  Give Capt. Keith a call at 504-908-3108 before the season is booked full!

60lbs King Salmon. Possibility or Days of the Past?

King Salmon are one of the most popular salmon on earth.  Those die hard King anglers would crave at landing a monster exceeding 60lbs.  Whoever where on earth do these 60lbs exist?  The Kenai River in Alaska is always at the top of the list when monster kings are discussed.  The Kenai is a glacially fed 85 mile long river which has 2 runs of Kings.  The first run starts in Mid May and lasts through June.  The second run starts toward the end of June, lasting through July.  The second run normally produces the largest Kings.  In 1985, Less Anderson landed a monster 96.4lbs King which is the official IGFA all tackle record.  However, the king population is on the downturn on the Kenai. Smaller kings in drastically reduced numbers have been the norm for the past few years.  Often the escapement does not meet up to DNR criteria, so the Kenai is shutdown.  Saltwater fishing in Deep Creek, Alaska which is located on the East shore of Cook Inlet is another option but then again the size and numbers are down in recent years.  British Columbia and the USA West Coast such as the Columbia River off good King fishing but not many exceeding 50lbs.  In the late 1960;s Dr. Howard Tanner was one of the main players responsible for introducing salmon into the Great Lakes.  Howard experiment to raise Triploid salmon which would grow huge failed, so now catching a King exceeding 30lbs will put you in the newspapers.  In the mid 70;s King eggs were transplanted into some rivers of Southern Chile for the purpose of commerial ranching.  However, the enterprise failed, but the Kings survived. Rivers like the Petrohue in Chile offer a decent shot at kings over 60lbs and a few each year slightly over 70lbs.  So for the meantime, 60s kings might be a thing of the past.  Sure wish I would have fished the Kenai years ago when I first visited Alaska as a 60lbs replica could be hanging on my wall replacing the 44lbs which I caught on the Alagnak River!

TANZANIA TIGERFISH

There is an excellent article written by Mr. Matt Harris in the July/August/September 2016 edition of the International Angler.  The article " One of the world's most exciting and undiscovered fly fisheries" discusses the fantastic monster tigerfish of the Mneyra and Ruhudji Rivers in Tanzania.  Harris discusses the Hydrocynus tanzaniae, tanzania tigerfish, which was identified in 1986 as a seperate species.  These tigers are much bigger than the common Zambezi tigerfish.  A few years ago, along with a few friends, I was able to cast a line into these rivers.  I was not disappointed as numerous tigerfish in the "teens" we landed and everyone in the group landed at least 1 tiger tipping the scales at 20lbs.  Fly fishermen would really enjoy battling with these monsters.  The trips are split into 2 sessions, a few days at the Mneyra Camp and the remaining time spent at the Ruhudji camp.  Numerous hippos and crocs were seen each day.  Each in the group also had the opportunity to view a few elephants during the stay.  However, the wildlife was nearly as abundant as seen on my trip for Nile Perch at Murchison Falls, Uganda.  Join the IGFA to get a great magazine as the International Angler and keep up on fishing news worldwide!

Venice, LA redfish update

Avid redfish anglers, Gary Clark, Jeff Stagg, and David Fields recently spent 3 days fishing with Capt. Keith Kennedy out of Venice, LA for monster redfish.  Dr. Clark reports on day 1 the fishing was absolutely crazy with over 50 trophy reds over 20 lbs being landed with the largest going over 31 lbs.  Some weather moved in the following 2 days but the guys still managed to catch more trophies including a monster tipping the scales at 36 lbs.  The top lures were the saltwater fluke Boom-r-Ang in FoxieFreddie coloration and large Bomber mud minnows in black/chartreuse tail.  Due to recent last minute cancellations, Capt, Keith has some openings during this prime time bull red season.  Keith provides everything from housing, all meals, fishing equipment, and even your license.  Give him a call at 504-908-3108 to have a fishing experience of your lifetime!

ALASKA PENINSULA/ PUMICE CREEK LODGE

The start of the Alaskan fishing season has finally begun.  After a long winter gorging themselves out at sea, millions of salmon will start their spawning run back into the freshwater runs from where they were born.  On the Alaska Peninsula thousands of king salmon will migrate first followed by sockeye, chums, pinks and finally silvers.  Pumice Creek Lodge owned and operated by Gary LaRose has long been know as the best lodge on the remote Peninsula.  Here you will not catch the giant kings found on the Kenai, but you have a chance at a king around 50lbs.  The season really picks up by the end of June on the Cinder River.  By the beginning of July, numerous kings can also be found on the King Salmon River.  LaRose makes sure clients can be fishing on the best locations each day.  My favorite time on the Peninsula is the fall season where millions of monster silver salmon enter the rivers.  The Peninsula has some of the largest silvers available in the state or anywhere else on earth.  Catches of over 100 silver in a day are not out of the questions with a few possibly exceeding the magical 20lbs.  I have fished the Peninsula for over 27 years and my best day was an arm wrcnching 144 silvers.  Arctic char are in full spawn colorations during the fall season.  These are perhaps the most beautiful freshwater fish on earth and are very easy to catch with some day practically a bite per cast.  I highly recommend if you have plans to head to Alaska this year, to contact Gary LaRose at akpen@aol.com or check out www.garylarose.com and you definately will have the fishing experience of your lifetime!

ALASKA HALIBUT DERBIES

The month of May opens the beginning of some of the best halibut fishing out of the towns of Seward, Homer, and Valez in Alaska.  I have fished out of all 3 of these fabulous destinations numerous times.  My largest halibut to date was a massive 300lbs caught out of Valdez.  We also caught a 298lbs and 8 more over 150lbs which made for great eating to say the least!  Each of these towns have so called Halibut Derby's where you win large amounts of money for the largest halibut of the season plus weekly and tagged fish prizes.   Homer starts their derby on May 15 ending Sept 15.  The JackPot Halibut Derby pays $10,000  + $0.50 tickets sold to the largest halibut entered.  To enter you need to buy a derby ticket for $10.  The derby in Valdez starts May 21 ending Sept 4.  Top prize is $15,000 for 1st prize, $5.000 for 2nd prize, and $2,000 for 3rd prize.  So far a monster 253 lbs halibut caught by David Jamison is leading.  In Seward the derby only last the month of June.  So far the leader is a halibut weighing 179.8lbs.  Halibut can exceed weights of 400lbs if your lucky.  So make sure to buy a derby ticket on your next visit to Alaska in a chance to win thousands!