Last week was the king salmon opener for parts of Ketchikan. This was the first chance we had to keep king salmon in Ketchikan. On the 1st of June, dozens (if not hundreds) of boats launched on the south side of town in the hopes of hooking into the Big One. Here at Alaskagofish.com, we get very excited to be able to go on the search for the first king of the season.
Other companies fished catch and release for the start of the season. On board the Rosemary June, we are able to go a little further and a little faster to get on the fish folks are looking for. That is why we ended up fully booked for the first three days of king salmon season taking a couple of locals out fishing.
While we were out, we saw the usual eagles, sea lion, and even a humpback whale. Bait jumped at the surface. After a short time with the gear in the water, we hooked a mighty king! We hooked this epic king salmon at a place I like to call The Candy Hole.
With our Shimano rods and reels doing a fantastic job, Nathaniel and his son Alexander brought in this beautiful specimen. The overall the weight of our first king of the season is well over 40 pounds…It practically weighed more than Alexander the Great.
This mighty king salmon took close to 45 minutes to land. After 2 attempts at landing her, the 3rd attempt was a charm.
We are so excited for Nathaniel and Alexander’s family. I’m sure they enjoyed eating that beautiful fish. They definitely have a big fish story to tell. Cheers to their first king salmon of the season!