Evolution of an Alaskan DipShip

[Alasgun]

I hear you! And when they publish “200,000 Sockeye entering the Kenai in one day” I'm sure it makes a lot of the locals shudder!
Years ago i bought an Ocean boat to avoid all that and it was great for almost 20 years before my Wife's failing health made overnight trips impossible. So i did the logical thing and sold the boat to my Daughter and learned how to deal with all the people.
Learning how to deal with the people was as simple as learning how to catch the fish well. Folks notice all the cool stuff i show up with from year to year coupled with the fact there aren’t many codgers out there on there own has made it fun. There’s plenty of folks who’d proxy for me but as long as i’m able; i’ll keep showing up!

 

[Gamma1214]

I just wish someone would make a 15ft. Canoe that could take this rough handling and that only weighed 40 lbs. in the $5-600 range!

Someone can make such a boat... you! Given your other projects, you can build a stripper. The Raven I just completed might be an excellent solo craft for you, mine is built from Tamarack so it's heavier than it should be and tips the scales at 50#.

I'd be willing to bet that, built stemless from 3/16 White Cedar and trimmed with Spruce, you could make it considerably lighter than I did.

If there's a sawmill within reasonable driving distance (so you don't have to buy the wood from a box store), you can probably build it for well under $500.

 

[Alasgun]

Thanks for the kind words, BUT apart from epoxy sensitivity that is brutal every time i use it on anything; the bigger issue is the abuse these boats endure. I’ll be out that way tomorrow evening and will take a picture of the launch then it will be clearer.
Essentially i’m dragging this loaded boat out of the truck by the loop then spinning the boat around 180 (on the rocky ground) so the Bow is facing down the hill. Then, using the same loop i shove the boat 20-30 ft down the hill into the water.
On the return it’s considerably harder as now you have a 100 or so pound heavier boat and are going up hill. On the return i have a strong back for the hill but there’s still a lot of “drop, bang, slide on the rocks.
I’ll add another picture tomorrow!

At a more sedentary launch you could unload and reload, but im too lazy for that And i doubt i live long enough to wear a hole in the Discovery! Then there’s the flow of comers and goers which will be several hundred on any given day, i always try to move thru quickly.

 

[yixak]

@Alasgun Any tips on getting fish out of the net while in the canoe?

I caught my limit from the south beach at the mouth of the Kenai on Satuday in about 2.5hrs. It was my second time dipnetting and it was wild having fish run so thick that they were bumping into me while I was holding the net. I could catch something in 30 seconds but it would take several minutes for me to free it from the net and I was worried that the height of the run would finish before I hit my limit. I tended to either use both hands to work the fish free from the net or both hands to hold the net up and let the fish work itself free from some of the tangles. It seems like it'd be hard to manage a canoe at the same time.

 

[Alasgun]

Im always at anchor while fishing, an old tire chain is preferred and tied on the stern. That way everyones facing the same direction. If you were fishing in the wade area it’s common to just use a king net with a large hoop but no gill net bag. Like we use at Chitna. Picking fish is an art form but if you got a limit in 2.5 hours you did something right!