Alaska (Anchorage) Spearfishing Partners

[SteveKL]

Just found this forum via link from Deco Stop.

I live in Anchorage and dive frequently in Prince William Sound (Whittier), Resurrection Bay (Seward), and Cook Inlet/Kachemak Bay (Homer). There are lots of great u/w hunting spots in Alaska! Lings, rockfish, and even halibut and salmon for the truly adventurous.

Several years ago I was privileged to participate in two spearfishing episodes for Alaska Outdoors Television. Episode #2 is still in rotation nationally on the Outdoor Life Network. Here's a link to a preview of that episode, which was filmed in Resurrection Bay (scroll down to second video window for longer clip):

http://www.alaskaoutdoorstelevision....arfish-diving/

If anyone has questions about u/w hunting in Southcentral Alaska, please post or PM me and I'd be happy to help if I can.

~Steve

[mepps1]

Originally Posted by SteveKL

Just found this forum via link from Deco Stop.

I live in Anchorage and dive frequently in Prince William Sound (Whittier), Resurrection Bay (Seward), and Cook Inlet/Kachemak Bay (Homer). There are lots of great u/w hunting spots in Alaska! Lings, rockfish, and even halibut and salmon for the truly adventurous.

Several years ago I was privileged to participate in two spearfishing episodes for Alaska Outdoors Television. Episode #2 is still in rotation nationally on the Outdoor Life Network. Here's a link to a preview of that episode, which was filmed in Resurrection Bay (scroll down to second video window for longer clip):

http://www.alaskaoutdoorstelevision....arfish-diving/

If anyone has questions about u/w hunting in Southcentral Alaska, please post or PM me and I'd be happy to help if I can.

~Steve

We'll be talking! I'm planning on being up thataway next summer.

I watched the show you posted a while ago.

[AKSandman]

I'm from the Kenai peninsula area and am just getting into spearfishing as well. Freediving Rocks my world and so does fishing so it was only a matter of time before spearfishing came up.

After bumping around in K bay for a while I have a few ideas of places to go but have never done any hunting.

[pacheco]

Got out this morning for a brutally cold beach dive. Got some greenling and flounder and a smaller ling cod. Vis was a good 20ft getting close to 30 in places.Best conditions ive seen in a month and a half. Last week i couldnt see my fins on my feet. Anybody else still diving?

[steepNdeep]

Hey Steve & Sandman, Cool to have you guys on the board. I've seen an episode, also... good stuff! Discussions periodically come up about Alaska & it will be great to have some experience on the board.

There was just a thread on here where we were dreaming about changing the regs so that we could spear salmon. Have you ever done it up there?

Any PICS!???

[tomo]

Originally Posted by pacheco

Got out this morning for a brutally cold beach dive. Got some greenling and flounder and a smaller ling cod. Vis was a good 20ft getting close to 30 in places.Best conditions ive seen in a month and a half. Last week i couldnt see my fins on my feet. Anybody else still diving?

That's why you get the fins with white lettering, makes it easier to check if they are still there.

[SteveKL]

Originally Posted by steepNdeep

There was just a thread on here where we were dreaming about changing the regs so that we could spear salmon. Have you ever done it up there?

In Alaska, any fish species that is legal to take on rod & reel (and which is open season and area) can be taken with a spear as long as you are completely submerged. Although some people I know do breath-hold diving in a wetsuit, I'm strictly a drysuit guy with either scuba or closed-circuit rebreather.

When schools of salmon congregate at the mouths of spawning rivers, the current and/or shallow depths of the streams make it pretty tough to get within range of the fish while submerged. In deeper water offshore, it's possible to find a spot where you can lie in wait for a school of salmon to pass by close enough for a shot. But then there are salmon sharks to worry about!

Here's Alaska Salmon are Crazy! - YouTube, a short video I shot in Prince William Sound of a spawning stream with lots of pink salmon (and a few sockeyes mixed in). This river would be typical of a slow-moving stream at high tide, when the water's deep enough you could probably do it (just watch out for feeding bears). I've never gone after salmon with a spear, but to try I think I'd over-weight so I could lie stationary on the bottom, and wait for the fish to come to me. There's no cover in these streams, and no way to sneak up on a school in clear water.

[nikko]

i spent summer of 2011 in ketchikan and had a large kayak and all my spear gear. I did a lot of work out in the misty fiords wilderness. i brought my gun with me everywhere. i ended up spearing kings, coho, and sockeye while i was there, in addition to rockfish but no halibut. i just bearly scratched the surface. I hope to head up to AK this summer to conduct fisheries work and am looking to permanently move up there. If so I would love to connect with some other freedivers.

[steepNdeep]

Originally Posted by SteveKL

In Alaska, any fish species that is legal to take on rod & reel (and which is open season and area) can be taken with a spear as long as you are completely submerged.

A short video I shot in Prince William Sound of a spawning stream with lots of pink salmon (and a few sockeyes mixed in).

Cool vid! It truly is still the wild west up there. We have a tough time getting them to allow spearing of non-native, invasive species. A trip is on the wish list...

Originally Posted by nikko

i spent summer of 2011 in ketchikan and had a large kayak and all my spear gear. I did a lot of work out in the misty fiords wilderness. i brought my gun with me everywhere. i ended up spearing kings, coho, and sockeye while i was there, in addition to rockfish but no halibut. i just bearly scratched the surface. I hope to head up to AK this summer to conduct fisheries work and am looking to permanently move up there. If so I would love to connect with some other freedivers.

Awesome! Any pics?

[K-1]

So I failed to check how up to date the responses are here, but Im all about it! I currently live in Seward & work as a sportfishing guide durinig the Summer. Targeting the ussual supects, Haribut, Salmon & Ringcod. I've got plenty experience spearfishing Hawaii and now ready to conquer some beasts here in AK. Email me if you're down.
K1tamayo@yahoo.com

[Toddler]

Wow, I thought I was all alone up here? Been plotting a way to make a Butt trip for a few years now. If anyone is looking for a partner please PM me

Drew

[nikko]

i will be living in Kenai/anchorage for the summer as a fish biologist and hopefully full time after the summer. I have 10 yrs cold water free diving and cant wait to head back to AK. we'll talk soon, will be there around may

[No I'm Josh]

You guys are making us drool down here.

[nikko]

hey, btw, what kind of dive suits are you guys wearingup there? I wore my FJ 7mm in southeast but may need to beef it up for more north

[K-1]

K1tamayo00@gmail.com