Got a job in Anchorage, Alaska

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Dillingham - wow. You guys are the real deal. You have to float the wood river before you leave there! I've landed on the gravel bars there, and have never seen so many fish. Incredible. Not just every species of salmon, but lots of trout too. BIG ones.

I haven't drifted it yet, but we take my brothers jet boat on it a couple times a year fishing for rainbows. I live maybe 10 - 15 min. drive from the Wood River boat launch @ the Snowpack cannery and 30 min. drive from Aleknagik Lake at the head of the river.

Here's a pick taken of the head waters of Wood River (Aleknagik Lake) on our way back from the Iguiliwok River fishing for Reds.

And this is my brothers boat. It's got a 351 Cleveland 4 blt. main w/4bbl holley carb w/edelbrock manifold and dual jets. That thing hauls a$$ but it's a total gas hog and then some.

[rlogan 2,036]

I haven't drifted it yet, but we take my brothers jet boat on it a couple times a year fishing for rainbows. I live maybe 10 - 15 min. drive from the Wood River boat launch @ the Snowpack cannery and 30 min. drive from Aleknagik Lake at the head of the river.

Way too awesome. Forget about Big Lake. This is way better! Pretty spooky when the fog rolls in, eh? I think the lake is named that way on account of the natives getting turned around in the fog.

And this is my brothers boat. It's got a 351 Cleveland 4 blt. main w/4bbl holley carb w/edelbrock manifold and dual jets. That thing hauls a$$ but it's a total gas hog and then some.

Hahahahahahaha! Total muscle pig. Fifty horespower per foot of boat or something crazy like that! Gets up on step into low earth orbit. I did the outboard route with a 24 ft. Wooldridge. It has a 225 hp johnson with jet unit, 12 gallons/hour. I fell on the side of wanting more room in the hull. You give up horsepower compared to the inboards. But if I'm on step it will do 4" of water no problem, and I can camp on the boat. You sleep a little better in coastal brownie territory on the boat instead of onshore.

I have to laugh about your brother's boat, and where it is being deployed. That's just great. Talk about zippy. Thanks for sharing!

Five foot Filipina drivin' a 'dozer clearing our road:

Edited April 6, 2012 by rlogan

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Way too awesome. Forget about Big Lake. This is way better! Pretty spooky when the fog rolls in, eh? I think the lake is named that way on account of the natives getting turned around in the fog.

Man I can't wait to get back to civilization though (Big Lake area). The cost of living here is ungodly not to mention it's a $500+ for r/t to Anchorage. Most of my family up here is in the Valley and a few in Anchorage. Dillingham sucks big time. We have a piece of land right past mile 51 off the Parks were building on. The only time it ever got hairy here as far as boating was heading up towards the Nushagak River and we hit a sand bar. All we could do was wait it out for next tide...which was a no fun 10 hour wait.

Hahahahahahaha! Total muscle pig. Fifty horespower per foot of boat or something crazy like that! Gets up on step into low earth orbit. I did the outboard route with a 24 ft. Wooldridge. It has a 225 hp johnson with jet unit, 12 gallons/hour. I fell on the side of wanting more room in the hull. You give up horsepower compared to the inboards. But if I'm on step it will do 4" of water no problem, and I can camp on the boat. You sleep a little better in coastal brownie territory on the boat instead of onshore.

Man I love those Woolridge's. Their way out of my price range but they don't make a better aluminum boat than a Wooldridge imo. I'm guessing you go up the Big Su with that baby.

I have to laugh about your brother's boat, and where it is being deployed. That's just great. Talk about zippy. Thanks for sharing!

That pic was taken at the boat launch on Aleknegik Lake...the end of the road here. It's a free place to launch and from there you can either go down Wood River, or hit all five lakes. Lots of bear on those lakes though so we usually don't do an over nighter unless we stay on the boat or take watches. Iv'e whacked two bear here in the past few years, but I got both of them at the landfill (dump).

Five foot Filipina drivin' a 'dozer clearing our road:

She's an Alaskan now!!! Great pic! That pic looks to be up on hillside (Anchorage) if I'm not mistaken. That or towards Peters Creek.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Why_Me

[rlogan 2,036]

Man I can't wait to get back to civilization though (Big Lake area). The cost of living here is ungodly not to mention it's a $500+ for r/t to Anchorage. Most of my family up here is in the Valley and a few in Anchorage. Dillingham sucks big time. We have a piece of land right past mile 51 off the Parks were building on. The only time it ever got hairy here as far as boating was heading up towards the Nushagak River and we hit a sand bar. All we could do was wait it out for next tide...which was a no fun 10 hour wait.

I understand. Can't argue with that.

Man I love those Woolridge's. Their way out of my price range but they don't make a better aluminum boat than a Wooldridge imo. I'm guessing you go up the Big Su with that baby. That pic was taken at the boat launch on Aleknegik Lake...the end of the road here. It's a free place to launch and from there you can either go down Wood River, or hit all five lakes. Lots of bear on those lakes though so we usually don't do an over nighter unless we stay on the boat or take watches. Iv'e whacked two bear here in the past few years, but I got both of them at the landfill (dump).

Of course. Shot five in twenty-six years. This was the biggest, and although not the closest, was the one I was the most worried about. Going after the moose I had down. Three of them, actually. All three charged me. Shot two. A kodiak deer next to it for comparison.

The closest though was this guy that tried to get into my cabin. I woke up from a dream of being in an earthquake. He was going back and forth across the front of the cabin, pushing with his forepaws. Shoving, trying to get in. Because he'd seen me do it, but didn't understand how a door works. So when he got to the door, I opened it up, and his paws were over the top of the door, pushing. So I let him have it. Point blank. He sat down on the porch, looking back and forth like "#######?" So I let him have it again. He launched up into the sky, like a coiled spring. When he hit the ground he was lurching sideways towards the woodpile and then dropped dead. That all happened in something like 90 seconds. From the earthquake dream to dead bear you have to skin up.

With the boat, originally I was doing riverboat taxi work on the Copper River. Dipnet charters I would take it down there in the beginning and then fly back and forth in a citabria I had back then. HEM charter was down there all week and I just did long week-ends but it was pretty good money for having a lot of fun. But then I got so into supercubs that I almost never use boats now.

We still dipnet just personal use, but I don't drag that beast all the way down there for 40 salmon. If I was working it again I would do that. We stash it in a top secret slough off the Chena and take a 4-wheeler to it now and then.

We're way north of you. East of Fairbanks. Pleasant Valley.

Edited April 7, 2012 by rlogan