Alaska Fisheries Board

Nearly 1.7 million tourists visit Alaska every summer, many hoping to take advantage of the legendary fishing opportunities in America’s Last Frontier.

And while some opt for all-inclusive fishing packages from travel lodges and hotels, others seek the full wilderness experience and choose instead to book a private vacation home deep in the heart of Alaska’s natural beauty. Indeed, private vacation rentals in Alaska have risen in recent years.

“Alaska has a cachet because of our unique history and culture, dramatic natural beauty, and the strong individualism of many Alaska residents,” said Susan Bell, commissioner for Alaska’s Department of Commerce. “Even with those advantages, we need to continue to be responsive to evolving market needs and ensure that Alaska is seen and heard in the marketplace.”

Part of that responsiveness has made itself manifest in the many options available to fishermen seeking to try their hand in Alaska. Prospective visitors now have a plethora of vacation homes to choose from, even in the most remote locations.

If you want to be one of this adventuresome number, you can find thousands of houses for rent at RentalAds.com or other sites specifically catering to the Alaskan fisherman. But first, you need to decide where you want to stay.

When looking for Alaska housing, consider these five locations—prime in both the fishing and housing markets.

1. Kenai River

This 132-mile river runs along the Kenai Peninsula from Kenai Lake to the Cook Inlet. It features two runs of king, silver, and red salmon during the popular summer season, as well as one run of pink salmon every other year. The Kenai River is also home to the record-breaking, 97-pound king salmon caught in 1985.

Of course, all of the fish and fame attract many other fishermen so if you want a truly isolated experience, you may consider coming in the fall to fish for some rainbow trout.

Or you can simply rent one of the many mountain cabins and vacation homes along the Kenai Peninsula. Everything from chalets to simple houses are available, located right next to the river or further back in the woods so you can find a place to suit your fancy.

2. Nushagak River

Located in southwest Alaska, the Nushagak River begins in the Alaska Range and flows into the Bristol Bay 280 miles later. All five species of Pacific salmon are present—Chinook, Coho, sockeye, chum, and pink—so if you’re looking for salmon fishing, this is the river to visit.

The annual run of Chinook salmon is the most popular, occurring from mid-June to mid-July.

Rainbow trout, grayling, burbot, northern pike, whitefish, and arctic char can also be found in the Nushagak.

If this is the river you want to visit, you have a lot of options in terms of vacation homes. If you’re traveling solo, you might consider some of the small, one-bedroom log cabins or if you want a more luxurious experience, there are even mansions in the nearby hills.

3. Bristol Bay

One of the more popular locations in Alaska for sockeye salmon, Bristol Bay is located between mainland Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula. It is home to several tributaries and connecting streams, as well as the largest salmon run in the world.

Besides sockeye, you can catch chum, silver, and king salmon. And if you want a location away from the open bay waters, you can try some of the nearby rivers and streams that feature rainbow trout, arctic char, and grayling.

As far as housing is concerned, Bristol Bay County is home to several vacation homes in various shapes and sizes. Some feature lots as large as two acres while others have full windows facing the bay. You can also rent the traditional cabin customized for fishermen and hunters.

4. Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island is perhaps best known for the 800-pound bear that carries the island’s name. However, it’s also home to nearly 300 miles of coastline and great trout and salmon fishing. While you can fish off the rocky shores, you can also get lost in the Kodiak Island road system, which takes people through the backcountry to the perfect fishing spot.

Kodiak boasts 22 lakes, secluded beaches, and coves. You can even charter a float plane or boat to take you to more remote rivers and lakes along the public lands.

But despite its remote location, there are quite a few real estate options available on Kodiak. You can rent a condo or apartment, or you can even camp on the beach.

5. Sitka

The city of Sitka is located on Baranof Island in the southern half of the Alexander Archipelago in Alaska. If you’re looking for heavy duty fishing, this is the place to go—the average king salmon in Sitka weighs between 20 and 70 pounds.

Big silver salmon and halibut are also abundant, weighing in at around 50 to 70 pounds each.

And you’re likely to enjoy the area, too. Being so far south of most of the rest of the state, Sitka enjoys a mild climate and a more populous region. If you get bored in your rental cabin or home, you can go to downtown Sitka and find a bar or do some grocery shopping.

Happy fishing!

People love iPhones. In the second quarter of 2011, Apple sold more than 18.6 million of them. And that’s only a fraction of the whole year!

What people don’t love is the restrictions that Apple imposes on iPhone capabilities and features.

Some people begrudgingly comply. Others turn to iPhone jailbreaking.

Since 2010, iPhone jailbreaking no longer carries any legal ramifications. But are there other ramifications that make jailbreaking a bad idea? Take a look at the pros and cons and decide for yourself.

The Pros

Jailbreaking liberates your phone. It removes the software limitations that Apple places on iPhones and allows you to expand your phone’s capabilities. There are many reasons why users would want to jailbreak an iPhone, but these 3 are the most popular:

Affordable Roaming

Using an iPhone in another country could cost you an arm and a leg in roaming charges. Some carriers, like AT&T do offer international data plans; however, these are usually more expensive and don’t give you very much data.

By jailbreaking your iPhone you can roam in other countries for less. All you have to do is purchase an affordable pay-as-you-go SIM card and you’re in business. This option is not available to captive iPhones.

Restore Old iPhones

Every year a new iPhone comes out. If you make the switch every time, you’ll soon have a stash of old iPhones that are little more than glorified iPods. Or, you can jailbreak your old iPhone and switch to a new carrier. Using a pay-as-you-go SIM card, you can continue to use your iPhone. It won’t have all the capabilities it once had, but you’ll save money and hassle.

More Access & Features

The App Store is home to thousands of applications. But believe it or not, the selection is limited. Hundreds of apps are not available on the app store, and some available apps are not the best. iPhone jailbreaking allows you to download Cydia; a third party app store with more and often better options than the Apple store.

Another perk of jailbreaking is free tethering. If you want to use your iPhone as a modem, you have to pay AT&T $20 a month for permission to do that. Cydia offers apps that provide this feature for no additional charge.

The Cons

Unfortunately, altering the software of your iPhone is not without its consequences. Before deciding to jailbreak, you may want to take these negative outcomes into consideration:

Stability Issues

Third-party apps are not usually examined as carefully as those in the App Store. If you’re downloading apps onto a jailbroken iPhone, you could potentially download some unstable apps. There may also be apps that drain your battery life faster than Apple approved apps.

Several companies offer jailbreaking service, but not all of them are reliable. If a jailbreak goes badly, you could “brick” your phone. iPhonelox is one of the more reliable, popular companies to do an iPhone jailbreak through. If you choose to do a jailbreak through a company like this, the conversion should be much more stable and safe.

Void Warranty

Apple states that modifying the iOS is a “violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone…that has installed any unauthorized software.” In other words, your warranty may become void if you jailbreak your iPhone.

Virus Threats

Jailbroken iPhones are given the default “alpine” password. If you don’t change this password, which many people forget to do, you leave your phone open to attacks from the outside. One way to avoid hacks is to change the default password. This will protect your iPhone from some threats, but it may not protect it from all of them. A good tip is to be cautious about what apps you download.

The Choice Is Yours

On the pros side, iPhone jailbreaking gives you access to affordable roaming, more carrier options, more and better apps, free tethering, and the option to recycle your iPhone. On the con side, you could download some unstable apps, void your warranty, and possibly expose your iPhone to virus threats.

You love your iPhone and want the best for it. So what’s it going to be? Are you going to jailbreak or not?

If you are heading up to Alaska on a vacation, chances are you may try your hand at fishing. Do you know what the most common types of fish species live in Alaskan waters? Well, let us enlighten you!

One common fish species you can find in Alaskan waters is the king salmon. Also known as the chinook, the king salmon is the biggest of all the Alaskan fish species. You can find the king salmon all way from Alaska’s southernmost Inside Passage to the Chukchi Sea. The biggest king salmon caught in
Alaska was in 1985 in the Kenai River, and it weighed 97 pounds, 4 ounces.

Alaska is also home to the Halibut, which typically weighs between 15 and 20 pounds–although in 1996, a 459 pound Halibut was caught in Unalaska Bay! They can be spotted from the Inside Peninsula to the Kenai Peninsula to the Aleutians.

Another common and popular fish species in Alaskan waters is the rainbow trout. The record for biggest rainbow trout caught in Alaska was one that weighed 42 pounds, 3 ounces, and it was caught on Bell Island in 1970. Rainbow trout can be caught using all sorts of lures, baits, and flies; they are a very aggressively feeding breed of fish.

Another type of fish that you can find in Alaskan waters is the red salmon. Red salmon are notoriously difficult to catch, but they are very delicious and are thus worth the extra effort. The largest red salmon ever caught in Alaska weighed 16 pounds and was caught in the Kenai River in 1974.

You can also find lots of silver salmon in Alaskan waters. These are thrilling fish to try and catch because they are very lively and tend to put up lively fights. The biggest silver salmon ever caught in Alaska weighed 26 pounds and was found near Glacier Bay National Park in 1976.

Which fish species are you most excited to catch?

Despite their strange appearance, eelpout have become an increasingly popular fish in the Bemidiji area. Ice conditions are good and temperatures are just above freezing during the day and much colder at night. Any melted areas on the lake refreeze overnight. This year, the eelpout season will officially end in Minnesota on February 29th, giving anglers an extra day.

The eelpout fish has its own festival this coming weekend, beginning today and running through Sunday. Headquartered in City Park in Walker, this is one of the few fish based festivals that is not entirely about the fish. For many people, this festival is more about the social events.

So how do you catch more eelpout? You need to know more about this unusual fish. Eelpout are freshwater cod that live in the deeper areas of lakes during the summer in an effort to avoid the heat. They only come to the surface during the colder winter months. In Laker Superior, Eelpout have been found at depths of more than 1000 feet. Apparently, there is nothing too deep for the eelpout.

Basically, you will not find eelpout during the summer months at all. Like bears, they almost seem to hibernate in the dark crevices of a lake. They are the ultimate cold water species among fish.

In addition, eelpout eggs are always extremely large because of the fact that they have to sit at the bottom of the lake for so long before hatching. Embryos naturally have a lot of food in the eggs so that they can grow and survive within the egg for long periods of time. However, even deep in the lake, these eggs do tend to be eaten before they hatch due to the high calorie content. Therefore, fishermen often find these brownish green eggs in other species of fish that they catch later in the season.

If you want to catch an eelpout, the best thing to use is live bait. Some fisherman have effectively used liquid scents, rattle baits, and lures that glow, because as an alternative to live bait, these items do attract many eelpout by making up for their rather limited sight.

If you would like to participate in the Eelpout festival, it is held on Walker Bay in Leech Lake every year. It can be a good choice for the kids, providing live entertainment. This festival could easily be a family affair.

The rivers are in pristine condition, and fishermen are turning up on the Northwest coast in droves. With all of the boats popping up on every major river, I would guess that steelhead fishing is pretty good right now, which means that rivers might be a little bit overcrowded. So locals may want to fish their own more secluded niche, preferably in the same area. However, even with the crowds, fisherman seem to be catching more fish than you might expect.

Weather for This Weekend

Rain will break on the Northwest coast Wednesday and Thursday, and you can expect light rain on Friday and Saturday. The Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather service reports that you may see a small rise in wind, but it shouldn’t be too bothersome on the rivers. Next Monday, you can expect a stronger front to drop in, and this front may stay til Tuesday.

More Steelhead in the Trinity

Numbers have been lagging the past few years, but it appears that steelhead have returned to the Trinity River in record numbers this year. Mary Claire Kier of the Department of Fish and Game Trinity River Project reports that 4002 wild adult steelhead have returned to the river this year. Last year, only 2027 returned.

The Chetco River is Decent

Reports show that the river is now below 1000 cf’s and the fish are described as being “extremely spooky.” Boat traffic is particularly heavy on this river, and you may not see the fish you want. Small bait or puff balls seem to be the most effective bait right now, but you should watch out for trees in certain areas according to river officials.

Smith River

Boat traffic has been light so far and the fish are abundant. The river is getting low, but fish seem to be sticking around for the long haul. This week, most fisherman report getting bites one day and no bites the next. With reports of rain this weekend, many fisherman are hoping for more bites in the weeks to come.

Eel River

Darren Brown of Garberville’s Brown’s Sporting Goods reports, With the rain we had, the river came up 8 to 12 inches and colored up a bit. The river should be in great shape heading into the weekend. So far, the fishing has not been optimal on this river.

Van Duzen: Your Best Bet?

The Van Duzen has seen plenty of fish already, and according to regulars, anglers are doing extremely well. The creek is described as being a little bit cloudy, but the river looks good. On Wednesday, CF levels rose, peaking at 600 CF’s. This is by far the best looking river so far.

With a coal burning plant that was previously on the shores of Lake Erie closing, experts and environmentalists expect Lake Erie’s fish population to jump. The plant is being shut down due to new air pollution rules, and even before these rules were put into place, we knew it was a problem. For years, this plant has ^{sucked billions of gallons of water in each year, killing the large majority of the fish population.} Literally millions of fish have been lost in the past to this one plant.

Environmental groups have been long lobbying to get this plant shut down, saying that the coal production contributed to the decline of species such as the yellow perch and walleye, two important fish that anglers seek specifically in the Midwest. Previously, environmental groups lobbied to force the plant to install new technologies that would protect fishy populations, but plant owners, the Akron based FirstEnergy Corp, did not make the costly changes.

Last week, it was officially announced that FirstEnergy will be shutting down 6 different coal fired plans near the Maumee River by Toledo, which many say will also protect the walleye, another fish species that has been waning because of the methods used.

How Much Damage Does This Really Do?

Experts estimate that the methods previously used by FirstEnergy killed 46 million adult fish and millions more eggs that would have spawned even more fish. According to Sandy Bihn, leader of the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association, Now these numbers will go way down.

Some activists hope that other similar plants will be closing down in the near future, or preferably changing their ways and investing in safer technology that specifically protects the countless fish who have been sacrificed in the past. However, this is not without cost.

The Cost of Closing the Plants

Because of the FirstEnergy closing, company officials say that 80 people will lose their jobs when all of the coal burning generators at the plant near Toledo are shut down. One non-coal burning generator will remain open. Of course, activists and others would rather see the plant make the necessary modifications for environmental friendliness, nobody wants these 80 people to lose their jobs.

However, FirstEnergy and others have stated that if they were to make these changes, it would cost $100 million and electricity rates would significantly spike. However, for the fishing community, this could be an almost immediate improvement. With the rate at which fish are able to spawn, Charter Captain Dave Spangler thinks that A lot of those fish are primarily bait fish, and there will be many more walleye that can get by during spawning.

It’s not that this kind of incident is that common. Actually, shark attacks are rare occurrences, and most of the time, the shark simply mistakes you for something else like a sea turtle. However, we scare every time we hear about a shark coming into contact with a human.

In this case, two commercial fisherman based in Hawaii thought that they had caught a 300 pound Marlin, which would have been a very profitable catch. However, they weren’t as lucky as they thought. The struggling Marlin left its own scent in the water, attracting a great white shark, who had a much easier time taking in a trapped Marlin.

The great white shark, or at least what was believed to be a great white, circled their boat for an hour off the coast of Hawaii, before they were able to return to shore. Addison Toki and Dominick Gaballo did experience some excitement to be fair, stating Talk about jaws, this is the real deal right here!

Great white sharks, especially around something like a boat, is a rare sight around Hawaii period, especially this time of year. Seeing them is rare, and one actually circling the boat is even more rare. This particular shark took a bite of the propeller, and many veteran fisherman consider this a once in a lifetime experience, if you ever experience it at all.

Obviously, this is a scary concept, especially if the shark decides to take more than a test bite. However, generally speaking, this is not as dangerous as you might think.

Cordova, Alaska, a small fishing town, is now the victim of one of the biggest snowstorms in years. In fact, the National Guard has been employed to help dig people out of their homes buried by avalanches. Cordova, like any other area of Alaska, is used to snow, but not like this.

According to reports from the Guard, more than 18 feet of snow has fallen in the past few weeks, though they do not have an exact measurement at this time. According to officials, “This is more quantity than can be handled.”

At least 3 buildings have collapsed or partially collapsed because of the snow, and six homes are severely stressed by the heavy, wet snow. It has been 3 weeks now of unrelenting snow, leaving some residents staying in shelters and others staying with family members. Some have also been staying with other residents. Cordova spokesman Allen Marquette has also stated that officials are ready to set up a pet shelter.

Mayor Jim Kallander has stated, “We have no alternative but to declare an emergency. It became a life-safety issue.”

There are no roads open to the town, in part because of the heavy snowfall and rain that has made road conditions extremely treacherous. Workers can only get there by boat or plane. No injuries have been reported so far luckily, but bad weather has prevented Guard from even flying in in certain cases.

Over 70 guard were able to get in by Ferry Sunday, and about 50 will clear roofs, boats, roads, and other areas. Officials say that guard will be there for 2 weeks to lend help where they can. This will continue to be an ongoing operation for as long as necessary though.

Today’s classes started later than usual to account for the weather. However, officials have stated that parents need only send students if they are comfortable venturing out into the weather. Most residents seem to be taking other approaches to transportation, walking, skiing, or snowshoeing to get from place to place.

A fishing tournament used to raise money for MS, Perchin for MS allows everyone to be a winner, and of course your time and money goes to a good cause. You pay in teams, $40 per team, and half of this entry fee goes to the Multiple Sclerosis walk under your name of course. The other half goes toward paying for applicable prizes.

Held for the first time on Lake Simcoe, the first official Perchin for MS was a huge success. Next year, they are hoping to see an even bigger turnout as the word gets out. It’s definitely a worthy cause, and you can help people in need. How can you really go wrong with that?

The first year got 78 teams from Ontario and the United States, and $4000 was raised for MS awareness and research. According to an avid angler and conservation officer who happens to suffer from MS, “I started this event because I wanted to promote education and awareness around MS and I thought what better way to do than through a fishing derby.”

This man, Poirier, knows the limitations of MS, and he knows all too well the need for supportive family and friends around you. He continues, “the goal of the event was also to raise a bit of money for MS, and I am pleased to announce that thanks to some generous monetary donations we raised almost $4000 that will go directly to the MS Society of Canada.”

Most of the anglers involved were from the GTA, but others came from Owen Sound and Niagara as well as Muskoka, Halliburton, and Ottowa. There were even a fair number from the US who were eager to participate and test their skills. Some were recreational ice fishers, and many from the US were actually competitive.

Whether you are an amateur or more of a professional mind, this anglers society wants you. They want your involvement, your help, and most of all, your money obviously. Companies are getting involved, far exceeding anybody’s expectations, and more people are coming together all the time.

A Massachusetts fisherman officially pulled up an 881 pound tuna this year, only to find out that he couldn’t keep it. Because of licensing issues, the fish was confiscated, and while it sounds ridiculous, all of this is completely true.

Mr. Rafael, the would be record breaking fisherman, and his crew used nets to catch bottom dwelling fish, and they inadvertently happened to catch this particular fish. When they docked though, federal fishery enforcement agents took control of the giant tuna. The reason was simple, despite what you may think.

The boat Rafael was on did not actually have tuna permits, and fisherman are only technically allowed to catch tuna with rod and reel by law. The fact that it was an accident had no bearing. Rafael didn’t need a bigger boat, just a better permit and a rod and reel with the intent to specifically fish for tuna. Going out on his particular expedition, anyone could admit that he had no way of knowing what was coming.

Rafael has been interviewed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) enforcement division, who state that he caught the tuna at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He has disputed this idea. Rafael states, “They didn’t catch that fish on the bottom. They probably got it in the mid-water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon.”

However, the pride of catching a fish that big is not the only thing that Rafael has had taken away from him. Selling a fish like that would actually bring in quite a bit of money. A 754 pound tuna recently sold for $396,000. You can imagine how much a fish over 100 pounds heavier would sell for. Unfortunately, the NOAA has no responsibility or intention of sharing the profits of this fish with the fisherman who actually caught it.

Monica Allen, a deputy director with the NOAA fisheries has stated, “This rule is important to the conservation of this unusual fish that is severely depleted and managed internationally by more than 48 nations. Because they are slow to mature and reproduce, rebuilding this species population is a lengthy and difficult process.”