Fishing the Kenai Peninsula in the winter is a classic "Alaskan" experience. With more lakes than Minnesota (and bigger fish I might add), the Kenai Peninsula offers something for every level of angling adventurer.
Below are some photos and fishing stories from recent ice fishing expeditions made by our family and friends. Don't let the size of our fish fool you, we are at best "recreational" ice fisherpeople. To see the big fish you'll have to visit our friends at Soldotna Trustworthy Hardware and view the results of their 2008 Ice Fishing Derby (photos on that website by the way were edited and programmed in by our own "House Geek Gal" Jillian, who also helped create the YouTube video shown below to give you a tiny taste of a day on the ice of the closest lake to Kenai Riverfront:
February 23~24, 2008--"Weekends on Ice"
"...this is a great time of the year, long days of sunshine to bring us out of our winter dens and away from the computer, Sony Playstation, and boob tube...you get the picture. We're gaining 5 minutes and 41 seconds of daylight each and every day now, so the days are really starting to stretch out. It's not getting dark until nearly 8:00pm suddenly! A great time to get out and enjoy this beautiful place we call home, spending weekends on the ice, playing in the snow, and catching some pretty fish. Within an hour drive of our river home we can find dozens of lakes, big & small, with fish to match. Add some stunning mountain views, with back country skiers carving down the mountain, eagles soaring, moose meandering and I'd have to agree with our friends outside...we do live in Heaven."
February, 2008--"Ice Fly Fishing?"
"...this was the scene at the Kenai Lake bridge in Cooper Landing (headwaters of the Kenai River) the other day. Poor guy couldn't decide if he should fly fish in the open water or go back to his ice house, sitting just near the open water's edge. Only in Alaska are we faced with these sorts of dilemmas...either way, he's sure to end up with a nice big fat winter Rainbow on his line, a great way to wile away the winter. Don't fret too much, the next pic is of a moose walking right across the river ice, so it must be pretty thick to hold her 1000 pound frame, right? To be safe though, I suggest you bring your PFD, a raft, or some scuba gear!"
February 16, 2008--"Fishin' on a Mission"
"...with another good excuse to get out and enjoy a day on the ice, this time a fundraiser for Peninsula Grace's Nicaragua Mission, we all ventured out into blizzard like conditions (okay, the girls stayed home, but Mom & I and the boys were brave), back to Sport Lake, this time hiding out in an ice house for most of the day. The wind was blowing so hard, with snow swirling about, that the ice house blew over once. Still, we enjoyed some underwater camera action, the boys caught lot's of fish, and Taylor even won a new DVD player for his prized Kokanee catch. The boys are hooked now, asking when they'll "get" to go out in minus twenty windchill to fish again!"
February 2, 2008--"Out of the Deep Freeze, Into the Freezer"
"...with temps finally crawling out of the -30 below range, we're all crawling out of dens ourselves it seems, and getting out for some much needed liquid vitamin D and a fix of fishing too! These pics were taken at the kickoff party on nearby Sport Lake for the Annual Ice Fishing Derby sponsored by Soldotna Trustworthy Hardware. It was a great day on the ice, with a warm fire, loads of sunshine, good friends, and some nice lil' keepers."
