Icy Bay Lodge Alaskan fluke beat down

[bowguide]

Well I think Ive finally caught up on my sleep to be comprehensible so here it goes.
I just got back from an incredible 6 day trip to Icy Bay Lodge in Alaska with good friend and Black Hole rod distributor Kil Song. To say this trip was incredible would be selling it short because I don't think they have a word to truly describe it.
We left on June 10 and finally touched down on the remote airstrip mid day on June 11. The lodge is situated approximately 65 miles north of Yakutat and is only accessible by boat or plane.We were met at the landing strip by camp manager Wayne and his gourmet chef wife TJ for our "armed" escort back to the lodge via 4 wheelers which was 5 miles through the brush.
The lodge and its view were worth the trip alone.Kil and myself were the only guests for the week so we were treated more like family instead of customers. The main core of guests come to the lodge for the incredible salmon fishing which starts kicking in around mid July.
The next morning after a hearty breakfast we loaded our gear into the boat and headed about 30 miles to "the spot".The unique thing about this lodge is they fish grounds that almost no one else does due to their location, so the fishing pressure is extremely low and the avg size is much bigger than the rest of Alaska.
Once we got to the grounds and came tight on anchor the bite started. We were basically fluke fishing with 8oz buck tails tipped with big curly tails. On my first drop I hop my buck tail and feel the tell tale weight of a fish lying on it and promptly set the hook and thought I had the bottom until it moved and 15 min later we were harpooning a 234lb halibut. This action continued throughout the day with many fish over 100#s and probably a dozen over 150# but no more "giants". We also caught Ling cod,yellow eye rockfish, rockfish and some of the biggest skates I have ever seen. For the only time I can remember I was ready to head for the barn completely worn out.
The next two days we were unable to get out(which for some strange reason I was grateful)so we got to see why Icy Bay got its name. We saw Ice bergs otters, seals, eagles, brown bears, moose etc etc.
The next day we left at 6 because this was gonna be our last time to fish as it was expected to blow after that. We got back to the spot and decided to drift because it was so calm and as hard as it is to believe this day was even better. Again my first drop gets inhaled by a 150# halibut and it is non stop action. Two hours in Kil hooks "the bottom" but after a minute he says"bottom is moving". 30 minutes later we are struggling to pull the best fish of the trip 276.5# through the door. We continued to catch fish at will throughout the day,and at times our hooked halibut was followed up by two or three friends.We finally got back to the lodge at 930 to a hot meal and our beds.
For those of you who like this sort of thing I can't say enough about Icy Bay lodge and their staff,everything was awesome. The only downside, if you can call it that is communication with the outside world is sketchy at best.
Enjoy the pics

[bowguide]

some more pics

[Andreas Toy]

Nice trip!

[Art Berkman]

Awesome trip !!!

[MVP]

Thanks for sharing results of your amazing trip. I saw post by Kil as trip was happening and could not have been happier for you guys. In my next life I want to be reincarnated as Kil Song.

[papabear2611]

Something about having your picture taken by a fish that dwarfs you,
being held up by a, a, a, TRACTOR!!!
Holy Chit! Thanks for posting your trip

[dfish28]

That's the man only trip I have an open permit to do from the wife and I've been on her to change her mind... Not gonna happen but I make the offer every year, that sounds exactly like the place I'd like to go, how's the dry ice/ packaging situation there, limits as well?
On the other hand... In those first two pics is that a lowly straggler next to the hooked up one? Can you poon them like that? Or shoot n poon? Just saying
Congrats on some great memories!!

[bowguide]

For those of you that know me so you can compare size...lol

[bowguide]

Originally Posted by dfish28

That's the man only trip I have an open permit to do from the wife and I've been on her to change her mind... Not gonna happen but I make the offer every year, that sounds exactly like the place I'd like to go, how's the dry ice/ packaging situation there, limits as well?
On the other hand... In those first two pics is that a lowly straggler next to the hooked up one? Can you poon them like that? Or shoot n poon? Just saying
Congrats on some great memories!!

They have great storage facilities and they clean and vacuums pac everything for you.
The limit on halibut where we were was 1 over 29" and 1 under per day per man
Yes we often had 2 or 3 come up with the hooked fish
Our big fish were harpooned and shot

[Capt. Lou]

Awesome salmon fly fishing as well especially big silvers , some of biggest in Alaskan waters.
Obliviously super halibut angling as described . Years back
A friend landed a two twenty on 20 # class experimental rod
that they were testing for a Wash state rod company .