Mr Gingerbread Goes Dip Netting - Fish Camp Day 4

This is our last day of dip netting for this trip. Most of us are nearing our limits.  THIS is the day Mr. Gingerbread man went dip netting with the guys. LOL

We skipped the morning tides.

We slept in. Which felt fantastic after our 15 1/2 hour fishing day yesterday. 

We had our big meal at lunch time.

We spent the afternoon napping, reading, playing games, fixing nets.... 

Papa and I (my name seems to have settled into Baba (for Baa-Chan) took Benny for a walk at the campground.

He was fascinated by this guy, but was sure turkeys "roaaarrr." 

We hit the beach at 5 p.m. hoping to come close to finishing out our limits. 

Many others had the same idea. This was the most crowded tide we fished. If you look closely you can see people waiting behind those fishing to get into place. When a fish is caught, the person must drag the fish to shore.....and others jump right in. The beach crew is essential to getting the fishing members back into line or place ASAP. 

Photo by Nate

 This is a short net...ours had another extension. 

Photo by Nate

I decided to leave the beach and try my hand at fishing. That current is STRONG. It was a challenge to remain on my feet and keep the net upright in the current.  I realized quickly I was shorter than those I was trying to stand by....I got swamped...cold wave down my waders..... I was worrying to much about those beside me and getting in their way... I decided to back out and tripped. I went under...wet from head to toe.... Michael showed up on the beach about then and suggested I try a shortened net (like the one above) rather than the longer nets. I'll try again next year. It was a cold evening on the beach.  Alack and alas - no photos. ::snort::

Photo by Nate

 Mother/Son bonding 

Photo by Nate

 Such a sweet photo

Krista, Benny, Stacia - Photo by Nate

Nate and I - Photo by Krista 

Having Krista, Dad and Nate on the beach made my job much easier and more enjoyable. We moved coolers and equipment down and up the beach. They were great new play mates for Benny, as well. 

Before we knew it it was time to get off the beach. These photos were taken at 10 p.m. and we still had an hour of cleaning in our future. 

Leaving the beach for the last time this year.  I'm so glad the kids were able to join us this year. It's a LOT of hard work, long days...but it's time to be working towards a goal together...and we all go home with a healthy protein source for the winter! 

Izaak decided to drive home tonight and surprise BreAnne. 

Day 4 Fish Counts 
Personal Day Count - 41 Total Fish 
Alex - 8
Arielle - 5
Cory - 7
Cy - 10
De'Etta -
Izaak - 4
Michael -5
Stacia - 2

Cumulative Counts *
Personal Count (176)
Alex - 35
Arielle - 13
Cory - 32
Cy - 41
De'Etta -0
Izaak - 21
Michael - 22
Stacia - 12

Group Total 164
Our Household Total 64

*I find it HILARIOUS that the personal counts are 12 fish higher than the Group Total. I asked and notated over and over and the numbers simply don't match. LOL This tells me several Gherkins are truly the master of the "fishing tale."  The Group total of 164 was taken from the final totals on each household's harvest card. It's the accurate number. 

Dip Netting 2019 - Fish Camp Day 3

We were on the beach at 6 a.m. and we didn't come home until 9 p.m.  That about says it all. LOL

Heading for the beach 

The guys insisted we would be home at 9:30 a.m. and then go out again in the afternoon - but when the time came...the fish were hitting....they didn't want to lose their spot by coming off the beach....and so...we stayed.

Alex

Josiah, Cory, Alex, Michael, Stacia, Izaak 

This was our rainiest day

In the midst of the day - Jamin arrived. I drove back to the campsite, picked him up, got lunch things for the crew and headed back. Jamin was only able to fish for a few hours - but it was fun to have him drop in.  I drove him back to camp and then hit the beach again.

It rained the whole time Jamin fished. 

Benny is a great fisherman. He went out with CoRielle and he also stayed on the beach with me and Stacia.  When I walked with him up and down the beach people knew him and greeted him with, "Hi, Benny!"  He's a social person this one.

Cory and Benny come to talk with Arielle as she fishes

Precious times together on the beach 

Michael got tired and sent Stacia back in. 

Stacia builds a sand castle and Benny makes a new friend

There was an emergency order saying we couldn't keep kings on the Kenai River during the time we were there. We saw several netted - and released. Cory got one. I took the photo through a ziploc bag - but it's a photo. It was fighting hard and Cory had to get to a spot where he could help it get free from the net. It did. 

Cory's King

The fish began to hit fast and hard....and within no time we knew it was time to break and count. We realized we had a couple of hours of work ahead to lug the coolers up the beach, ferry everyone to camp, have dinner and clean fish. 

We had just decided to go back to camp when Krista called to say she, Nate (my brother) and Dad had arrived. She got dinner going while we lugged things back up the beach.

Stacia and Alex....

That's a heavy cooler when it's loaded with salmon

It was nice to have dinner waiting when we got home....and then we had to clean 97 salmon. LOL

Nate - my youngest brother

 Nate and Krista were happy to jump in and help with the cleaning. Here we are at 10:42 p.m. 

Nate, Krista, Izaak

I was never so thankful for my shower - at midnight. Tomorrow, we will finish off those who still have fish to catch and then it's off to another spot.

Day 3 Fish Count
Personal Day Count - 97 Total Fish 
Alex - 17
Arielle - 7
Cory - 18
Cy - 19
De'Etta -
Izaak - 15
Michael - 11
Stacia - 10

Cumulative Counts 
Personal Count
Alex - 27
Arielle - 8
Cory - 25
Cy - 31
De'Etta -0
Izaak - 17
Michael - 17
Stacia - 10

Group Total 136
Our Household Total 64

Dip Netting 2019 - Fish Camp Day 2

0500 and we are all rolling out of bed. Benny, is less excited about fishing than others are.  Maybe Benny is just more honest about his feelings. We've developed more filters. "Yay - Dip Netting! I LOVE to stand in the rain, up to my armpits, in ocean water!!!! For hours on end."

Y'all are CRAZY!

Stacia slept in.  The plan was for Stacia to come with Arielle and Benny down to the beach when they did. The rest of us would get started. On the way to the beach, we lost a pair of fishing gloves.  I headed back to the RV to pick up gloves....and the rest were ready to go fishing. We diligently searched for a legal, free parking spot. We  finally gave in and paid the daily parking rate of $20. OUCH.

Izaak had sprung a giant leak in his waders. He spent the morning finding a new pair.

By the time we arrived at the beach everyone had caught at least one fish.  We knew the fishing would be slow today. Our best chance was to catch salmon which had made it to this area before the fishermen went out.

Lots of seagulls

At this point Benny seemed to be wondering why we got him out of bed to watch others stand in the water. LOL Before too long he was having great fun. 

Benny, Cory (yellow jacket), 

 The nets are long. Ones walks them out into the current, and holds them in place. The wait can be short or long. When the salmon hit, you wrestle them back to shore.

Josiah 

Cory

Alex & Michael 

This little man honestly amazed me. He is a trooper. It was wet and cold and he didn't complain. When one of us told him to stop or come to us - he did - even when we could tell he really didn't want too. By the end of this day, people were calling goodbye to Benny up and down the beach as we left. 

Because there will be many photos of Benny near the action - I want to point out - just out of camera range there was ALWAYS at least two of us watching him....sometimes more. He was never in danger near the water or with the tools.

Stacia and Benny wait for some action from the water

Me - I did NOT catch this fish 

Stacia alternated between being in the water and helping me on the shore. We played with Benny. We also ran to untangle fish so those fishing could get their nets back into the water ASAP.  The tide changes quickly. We spent a lot of time schlepping our coolers, buckets etc down the beach, then back up the beach, and down the beach again and up the beach for a final time. LOL 

Papa and Benny - with Cory, Arielle and Stacia in the background

 Arielle's first dip-netted salmon

CoRielle

 Benny is on hand to help

Stacia helps Cy with a salmon, Cory waits to hand off his salmon

Portrait of an Alaskan Family 

 Love this photo. 

I couldn't help but remember the first time we took Josiah fishing. It started a life-long habit of father/son fishing. This isn't the first time Benny has been fishing - it IS his first time being so up close with dip-netting. Last year he was not mobile. LOL

This is the day we learned, sadly, one needs to guard their equipment AND their fish. Benny seemed alert to this much sooner than the rest of us. 

Arielle guides her net back into place - this was when the beach was NOT crowded. 

Michael, Arielle, Josiah, Alex

Cory, Benny, Stacia

The guys were on the beach at bout 0600. The rest of us arrived at 0715. CoRielle came back to the RV around noon for lunch. The rest of us stayed until 2 pm or so.

Someone eventually missed this boot. LOL 

 1:27 p.m. at the cleaning station - follows every catch. LOL 

Josiah, Izaak, Michael, Cory 

Showers NEVER feel as fantastic as they do when one is covered with fish slime and blood and has been standing in water for 7 hours. A note about the rain - it was much better than predicted. It DID rain - but it wasn't windy.

Josiah was wet from the waist down when we got back - and Izaak knew just where to buy waders. ::snort:: They also discovered one can fill a cooler full of ice from a machine outside the Soldotna Sportsmen Warehouse.  Izaak was gracious enough to pick up some hot chocolate for us.

Bre sent yummy cookies - which Izaak shared

A boy and his Uncle

Most napped. We had dinner....and then....the guys headed out to fish the evening tide even though we all "knew" there wouldn't be many fish. It is a good time for them, Izaak hadn't been able to fish yet today....and I mentioned I was keeping track of the totals and we should have some sort of prize. 😛😉😀 This family does like a good competition. It is nice to have a bit of fun motivation. This is hard work. Yes, it will fill the freezer - but having a bit of fun will keep us going out early and staying out late.  I wish I'd thought to get a trophy ready - I suggested a fish carcass on a stick....but that isn't going to fly...and Arielle and I are brainstorming a few categories....most salmon, most flounders, most equipment dysfunctions....

Guys heading out again

 We gals and Benny went for a walk while the guys caught the 2nd tide.  Michael agreed it should be slow enough they wouldn't NEED me dealing with the fish and coolers on the beach. We saw baby llamas, turkeys and a pig. We noted most employees here seem to ride unicycles. We played at a playground.

The guys returned with new fish counts and tales of stolen fish. They were at the cleaning station at 10:30 pm.

This is what 10:45 p.m. looks like in the summer. 

So...on the beach at 0600.....fish cleaned and hitting the showers at 2300. It was a long - but productive - day.


Day 2 Fish Count
Group Total 39
Our Household Total 27 

Funny Fish Story - Michael

I looked across the fishermen in the current and noticed Michael was struggling. As I watched, he continued to flounder, his net was wonky, has balance was off, and he didn't seem  able to "right" himself.

I thought he was having a Parkinson's attack or something.  He was in trouble.

None of the boys were near him. I was about to yell for them when I noted the men around him take note.

It turns out Michael had been saying, "I need some help," and they just kept talking.

He finally yelled, "I need help. I'm in trouble."

The man next to him asked what was going on as he watched Michael.

Michael wasn't sure.

It turns out the hook which attaches waders to boot laces had come undone. The hook at the bottom of his waders  was tangled in his net. He couldn't stand, or walk, or move the net, without repercussions.

They managed to get him untangled and we've had a good laugh about it throughout the day.