From The Captain's Helm.....

As the weather gets colder and the frost drives deeper into the ground here in Alaska, it helps turn our thoughts to the soon approaching summer days that will bring warmth, long days of sunlight, and a new generation of returning Salmon to our famous Kenai Peninsula Rivers.

But it is with sincere thanks that we can take the time to celebrate Christmas in our own traditional family ways, and pause for a few minutes this time of year to review the many blessings we have inherited throughout the years. As Americans, we enjoy the great freedoms we still have, and hope that our future generations can continue to protect those values for years to come.

During the Christmas celebrations and New Year holidays, we hope that you find the time to celebrate your own holidays with your family and friends, and continue your own family traditions

At Rod N Real Charters, we look back over the many successful years we have enjoyed here in Alaska, sharing this beautiful country with our friends and family.  It is thanks to you, our valued fishing friends and guests, that we are able to continue our “Tradition of Fishing”, and we thank you for your continued support throughout so many years. We look forward to seeing you again in the very near future as we begin to prepare for the 2012 Fishing Season.

Halibut!  2 per day in 2012.

As of this writing, the 2012 Halibut Sport Fishing Limit is 2 per day per person!

There is quite a bit of confusion in the media when it comes to the Daily Limit of Halibut for sports fishers aboard our two 32 ft. Offshore Fishing Vessels, the FV Four Aces, and the FV Capture.. Rod N Real Charters fishes in Area 3A (southcentral Alaska), where we continue to enjoy a 2 Halibut per day per person limit; the same as we have had for the past 35-plus years.

For clarity purposes, Area 3A includes the entire Cook Inlet out of Ninilchik, and also the Gulf of Alaska out of Seward (these are the two areas we predominantly fish Halibut, Ling Cod, Rock Fish, Yellow Eye, and several species of Salmon).

Area 2C (southeast Alaska) will continue in 2012 with 1 Halibut per day limits. The Area 2C waters include fishing out of Sitka, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and waters south of Cape Spencer, just west of Juneau, Alaska.

If you have questions or concerns about the Halibut fishing, please don’t hesitate in contacting us. For now, plan on catching 2 Halibut Per Day Per Person when fishing with Rod N Real Charters in 2012.

Fly-Out Fishing!

Remember that we offer daily fly-out fishing adventures to the West Side of Cook Inlet starting around June 10, for King Salmon and Sockeye Salmon. Fly-outs are available throughout the season, winding down the end of August. Many of our returning guests make sure they spend one day of their vacation on an exciting, fun-filled day on a fly-out fishing excursion across the Cook Inlet. Experience the thrill of taking off and landing on lakes and rivers with a famous Alaskan bush pilot aboard float-equipped planes.

Silver Salmon, August 2012!

The month of August is one of our most popular time frames for guests traveling to Alaska for a great variety of fish species and fishing locations. Although the King Salmon season ends July 31, and the Sockeye Salmon are about finished by August 10, we have an abundance of fishing opportunities throughout the Kenai Peninsula.

Silver Salmon will be arriving on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers by August 1, and the Seward Silver Salmon season will be at the peak by the first week of August. Halibut fishing will be well underway in the Cook Inlet on our 30 ft offshore boat, the FV Capture, and Halibut, Ling Cod, & Rock Fish will be red-hot on our 30 ft offshore boat, the FV four Aces out of Seward.

The Seward experience continues to be one of the most popular fisheries in Alaska due to the abundance of marine life seldom found anywhere else in the world. Having chartered out of Seward the past 15 years on a limited basis, in 2011 we put “FV FOUR ACES” there full time because of the demand for that fishery. Not only will you enjoy the exceptional fishing and fantastic scenery, you will have the opportunity to see whales, sea lions, seals, otters and sea birds in their natural, unspoiled environment, while viewing ancient glaciers in the background.

If you enjoy catch & release fishing, August is a great time for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden fishing, and if you want the complete package of fishing, be sure to ask about a fly-out fishing charter availability for the week you are here.

We still have some available openings for August 2012 as of this day, but we recommend early booking as we are beginning to fill up our Kenai Riverfront Cabins most of the weeks in August.

2011 Sockeye Salmon Runs Exceed Expectations!

The Cook Inlet Sockeye Salmon run enjoyed a top-five all-time return in 2011! Despite gloomy pre-season forecasts from Fish & Game biologists the past 2 years, the Sockeye Salmon runs have enjoyed a tremendous surge in total numbers returning to Kenai Peninsula Rivers. And it really showed on the Kenai River, where anglers who put in the time fishing, ended up with limit catches beginning the second week of July. Fish & Game forecasts for 2012 are way up from previous prediction, so plan accordingly if you want to get in on the second run Kenai River Sockeye Salmon excitement.  The run traditionally swarms into the Kenai River between July 10 and July 14, and continues through August 5 to August 10.  This is also the best time for our second run of Big Trophy Kings (July 1 – July 31), and for the beginning of the Kenai River Silver Salmon Runs (August 1).

If your plans are taking you to Alaska in May and June, you will be able to enjoy the first run of Sockeye beginning the first week of June each year. Although not as big of a run in numbers and size as our July run, many of our guests enjoy spending the evenings fishing from shore at our Riverfront Cabins, and catching their fair share of these dime-bright, excellent eating Sockeye Salmon that are migrating up to the Russian River, where they will complete their life-cycle journey and leave plenty of spawn for the continuance of these genetically unique salmon.

Be sure to ask about Sockeye Salmon guided fishing trips when you are reserving your 2012 Fishing Trip with Rod N Real Charters.

Huge Ling Cod…Opens July 1^st.

Looking for Huge Ling Cod is easier than one would expect when fishing with Rod N Real Charters out of Seward, Alaska, aboard the custom built 30 foot offshore cruiser, FV Four Aces. Jigging and fishing small & large baits in the rock outcroppings and shallow rock pinnacles in the Gulf of Alaska, produces some of the nicest and largest Ling Cod in the fishing world.