Mid-July Update - Big Kings Getting Bigger

[Captain Rick Bentley]

If you have been following along at this site, you know how the 2011 Season ended; with very healthy hauls of large 3-year old kings approaching 14-15lbs. The fishing was so outstanding late last season that I was cautiously saying that the 2012 season would usher one of the best years for king salmon in recent memory. That foresight impelled me to write an article for the April issue of Great Lakes Angler Magazine titled "Kings in the Spring" which told anglers to gear out a portion of their spread for kings in April and May and sacrifice some of their coho-oriented presentations since there are going to be so many mature kings on the prowl in 2012.

That late-2011 king fishery continues to unfold as predicted into this season; with those big 3-year old kings now in their fourth and final year of life and growing even larger.

We are now moving into the prime-time period for catching big king Salmon; late-July and August. In fact, we have been catching lots big kings all season long with the most recent two weeks witnessing us hauling in particularly large fish; several kings that tipped the scale at 20lbs and SO many fish in the 15-18lb range.

On a relative basis, this is my absolute favorite time of the year because we are hooking into and battling so many large fish and this season, that theme is accentuated even more. Tales of 'the one's that got away', could be common-place with nearly every trip we take out on the water. With several 20lber's already caught on-board the Independence recently, we will likely continue to take more fish in that weight-class and probably even larger into the mid-20's and possibly a 30# too.

Along with the big kings, our catches have been fortified with good numbers of younger king salmon as well as coho salmon and steelhead to give you some practice at the bigger ones!

Attached are a few photos taken from recent trips and hope to see you on the water.

Capt Rick