#2446947 - 09/20/08 12:56 PM
Sheefish, Tarpon of the North!
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northwestalaska
Campfire Regular
Registered: 04/04/07
Posts: 282
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Hi Guys:
I wanted to take a few seconds to introduce you avid fisherman to one of our species that we have in NW Alaska and it is tough to find elsewhere. Almost everyone knows that we have the best Char fishing in the state and if you’re interested in a shot at the state record well we are your best jump off spot. I outfit more and more Char fisherman each year and very few go home with out plenty of stories of hooking lots of hard fighting char.
About 3 years ago I started getting a few calls about our Sheefish and in the past 3 years the number of guys who are interested in chasing Sheefish has increased. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of hooking a Sheefish let me fill you in on what they are. The Sheefish is called the Tarpon of the North and that is for good reason. We catch them in the 35-50 pound range often. Anything that is less than 30 pounds is tossed back as they are small by Sheefish standards. The Sheefish is common to the Kobuk Drainage and spawn in 3 major tributaries of the Kobuk usually in mid August. Most of the guys who go after them float fish for them and will cover about 40 miles of river in a average week and will catch between 40 -50 fish each in that weeks trip. Sheefish hit like a silver salmon on steroids and will simply rip the rod out of your hands. It takes 10-15 minutes to land a big one and having a light drag and a stiff rod is the key. They like to hit large spoons and the bigger the better. I use 30 pound spider wire but any good strong monofilament will work. They have no teeth but rather a large bucket shaped mouth much like a large mouth bass just bigger.
I know that many of you will think I am spinning a huge fish story but the Sheefish is the true unknown sport fish of the Arctic. Very few guys will have the chance to chase these giants but I would like to invite you to consider a Sheefishing trip to NW Alaska. If you’re interested in learning more about Sheefishing trips please drop me a line and if you’re just interested in fishing for boring old Arctic Char well we do that to.
Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals
Kotzebue, Alaska
http://www.northwestalaska.com
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#2446970 - 09/20/08 01:16 PM
Re: Sheefish, Tarpon of the North!
[Re: northwestalaska]
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VAnimrod
Campfire Oracle
Registered: 04/21/04
Posts: 27136
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So, I take it that you charter for such trips, right?
_________________________
The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms ... the palladium of the liberties of a republic
3 J. Story, Commentaries §1890, p. 746 (1833)
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#2447901 - 09/20/08 11:29 PM
Re: Sheefish, Tarpon of the North!
[Re: VAnimrod]
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Jamie
Campfire Ranger
Registered: 01/20/03
Posts: 1774
Loc: Oly.WA
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This looks like a commercial advertisement to me.
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#2448834 - 09/21/08 01:47 PM
Re: Sheefish, Tarpon of the North!
[Re: northwestalaska]
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Klikitarik
Campfire Guide
Registered: 08/12/03
Posts: 2789
Loc: Alaska
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I wanted to take a few seconds to introduce you avid fisherman to one of our species that we have in NW Alaska and it is tough to find elsewhere. Almost everyone knows that we have the best Char fishing in the state and if you’re interested in a shot at the state record well we are your best jump off spot. I outfit more and more Char fisherman each year and very few go home with out plenty of stories of hooking lots of hard fighting char.
Just goes to show that one man's trash can be another man's treasure. (With the exception being that some of the bigger char can be beauts. Of course, they are good eating regardless of size. Still, they can be and usually are pesky fish when you are trying to catch something else.)
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#2454357 - 09/23/08 11:43 PM
Re: Sheefish, Tarpon of the North!
[Re: Klikitarik]
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Yukoner
Campfire Ranger
Registered: 02/06/01
Posts: 2374
Loc: Yukon Territory, Canada
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We catch a few Inconnu over here, as well. 
Biggest I know of, with confidence, is 67 pounds, weighed on certified scales. It was caught in Teslin Lake, two hours east of here on the Alaska Hwy.
They are in all of the Yukon River drainage, both rivers and lakes. Most are caught incidentally while trolling for lake trout. I caught this one in Lake Labarge, thirty minutes North of Whitehorse, while ice fishing for burbot.
Just a nice pan fish.
Ted
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