The River will Deliver

How many people can claim that they invented a sport? Well, I can. I call it 'Marine Salvage' but most people would call it just looking for stuff....But its way more than that. Like anything you're good at you have develope a system, know the ropes, have experience and be out early. And thats what Jet-dog and I did today, we got out early. You know me , instant gratification is not fast enough for yours truly. As far as the Kenai River goes I'm like a bad house guest, the first to arrive and the last to leave. Thats life at Mile 14.

So today me and my salvage crew headed for Fall-in-Hole on the 4-Wheeler. It would have been safer to walk as theres always huge crevasses which could swallow the machine. The first trip down is always dicey but you have to have the Honda, afterall what would you do if you found something really big and cool, like an anchor. We're only one week into ice out and the water thats running is where the main channel is. Where people anchor to silver and red fish is the best salvageing but those areas are still covered in 4 feet of ice. On my first official salvage trip I'll give more history but let me give you a taste....I've found it all. Anchors, cell phones, radios, knives , pliers, outboards motors and parts of them. I've found antique beer cans, propellors, eyeglasses, fishing rods....well you get the idea. But today I'm after the low hanging fruit, lures.

So me and my crew are wading in the shallows of Fall-in-Hole and let me tell you that water is cold. I've walked maybe 150 feet without seeing anything and am starting to think that maybe the impossible could occur, no lures. But its not long before theres no mistaking it, color! It's a number 5 Tiger Stripe Vibrax and it shining like a huge Sutters Fort gold nugget right at me. Kings Budget Charters and it subsidary J + J Salvage (Jeff and Jet) has turned its first dollar of 2010 seaon! We quickly follow up that success with this gorgeous 1/2 ounce Pixie. You gotta admit, the reflecting light on its dimpled surface is a beautiful thing. But thats all there is, its just enough to give us a taste of whats to come. Pretty soon we'll take the boat and do our salvaging when the ice is just freshly gone. Then we'll look for something big and shiney and ....alive.

This last pic is of our haul today. All joking aside I'll clean them up and put new hooks one them, they're perfectly good. The vibrax sells for $2.98 and the pixie maybe $1.98, and thats not counting the stainless steel swivel. And then it'll come out of my tackle box on the Humpy attack in August. As rountinely happens one of my fishing friends will get hung up on the bottom and when he breaks off the line will say "sorry about that". Hey now worries.....I'll find it in the spring.