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Chinook Show No Mercy
A King Salmon is caught… Literally.
As you may already know, King Salmon can become real-life river monsters. Once you hook into one, they’ll offer up the fight of a lifetime. Chinook salmon average anywhere from 10 to 50 pounds, but have been known to grow up to twice that size, with the world record Chinook caught in Alaska weighing just under 100 pounds.
In the summer of 2016, one particular King salmon created the fishing memory of a lifetime for a group of fishing guests with Alaska Fish On Charters. As we all know, experiences of a lifetime often happen in the fishing boat. This Alaskan fishing experience ended in two guests being knocked over and a broken fishing rod. Luckily there were no injuries, and this strange occurrence went home with the group of fishermen as a cherished memory.
The Video
The fishing memory, like most experiences with Alaska Fish On Charters, was all captured on video. The incredible video can be seen below:
Unbelievable, right? Crazy things have been known to happen in the waters of Alaska, but this is something else. As the giant fish rocketed itself into the angler’s arms, you can tell that the group was caught off guard. On July 29, Brett Freeman’s family learned not to mess with the King salmon.
The Culprit
The Chinook salmon. These aquatic beasts are Alaska’s state fish and are the favorite fish to find when it comes to Kenai River guided trips. These fish, also known as the King salmon, are considered mature when they’ve reached three feet and weigh around 40 pounds. The world record Chinook weighed in at just over 97 pounds, but they’ve grown up to 120 pounds before.
A Chinook salmon is like a Coho salmon on steroids. They like to feast on insects and crustaceans when they’re young, and smaller fish when they’re mature. This particular King salmon was hooked into a salmon egg. Chinook are a popular catch when Alaskan river fishing, but be sure to go along with a guide if you’re looking to hook into your own trophy fishing story.
How It Happened
When Brett Freeman and his family were on a guided fishing trip with Alaska Fish On Charters, Freeman’s father hooked into a Chinook. The fish was putting up a fantastic fight deep in the water. Once the fight appeared to be coming to an end, the salmon bolted. The mixture of pressure on the line and the King salmon swimming straight towards the boat resulted in a literal fish-out-of-water situation. The monster was 50 inches and was calculated to be nearly 66 pounds.
After the fish made its way into the boat, Freeman’s brother-in-law hopped on the salmon to keep it from hopping out. The anglers wound up keeping the fish, cleaning it, and turning it into a delicious meal. Luckily for the group, hooks weren’t flying anywhere and they walked away with nothing more than a memorable fishing tale and some delicious Chinook filets.
Create Your Own Memory
Alaskan fishing tourism has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade. This growing industry has created countless fishing memories in some of the most beautiful natural environments in the world. If you’re interested in creating your own fishing memory, join us at Alaska Fish On Charters, the same fishing guide that created this incredible experience. Contact us on our website or reach us toll free at 1-888-283-4002. Happy fishing!
