WATERFALL RESORT

WONtests the waters at Alaska's premier fishing resort, formerly a historic cannery now in its 28th season as a luxury sportfishing facility outside Ketchikan; WON slammed the trophy king salmon; A trip for two worth $5,000 will be given out at Cabo Tuna Jackpot

Waterfall Resort in Alaska back as Tuna Jackpot sponsor, has its own Jackpot Salmon event
May 28-31

KETCHICAN, Alaska -- Everyone loves jackpot tournaments, and while Baja has its share, the folks at Waterfall also have a great event planned. In fact, Waterfall Resort in Ketchikan, Alaska is getting ready for another annual King Salmon Jackpot Challenge, May 28-31.

The Cabo Tuna Jackpot is slated for Nov. 5-8 and Waterfall will again be awarding the final, grand prize item, an $5,000 trip for two to the luxurious resort.

"We've been sponsoring the Tuna Jackpot for years and love the concept," said Chuck Baird at Waterfall Resort. "We put on our own, Alaska style, and it's been a huge success. "Besides the daily jackpots of $25, $50, $125 and $200, Waterfall will add a $500 level this year." As Baird said, guests can play in any one or all 5 jackpots totaling $900 per day or $1,800 for the two-full day Challenge. Waterfall is expecting up to 92 guests for a potential two-day jackpot of $165,600.

"Like Cabo, it's simple. Just land the largest king in the jackpots you are playing in and win that jackpot level. If you're in all the jackpots, you win all that money," said Baird. Call Mike Dooley for Challenge information at 1 (800) 544-5125 or e-mail: wfreservations@kpunet.net.

KETCHIKAN, Alaska -- A few months ago fellow staffer Kit McNear warned me about Waterfall Resort. "You're going to get spoiled by the place and you're going to gain five pounds, at least." Right on both counts. For several years Waterfall Resort, now in its 28th year as a prime trophy salmon and destination near Ketchikan, has sponsored the Cabo Tuna Jackpot and the resort's marketing director Chuck Baird has issued an ongoing invitation when he came down to Cabo for the event.

This year I took him up on his offer, and invited my first cousin Jo Jo Joyce to accompany me. For the past six years Jo Jo has taken care of my aunt Susie, my mother's twin sister, who lives on the shore of Hayden Lake, Idaho. Elder care is selfless duty. And if anyone deserves a fun trip to Alaska, it was Jo Jo.

We had a blast, and Waterfall met every expectation. Hands down, it is the finest fishing resort I've ever stayed at in my 24 years as editor at Western Outdoors, with all the elements necessary for first class service, food, fishing and location. The resort regularly hosts hotel magnate Baron Hilton, Hall of Famer Rod Carew, golfer Bernard Langer, Steve Garvey, football coach George Seifert, retired QB Jim McMahan and numerous TV fishing shows have been filmed, the most recent show hosted by Miami Dolphins star Larry Csonka.

This writer flew into Seattle from Los Angeles, and Jo Jo drove from Idaho where we met and flew via Alaska Airlines into Ketchikan where an hour later we clambered aboard a six-seater float plan for a magnificent 35-minute ride over pine-studded mountains and bays.

It gave us both a chill to first see the sprawling resort below us, isolated but grand, tucked away in its protected bay on Prince of Wales Island. Waterfall Resort is impressive from land, sea and air. It's a former cannery, built on 28 acres in 1912 with nearly every white clapboard building constructed in the 1930s still used. Of course they are all renovated and modernized. The Waterfall cannery closed in 1970, was sold in '71 to the Des Moore family who ran a skiff sportfishing operation. In 1980, Waterfall was purchased by its current three owners who upped the ante in improvements and service while maintaining its historic cannery feel.

One thing you'll notice right away is that Waterfall's staff is on the ball. Mailings of itineraries, baggage tags for transfer to the resort and the room. There are 92 guests and about 98 staffers to serve you and operate what is essentially a remote city, with Scott McKelvey, a longtime fixture in the San Diego long range industry, serving as operations manager. He's been to the Cabo Tuna Jackpot several times as a participating sponsor, so when Jo Jo and I checked in at the office upon arrival for licenses, room keys and to sign up for the King of Kings Derby, McKelvey said, "Hey, last time I saw you, Pat you were hanging upside down at the Giggling Marlin bar!" Nothing like having a reputation follow you!

WATERFALL RESORT is in a perfect spot to access historic salmon runs, the kind of runs that attracted commercial canning operations. The resort, on 28 scenic acres with trails and waterfall, is in its 28th season as Alaska's premier luxury resort, accessible by scenic float plane flights from Ketchikan. PHOTO COURTESY OF WATERFALL RESORT

The San Diego long range fishing connection is solid at Waterfall. John Tanaka, longtime captain on the top sportfishers, is in his 15th season as a guide at Waterfall and now serves as the head guide at the resort. In fact, many of the Waterfall guides and management staff have been together for 10 to 15 years. Most of the guides come back year after year, with most 10-, 15- and 20-year veterans. That's impressive.

Our guide, whom we met soon after arrival for our half-day of fishing, was Matt Pearson, 27, a very talented and personable guy who grew up in Port Aransas, Texas. I soon learned he has commercially fished on longline boats out of Dutch Harbor and Kodiak with some great tales of danger along the lines of the "Deadliest Catch" cable show. Great stuff. He's a big wave surfer during the hurricane season in the Gulf, and chews tobacco. Not your typical 27-year-old. He's a fantastic guide, as we'd soon find out.

Now, my cousin Jo Jo has fished before, but never for big salmon and never in Alaska, so Pearson gave us the rundown on the technique, which is extremely slow trolling cut plug herring with banana weight rigs and slowly retrieving and dropping to cover the water column.

Jo Jo listened intently, especially the part about the huge salmon. We also learned the fishing for the big kings had been "scratchy." The big run of kings from the north was expected, even a little late. So we would have to work hard. No sitting and watching a downrigger do the work. Every second you are fishing, dropping baits, retrieving, checking the herring, rebaiting and sending them back down. It paid off.

Waterfall is positioned a half-hour's run from the ocean and several prime trophy salmon spots like the Pinapple and Rockpile where 30 to 60 pounders dwell. That prospect of a lifetime trophy fish keeps you on edge.

Of course, trophy halibut areas are nearby, although the emphasis is on big salmon and filling the wax boxes with prime "eater" halibut of under 50 pounds, and lingcod fishing is nonstop. I caught several 40 pounders. I was able to keep the smaller fish. The snapper fishing is world class. Two snapper, one 26 and one 28 pounder were caught over two days and threatened the lodge's 30-pound record. The bellies on these fish are enormous. Pearson had caught a 28 pounder two days earlier, and he thought he'd hold that top mark for the season. But that's the Waterfall fishery. Huge fish. The salmon record at the resort is 79.2 pounds. Biggest halibut? A 366 pounder.

"I think we've released several bigger than that," said Pearson. "We encourage people to release all the big females over 100 pounds. They can keep them if they want, but we always ask."

THE FLEET of Oregon-built 27 North River 26 footers are first class all the day, fast and diesel powered with Shimano reels, G. Loomis rods, Furuno electronics, and best of all, shock absorber sets that really make life easier on the back. Only 24 are used each day, the other three are "spares" and are constantly being maintained by a full-time mechanic to avoid lost days on the water.

One thing about the boats. Waterfall has the largest fleet of sportfishers in Alaska, 27 boats in all, and all of them are North River 27 footers, diesel powered, and they all cruise to the fishing grounds at 20 to 30 knots. These are first class boats. Jo Jo and this writer had the thorough enjoyment of meeting the owner of North River, Brian Bush, who was with his girlfriend Lisa. We hit it off as a group all week.

Chuck Baird, longtime marketing director of Waterfall, said the fleet of North River boats is a key to the philosophy of Waterfall.

"One thing we wanted to have is a feet of the same, high-end boats," said Baird, a native of Ketchikan. "Everyone's boat and tackle is high end and the level of equipment and service is the same, whether they are Baron Hilton or the average guy. Everyone is treated special." The North River fleet is outfitted to the nines with Shimano reels, G. Loomis rods, Furuno electronics, and a VERY nice touch -- shock absorber seats which are a godsends on runs to and from the fishing grounds. The 26-foot aluminum sportfishers, made in Roseburg, Oregon, are fishing machines, solid and comfortable, costing about $130,000 each outfitted.

Only 24 of the 27 North River boats are used, with three set aside as spares. Maintenance is everything at Waterfall. Anglers will appreciate the effort to avoid down time on the water. If a boat encounters trouble, a high speed hard-bottom inflatable can tow a spare boat to a group to most spots in a half hour.

Jo Jo proved to be hottest stick during our stay. She kicked in $60 to enter the King of Kings Derby when we checked in. The biggest fish each day earns the angler, who is entered in the season-long derby, a King of Kings hat and recognition by staff at the dinner each night as the day's derby winner. You also earn an entry into the big drawing at the end of the season in August. There are tackle prizes, return trips to Waterfall, and the grand prize, a Ford truck.

WON EDITOR PAT McDONELL and his cousin, Jo Jo Joyce, celebrate a beautiful salmon Jo Jo caught that for the second day was the biggest at the resort. This one was 40.6 and put her in the lead for the season-long derby. As of last week, she was in sixth place. Top fish for the season is now a 68.3 pounder caught June 21.

Jo Jo nailed down the biggest fish two straight days for two shots at the Ford truck. Her first big salmon was a 35.4 pounder and the second fish on the next day was a 40.6 pounder, which at that point after a month of the season was the biggest derby salmon to date. Bigger fish had been caught over 50 pounds at that point, but the anglers had not entered the derby.

"It seems to happen often," said Baird. "A big fish is caught but the angler didn't enter. Baird, as a resort staffer, can't enter the derby, so naturally he scored a beautiful 42 pounder an hour before Jo Jo nailed her 40. 6 pounder. He did it so fast it was shocking. The fight, which normally takes a half hour on a fish thyat size with the light tackle, took all of three minutes. Pearson even said he'd never seen a fish that size caught so quickly.

THE SEATTLE FAMILY OF Kevin (the father), his wife Cynthia, and their two children -- Matt, 17, and Kelly, spent the week at the resort. It was a nice way to celebrate Kevin's recent retirement as a pilot and manager at Alaska Airlines. They scored some great catches of small halibut and quality salmon aboard their North River sportfisher.

"I just got it turned and it kept coming," said Baird. " Without that first quick scoop of the next by you," he said to Pearson, "and I'd have been fighting that fish a lot longer."

JO JO JOYCE fell in love with her 35.4-pound salmon and Waterfall Resort. It was her first trip to Alaska with her cousin, WON Editor Pat McDonell, and is hoping she'll win the end-of-the-season Waterfall King of Kings derby drawing for return trip or possible the grand price, a Ford truck. Each day's winner is entered in a drawing for prices, including tackle, return trips and the grand prize, the Ford Truck.

Both of the big fish that day fish came at the Pineapple Rock, so named because it's shaped like the fruit with pine trees jutting out of the top. There was a large group of boats in the area, and Waterfall dominates these spots and guides all work together, moving out of the way of another boat's fish and cutting lines of their customers immediately if the fish gets in a tangle. Very impressive cooperation.

"You guys are on fire!" yelled over one of the captains as we moved back into lineup of boats at Pineapple Rock after Jo Jo's epic half-hour battle with the 40 pounder. Pearson just nodded and waved. There's no bragging among guides. Everything is downplayed. The law of the guides. But Pearson did confide, "You know, I might get one or maybe two of the biggest derby fish in a season, and I have two in two straight days. I'm doing pretty good. Jo Jo is my good luck charm."

Good luck and rock and roll. And Beer. Jo Jo knows the story of fishing. No one catches fish until the first beer is downed, and so a good smoke, a brew and a little rock and roll in the form of "Freebird" from Lynard Skynard at full blast got the fish to come to papa. I swear fish react to music. Even if that's all bull, it makes for a fun coincidence.

The only thing better than the scenery of the Prince of Wales Island, with its endless spouting and breeching of whales and soaring eagles and crisp air is the comforts of Waterfall, and the incredible meals. My buddy Kit McNear was right. You will get spoiled at Waterfall. They plan it that way. Now I just hope Jo Jo wins a return trip in the King of Kings drawing. I'd like to get spoiled all over again.

Pat McDonell is editorial Director of Western Outdoors Publications the past 24 years and is director of the Nov. 5-8 Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament.

THE DINING is first class with a view The bar before and after dinner was a lively spot each night. The clubhouse is open in the evenings with a table of hors d' oeuvres and has a full bar, a huge flat screen TV viewing room (Lakers-Celtics game 5 was a bust!), billiards, a Web-linked computer room and always talk of great fishing.

WATERFALL RESORT: Luxury and trophy king salmon go together