Fishing with Zonk: Larry Csonka in Alaska

Originally published March 2005

FiSHiNG WiTH ZONK

Story and Photos by Melissa Norris

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You’ll want to tune in on March 26th at 12:30 PM ET to NAPA’s North to Alaska hosted by Larry Csonka and Audrey Bradshaw on the Outdoor Life Network. Marcus and I fished with Larry and Audrey at Silver Salmon Creek last August and this aptly-named river produced some outstanding results. Hosted by James and Shelia Isaak of the Alaska Homestead Lodge, this quick overnight trip was a fishing frenzy and an Alaska history lesson in one.

Early in the morning we met the crew at Alaska Air Taxi on Lake Hood. Tami Murray, producer and Soldotna resident, was the first to arrive. Cameraman John Dietrich, Marcus and I, and Larry and Audrey completed our group. We were flown by Alaska Air Taxi owner Jack Barber in their DeHavilland Turbine Otter to Lake Clark National Park. It was a very comfortable ride and we landed smoothly on Silver Salmon beach.

James greeted us on the beach in a four-wheeler that they use to get around. Lots of gear was loaded up in the trailer that following the ATV and we headed a short distance to the lodge. We were greeted by Shelia with a delicious snack. Shelia is an amazing chef who prepared some delightful meals while we were there. One of the specialties of this small family outfit is that they feed you vegetables from their own garden, serve freshly caught fish and just generally do things the old-fashioned way.

James bought the lodge in 1994, but the Alaska Homestead Lodge was an original homestead from the early 1950s. James is a 28-year bush pilot of a J3 Cub. One of his favorite pastimes was to visit and talk with the original homesteader, Joe Munger. Joe and his brother lived in a tent for a couple of years at Silver Salmon Creek before building his first cabin. He married Sally Crouse in 1957 and built a second room with a fireplace. The Mungers homesteaded 160 acres in Silver Salmon Creek in 1960. Both Joe and Sally fished in the summers and sold fish to the local canneries. Joe trapped beaver, wolverine, marten, fox, and a few other critters in the winters. Now the original homestead has been renovated into a rustic, beautiful lodge for Alaska Homestead Lodge guests to enjoy. So, you get a real flavor of Alaska with your remote fishing trip. For additional information, e-mail the Isaaks at james@alaskawildlife.com and let them know you read this article.

After the snack we headed out to catch silvers. A short four-wheeler ride brought us all to the river’s edge. Larry, Audrey, Marcus and I began rigging our rods. John and Tami set up for the camera shoot. I opened a box of Mepps Lures to share with the group. Everyone picked small Aglias except Larry who chose an Aglia Streamer, a single-hooked spoon with a fly body. Well, that turned out to be the lure as Larry started landing silvers right away. Nice, big, chrome-bright babies, a beautiful sun shining day, and fishing with ex-Miami Dolphin Larry Csonka, what more could you want?

When I see Larry landing all these silvers on the Streamer, I quietly head back to my trusty box of Mepps and pull out another. I hand this one off to Audrey who rigs it up and casts it out. Pretty quickly she starts seeing bites, too. “Sold me out that quickly?” Larry asks. “Whoops, sorry Larry.” I wasn’t catching any fish that afternoon, but everyone around me was. I had given out all my Streamers. (Good Samaritan, Bad Angler.) I started to worry that I was going to get skunked on my national television debut. I stayed out there casting away and watched everyone else catch fish, although not a ton. We fished from low tide to high tide and the fish were skittish. They got more aggressive as the tide came in and that’s when the crew had the most action. Discouraged, but not distraught, I headed in for dinner with my group. I was to remain skunked until morning. Shelia fixed us a lovely dinner and we retired early. James prepared some silver salmon on the barbecue that was so delicious. We had a nice fresh salad, mashed potatoes, homemade bread and a homemade cheesecake to go with the salmon.

The next morning after a hearty breakfast, we loaded up to catch and release a few more silvers until our late morning Alaska Air Taxi flight back to Lake Hood. The bite was much hotter this morning and the fish must not have recognized me because they actually started biting my tackle. I can set a hook and play a fish, so I actually started catching them, too. Yeah! I am not to be defeated in public. The bite was so hot that between Larry, Audrey, Marcus and myself, we caught over 50 silvers that morning. They were biting on #3, 4, and 5 Aglias. Orange, pink and green were the popular choices. We were reluctant to head back to town, but got all that we came for and more.

This is just one of the great trips in Napa’s North to Alaska 2005 season. Other episodes include rainbows in Dillingham, halibut fishing, lingcod out of Homer, king salmon, trout, ptarmigan hunting, Anchorage in the winter and so much more! Visit www.larrycsonka.com for a complete episode listing and watch their ad in this magazine for the monthly listings. In addition to highlighting where and how to play in Alaska, the show also features camp cook expert Joe “SmokeeJo” Barkoskie. SmokeeJo has an extensive background in preparing fresh fish and game and produces a cookbook in addition to sauces and spices. See the recipe for Honey-Lime Salmon Kabobs on page 76 provided by SmokeeJo.

Like Marcus and myself, the Csonka crew gets to fish in exciting destinations throughout Alaska for their jobs and they’ve had plenty of exciting adventures, including getting tossed from a boat while traveling at high speeds down the Situk. It’s not that much fun when you have extremely expensive camera equipment to protect, but like us they enjoy every minute of Alaska and the work they do and it is evident. The crew was an absolute pleasure to spend time with and we now consider them friends. If you miss this episode in March, then tune in for another chance on September 24.

CONTACTS

Zonk Productions
www.larrycsonka.com

Alaska Air Taxi
www.alaskaairtaxi.com
1-800-789-5232

Alaska Homestead Lodge
www.alaskahomesteadlodge.com
1-888-577-9383

Melisssa Norris is publisher of Fish Alaska magazine. She can be reached at fishalaska@acsalaska.net.

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“ZONK”

Larry Csonka was the first round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1968. Charging through defenses in a ferocious manner earned Larry the nickname “Zonk.” From 1971 to 1973, he led the Dolphins to three Super Bowl appearances and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Together with halfback Jim Kiick, they were dubbed “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and were mainstays in the Dolphin’s perfect 17-0-0 season in 1972. Larry earned the MVP award of the Dolphins’ Super Bowl VIII victory over the Minnesota Vikings by rushing 33 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He was voted Super Athlete of the Year by the Professional Football Writers Association.

In 1974 there was a contract dispute that drove Csonka, Kiick and teammate Paul Warfield to sign with the World Football League. In 1976 Csonka returned to the NFL and signed with the New York Giants for three seasons until 1978. 1979 marked his return to the Dolphins and where he lead the team in rushing with 837 yards and was named MVP by teammates. He ended his professional career in Miami and retired in January 1980. His career rushing record for the Dolphins of 6,736 yards still stands.

Csonka’s importance to the game of football was exemplified when he was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1987. His inclusion in that prestigious group came in only his second year of eligibility.

Larry currently hosts and produces “NAPA’s North To Alaska” which airs on OLN. These programs display Larry’s experience as an outdoorsman, both fishing and hunting and his enthusiasm for conservation. Larry also travels the country visiting various clubs and corporations as a Sports Humor/Motivational Speaker. Csonka currently resides at his home in Oak Hill, Florida and maintains a farm in Lisbon, Ohio where he has Csonka’s Country Night Spot and Outdoor Entertainment. He recently became an Alaska resident with a home in Anchorage.