October 11, 2023
Otis Fishing Report

Otis Fishing Report for October 11, 2023: Last night, we posted our Special Report, put the PC to sleep, and headed to snoozles. We were responding to comments — which we like to do as near to when they’re made as possible to avoid back logs (because we appreciate YOU!) — when our fingers were stopped dead in their tracks.

EXP_NTR posted: “Otis heard you were looking for him and decided to make an appearance BFL!”

You know how your eyes go wide right in an attempt to make your brain compute? That. We read it again. Wait… whaaaa…?!?

We whiplash ourselves in hope of blood flow to the brain and comprehension still isn’t coming. We just cleared notifications and there are 9+ again. Okay. This is NOT a drill!! But what’s BFL? Oh, yeah. Duh. What cam is this on cell? Um. Total brain confusion reigns. Let’s slow down. Otis. Is. Back. We *just* posted he hasn’t been seen and this is Day 6. Need to rectify. But wait… whaaaa? Hahaha

We gather our wits and turn the PC back on. We go find Otis, that’s what we do! We write up a quick Breaking News note, and we start capturing snaps. But we’re Exhausted with a capital E. We bookmark and return in the morning. (And then all heck broke loose… so we’re just catching up NOW! Bear season is HARD, y’all!)

Along with Rock Climbing, Otis has learned the value of the phrase “Always leave them wanting more!” He appears. We shower him with adoration. He disappears. We miss him and shower him with adoration in his absence. He arrives. Our craving is satisfied once again while we shower him with adoration. That is as much a part of his 2023 Story as is his tremendous weight gain. ♥

So to repeat, Otis arrives above the Falls on Riffles at 6:42 p.m. Katmai time October 11, following a 5+ day hiatus. He (finally) adds one to the Down the Fish Ladder count (12 up; 7 down now), and the crowds cheer! (Not for the Fish Ladder part — that was just me; but for the appearance part!)

He walks the Sandbar — the Salmon Buffet is closed, and he continues meandering.

He heads toward the Platform side of the River, and we lose him. Chatters begin to wonder if he was a mirage, like an oasis in the dessert that is an Otisless Brooks. It appears Otis goes up the Platform side of the River Bank… weird, but mirages do weird, yeah?

We continue to watch, and it looks like he ambles toward Riffles from behind the Platform. As we say, eyes peeled!!

And, BINGO — there he is again at Riffles on Brooks Falls cam. He heads back to the Sandbar, and the Salmon Buffet is still closed on account of no customers… Or perhaps there are no customers because the Salmon Buffet is closed. This shall remain a mystery of the ages. 😉 GIF compliments of Blair-55 on Brooks Falls.

Otis strolls to the Conveyor and pauses to enjoy the salmon-scented white caps on his fuzzy legs and sprinkling his belly. (Probably)

And as though we’ve not been pining away for him for days and all has been normal, there he is in his Office! (No, folks, you’re not going insane — though perhaps I shouldn’t be the judge — not a mirage; yes, in his Office.) GIF brought to us by Blair-55 via Brooks Falls cam.

His stay is only moments long, and then he heads toward Alice’s Restaurant. He continues along the Far Bank in a trek which typically indicates he’s goin’ fishin’ Down River.

He gets to The Point this side of the Cut Bank, and comes upon a branch. He marches on and over it like it wasn’t even there. Otis versus Branch GIF by SuspectCelery!

This is one *focused* bear. Salmon Hunting. His bear sniffer sniffs out… something. Magnifying glass, no help. We mark it as scraps!

He crosses over to the Cut Bank, as seen in this GIF by SuspectCelery. Very focused, this bear is. Slow. Steady. Zen. Focused.

At 7:19 p.m., Otis arrives on scene at Kat’s River View. Shortly after, Otis RUNS — RUNS, I TELL YOU — toward a little island of tall grasses and appears to be chasing off another bear (ID unknown, as is typical lol) and as seen in this fab GIF by senushka1515.

Then, however, it looks like it may have been a “Hey, wait up a minute!” moment. If this were June, we’d be wondering who his new girlfriend is! Otis is way back in the back and camouflaged here… what is going on, Otis? Welp. Another mystery for the ages!

We lose him on cams and are left wondering, again, whether he was a mirage…

And then he appears near the Bridge — clearly, his Magic Portal Pass has not been rescinded. 😉 We follow him, of course, and the task at hand appears to be to eat his way through the River, literally. He even gives the Legendary 409 Beadnose Magic Paw a go during his 2023 Mirage Tour.

He’s eating and chewing and getting two-bite bits and large bits and seems like he’s just happy as a clam with pep in his step! Darkness begins to fall over Katmai, and Otis meanders on as chatters cheer him on.

He requests a Table for One fit for a King and the soft glow of an infrared light (for us; not him), and dines leisurely on a rather large non-wiggling fish.

He does his best hunting dog impression and fans are duly impressed, as their own dogs sit nearby and are encouraged with “See, that’s King Otis!! He likes you too!” (Probably… high probability here lol)

And then he disappears into the darkness. We assume for snoozles only because we, too, are ready for snoozles. 😉 If you look closely toward the right side of this image, we see one glowing eye in the infrared. And *poof* — this now is our last sighting of our boy just after 8:30 p.m. October 11, 2023.

All in for October 11, we counted 19 DOAs + 2 Scraps for our boy! Eating one’s way through the River — yes, valid hibernation tactic. 😉

As of right now… meaning this post, because anything can happen after we post lol… Otis hasn’t been seen on cams today, as far as we know. We’re doing what though? Keepin’ our eyes peeled! And until tomorrow, we’re sending Wishes for Fishes and hopes for another Sunshiny Day tomorrow! ♥

P.S. Our Notifications really piled up, and we tried to get them all — if we missed you, we’re very sorry! No slight was intended. ♥

Bear cam images in this post are copyright National Park Service and/or Explore.org