It happened.
Only a week after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game restricted the Kenai River king fishery to catch and release, the other shoe dropped and the fishery has now been closed. It will reopen once again on July 1st to catch and release. Details of the emergency order can be found here.
The closure happened on Wednesday, so Tuesday was the last day I was able to guide for king salmon. Jay, Aaron, and Jon endured a tough day on the water with me. In 10 hours of fishing, we had 1 bite. There were several boats out trying to catch a king salmon too, but they were struggling as well.
The old saying, “you can’t catch what’s not there” was definitely true.
Thanks, guys, for understanding it’s all about opportunities to catch fish.
Jay, Aaron, and Jon didn’t go fishless on their vacation to Alaska. The day before they fished with me they had an awesome day on the saltwater with Boo of Tall Tale Charters. The net result was 90lbs of halibut, rockfish, and cod fillets.
That’s it for the fishing report. Now it’s time for the wildlife report. Outstanding is the word that best describes the moose viewing this past week.
This momma moose is one sneeze away from giving birth.
She greeted me early in the morning while I waited for Jay, Aaron, and Jon to go fishing.
Apparently, the grass was greener on the other side of the creek.
For the week ahead, I have several groups that want to try the lower river for red salmon. Recent reports have been mixed. Some anglers have picked up a few, others have struggled. We will soon see.
Come back next week for a new, red salmon fishing report.
Fishing Report Week Ending 6/5/22