With the preseason announcement closing the entire Kenai River to king salmon fishing, I was not in a hurry to put the dock in until my first guided red salmon trips in July. In April, the tide wash high enough to put the dock in. Unfortunately, the late break up of ice prevented us from doing so. I waited for the high tides in …
Fishing Report Week Ending 7/2/23
It’s going to get busy… July 1st is the beginning of the second run of Kenai River red and king salmon. Not only is this the month when the largest concentration of fish arrive, it is also when the river is “loved to death.” If you’re looking for a peaceful, Alaska wilderness experience in July, I suggest you look some …
Fishing Report Week Ending 6/25/23
I just couldn’t do it. Three times this past week I drove by the Russian River and in nearly 40 years of fishing there I can’t recall seeing that many people. Not only did it seem impossible to find a spot to fish, the wait for a place to park was even worse. The exceptionally large crowds at the “combat zone” of the …
Fishing Report Week Ending 6/18/23
I’m old and loving it. This past week I got to hang out with people I really like. From neighbors, to long time friends, it was a lot of fun. The big fishing event that Jane, Colette, Kris, Taylor, John and I had on the calendar was a day of fishing with Boo in Homer. We were going to wing it the rest of the …
Milestone
As of Saturday, June 10th, I will never have to purchase a fishing and hunting license in Alaska again. I’m not giving up my residency and leaving the state, I’m just turning 60 years old. Clearly, Alaska respects its elders. One of the many perks of this Great State is free fishing and hunting license at age 60. I …
Fishing Report Week Ending 6/4/23
Homer…..again! Every year my friend Boo lets his boys, Carson and Oliver, pick a day to go fishing. They get their own day on the water and can invite whoever they want. This year Oliver chose June 1st for the day of his trip. A couple of his friends couldn’t make it so Oliver extended an invite to me. I gladly …
Seward Mermaid Festival
After a four year break, Jane and I attended the Seward Mermaid Festival. It’s a great way to kick off the summer season in Alaska. A fun weekend of music, vendors, food, drink, and hanging out with our neighbor’s Ron and MJ. It was a typical Alaska coastal weather weekend. Rain, sunshine, wind and a whole lot of …
Fishing Report Week Ending 5/21/23
I got a late night call from my friend Boo of Tall Tale Charters asking if Jane and I wanted to try to catch a saltwater king before the season closed on May 15th (the area from Anchor Point to Anchorage closes). Oh, heck yeah. Cabin chores can wait. In our first hour of trolling for king salmon we caught a couple …
River Salvage
It sure felt good to get out on the river. The first trip of the year is always special. It’s because it’s a salvage run and I’m traveling by cataraft. It’s peaceful, quiet, and I have the place to myself. Well, I didn’t exactly have it to myself this year because these guys were with me. My friends Rusty and …
Did You Know?
In 2022, 273,444 resident fishing license were sold in Alaska generating $5.2 million in revenue. 351,583 non resident licenses were sold generating $14.5 million in revenue. THANK YOU NON RESIDENTS! Alaska is the “fishingest” state with 64% of the population participating as anglers, followed by Wyoming at 58%, South …