The smallest and most numerous of the pacific salmon are pink salmon. They're a lot of fun to catch because "humpies" will bite most anything in front of them. It's a wonderful fish to introduce someone new to fishing because the action can be non stop. Unlike the king and red salmon runs, the Alaska Department of Fish and …
2024 Red Salmon Recap
The best run of salmon in the Kenai River in 2024 was the red salmon run. Specifically, the late run of red salmon from mid July to early August. It was an incredible time to be fishing. Let’s review the data. The early red salmon run (Russian River) had an escapement goal of 22,000-42,000 fish. The final weir count …
2024 King Salmon Recap
In March, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the entire Kenai River king salmon run would be closed for the season. At that time, I questioned their decision. I understand closing the early run, but normally data is collected during the first month of the early run and then a decision is made on how to manage the late …
Thank You’s
Jane and I always appreciate the notes left behind from our guests. The thanks goes both ways. We feel honored that people chose to return, or came to visit us for the first time. Last week I promised you a 2024 season ending summary. A big part of the annual recap involves a whiteboard message compilation. A drum roll, …
The Dock Is Out
The season begins when the dock is put in. It’s a time of great optimism for the adventures that lie ahead. When the dock comes out, it’s a time of reflection. Was it a good season? Did we over sell what we do? Will king salmon runs rebound? Do I still enjoy eating a ham and cheese sandwich every day I’m on the river? And, …
Fishing Report Week Ending 9/22/24
With an up and down fall salmon run, I was really happy how the season ended. I spent the final day with my college roommate and his friend swapping stories. The bonus was they caught their limit of silver salmon. I would describe the trip as the Kenai River version of a walk-off home run. Without further ado, it’s …
Fishing Report Week Ending 9/15/24
Uff da, part two. This past week was a lot like the previous week. Long days on the water with only a few willing biters to be found. Patience was the key word. Luckily, the people who were with me had plenty of it. The first group of the week, Jim, Rob, and Tony, were newcomers to the Kenai River. I had a lot of fun getting …
Fishing Report Week Ending 9/8/24
Uff da. There is no better Scandinavian phrase that describes the silver salmon fishing this past week than uff da. We started the week off finding two or three silvers a day. At the end of the week, we were shutout on silvers. Sorry Bill and Rodney. I know a couple of haggard pink salmon are not what you expected …
Fishing Report Week Ending 9/1/24
This was the first full week of a reduced silver salmon limit. I was hoping that the run was late, but clearly ADFG made the right call. The fishing this past week was steady. Steady slow. Day 1, Blinn Week 3. Larry, Steve, Jo Ray, and Josh. The extra fish is a bonus red salmon. Day 2, Blinn Week 3. Robert started out with …
Fishing Report Week Ending 8/25/24
The second week of the Gary Blinn Crew is in the books. The photos show smiling faces and quite a few fish. However, the photos don’t tell the whole story. We logged a lot of hours to catch what we did. Sure we found fish, but not like what we’re accustomed to. That being said, it’s time to share the daily photos of happy …