After the bad news last week about the closing of the Kenai River king salmon fishery, I’m happy to report some good news. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released a promising forecast for the 2023 Upper Cook Inlet sockeye run. The total run is projected to be 5.12 million fish. Of that …
Restrictions/Closures for the King Fishery
I can’t say I was surprised when the news came out. The entire State of Alaska has been experiencing a decline in king salmon returns for several years. The only thing that surprised me was how long it took for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to make this announcement. Last year, the Emergency Orders came out on 1/26. This …
Passion
What separates a good guide from a great guide? Passion. Mindy Payne has it and that’s what makes her a terrific Kenai River guide. I’ve been watching her day after day, year after year entertaining clients, and putting them on fish. The Kenai River Sport Fishing Association (KRSA) recently interviewed Mindy about …
There’s An App For That.
In 2015, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game began selling fishing and hunting licenses online. They were one of the first in the country to do so. How convenient. Licenses could now be bought anywhere, anytime. However, online convenience had a downside. It was efficient to be able to purchase licenses on a phone, …
Kings of the Kenai
The Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA) recently released a video about their advocacy for the world famous Kenai River. https://youtu.be/S94KxyMVw7E No other group has worked harder to preserve the Kenai River fishery than KRSA. Their primary mission is ensuring there are fish for future generations, and advocating …
Going Home
This week’s blogpost celebrates the life of another friend. I feel fortunate to have known Gene Miller and enjoyed our many trips fishing the Kenai River together. I first met Gene in 2007 when he came to Alaska to fish with his son, Dick, and daughter-in-law Kim, along with their friends Mike and Jodie. I could …
PaPa J
After four years and four months, the Jahrig’s dream turned into reality. On August 18, 2022, the Papa J was christened. Will and Becky, congratulations on your new boat. I’m just amazed at this project. Blood, sweat, tears, and having the skill set and the tools to make it happen. That’s pretty much the …
Greg Davis
The Beaver Creek All Stars lost its captain this week. It’s with heavy heart that I announce the passing of my good friend and neighbor, Greg Davis. I first met the man in the late 80’s when Jeff King couldn’t take my dad and I out king fishing. Jeff set us up on a trip with Greg. Oh boy, what a character. Greg …
Circling Back…
In my previous post, I forgot a couple of things. First of all, Tundra Toad released a follow up video about using circle hooks to catch Kenai River sockeye salmon. https://youtu.be/fMxn-HSwH58 Second, I didn’t point out that you don’t have to sharpen a circle hook or rarely will it snag on a log or rock. When I fish …
Circles For Sockeye
After several holiday blogposts, it's time to get back to talking about fishing. Here we go... The Birth of a Movement In 2011, forward thinking Francis Estallila was in search of a better, safer way to fish for sockeye salmon on the Kenai River. The problem with this fishery has been the ratio of legally caught fish hooked in …