On Tuesday, during the first troll of my first guided trip of the 2022 season, Kip caught and released the first king salmon of the year. That has never happened to me before. Bingo, bango, bongo. What a way to start out a morning and a season. The rest of the day wasn’t as exciting, but we did find one more fish to bite. Unfortunately, the hook didn’t stay in.

On Wednesday, the action was much better than Tuesday. Brenda caught her first Kenai king salmon and she lost a couple more. Same thing for Kip. All in all, we had six bites and converted on two of them. A very active day so early in the season.

On Thursday, our king salmon luck ran out. Brenda had one bite, and that was it for the day. The weather and the wildlife viewing though, more than made up for the lack of fishing action. We’ve really been on such a great stretch of weather.

It wasn’t just about king salmon fishing with Kip and Brenda. After seeing a few jumpers, we switched it up a couple of times and tried to catch red salmon. “Tried” is the operative word because none of them found our hooks. It’s still a little early for decent red salmon fishing.

One other thing that was great this past week was the moose viewing. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Kip and Brenda.

Chalk up another first. I saw my first moose calves of the year.

Kip and Brenda saw them at the cabins early in the morning and called to tell me we should wait an hour before I came out to go fishing. Brenda was afraid my truck would scare the newborn calves. When I say newborn, that is exactly what they were. When Brenda first saw them in front of their cabin, they were still wet.

It was if momma moose was wishing us good luck fishing. 

This photo was taken just before a bird landed in our boat. That’s another first for me. Brenda gently scooped the wayward bird up, but it flew away before I could take a picture. It made me wonder if a bird in the hand is worth two salmon in the river…

Kip and Brenda, thanks for starting the season out on the right foot. It was a pleasure getting to know the both of you and I look forward to the next time we fish together.

In closing, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has put into effect an emergency order making the Kenai River king salmon fishery catch and release only until June 30th. So far the run has been below the projection and this is a necessary step to ensure future fishing opportunities. If the king numbers continue as they have been, the likelihood of a closure is high. If that is the case, my fishing focus will be on the lower Kenai River or Russian River for red salmon. 

See you next week for another fishing report. 

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JD Richey, whose blog appears in Salmon, Trout, Steelheader, recently wrote about a world record king salmon that was caught and released in August at River’s Inlet, British Columbia. If you’re interested, the details of the catch can be found here.

The exact weight of the massive king salmon is not known, but it measured 55” long and the girth was 38”.  If you apply the gold standard of  fish weight estimation, length x girth x girth/750, the goliath weighed 105.9lbs.

They say records are meant to be broken, but since the angler released the fish, Les Anderson’s Kenai king salmon is still recognized as the official rod and reel world record. For those of you who don’t know about the record, Les’ fish was caught on May 17th, 1985, and it weighed 97.4lbs. 

  
Fisherman who love the Kenai River often discuss the possibility of it producing another world record king salmon. I’m on the side that believes it still can. The massive Kenai king in the photo above was caught in a research net by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 2016.  Its weight was estimated at 91lbs. 

However, I am a realist about the king salmon runs on the Kenai River. It’s hard not to notice that the average size and numbers have been declining over the years.

But, I do believe the genetics are still there. With the protective measures ADFG has adopted, and reading about a monster king salmon caught and released in British Columbia, I am encouraged and hopeful for the future.

Long live the kings!*

*Every angler can do their part by releasing the big girls and boys and selectively harvesting fish in abundance.

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I knew we would have fun. 

But, how was the fishing this past week?

It wasn’t too bad for king salmon. Red salmon, on the other hand, was rather slow.

On Tuesday, I fished with Rad and Matt. It was the last day that a king salmon could be retained. Here’s Matt proudly showing off the largest fish of his life. I’m glad I could be a part of it.

On Thursday, I spent an enjoyable day on the bank with returning guests Mike, Nicole, Kris, and newcomer Jacqui. Here’s Kris with a hard earned sockeye.

Nicole caught the first red salmon of the day. Her husband, Mike, was the highliner and ended up with a three fish limit. Kris, and Jacqui, unfortunately, ended up with one. A lot different than when Kris was here three years ago. On that trip he was part of a crew that caught twenty four red salmon in an hour. It’s true when they say timing is everything. 

On Friday, I was reunited with Dario, and his friends Fernando and Tony.  Dario caught and released two king salmon, and Tony caught one. Sorry Fernando, we’ll get ‘em next time…

I ended the week fishing with Nick, Matt, Dan, Breanna, and Cassie. Cassie had the hot rod and caught the largest king of the day.  Matt claims the king he caught earlier in the day was a 90…90 grams that is. There are no photos to confirm or deny his claim.

While trolling for kings, Matt caught a bonus red salmon. It was a beauty.

And another bonus red for his dad, Dan.  Hopefully, on our next trip coming up this Friday, I’ll be able to take fish photos of Nick and Brianna too.

For the week ahead.

With continued low king salmon sonar counts, I won’t be surprised if the king season will be closed. The red salmon run seems to be a couple of days late, but I think the catching will start to improve every day. 

Come back next week to see how we did. 

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I only had a single trip on the calendar last week and managed to catch a king. Since I wasn’t on the water much, I checked with friends/guides about the action. Everyday a few king salmon were caught, but not many.

On the upside, the best fishing news has been the steady pulse of red salmon entering the river. The daily numbers should continue to increase for the next couple of weeks.

I fished with Dave and Travis on Super Tuesday. Mid morning, Dave caught and released the Kenai king above. He was hoping to do a little better, but unfortunately we had no more bites.

It’s not often we have young families from outside of Alaska stay with us. Most guests are either couples, or groups of friends. When Travis, Alex, and their boys were in the cabins, I couldn’t help but offer them a boat ride to see the river. It’s always nice to get kids on the water. 

I haven’t been seeing many moose in July, but caribou sightings have been making up for it.

This young cow clearly didn’t want to share Angler Drive with me.

This caribou walked right by my truck window early Saturday morning. The photo is a little fuzzy, but I do like the color contrast.

For the week ahead.

With a little bit of time off, my batteries have been recharged. That’s a good thing because I don’t have a day off until August.

Eat, sleep, fish, repeat. Eat, sleep, fish, repeat. Eat, sleep, fish, repeat…

Come back next week to see what’s biting.

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The hot fishing for the week was chasing red salmon on the peninsula.

When Chuck, Deb, Larry, and Brenda left our cabins last week, they traveled to Seward to fish for red salmon.

To say they were successful would be an understatement.  

It wasn’t just one day of great fishing, they had multiple days of great fishing. 

Closer to home, the red salmon fishing on the Kenai/Russian River is just starting to happen. With timing and luck, a few fish can be had. Here’s my neighbor Dan with a couple of gorgeous reds caught on the lower Kenai River.

Now on to the king salmon report.

From what I saw in my boat, and the other anglers on the Kenai River this past week, the fishing has been okay. That’s a modest way of saying if you put in your time, you had a chance at catching a king salmon.

Speaking of putting in your time, brother’s Brayden and Brecken spent two days on the water. Brayden was the luckier angler of the two. Hey guys, I enjoyed the company and I look forward to the next time we do it again. 

The highlight of the week happened on Friday when I fished with David and his daughter Daniella. I told David before the trip began that women and children out fish men on this river. Daniella proved my point by landing a beautiful 45lb king salmon. 

For The Week Ahead

Last week I stated that we needed a daily sonar average of 200 king salmon or restrictions would take place. That didn’t happen. Only two days out of seven did the count exceed 200. Ouch.

I’m a little perplexed that ADFG hasn’t put restrictions on the fishery. My guess is they think the run is late and more fish will show before the end of the month. That’s what happened on the Copper and Deshka River this year. ADFG must be “hoping” that’s the case on the Kenai River too. I’m “hoping” they’re right. 

That’s it for this week. Come back next Sunday to see if the fishing got better, or worse….tight lines everyone!

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Just barely.

On May 31st, after a three year hiatus, I was reunited with Chuck and Deb. On this visit, they brought their friends Larry and Brenda.

Not too long into the morning, Larry expertly reeled in the first king salmon of the year. It measured 38” and was quickly released. Although it didn’t beat his personal best, it was a great first fish to open the season. 

With the first king salmon of the year out of the way, my expectations were high the next day when Chuck and Deb joined me for a second trip. Great weather and great conversation, but unfortunately no fish for our efforts. Hey guys, I wish it were a different outcome, but I look forward to the next time we fish together…

On Wednesday, it was Jerry, Allan, and Steve in the boat. It was a quiet morning on the river, but that all changed after we took a lunch break at the cabins.

On the second troll of the afternoon, Jerry caught this beautiful 42” king salmon.  We tried to get better photos, but the salmon was restless and swam out of Jerry’s hand before we could take more. 

I ended the week fishing with Jack and Steve.  After twelve hours of fishing over two days, we ended up with moose photos, but no fish photos.

I guess it just wasn’t in the cards. We saw several fish caught around us, which was encouraging, but the salmon proved to be too elusive.

This was a first trip to Alaska for Jack. Steve last visited Alaska twenty five years ago. I’ve got a hunch they will both be back soon.

Thought I’d share this last photo with guests that are coming this summer. Vehicle rentals have been difficult (and expensive). For many, a UHaul moving truck is the only option. If you haven’t firmed up a rental vehicle, you should do so immediately. 

For The Week Ahead

The lower peninsula streams and near coastal waters were recently closed to king salmon fishing.  That is often a precursor to what will happen on the Kenai River.  We will need to average 200 fish crossing the sonar counter each day for the next week, or restrictions will occur. On an up note, red salmon are starting to show in the lower Kenai River, the Kasilof River, and Resurrection Bay. It won’t be long before the famed Russian River will start to see a surge of red salmon as well. Hey, if we can’t fish king salmon, red salmon are a heck of a plan B.

Tight lines until next week.

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Have I ever mentioned fisherman are optimists by nature?

Looking back, my lofty preseason expectations were not met. There were excellent days of fishing, but it was not an epic season. A fellow guide felt the same way and joked with me when he said, “I’m sure glad I didn’t have a lot of people to disappoint this year.” 

Let’s recap the season.

The preseason forecast by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) determined the early king salmon run would make the escapement goal. That didn’t happen. On June 8th the fishery was closed. Uff da. That’s not how you want to start a season.

It was time to move on to Plan B: red salmon. With a record early red salmon run in 2019 (Russian River), expectations were high that 2020 would be a repeat performance. That didn’t happen either. There were fishable numbers, but the run barely made the low end of the escapement goal. 

The river reopened to king salmon fishing July 1st and optimism was abound. Unfortunately, the second run was weak and on July 22nd the river was again shut down for king salmon fishing.  On the days I fished for king salmon, the action was marginal. It was never hot, but if you put the time in, a few fish could be found.

I spent the rest of July (and early August) fishing for red salmon. There were great days, and some not so great days. Limits were density dependent.

August is always the fun month for me and it couldn’t come fast enough. It ended up being the only normal month of fishing on the Kenai River. Reds, pinks, and silvers were in typical, if not high, abundance. 

My final month of fishing was September. Since August often foreshadows September, I had a good feeling about the second run of silver salmon. The first part of the month fishing was good. However, by the middle of the month the run had fizzled out. 

WTF?  (that’s guide speak for Where’s The Fish).  It was an absolute head scratcher as to how poor the silver salmon fishing was at the historic peak of the second run. It is not how I imagined the fishing season would end.

To summarize the entire 2020 Kenai River fishing season in a letter grade, I would have to give it a “C”. Perhaps the only salmon species to meet expectations (and exceed) would be the run of pink salmon. It was large, and it lasted a long time.

So, enough about the past, how about the future? If you want my biased opinion about the 2021 Kenai River fishing season, well… it’s going to be a great one!

Have I mentioned before that people who fish are optimists?

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The 2020 Kenai king salmon season is now officially in the books. It was not pretty. Hopefully, ADFG’s actions will ensure strong future returns.

On to the fishing report.

The only king salmon trip I had this past week was on Tuesday. Joining me was long time friend of Beaver Creek Cabins and Guide Service, Bill J, along with his friends Warren, Jay, and Jared.

It wasn’t exactly the action I’ve come to expect for the third Super Tuesday of July, but it wasn’t bad. With perseverance, we were able to catch and release two nice Kenai kings.

Jay caught the big king of the day. After a fifteen minute battle, this 45lb king made it into the net. Jay was quick to tell me that this is the biggest fish he has ever caught.

And here’s Jared measuring our other king of the day.  It was 38lbs. Like Jay, Jared said this was the biggest fish he’s ever caught. 

The rest of the week I chased red salmon. Mostly with rod and reel, but I did take my son, Mac, out dipnetting. From left to right is Mac, his girlfriend Madison, and their friend Daniel. It’s safe to say they won’t need any more fish for the freezer this year.

Mary Jo and John put their time in to get their limit of reds. Also on this trip were Joe “The Red Whisperer”, and Nancy.  With a nickname like that you know Joe caught his limit (and released several others).  Nancy, well, she got one.  At least she wasn’t last. That honor goes to yours truly. Usually I can pick up a few reds when I’m flipping with my clients. Not on this day.

I finished the week fishing with Glenn. It rained, and it rained, and the fish were few and far between.  We ended up with seven hard earned red salmon over a two day period.  

Thought I’d include a photo of another big game animal common to our area. For some odd reason, this caribou really liked running down Beaver Loop Road. At least it was on the right side of the road.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, another moose photo to end a post. What’s not to like about a moose photo?

For the final week of July, instead of king salmon, I’ll be switching over to red salmon trips. It could be a bit early, but any day now the silver and pink salmon will start to show. I can hardly wait.

See you next Sunday with a new fishing report. 

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You really didn’t have a choice.

On 7/13, ADFG issued an emergency order changing the Kenai River king salmon fishery to catch and release only. Even though the king numbers have been tracking below the preseason forecast, the fishing has been pretty good. 

When the king fishery changes to catch and release, my day of guiding is a combination of king and red salmon fishing. Since Steve, Dario, Jeremy, and Jarodslav, are experienced red salmon fisherman, they really didn’t want to fish for reds. Instead, they wanted to focus on kings. They were glad they did. The morning action was very good, and perhaps the best action Steve has seen on the river (and he’s fished the river many years). By ten in the morning, three kings were caught and released, and another one was lost after a brief battle.

I’ll begrudgingly give my neighbor Greg, a former river guide, some credit for this king salmon. I stopped by to see him and on his desk was a pile of leaders he had tied up.  He gave me one and said “take this one, it’ll catch a fish.”  It not only caught a fish, it caught the first fish on the first troll of the morning. You still have “it” Greg…

Fish on! Here are the boys doing the drill after a massive king salmon take down while backtrolling. 

I ended the week bank fishing for red salmon. Nancy and her son Joe were scheduled to go, but at the last minute Nancy had a change of plans (she needed a day to recover from the fishing she had done the previous day). 

Fishing was not as great as I thought it would be, but Joe, “the Red Whisperer”, had no problems catching his limit. If you’re wondering about the gaping wound on the fish, that was from a harbor seal. 

Another blogpost that ends with a moose photo.  This little bull decided it was real important to cross the river at the Big Eddy.

For the week ahead, I expect the red salmon fishing to improve. The peak of the run historically happens now. For the king salmon fishery, if the daily counts do not pick up, I’m afraid we’re heading for a closure. All indices gauging run strength are pointing to a smaller run than forecasted. Rats. Double rats.

Come back next week for an update on the fishery. 

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Fishing reports this week from friends were uneven. I spent several days on the water myself and would have to say the same. There were a few small windows when the king salmon would bite, but other than that, it was a lot of waiting around.

Speaking of small windows, my friend Leslie had a couple of free hours before work and asked if I could take her out fishing. Leslie is a health professional dealing with the pandemic and any way I can help her take a mental break, I’m all in.

It was a rainy morning, we had an incoming tide, and we were on a mission. How could we not catch a king salmon? On our first troll, nothing. At the tail end of our second troll, pay dirt. After a ten minute battle, Leslie landed the nicest king salmon I’ve seen so far this season.

I know Leslie wasn’t disappointed she had to release this fish (the current emergency order on the Kenai River calls for the release of king salmon greater than 34”). She’ll have plenty of other opportunities to harvest salmon this year. Between bank angling and dipnetting for reds, her freezer won’t be empty.

I couldn’t let another week go by without posting more moose photos.  

For the week ahead, I’ll be crossing my fingers and toes hoping the king salmon counts will improve. Right now, the run is tracking low, and if it doesn’t pick up, ADFG will place additional restrictions on the fishery.  On the positive side, the red salmon run is doing well enough and should continue to gain strength over the next couple of weeks.

p.s. If either Colette or Taylor are reading this, congratulations on your marriage!

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