As the calender flips to June, so too do the chances increase for anglers to see a flipping salmon on the end of their lines.
“It’s finally picking up,” said Rocky Laster of the Kasilof Mercantile, which among other things, sells fishing tackle and arranges guided fishing trips on the Kasilof River.
Laster said the fish only recently started entering the Kasilof in catchable numbers.
“Until a week ago it was pretty dead, but the kings are in the river now. I haven’t heard of any whoppers yet, but people are definitely catching fish,” he said.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s creel surveys from the Kasilof River indicate an increase in the number of king salmon being caught by anglers last week, and fish success is expected to improve as the month progresses.
“Last week creel surveys were only recording just a few kings per day, but on Tuesday we had 16 kings from 84 anglers surveyed, so we’re seeing an increase in angler success,” said Robert Begich, a Fish and Game sport fish area management biologist.
“Angler reports outside the survey also indicate the fishing is getting better,” Begich added.
In the Kasilof, hatchery fish — those missing their adipose fin — can be kept seven days a week, while naturally produced “wild” fish — still with their adipose fin — can be kept on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The Kenai River showed a similar trend of increase this week, as the Fish and Game sonar counter 8.6 miles from the mouth of the river jumped to daily counts in the triple digits.
On Monday, the daily count was 117 kings, followed by 144 more on Tuesday, for a cumulative 788 kings so far this season.
Fish also are starting to flood the more southern waterways of the Kenai Peninsula. The lower portions of the Anchor River, Ninilchik River and Deep Creek will again open to king salmon fishing this weekend, starting at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, June 2, through midnight, Monday, June 4.
Fish and Game issued an emergency order to open the Ninilchik River continuously to fishing for hatchery king salmon through July 15 at 11:59 p.m. Bait and treble hooks are allowed on the Anchor River and Deep Creek; only single hooks may be used on the Ninilchik River.
“The Homer office (of Fish and Game) is also conducting a tagging project, so anglers that get a tagged fish are asked to let them know,” Begich said.
Anglers who take a tagged king should note the tag number and report it, plus the location and date of capture, to Fish and Game in Homer at (907) 235-1730, or by e-mail to carol_kerkvliet@fishgame.state.ak.us.
Anglers who release tagged fish are asked to not remove the tag.
Fish and Game’s numbers from the sonar counter on the Anchor River two miles upstream from the mouth indicate there will be more fish for fishermen to potentially catch this weekend.
On Sunday the daily count jumped to 171 kings, followed by 156 on Monday and 288 on Tuesday, for a cumulative 1,965 kings so far this season.
In Homer, kings continue to enter the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, a portion of which will only be open to fishing by youth 15 years of age and younger on Saturday from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The youth-only fishing area will be posted. The remainder of the lagoon will be open to fishing for anglers of any age.
Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.
Outdoors