A restriction on the use of multiple hooks on the Kenai River was extended via emergency order by the State Department of Fish and Game on Monday, now running through Aug. 31.
According to an advisory announcement published Monday, fishers will continue to be limited to only one baited or unbaited, single hook or single hook lure between the mouth of the Kenai River and the department regulatory markers at the confluence of the Moose River until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Per department regulations, fishers are usually allowed to begin using bait and multiple hooks on Aug. 16. Bait will still begin to be allowed on that date.
The extended restriction is motivated by low returns of the Kenai River’s late-run king salmon, the announcement says. Though the king salmon sport fishery was entirely closed this year and further restrictions were levied against other nearby fisheries, only around 6,000 large king salmon have been counted by sonar as of Monday.
The in-season projections, it says, indicate that the recovery goal of 14,250-30,000 large kings will not be achieved.
“King salmon runs throughout Cook Inlet have been exceedingly weak this year,” says Fish and Game Coordinator Matt Miller in the release. “We need to take precautions to reduce mortality of Kenai River king salmon that have returned inriver. Besides using single hook, anglers should exercise good angling practices by avoiding fishing for coho salmon in areas of the river where king salmon are concentrated and to cut leaders or lines to avoid stressing incidentally hooked king salmon.”
More information about fishing regulations and opportunity can be found at adfg.alaska.gov.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
