Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Randy Dayton, of Idaho, pulls his line in to release a pink salmon Wednesday August 6, 2014 in Soldotna, Alaska. The pink salmon run has been strong in 2014 and many anglers have reported difficulty in catching other species of fish due to the volume of pinks in the Kenai River.

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Randy Dayton, of Idaho, pulls his line in to release a pink salmon Wednesday August 6, 2014 in Soldotna, Alaska. The pink salmon run has been strong in 2014 and many anglers have reported difficulty in catching other species of fish due to the volume of pinks in the Kenai River.

Whether they like it or not, anglers catch plenty of pink salmon

Randy Dayton landed 33 pink salmon in an hour and a half as he flipped for red salmon at Centennial Park in Soldotna.

During the short time that it took him to explain that he had come up from Meridian, Idaho for eight weeks of fishing and hadn’t landed a sockeye yet during his Wednesday of fishing, his pink number hit 39.

“I prefer to eat sockeye,” he said.

The sentiment was echoed by several other anglers along the Kenai River shoreline as many of them landed a large volume of pink salmon — but not much else.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Pink salmon, or humpies, are both the smallest and the most numerous of Pacific salmon and while commercial catches of the fish support many Alaska coastal fishing communities — they’re not the most sought after fish in the Kenai River.

By most reports they’re easy to catch and will strike at almost anything.

Dayton fished with a bit of yarn on his hook and had no trouble catching and landing the prolific salmon.

But, he said, they’re a little fishy tasting by the time they get up to Soldotna in the Kenai River and that might be part of the reason inriver sport-anglers tend to eschew them for sockeye or coho salmon.

While the fish are in their prime in the saltwater, pale pink and lightly flavored — once they hit the freshwater, their physiological changes happen quickly.

The bright silver and green-tinted fish starts to turn a dingy brown or black and large black spots appear on their bodies. Males develop a hooked jaw and hump.

Some prefer to catch their fish in the saltwater, or failing that, buy them from a local setnet fisherman with a catcher-processor permit.

Gary Hollier, a setnetter whose sites are near the Kenai River said people often buy their pink salmon commercially.

“At 28 cents a pound, they’re a good, cheap, quality product from the ocean,” he said. “They’re just a softer fish.”

Hollier said he ate a lot of pink salmon growing up, though he prefers sockeye or king salmon to the prolific fish.

But, he said, it’s hard to beat a price of a pink.

“If you take a 4-pound pink salmon, you’ll get two 2-pound fillets,” he said. “Where else are you going to get protein like that for less than $1 a pound?”

At least two people on the Kenai River were willing to experiment with a pink salmon.

Todd Boise and Kelly Boise, of Pennsylvania, said they caught several Tuesday and decided to keep one.

The two have been fishing in the area for a couple of years and said they come up catch fish and visit family.

“It’s experimental,” Kelly Boise said. “We’ve never had pinks, so we’re going to try it.”

 

Reach Rashah McChesney at rashah.mcchesney@peninsulaclarion.com

More in News

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Kenai wildlife refuge seeking information on missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team conducts a training mission in Seward, Alaska in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team
Anchor Point fundraiser to benefit Alaska rescue and recovery group

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic staff (left to right) Angie Holland, RN; Jane Rohr, Sonja Martin Young, CNM; Robin Holmes, MD; and Cherie Bole, CMA provide an array of reproductive and sexual health services. (Photo provided by KBFPC)
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic releases report on STI trends on the Kenai Peninsula

The report pulls from data gathered from 2024 to early 2025.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration of pools within the next year.

Traffic passes by South Spruce Street in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai drops effort to rename South Spruce Street

The resolution would have changed the name to make it clear which road led to North Kenai Beach

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress fourth grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy calls special session for August

Lawmakers on Wednesday said they were surprised by the move.

Most Read