Area Sport Fishing Reports
North Gulf Coast/Resurrection Bay

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 28, 2016

North Gulf Coast Area

Week of July 27 to August 2
Issued July 27, 2016

General Area Description: Includes waters from Gore Point to Cape Fairfield.

Emergency Orders and regulation reminders

• Lingcod fishing opened on July 1.
• Snagging is allowed in salt water of the North Gulf Coast. Snagging is not allowed in fresh water.
• Resurrection River downstream of the Seward Highway and Nash Road opened on June 16. Only unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures are allowed; snagging is not permitted in this freshwater portion of Resurrection River.
• For king salmon in Resurrection Bay there is no annual or seasonal king salmon harvest recording requirement. You are still required to have a king salmon stamp if you are going to retain a king salmon.
• Emergency Order; the daily bag and possession limit was increased to 12 sockeye salmon in the marine waters of Resurrection Bay north of a line from Caines Head to the north point of Thumb Cove effective Wednesday, July 6 at 12:01p.m. through Sunday, July 31 at 11:59p.m.

Saltwater

Halibut

• Halibut are federally managed by NOAA. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=halibut.management
• Halibut fishing in the North Gulf Coast was good over the weekend. Anglers reported that halibut were numerous but mostly chickens. The best fishing was outside of Res. Bay.
• Halibut fishing inside Resurrection Bay continues to be spotty and requiring patience. Try fishing large baits (e.g.- herring or salmon bellies) near the islands on the east side of Resurrection bay.

 

 

 

Salmon

Kings:

• The king salmon limit in Res. Bay is currently two per day, any size.
• Boats trolling for silvers have picked up the occasional king salmon near Pony Cove and Cheval Narrows. Try trolling herring with a chartreuse/green flasher or mooching hoochie squids have produced fish.

Sockeye:

• Sockeye are still being caught at the head of Resurrection bay each day, but catch rates are on the decline and anglers have to weed through the pinks to get the occasional sockeye.
•  In marine waters of Resurrection Bay north of a line from Caines Head to the north point of Thumb Cove, the bag limit for sockeye has been increased via Emergency Order to 12 per day/12 in possession.
• In the freshwater section downstream of Resurrection River and Nash Road to an ADF&G marker near the mouth, the bag limit for sockeye remains at 3 per day/ 3 in possession.

Silvers:

• Silver salmon fishing in the North Gulf Coast has been fair and boats are having to put in time to catch silvers. Things improved for some anglers over the weekend that were willing to tough out the rough weather. Anglers are catching a few fish further out past Cheval Narrows, but silvers remain in low concentrations for this time of the year. Troll herring or spoons at various depths to search silvers, and begin mooching when you find a school.
• As a reminder, the coho limit outside of Res. Bay is 3 per day/3 in possession and in Res. Bay is 6 per day/6 in possession. Anglers that have caught 6 silvers inside Res. Bay may not leave the bay.

Other salt water fishing

Lingcod:

• Lingcod fishing is closed year-round within Res. Bay. Lingcod fishing opened on July 1 to areas outside of Res. Bay. See page 79 in the regulation booklet for location specifics if you are unsure of where you are allowed to target lingcod.
• Lingcod catches were limited this week. Try fishing near capes or pinnacles in the North Gulf Cost. Use large diamond jigs or jigs with a large twister-tail grub to subdue these toothy critters.

Rockfish:

• Rockfish are easy to catch and have a fairly conservative bag limit, so target your rockfish last.
• The rockfish daily bag limit is 4 per day, of which only 1 may be a non-pelagic (demersal) rockfish.
• Use deepwater release methods to release incidentally caught rockfish. For details, see the ADF&G Rockfish Conservation webpage at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation
• Black rockfish continue to be a reliable sportfish to target this season. They have been reported be in good numbers and of great size near the entrances of the major bays of the North Gulf Coast, including Resurrection Bay.

Other species:

• Pacific cod are well spread throughout Res. Bay, and can be easily caught with chunks of herring fished near the bottom in water of 100ft and deeper.
• As of June 1, personal use dipnetting for smelt (hooligan) closed.

Shellfish

• There have been no reports from the personal-use shrimp pot fishery. This fishery is now open in the entire North Gulf Coast area. To participate in the fishery you must be an Alaska resident with a current sport fishing license or ADF&G Permanent ID card, and a North Gulf Coast shrimp pot fishery permit. Permits can be obtained at the Anchorage, Homer, or Soldotna ADF&G offices and at the Seward Fish House.
• Check out page 10 of the 2016 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for regulations on this fishery, and page 9 shrimp pot requirements.

Fresh waters

Salmon

• The only fresh water open to salmon fishing is a small section Resurrection River, downstream of the Seward Highway and Nash Road (See map in Southcentral regulation summary on p.g. 78)
• The remainder of the fresh water drainages in Resurrection Bay are closed to salmon fishing at this time.

Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling

• Dolly Varden are beginning their migration into freshwater; typically following in the salmon. Try casting small lures or swinging bright maribou flies.

Northern Pike

• Northern pike are not native to Southcentral Alaska. Please report the capture of any pike in unconfirmed waters to ADF&G. Do not release any pike you have caught.

Lake Fishing

• Lake fishing in the Seward area is fairly limited. First Lake was stocked with over 500 catchable-size rainbow trout in June 30. Grouse lake should be begin seeing the return of the first few sea-run dolly varden char; fishing will likely be slow but this fishery has been known to produce some very nice char.