Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 09, 2014

Homer Area

Week of July 8- July 14
Issued July 8

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

Freshwater fisheries

• Anchor River, Deep Creek and Stariski Creek are closed to fishing for king salmon and gear is limited to one unbaited single hook artificial lure. King salmon may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• Ninilchik River is closed to wild king salmon, but open to hatchery king salmon. The bag and possession limit on hatchery-only king salmon is one 20 inches or greater in length.
• Hatchery king salmon are identified as missing their adipose fin, the fleshy fin on the back just in front of the tail.
• After harvesting a hatchery king salmon 20 inches or greater in length, a person may not fish for any species of fish in the Ninilchik River on that same day.
• China Poot personal use dipnet fishery is open through August 7. Both tips of the tail fin must be removed. Complete regulations are found on page 14 of the Southcentral Alaska regulation booklet.

Marine fisheries

• The Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast sport, personal use & subsistence Tanner crab fisheries will not open for the 2014-2015 season.
• The Ninilchik beach from the north bank of Deep Creek to a marker located approximately 3.2 miles north of the Ninilchik River at 60º 05.66’N. latitude is closed to the taking of all clam species effective through December 31.
• The bag and possession limit for razor clams harvested from the remaining eastside Cook Inlet beaches, extending from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit, is reduced to the first 25 razor clams dug per day effective through December 31.
• Snagging is allowed in Kachemak Bay east of a line from Anchor Point to Point Pogibshi through December 31, except in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon.
• Lingcod season opened July 1. Anglers are reminded that the bag and possession limit is 2 fish and the minimum legal size is 35 inches.
• Sport caught pink salmon may be used as bait in the salt water fisheries.

Salt waters

Halibut

• Halibut fishing success has been fair to good with many anglers catching their limits. Success has improved as more fish move from deep, over-wintering waters back into shallow, summer feeding areas.
• Sampled fish landed in the Homer Harbor over the past week averaged 11.3 pounds (range 2.9 to 43.7 pounds) round weight. Many anglers had success using herring on circle hooks.

Salmon

• Trolling success for feeder king salmon is reported as fair to good near Flat Island, Point Pogibshi, Yukon Island, Bear Cove and Bluff Point. While trolling, anglers are also reporting catches of pink, chum, sockeye and coho salmon.
• Angling families targeting salmon should think about entering the five species of Pacific salmon challenge. Details are available at www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSport.fiveSalmonFamily .
• Popular trolling set-ups for king salmon include herring, hootchies, tube flies, and spoons. Try using dodgers or flashers for extra attraction.
• Early-run coho salmon are beginning to arrive at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit. Also there are still some bright king salmon fishing available in the lagoon. Try salmon eggs, herring and blue Vibrax spinners, also try fishing around the incoming tide as new fish arrive.
• Sockeye salmon mixed with pink salmon are arriving into Tutka Bay Lagoon. This is a stocked fishery paid for by enhancement taxes on commercial fisheries. Anglers are reminded to avoid commercial boats operating in the area.
• As a part of the Chinook Salmon Research Initiative, the Department has begun a project looking at the genetic stock composition of the marine king salmon fishery. There are port samplers stationed at the Homer Harbor, and Deep Creek and Anchor Point tractor launches conducting quick interviews and collecting biological information, scales, and genetic clips from sport caught king salmon. If you fished for king salmon in Cook Inlet, regardless of success, we’d like to talk to you! More information on the Chinook Salmon Research Initiative can be found at: http://dfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=chinookinitiative.main

Other Saltwater Fishing

• Fishing off the end of the Homer Spit can be a fun way to pass the time. Species available include walleye pollock, Pacific cod, a variety of flatfish species, Dolly Varden, and on occasion salmon.
• Anglers are reporting fair catches of walleye pollock and Pacific cod in Kachemak Bay.
• Anglers fishing near the Barren, Chugach, and Elizabeth Islands are catching lingcod, rockfish as well as other target species. The Department would like to remind anglers that the survival of released rockfish caught in greater than 60 feet of water is substantially improved by releasing these fish at the depth of capture. More information can be found at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingsportfishinginfo.rockfishconservation

Fresh waters

Personal Use Fishing

• Dipnetting success in China Poot should improve as the returning sockeye salmon start to build. The peak of this run is about the middle of July.
Streams
• Expect slow to fair fishing for Dolly Varden in roadside streams as most runs are just starting to arrive. Fish near the stream mouths for better success.
• For the Ninilchik River, the larger hatchery king salmon are darkening while there are still some bright hatchery jack king salmon available.

Lake Fishing

• The Kenai Peninsula stocked lakes fishing conditions are good. Most of these lakes are stocked with rainbow trout which, this time of year, are taken on dry or wet flies, small spoons, spinners, or bait. A brochure listing the locations of the stocked lakes is available on the Sport Fish web site and at ADF&G offices.

Shellfish

• The next series of clamming tides run July 10-17.
• For razor clams try beaches on the west side of Cook Inlet where razor clams tend to be larger and more abundant than beaches on the east side of Cook Inlet.
• For beaches on the east side of Cook Inlet, expect small size clams that are few and far between in the beaches that remain open. North of the Clam Gulch access road has been the most productive this season.
• Littleneck (steamer) and butter clams can be found in gravel beaches on the south side of Kachemak Bay from Seldovia to Chugachik Island.
• Good numbers of butter clams are found on the islands in China Poot Bay. Butter clams can be found up to 2 ft. deep. Littleneck clams can be found on in a variety of habitats from Jakolof Bay to Bear Cove. Try exploring new beaches for success. Typically, littleneck clams are found shallower in the substrate, up to 8 inches deep.
• Sport shellfish harvesters should be aware of the potential risks of PSP (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning). Check out the facts sheet at: http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/RecSHell/index.html
• All shrimp and crab fisheries in Kachemak Bay are currently closed.