Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 29, 2014

Homer Area

Week of July 29- August 4
Issued July 29

Emergency Orders

• Sport fishing for king salmon is closed in the saltwaters of Cook Inlet north of the latitude of Bluff Point (59 40.00’N) beginning at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, July 26, 2014 through 11:59 p.m., Thursday, July 31, 2014. King salmon that are caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• 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.

Regulation Reminders

• The Youth Fishery at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon is Saturday, August 2. A portion of the lagoon will be open to youth 15 years of age or younger from 12:01 a.m. until midnight. Department staff will be present from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to help young anglers fish and tie egg loops and fishing knots, and learn the best way for releasing fish.
• Snagging is not allowed in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon and from the Homer City Dock near the entrance of the Homer Boat Harbor (including the Homer Boat Harbor) to the ADF&G markers about 200 yds. northwest of the lagoon entrance to a distance of 300 ft from shore. The bag and possession for salmon within these waters (except king salmon) is 6 per day of which 6 maybe coho salmon.
• Weights or bobbers following a hook or hooks may not be used in waters closed to snagging.
• Areas upstream of the two-mile regulatory markers on the Anchor and Ninilchik Rivers and Deep and Stariski Creeks open on August 1 to fishing for Dolly Varden and steelhead/rainbow trout. Salmon may not be targeted or harvested upstream of the two-mile regulatory markers.
• 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.
• The marine waters of Tutka Bay Lagoon within 100 yards of the Tutka Bay Lagoon hatchery net pens are closed to sport fishing.
• Sport caught pink salmon may be used as bait in the salt water fisheries.
• 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.

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 12.6 pounds (range 4.01 to 101.2 pounds) round weight. Many anglers had success using herring on circle hooks.

Salmon

• Trolling success for feeder king salmon is reported as fair near Flat Island and Point Pogibshi.
• Anglers are reporting good catches of coho salmon near Point Adams.
• While trolling, anglers are also reporting good catches of pink 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.
• At the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit fishing for early-run coho salmon has been reported as good to excellent. 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 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 Thanks to all anglers who have participated so far!

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 coho salmon.
• Anglers are reporting good catches of walleye pollock and Pacific cod in Kachemak Bay.
• Anglers fishing near the Barren, Chugach, and Elizabeth Islands are catching limits of lingcod and 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 for sockeye salmon in China Poot is slow. Fish early in the day for better success.
Streams
• Expect fair to good fishing for Dolly Varden in roadside streams.
• Try fishing for Dolly Varden with small bright spinners, fresh salmon eggs, or fly patterns that resemble fish such as muddler minnows or egg patterns.
• Coho salmon are beginning to arrive in these streams. Try fishing early in the morning or at the mouth of the stream during the incoming tide.
• Pink salmon fishing is reported as good on the south side of Kachemak Bay. Humpy Creek and the Seldovia River are popular streams to fish for pink salmon.

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

• Clamming tides run July 30, then August 8-15.
• 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.