Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

Archived Sport Fishing Report

August 19, 2014

Homer Area

Week of August 19- August 26
Issued August 19

Emergency Orders

• Snagging began Friday, August 15, through the remainder of the year in the waters from the Homer City Dock (near the entrance, but not including, the Homer Boat Harbor) northwest along the east side of the Homer Spit to the department marker approximately 200 yards northwest of the lagoon entrance, and 300 feet from shore.
• 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

• Areas upstream of the two-mile regulatory markers on the Anchor and Ninilchik Rivers and Deep and Stariski Creeks is open to fishing for Dolly Varden and steelhead/rainbow trout. Salmon may not be targeted or harvested upstream of the two-mile regulatory markers.
• Sport caught pink salmon may be used as bait in the salt water fisheries.
• Lingcod season is open through December 31. 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.
• Sampled fish landed in the Homer Harbor over the past week averaged 10.2 pounds (range 34.0 to 115 pounds) round weight. Many anglers had success using herring on circle hooks.

Salmon

• Trolling success for feeder king salmon is reported as good near Bluff Point, Point Pogibshi and along the south side of Kachemak Bay.
• Anglers are reporting good catches of coho salmon near Bluff Point and approximately 24 miles offshore near the Compass Rose.
• 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.
• There are still stocked early-run coho salmon available at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon along the eastside of the Homer Spit
• 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 are reporting small harvests of rockfish and lingcod. 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 .

Personal Use

• The Kachemak Bay coho salmon gillnet fishery opened August 18. A permit is required and available at the Homer ADF&G office.

Fresh waters

• Coho salmon fising in area streams is reported as good. Try fishing early in the morning or at the mouth of the stream during the incoming tide.
• Expect 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.

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

• Next good series of clamming tides run September 7-13. 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.
• All shrimp and crab fisheries in Kachemak Bay are currently closed.