Reel Times Newsletter
December 2019
Issue 24
Give the gift of fishing
This year is coming to an end. And we hope it’s been a good year for all of you.
Fishing together creates memories that last a lifetime. If you captured a few new fishing memories on your phone and are willing to share on social media, we encourage you to post them using #wefishak. And if you’re not following us on Instagram, we invite you to do so @wefishak. Be sure to check out other angler’s fishing pics by searching #wefishak on Instagram. You can also follow us on Facebook at ADF&G - wefishak. There are some great images of Alaskan anglers on these sites. We also have a YouTube channel where we have a growing collection of fishing-related videos.
As a reminder, your 2019 sport fishing license will expire at the end of the day on December 31. Remember to purchase your 2020 sport fishing license. We encourage you to buy your 2020 fishing license online. If you buy your license online, a .PDF copy will be emailed to you. That way, if you ever lose your license, you can simply print another one off.
And don’t forget! A sport fishing license also makes a great gift for the holidays.
From all of us here at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we wish you happy holidays and great fishing.
Get Out and Fish. Together.
Tight lines!
Division of Sport Fish
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Go online to buy a sport fishing license
The holiday season is upon us. And we’d like to encourage you to consider purchasing a sport fishing license as a gift for yourself or someone you know.
Giving the gift of a fishing license is a gift that literally keeps on giving all year long. Sport fishing licenses are valid for a calendar year – January 1 through December 31. Sport fishing licenses are a practical gift for an angler of any skill level.
Residents of Alaska who are 18 years of age or older, and non-residents who are 16 years of age or older need a valid sport fishing license to fish in fresh or saltwater of Alaska. Anyone targeting king salmon, with the exception of king salmon stocked in lakes, will need a king salmon stamp in addition to their sport fishing license.
Non-Resident | Resident | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Sport fish | King Stamp | Sport fish | King Stamp | |
1 Day | $25 | $15 | - | - |
3 Day | $45 | $30 | - | - |
7 Day | $70 | $45 | - | - |
14 Day | $105 | $75 | - | - |
Annual | $145 | $100 | $29 | $10 |
A non-resident military sport fishing license is available to active duty members of military service and their dependent(s) who have been permanently stationed in Alaska for less than 12 months for the price of $29. A non-resident military annual king stamp is available for $30. The same stipulations as mentioned before apply.
For more on residency requirements, please visit: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=license.residency.
It is extremely easy to go online and purchase licenses, king salmon stamps, and an array of other items for the 2020 season in one fell swoop. If your entire family has made the nice list, simply click ‘Select Another Customer,’ to add more than one person at a time to make the process quick and painless. If you plan to purchase a sport fishing license for someone else, be sure to have their necessary information in order to complete the transaction (Name, address, driver’s license number, date of birth, etc.). Then, print off these great gifts and slide them into a Christmas card for someone special or make it a surprise that’s hidden in the tippy toe of their stocking.
Beat the crowds. ADF&G wants you and your family’s holiday season to be enjoyable, relaxing and stress free. Give the gift that brings joy all year long.
To purchase a sport fishing license or king stamp, visit the online store at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/store.
Get out and fish. Together.
Check Out Regional Updates!
Southcentral Alaska – We have ice fishing gear to loan
Anglers in Southcentral are patiently waiting and prepping their ice fishing gear for the right ice fishing conditions. Ice fishing tends to require specialized gear and setups, and not everyone is ready to shell out a substantial amount of money to purchase the necessary gear.
No worries. For those anglers who want to give ice fishing a try without the pricey commitment, stop by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game offices in Anchorage, Palmer, and Homer to borrow ice fishing gear. With a current year’s sport fishing license anglers can borrow ice fishing rods, a hand-cranked ice auger, ice scoop, bucket, and jigs.
For more information, please visit the ADF&G wefishak Rod Loaner Program webpage. Don’t forget to ask the Sport Fish Information Center staff for information on how to get started fishing your local lakes.
Don’t forget to share your fishing stories using #wefishak!
Interior Alaska – It’s Ice Fishing Time in the Copper Basin
By: Mark A. Somerville, ADF&G Sport Fish Management Biologist
It’s that time of year again. Time to break out those winter clothes and bunny boots, and load the snowmachines onto the trailer or to break out the snowshoes and skis. Short rods take the place of the 6-foot spinning rod or 8-lb fly rod. It’s time to head out and drill a hole and enjoy a weekend of ice fishing in the Upper Copper and Upper Susitna Management Area (UCUSMA).
The UCUSMA offers nearly unlimited potential for epic ice fishing experiences. If you’re new to ice fishing or have some younger kids you want to introduce to the sport, there are many stocked lake options along the roads that provide great fishing for rainbow trout and Arctic char. Most of these stocked lakes are an easy walk from the road, but there are a few remote options that are easily reached by snowmachine. Jigging with small lures or bait is usually the most effective way to catch these wonderful fish. The best part is, you get to keep up to 10 with one of the 10 over 18 inches total length. Build a campfire while out and cook some up fresh for a real outdoor treat.
If stocked rainbows aren’t your thing but you still want to stay near the road, check out Lake Louise or Paxson Lake. These are large lakes with great opportunity for lake trout and burbot. Both provide good fishing holes within walking distance of the road. They also provide opportunity for those with off-road transport to explore less accessible fishing sites.
There are the nearly uncountable remote options in the 23,000 square miles of the UCUSMA to explore. These range from smaller lakes a few acres in size to the larger lakes like Crosswind, Klutina, Tazlina, Tanada and Copper lakes. Many of the smaller lakes in the area go unfished for years, but if deeper than 20 feet, could easily support burbot and lake trout.
The most popular lake trout fisheries in the area are on Lake Louise, Susitna, and Tyone lakes, as well as Crosswind and Paxson lakes. Some more remote options are Tanada and Copper lakes off the Nabesna road and Sevenmile and Butte lakes off the Denali Highway. Jigging with tube jigs is effective for lake trout in the winter, as is bait (but be sure to check the special regulations for the lake you are fishing to ensure bait is legal). Look for lakers in mainly 10 to 50 feet of water, but they can be deeper.
Burbot are found in most lakes with lake trout, but not all burbot lakes support lake trout. Although burbot may hit a jig, they are generally bottom feeders. Use tip-ups set up with bait (again, check the regulations) on a hook with a gap between the shank and point of ¾ of an inch or more. You can fish as many lines as the daily bag limit for burbot that the lake allows. But remember, YOU MUST CLOSELY ATTEND your lines in the UCUSMA because SETLINES ARE NOT ALLOWED. If you have time and the inclination, look for smaller lakes with depths of 20 feet or more. There are lots of these in the area and you may find a big old burbot in one of them. So grab that winter camping gear, hop on the snowmachine and explore UCUSMA this winter – it is time!
There is far too much to cover on ice fishing here. Please contact Mark Somerville or Tracy Hansen or call at 907-822-3309. You can also check the following sources for more information on regulations, lakes, and access to the UCUSMA ice fishing spots and enjoy.
- Upper Copper Upper Susitna Management Area Regulations
- Statewide lake database
- Sport Fishing Rivers and Lakes in the Upper Copper/Upper Susitna River Basin
Reel Times Tip of the Month
Attention salt water anglers: Be advised of new regulations regarding deepwater release mechanisms
Beginning January 1, 2020, all anglers sport fishing from a vessel in the salt waters of Alaska must have a functioning deepwater release mechanism (DRM) on board, and all rockfish not harvested must be released at depth of capture, or at a depth of 100 feet.
For more information on deepwater release and rockfish conservation, visit: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/rockfish.
We’ve posted videos on our YouTube channel showing how to use a deepwater release mechanism. They can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXCiJ4HmgDxkqCBPZtZyeENk_MztDxPH.
“Fly” of the Month – Mouse Fly
For our last installment of the “Fly of the Month” for Reel Times, we thought we’d bring you a very effective top water fly to use on rainbow trout, northern pike or Arctic grayling. The mouse fly.
Watch a video tutorial on how to tie this fly here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aaiOYBeZps.
Field to Plate – Recipe of the Month
Do you have halibut fillets in your freezer? Consider making this recipe of Alaska Halibut Cioppino at your next holiday gathering. Thank you to our friends at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute for the recipe. Enjoy!
https://www.alaskaseafood.org/recipesdb/?recipeId=NDc4
If you have any questions about the Reel Times newsletter, please contact Ryan Ragan at ryan.ragan@alaska.gov