Alaska Fishing

Southcentral fishing forecast

Where they're biting and where they aren't

172-pound halibut leads Homer derby for July

Curtis Jernigan of Millsap, Texas, landed a 172-pound halibut on the first day of the month to grab in the race for the biggest July halibut at the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby.

Southcentral fishing forecast

Best bet for fishing is to try out your sea legs

Bill Gleavy, right, of Dedham, Mass., shows off his 257.2-pound halibut that won the Seward Halibut Tournament with captain Kevin Knight of Profish-N-Sea Charters.

With the notable exception of the Russian River red salmon fishery, anglers are best advised to sample saltwater locales this holiday weekend.

Southcentral fishing forecast

Where they're biting and where they aren't

State closes several Mat-Su streams to king fishing

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday afternoon it would close an array of Parks Highway streams and the Little Susitna River to king salmon anglers beginning 6 a.m. Friday.

Kodiak Island sport fishing restrictions tightened

The depleted Kodiak Island salmon fisheries absorbed two more body blows on Tuesday. The Ayakulik River will be closed to king fishing, and the bag limit for reds on the Karluk River has been cut.

Kodiak Island sport fishing restrictions tightened

Feisty lingcod are fair game again

Kindal Murry, of Columbia Falls, Mont., right, stands by a 77-pound lingcod he caught in 2006. Ross Kalke shows his love for the catch. Beginning July 1, 2009, it's legal to catch lingcod outside of Resurrection Bay.

They're ugly, many sporting a piscatorial version of a beer belly and a gaping mouthful of 18 sharp teeth. They're misnamed. Lingcod aren't cod at all. But they know how to fight the hook and they taste good.

Troopers cite 7 fishermen for violating Ship Creek closure

Alaska Wildlife Troopers conducted a patrol at Ship Creek Sunday night, targeting fishermen illegally going after salmon in the closed waters.

Russian River awash with reds and anglers

Angers vie for sockeye salmon Thursday at the confluence of the Russian and Kenai Rivers. It was a productive day for many of them.

Tens of thousands of red salmon, their noses pointed up the crystal-clear water of the Russian River, make angling there a great equalizer.

Russian River: Fish On!

Fish & Game emergency order

Fishing advocate rarely touches a net

Byron Haley, the president-for-life of the Chitina Dipnetters Association, poses with a fishing net outside his Fairbanks home.

The fact that Byron Haley is president-for-life of the Chitina Dipnetters Association is somewhat ironic, considering the 82-year-old Haley has only been to Chitina a few times during his 63 years in Alaska. Most of the time, he relies on friends to bring him back a few Copper River red salmon.

Low chinook count closes Gulkana River

The state Department of Fish and Game has issued an emergency order to stop king salmon fishing on the Gulkana River.

FISHING

Homer man takes halibut derby lead

Photo courtesy of Homer Halibut DerbyHomer's Thomas Youngblood, right, took the Homer Halibut Derby lead with this 354.6-pound halibut caught Friday, June 26, 2009.

Cleveland has LeBron. Anchorage has Scotty. And now Homer has Tom.

State to halt Ship Creek sport fishing starting Monday

Fish and Game will close Alaska's most popular urban salmon fishery to all sport fishing beginning Monday to protect its source of king salmon eggs.

D.C. judge defends decision limiting halibut charter take

A federal judge who denied a request by Southeast charter operators for relief from a one-halibut daily bag limit says they are unlikely to succeed in their lawsuit to revoke the rule permanently.

First silver salmon of '09 makes appearance

Days are getting shorter. Evening temperatures dipped into the low-40s Tuesday night. And now this?

Southcentral fishing forecast

Where they're biting, where they aren't

King salmon return on Deshka exceeds expectations

On Tuesday, the number of king salmon past the Deshka River weir exceeded the 7,533 total that passed of all last year.

FISHING

Anglers ousted from Bird Creek fishery

The Department of Fish and Game on Monday issued an emergency order closing the popular Bird Creek fishery until July 14 to protect a small wild run of king salmon.

SLAM'N SALM'N DERBY

Ship Creek derby ends with a smile

David "Hillbilly" Edmonds of Anchorage has been declared the winner in the Ship Creek Slam'n Salm'n Derby. His 48.37-pound king salmon caught Tuesday was the biggest fish weighed in by the Sunday deadline in the 10-day derby.