Alaska News

Sockeye salmon bounty in Seward awaits snaggers

SEWARD -- Returning varied thrushes are sounding their broken kazoo bleats, willow buds have reached the size of squirrel ears and it's time to re-spool the reels for the first sockeye salmon of the year.

And Resurrection Bay's alternative to dipnetting, setnetting and sport fishing – straight-up snagging – is about to get under way.

Snagging fish in saltwater is legal anywhere in Alaska it's not specifically prohibited. And the freedom to hook salmon anywhere on their scaly bodies with an unbaited hook can be a surprisingly challenging and engaging. While Seward may be best-known for its popular Silver Salmon Derby in August, locals fill their freezers and smokers with shore-caught red salmon as soon as they show up in late May.

The early-season timing alone doesn't account for the fishery's popularity.

"A generous six-fish daily limit and relatively light combat fishing compared to other options" contributes to the popularity of the Resurrection Bay fishery, according to fisherman Ben Pazdernik.

Four years ago, the return was strong enough to prompt an emergency order doubling the limit to 12 fish a day.

3,200 reds landed

To participate, anglers need a 2015 sport fishing license, 20-pound-test monofilament line, quality snap swivels and 6/0 or 8/0 lead weighted snagging hooks (sometimes dubbed "Seward Dry Flies"). Other useful gear includes polarized sunglasses (protection from flying hooks), chest waders, a fish club/bonker and a stringer.

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Popular fishing spots include Spring Creek beach at the end of Nash Road, Fourth of July beach and the waterfall near the Alaska Sea Life Center.

Before casting, anglers should take a moment to evaluate the scene. Any fish being landed, hooked or jumping? Any telltale V-wakes? Any potentially deep and dangerous channels cut by streams or river braids? Is there a "beachy spot" to easily land a fish by walking it back?

With a little luck or skill you'll find plenty of fish. In 2013, for instance, the state estimated that 4,200 anglers fished the Resurrection Bay shoreline, landing about 3,200 reds – far more than the number of silvers (1,200), pinks (1,750) or kings (100) brought to shore.

Land them quick

Try to shoot an intercepting cast ahead of where they're headed or past a stationary or milling group. Keep the rod tip forward, reel up slack, rip the rod backwards as though setting the hook, return the rod forward, reel slack, rip, repeat. See what those around you are doing; odds are it's the right technique and at times you may need to synchronize your casting to avoid crossed lines. Salmon skin is tough enough to make garments from, so a pretty good rip may be needed to pierce it.

You'll want to keep the reel's drag fairly tight and may need to adjust it tighter depending on how much the fish decides to run. Many greenhorn snaggers have received glares and unkind words while chasing their fish past scores of fishermen, crossing lines and tangling gear as they go. Most locations require horsing your fish in quickly; a faster fight often gives the hook less time to work its way out as well. Land your fish, club it, then unhook it, rip a gill and add it to your stringer.

Once you land your daily limit of six fish, you face some decisions. If you plan to fish additional days, you need to preserve your catch since the possession limit is also six. Freeze or can them yourself, or enlist the help of Seward retailers such as Captain Jack's Seafood Locker or J-Dock Seafood Co. in the harbor to vacuum seal and flash freeze your catch.

Hatchery help

Historically, a meager wild sockeye run returned to Bear Lake north of Seward from Resurrection Bay. But in 1962, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game started enhancement efforts.

Nearly three decades later, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) stepped into the game and has been stocking sockeye in Bear Lake since 1990 under an agreement with the state.

Two years ago, some 59,200 reds averaging nearly 6 pounds returned – with about 41,000 harvested by CIAA to cover hatchery costs. Another 3,200 were caught by recreational sport anglers, according to statewide harvest survey data, and about 15,000 reached the weir at Bear Lake.

Of those, 3,400 were selected as brood stock, with their eggs and milt incubated at the Trail Lakes Hatchery in Moose Pass. Others were released to reproduce in the lake. Some 1,000 gallons of fertilizer was sprayed into the lake to boost algae growth, providing additional zooplankton for the next generation of sockeyes to dine on.

Most snaggers prefer to fish a couple of hours before and after high tide pushes some fish into fresh water. Others focus their effort on periods when commercial fishermen are shut down.

If you can't bring yourself to snag, head upstream a little, where there is a freshwater, single hook, artificial lure option in freshwater flowing into Resurrection Bay downstream of Nash Road and the Seward Highway. The season runs June 16-Dec. 31, and the limit is three reds per day and three in possession. A traditional Kenai River setup and the flossing technique can be effective. Keep an eye out for bears if you enter this wooded zone.

Odds are a little experience will be the best teacher, and by the end of the first day you'll have your snagging skills mastered.

Tyler Pelo is a Seward angler and freelance writer.

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