Fishing

Sanford leads Homer halibut derby

Karl Sanford has the lead in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby, having hauled in a 128.8-pound fish earlier this month.

54-pound king salmon 'hit like a ton of bricks'

Six chilly hours had passed trolling Kachemak Bay off Seldovia without a single thrill, and Homer angler Kenneth Morris, 26, was considering heading home. He well knew that fishing for winter or early spring king salmon can be spotty at best.

Reader poll: How big is big

We asked readers how big this year's top sport-caught halibut will be, and more than 230 of you responded.

Fairbanks fisherman leads Homer halibut derby

The Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby is under way and Fairbanks angler Karl Sanford can enjoy his spot atop the leader board -- for now.

Copper River fishery to open for dipnetters

After a stellar season in which dipnetters had the second highest catch per permit on record, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced it will open the 2008 Copper River personal use dipnet fishery at 8 a.m. June 4.

Anglers, it's time to pull ice-fishing shacks

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is reminding anglers that ice fishing houses must be removed by next Wednesday. A recent warming trend has melted some lake ice and prompted overflow, and the department is concerned about the safety of anglers.

Ship Creek derby in jeopardy

One of Anchorage's most popular fish derbies, the Silver Slam'n Salm'n Derby on Ship Creek each August, is losing its sponsor.

Video: Fishing Dude in Ship Creek

Photos: Nice Catch

Halibut charters may lease commercial quotas

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is trying a new way to fix allocation disputes between the charter and commercial halibut fleets. The council will allow the charter fleet to lease halibut quota shares from commercial fishermen. But charter boat operators are wary of relying on commercial fishermen, who would have to choose to lease their quotas to charters.

Mat-Su, Kenai fish war brewing

Mat-Su legislators who say people in their area are getting shortchanged on salmon are pushing measures that could revolutionize fishery management in Cook Inlet.

Legislature appears headed for a quiet finale

Derby rewards anglers for targeting evil pike

Jacie Hart and husband Duane were rigging ice-fishing lines on Alexander Lake last week when the flag on a tip-up snapped up, indicating a northern pike had taken the herring bait. Jacie Hart grabbed the line with cotton-gloved hands and pulled. It wouldn't budge.

Charter boat crews barred from catching halibut

For the second consecutive year, sportfish charter captains and crew members cannot catch or keep any fish while guiding anglers in saltwater this season.

Providential payday

Ninilchik buddies John Forster and George Veney got a late start in Sunday's 15th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament after they had to drive back home and retrieve the bait they'd forgotten.

Politics and price are undoing hatchery plan

Plans for a new Anchorage hatchery to rear salmon, trout and other fish for area streams and lakes could be crumbling under the strain of two forces that kill many projects in the state Capitol: cost and regional politics.

Palin wants lawmakers to justify projects

Public employees support pension plan

House committee advances ethics bill

Salmon politics may uproot managers

The perennial fight over Cook Inlet salmon has come to the capital with a proposal to transfer state commercial and sportfish managers from the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage.

Fish board alters rules for the upcoming season

The Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted several rule changes during its recent meeting for the upcoming sportfishing season.

Ice fisherman issued $7,270 fine

A man accused of catching hundreds of fish over the limit while ice fishing at Mirror Lake has been cited and ordered to pay thousands of dollars, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Dipnetters post banner year at Chitina

FAIRBANKS -- Dipnetters at Chitina scooped more salmon out of the Copper River last summer than they have since 2001.

DNR limits engine use on river during July

Anglers who bought 35-horsepower motors to comply with engine restrictions on the Kenai River won't have to junk them by 2010, the state Department of Natural Resources has decided. But they won't be allowed to use those engines on the river in July because of concerns about pollution.

Salmon interests gather to get as much as they can from state

Commercial and sportfishing interests will square off at a state Board of Fisheries meeting starting today in Anchorage.

Photos: Nice catch

Error snags Alaska tide book publisher

Lo, the faithful tide book -- fisherman's bible, etcher of lunar phases, harbinger of spring. It's been recalled. A computer glitch caused a "typeface discrepancy" requiring a recall of this year's first edition.

Upgrade would make hatchery world-class

There are days in the summer when a tour bus -- sometimes two -- will drop off upwards of 200 visitors to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Elmendorf Hatchery, a four-man operation that is in charge of rearing the bulk of Anchorage's salmon population on a small parcel of land off Post Road and Reeve Boulevard.