Alaska Fishing

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

Homer fisherman wins diehard derby

Gary Lyon of Homer boated a 22.5-pound king salmon Oct. 11 to capture the Homer Elks Lodge's Winter King Salmon Derby.

Battle against northern pike moves to Peninsula

Division of Sport Fish staff place rotenone into a boat for dispersal into Sand Lake Oct. 7, 2009.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday expanded its efforts to kill northern pike in trout lakes by applying the pesticide rotenone to 85-acre Scout Lake near Sterling.

Heavy flatfish nets hefty purse

The wait for Tom Youngblood was long -- and lucrative. Youngblood, the Homer resident who caught a 354.6-pound halibut more than three months ago, on Wednesday night was declared the winner of the 24th annual Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby and earned $40,400.

Steelhead or rainbow: The great fish debate

Fishermen float the Kenai River under a rainbow as they fish for rainbow trout near Cooper Landing recently.

For years, anglers, guides and biologists have debated whether the powerful Kenai River receives a steelhead run, or if the big trout that delight anglers are freshwater fish moving between the river and Skilak or Kenai lakes.

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Crab fishermen surprised by deep-dwelling mystery fish

From ship-encircling serpents of Norse mythology to the multi-armed beast of a more modern Jules Verne tale, sea monster accounts are found in virtually all cultures that have contact with the sea. Homer is no exception.

Pixee lures: Alaska favorite endures

Don't look now, but just about every fishing tackle box in Alaska is inhabited by Pixees. Even local non-fishermen recognize the metal spoon-type lure with the distinctive "egg-sac" insert.

Alaskans dominate two derbies in Valdez

Chuck Gard with his derby-winning silver salmon.

Alaskans caught the heftiest silver salmon and halibut in Valdez this year, as the Valdez Fish Derbies ended Sunday. Led by hometown angler Chuck Gard's 19.42-pounder -- the only fish to break the 19-pound barrier -- Alaskans claimed the top seven spots in silver salmon derby.

FISHING

Anchorage angler grabs lead in Homer

Anthony Sandoval of Anchorage took the early lead in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby's final month with a 186.4-pounder he boated Saturday.

Take advantage of the gluttonous fall fish

Fly-fisherman Brent Fenty nets one of the dozens of trout he caught in a Susitna Valley lake in 2005. Fishing is hot right now for lake trout that roam the deep, clear water.

Back in May, fishing fever seemed epidemic. The long winter was over. King salmon were nosing into fresh water and the promise of fresh filets on backyard barbecues was palpable.

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FISHING

California woman's 274-pounder wins

The big 274-pound halibut that California angler Dora Orendayn landed at the beginning of August hung on for three weeks to win the $1,000 monthly prize in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby.

Seward is the spot for large flatfish

Over the last week, two halibut weighing more than 300 pounds and at least two that are more than 200 pounds have been strung up on the Seward docks by boats venturing as far as Montague Island in the Gulf of Alaska in search of heavyweights.

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Fishing legend Repine, 76, dies

Legendary Alaska angler and writer Jim Repine, a pioneer fly fisherman here before moving to Chile more than a decade ago, has died of a brain tumor.

Former Alaskan earns Bassmaster title

Chad Griffin holds up two of the bass he caught to win the Bassmasters Elite Series Tournament.

When he was 12, Chad Griffin often rode his bike near the family home on Baxter Road, clutching a fishing rod on his handlebars en route to Cheney Lake, where he would coax a few rainbow trout from the shallow waters.

Mat-Su gets a second salmon season

Brett Bradford stands on a culvert fishing for silver salmon during the outgoing tide near the dam at Ship Creek Aug. 18, 2009.

2009 has been a tale of two salmon seasons. This spring, king fishing started poorly and worsened. Popular Deshka River and Anchorage's Ship Creek were shut down. But late summer brought silvers -- and a salmon-fishing revival.

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Silver salmon limit raised in most areas

A strong return of silver salmon to northern Cook Inlet has prompted biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to boost the bag and possession limit from two to three fish in most Knik Arm fisheries beginning today.

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FISHING

Valdez silver derby leader gets a little extra help

For the second consecutive year, the biggest silver salmon in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby has outweighed its counterpart in Seward.

FISHING

Big salmon land cash for couple

Lots of anglers like to say that a bad day of fishing beats a good day at work. Only a few can say that a couple of good days of fishing can beat a whole week at a good-paying job.

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