Fourth of July weekend promises fishing fireworks

Pyrotechnics might be banned in parts of Alaska, but anglers should have no trouble finding fishing fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. The only question is where to look.

Across Southcentral Alaska, anglers are reporting success fishing for a variety of species as the peak seasons for both onshore and ocean fisheries begin to converge during the height of the summer.

"There's a lot of smiling faces" at the confluence of the Russian and Kenai rivers, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist Robert Begich.

The popular sockeye fishery has been red hot this summer, and Begich said anglers are still capitalizing on the six-fish limit there.

"It looks like it's going to fish right into the Fourth of July holiday," he said.

On July 1, nearly 2,000 sockeye passed the department's weir at Lower Russian Lake, which Begich said is a good indication that large numbers of fish remain in the system.

Fishing for king salmon opened July 1 on the Kenai River, although Begich said it's still too early to tell if that fishery will produce decent catch rates. Bait is banned for kings, and fishing is allowed only from the river mouth upstream to an ADFG marker near Slikok Creek. The preseason forecast is for 22,000 late-run kings, which is on the low end of the department's escapement goal. Begich said biologists will be watching the fishery closely to see if further restrictions are warranted.

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"It depends on the fish," he said. "We just take it one day at a time."

Ship Creek kings not slowing down

Farther south on the Kenai Peninsula, marine waters beckon with the promise of giant halibut and lingcod. Fishing for lings opened July 1, and catch rates for halibut reportedly have improved in both Homer and Seward. According to Fish and Game, the flatfish have begun to move into shallower waters to feed, meaning fishing should continue to improve.

Anglers who can't get out of Anchorage can try Ship Creek, which is still producing decent catch rates for kings.

"It hasn't showed too many signs of slowing down," said Dustin Slinker, who operates the Bait Shack near the downtown river.

Slinker said anglers should try fishing on the incoming and high tides to maximize their prospects. He also said silver salmon could start nosing their way into the area anytime and posted a bright Ship Creek coho on the Bait Shack's website.

Rainbow heaven

The Willow area is reportedly red hot for rainbows. According to Willow Creek Resort owner Farley Dean, fishing on Parks Highway streams for trout is "10 out of 10."

"The trout fishing is phenomenal," he said.

Dean said anglers are catching huge rainbows (he said he's even heard of a 30-incher), with most finding success using a variety of fly patterns. "Right now they're using the cotton candy, the Battle Creeks, polar shrimps, Dalai Lama, White Zonkers," he said. "And using mice has been really good."

Although anglers might not think of mice as trout food, the fish are voracious and opportunistic predators. State biologists once found 19 shrews in the belly of a 19-inch rainbow.

Dean said a large return of king salmon to the Susitna River drainage -- along with low, clear water conditions -- means trout fishing couldn't be better.

"It's perfect, man," he said.

Fish and Game recently eased king salmon fishing restrictions in the Mat-Su area, allowing bait on the Little Su and raising the season limit on the Deshka and Little Su. However, those king fisheries appear to have peaked.

"It's not nearly as good as two weeks ago," said Logan Smith, who works at Deshka Landing. But try salmon eggs for best results.

Personal-use anglers also have a couple different options to choose from. The Kasilof River is seeing a solid stream of fish moving into the river, with 148,560 fish counted so far in the river, which is managed for an escapement goal of 160,000 to 390,000 fish. The Copper River personal use fishery also remains a viable option, with more than 18,000 sockeye counted past the Miles Lake sonar station on July 1, although the fishery is now past its historical peak.

For detailed sport fishing information for an array of Southcentral waterways, check Fish and Game's online fishing reports at adfg.alaska.gov.

Video: How to catch, fillet king salmon

Not sure exactly how to fish for kings in Ship Creek. We've got your back. Check out our video, and we'll walk you though the gear you need, how to use it and what to do if you hook into our biggest salmon.

What then? You'll want to fillet your catch to get it ready for eating. We've got another video showing you how.

Contact Matt Tunseth at mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com

Matt Tunseth

Matt Tunseth is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and former editor of the Alaska Star.

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