The trickle of silver salmon returning to the Mat-Su's Little Susitna River has prompted Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists to forbid the use of bait by anglers through Sept. 30.
"The coho run on the Little Su is off to a slow start," Area Management Biologist Sam Ivey said in a press release. "The use of bait would increase the harvest rate of coho, potentially jeopardizing achieving the escapement goal."
So far, only 1,929 coho have passed the weir on the Little Su, the fewest since 2012. Typically, by Aug. 6 as much as 50 percent of the sport fishing harvest has already happened. Scientists seek an escapement of 10,100-17,700 fish.
Things are no better on the nearby Deshka River, where just 568 silvers have passed that river's weir. By the same date last year, 1,973 had passed and two years ago more than 2,600 had passed.
But sometimes the erratic silver run is simply late and sees a big surge in mid-August.
"It's important to continue to provide anglers an opportunity to target and harvest coho (but) by limiting the use of bait, we're increasing the potential to achieve the escapement goal," Ivey said.
Thus far, commercial fishermen have harvested 91,693 coho in upper Cook Inlet, according to Fish and Game reports.
Anglers on the Little Su can fish from the mouth to the Parks Highway using artificial lures. The bag limit is two fish 16 inches or longer, and any fish removed from the water is automatically part of an angler's bag limit.