Ship Creek silver salmon limit increases to 6 on Thursday

The silvers are biting at Ship Creek, and beginning Thursday anglers can take as many as six cohos from Anchorage’s downtown fishery.

The bag-and-possession limit will increase from three to six beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday from the mouth of the creek near the Port of Anchorage to the cable 100 feet downstream of the Chugach Power Plant.

Fish must be 16 inches or longer.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported Tuesday that 2,500 silver salmon have made it upstream of the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery.

“Things are looking good for meeting coho salmon brood stock needs at the hatchery and coho salmon keep coming into Ship Creek with each tide,” biologist Jay Baumer said in a press release announcing the increase.

It’s time “to allow anglers an opportunity to harvest surplus fish,” he added.

At the Aug. 7 Coho Rodeo — a one-day silver salmon derby — winner James Jinho Hyun entered a string of three silvers weighing a total of 21.62 pounds. The top six finishers all had three-fish entries weighing more than 18 pounds, an average of six pounds per fish.

According to recent Facebook posts by The Bait Shack, people are having plenty of success. “Bobber and eggs putting the smack down on the silvers. Gotta love these early morning tides with a little rain and overcast,” said a post from last week.

Coho Rodeo standings (top 6)

1) James Jinho Hyun 3 fish, 21.62 pounds

2) Bryce Xiong 3/20.95

3) Jason Manas 3/19.80

4) Hayden Thompson 3/18.34

5) Kendrick Xiong 3/18.20

6) Isaac Moua 3/18.14lb