Alaska Fishing Opportunity

[Just Fishin']

I learned of this fishing opportunity from another LOU member who has already done it one time. We have a trip scheduled this June. After years of wanting to make an Alaska trip I am finally in a position to do so. Only worry is if they don't fill the class it will get canceled. In this economy that is a real worry. Price is so good there is even a local Soldotna resident that attends every year because you can't do the excursions separately and eat for this price.

Hope Moderators don't mind me posting this but looks like a great opportunity and I would be a pretty miserable guy if it doesn't work out! I have no financial interest in this other than my desire to fish Alaska this summer.

http://www.kenaifishingacademy.org/

[jimski2]

Fishing the Kenai River system is a matter of timing. The red salmon have to load up the Russian River before the Sanctuary Area is opened to sport fishing. This is your best area. The reds are taken by catching the swimming salmon with a heavy 3X hook streamer that catches the salmon in the mouth when the line gets sliding through the mouths teeth. The Kings come in at a couple times of the year and the guides take you out trolling large Quikfish plugs with Jet Divers. You can also cast deep diving plugs like Wiggle Warts, Hot and Tots, etc. that hook up a fish every thousand casts. Large spinners, spoons sometimes work. Egg sacks are outlawed in a lot of areas. Your chances of hooking up a sixty pound King are tough. I watched a guy bank fishing catch a 72 pound King, that was as close as I came. We caught several 25 to 35 pounders and I left feeling we have better King Salmon fishing here on Lake Ontario.

[Just Fishin']

Thanks for the info. I appreciate hearing about your experience.

I do know people who have taken this class/trip and they have had a blast and been reasonably successful. Certainly not everyone up there is catching a trophy salmon, but I probably have no chance of catching a 60 lb. king in Lake Ontario! The fact you saw a 72 pounder being caught tells me I at least wanna try. The class date is set after this years run to help with the timing so hopefully we catch the run. We also fish Cook Inlet, the Russian River and a glacial lake, or they adapt to whatever is best that week.

I love Lake Ontario and appreciate the resource, if the trip makes me appreciate it more, great, but the mere chance to catch a real big king and do it in that scenery is something I have always wanted to do. If I come back without a trophy salmon but some halibut and a lot of pictures of great scenery, it will still be a great trip.

Again, thanks for the info.