07-24-2004, 03:22 PM
Lower Cook Inlet Area Salt Waters
Halibut [ul] [li]Anglers in Lower Cook Inlet experienced good weather, mild tides and successful fishing last week. Best sites were in waters 25-30 miles west of the Homer Spit, and around the Barren Islands in waters from 100-250 feet deep. [li]Halibut fishing in general is good to excellent well into August in Lower Cook Inlet, with weather being the key factor in how anglers fare on any given day. [li]Plenty of 50 lb. halibut are being caught, as well as the occasional barn door halibut. The big fish last week was a 334-pounder, which was not quite big enough to oust the current 352-lb. derby leader caught June 29. [li]Halibut daily limits are 2 per day/4 in possession. [/li][/ul]
Marine Waters King Salmon [ul] [li]King salmon fishing in the Anchor Point to Ninilchik marine waters is excellent. Fish in the 30-50 lb. range are being caught, as well as a few weighing 60-70 lbs. The best action is in 10 - 25 feet of water. Anglers are trolling up to one mile from shore using cut herring for bait or using spinners. Try fishing one hour before high tide through two hours after high tide. [li]Bluff Point and Point Pogibshi are the popular spots for trolling for feeders. Typical size in this area has been 10 to 20 lbs. [/li][/ul]
Other salt water fishing [ul] [li]The early run silver salmon are arriving at the Homer Spit Fishing Lagoon. Fishing is good and expected to be excellent for the rest of the month and into August. Twice the usual number of early-run silvers were stocked in the Fishing Lagoon, so this return should be a whopper! [li]The daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is 6 in the Lagoon area. Outside the Lagoon area, the daily bag and possession limit is 3. [li]Best results involve drifting salmon eggs near the inlet channel of the Lagoon, on the flooding and ebbing tides. Snagging is allowed inside Kachemak Bay except for the Fishing Lagoon area, which does not open to snagging until the salmon runs stocked there go off the bite. [li]Pinks are available at Tutka Bay. Pinks bite readily on spinners and spoons [li]Lingcod season is open. They must be at least 35 inches in length to be kept. Daily limits are 2 per day/2 in possession. Note: If anglers intend to release a fish, they may not gaff it in any way. [li]Best luck for catching lingcod is fishing the Barren Islands or the Chugach Islands areas. Rarely will anglers catch a legal size lingcod within Kachemak Bay, although undersized lingcod can occasionally be caught on the south side of Kachemak Bay west of Seldovia. [li]Rockfish may occasionally be caught by anglers trolling for salmon, and can usually be successfully released if caught in waters less than 60 feet and are handled carefully. Rockfish species in Alaska are conservatively managed; please consult page 10 of the 2004 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing regulation booklet before harvesting them. [/li][/ul] Personal Use [ul] [li]The China Poot dip net fishery continues to be open to Alaskan residents until August 7. The open area is the fresh waters of China Poot Creek upstream of ADF&G markers. [li]The bag and possession limits in China Poot Creek is six sockeye salmon per person per day. Tail fins must be clipped to mark these fish as personal use. [li]Personal use fishery participation is open only to those Alaskan residents who have maintained a permanent home in Alaska for at least the previous 12 consecutive months. [/li][/ul] Shellfish [ul] [li]The next series of clamming tides runs July 29-August 4. There is a minus 4.7 tide on August 1. [li]There are bag limits for razor clams, and bag and size limits for butter clams and littleneck clams. Please check page 15 of the regulation booklet before going clamming. [li]When digging for clams in Kachemak Bay, rebury clams that aren't taken neck up otherwise they are unlikely to survive. [li]Dungeness, King and Tanner crab, and shrimp fisheries are closed in Cook Inlet and the Outer Gulf Coast. [/li][/ul] Fresh Waters [ul] [li]The Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River waters remain low. Fishing is improving as Dolly Varden enter the rivers in increasing numbers. [li]The Dolly Varden bag limit is 2 per day/2 in possession. [li]King salmon fishing is closed in all three streams. King salmon 20 inches or longer may not be retained or removed from the water and must be released immediately. [li]The Anchor and Ninilchik rivers and Deep Creek are open to sport fishing (except for kings) from their mouths upstream approximately two miles to ADF&G markers. [li]Pinks are currently entering these systems and a few silvers have been sighted. [li]Try fresh salmon eggs, beads and small bright spinners and spoons for best results when fishing for Dolly Varden. Best fishing is in the early morning or evening hours in the tidal areas. [li]The upper portions of the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River are closed to all fishing until August 1. [li]Retention of rainbow/steelhead trout is not allowed year-round on these streams. Rainbow/steelhead must be released immediately and may not be removed from the water. [/li][/ul]
Halibut [ul] [li]Anglers in Lower Cook Inlet experienced good weather, mild tides and successful fishing last week. Best sites were in waters 25-30 miles west of the Homer Spit, and around the Barren Islands in waters from 100-250 feet deep. [li]Halibut fishing in general is good to excellent well into August in Lower Cook Inlet, with weather being the key factor in how anglers fare on any given day. [li]Plenty of 50 lb. halibut are being caught, as well as the occasional barn door halibut. The big fish last week was a 334-pounder, which was not quite big enough to oust the current 352-lb. derby leader caught June 29. [li]Halibut daily limits are 2 per day/4 in possession. [/li][/ul]
Marine Waters King Salmon [ul] [li]King salmon fishing in the Anchor Point to Ninilchik marine waters is excellent. Fish in the 30-50 lb. range are being caught, as well as a few weighing 60-70 lbs. The best action is in 10 - 25 feet of water. Anglers are trolling up to one mile from shore using cut herring for bait or using spinners. Try fishing one hour before high tide through two hours after high tide. [li]Bluff Point and Point Pogibshi are the popular spots for trolling for feeders. Typical size in this area has been 10 to 20 lbs. [/li][/ul]
Other salt water fishing [ul] [li]The early run silver salmon are arriving at the Homer Spit Fishing Lagoon. Fishing is good and expected to be excellent for the rest of the month and into August. Twice the usual number of early-run silvers were stocked in the Fishing Lagoon, so this return should be a whopper! [li]The daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is 6 in the Lagoon area. Outside the Lagoon area, the daily bag and possession limit is 3. [li]Best results involve drifting salmon eggs near the inlet channel of the Lagoon, on the flooding and ebbing tides. Snagging is allowed inside Kachemak Bay except for the Fishing Lagoon area, which does not open to snagging until the salmon runs stocked there go off the bite. [li]Pinks are available at Tutka Bay. Pinks bite readily on spinners and spoons [li]Lingcod season is open. They must be at least 35 inches in length to be kept. Daily limits are 2 per day/2 in possession. Note: If anglers intend to release a fish, they may not gaff it in any way. [li]Best luck for catching lingcod is fishing the Barren Islands or the Chugach Islands areas. Rarely will anglers catch a legal size lingcod within Kachemak Bay, although undersized lingcod can occasionally be caught on the south side of Kachemak Bay west of Seldovia. [li]Rockfish may occasionally be caught by anglers trolling for salmon, and can usually be successfully released if caught in waters less than 60 feet and are handled carefully. Rockfish species in Alaska are conservatively managed; please consult page 10 of the 2004 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing regulation booklet before harvesting them. [/li][/ul] Personal Use [ul] [li]The China Poot dip net fishery continues to be open to Alaskan residents until August 7. The open area is the fresh waters of China Poot Creek upstream of ADF&G markers. [li]The bag and possession limits in China Poot Creek is six sockeye salmon per person per day. Tail fins must be clipped to mark these fish as personal use. [li]Personal use fishery participation is open only to those Alaskan residents who have maintained a permanent home in Alaska for at least the previous 12 consecutive months. [/li][/ul] Shellfish [ul] [li]The next series of clamming tides runs July 29-August 4. There is a minus 4.7 tide on August 1. [li]There are bag limits for razor clams, and bag and size limits for butter clams and littleneck clams. Please check page 15 of the regulation booklet before going clamming. [li]When digging for clams in Kachemak Bay, rebury clams that aren't taken neck up otherwise they are unlikely to survive. [li]Dungeness, King and Tanner crab, and shrimp fisheries are closed in Cook Inlet and the Outer Gulf Coast. [/li][/ul] Fresh Waters [ul] [li]The Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River waters remain low. Fishing is improving as Dolly Varden enter the rivers in increasing numbers. [li]The Dolly Varden bag limit is 2 per day/2 in possession. [li]King salmon fishing is closed in all three streams. King salmon 20 inches or longer may not be retained or removed from the water and must be released immediately. [li]The Anchor and Ninilchik rivers and Deep Creek are open to sport fishing (except for kings) from their mouths upstream approximately two miles to ADF&G markers. [li]Pinks are currently entering these systems and a few silvers have been sighted. [li]Try fresh salmon eggs, beads and small bright spinners and spoons for best results when fishing for Dolly Varden. Best fishing is in the early morning or evening hours in the tidal areas. [li]The upper portions of the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River are closed to all fishing until August 1. [li]Retention of rainbow/steelhead trout is not allowed year-round on these streams. Rainbow/steelhead must be released immediately and may not be removed from the water. [/li][/ul]