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[silversalmon]

TRIP DATE:  10/28
REGION:  Kenai Peninsula
WATER:  Kachemak Bay - Gull Island to Peterson Bay
SPECIES:  Winter Kings and pollock

REPORT: I trolled for kings between Gull Is. and Peterson Bay on Sunday (25th) and yesterday (28th) and there are kings in there, but lots of pollock, too.

When I went out Sunday The Gear Shed wasn't open yet so I had to rely on herring that had thawed and then been refrozen. You'd think I'd learn, but just don't do as I do, do as I say. Always use nice fresh herring. I started trolling amongst a few other boats working between the island and the point and just 10 minutes after I dropped my gear I watched as a very nice looking king swim up, hit my bait, knock it off the hooks, swallow it and then swim away. I reeled everything in, dropped it all back down and about 2 minutes later had the exact same thing happen. And then about 2 minutes after that once again. I even watched a boat about 50 yards in front of me net a nice looking little king during this episode. I then decided to try switching over to an artificial, but either the fish dispersed, or they weren't interested in my offering. About 3 hours after all of this I saw another king swim up and look at my offering, but just swim away. Oh well.

Then yesterday (Wed.) I made sure I had nice fresh bait. But even still, just 5 and a half minutes after I dropped my gear I had another stolen bait encounter. So I tried a slightly different rigging method, burying the trailing hook a little deeper in the tail and about 7 minutes later I had a king swim up and make a couple of passes at my herring and then just swim away. But just 5 minutes later either the same fish or another one decided my herring looked edible, swam up, grabbed it and took off. Fish on! It was only about 6 or 7 lbs., but a king nonetheless. Over the next couple of hours I had another 3 kings swipe at my bait a few times, but just couldn't connect again. I'm not sure if they're "short striking" like that because of my camera gear and the bait's proximity to it all, or if it's just their nature. This much winter king action is pretty new to me, so I'm going to have to get to the bottom of that.

One thing that I did notice while I was out there is the pollock seem to like to hang out in slightly deeper water than where the kings have been found. I've been seeing all the kings in close in only about 25 to 35 feet of water and then when I swing out to anything over 40 feet or so I start running into pollock. There are a lot of them around and I went through a dozen herring yesterday just to get that one king, but they sure seem to be less plentiful in close.
 
thanks to aoj for that report

[Donald Garner]

Silversalmon,

Thanks for the post.  I've enjoyed reading your Alaska fishing reports.  I lived in Alaska for 9 years  (6) yrs at Ft. Wainwright and (3) yrs at Ft. Richardson. 

I never got into the salmon fishing living in Fairbanks.  I mostly trout, grayling and pike fished up there.  However once I got to Anchorage we did make it out on a couple of charters for the halbit.

I did check that box also for fishing down at Ship Creek(Combat) there in Anchorage.  I caught more salmon down there than anywhere else I had fished for them.

Have you had the opportunity to go to Minto Flats and pike fish?


Don