Greetings

Hello all. I am a new member and was suggested I share a short intro, which I think is a good idea. Before I start - great site, glad I found it, hope to get to know everyone, and really look forward to kayak fishing in Alaska.

I am in the process of relocating from Riverview, Florida, a suburb of Tampa. Though I have lived in Florida for most of the past 24 years, the move is not as insane as it sounds, having lived in Anchorage and Fairbanks as a kid, graduating from Lathrop HS in Fairbanks (living in Fairbanks is frankly the reason I spent the next twenty years in Florida - winters are brutal!).

Also, I have family in Soldotna, which has made the 5,000+ mile move a bit easier, and should have everything wrapped up by the end of October, to include getting my yak up here. I have three kids - oldest still in FL, middle enrolled full time at KPC, and youngest attending Kenai Central HS. Wife and I work remotely, though job situations are likely to change over the next 12 to 24 months.

I started kayak fishing seven or eight years ago. As you can imagine, Florida is a great place to fish, especially kayak fishing, with lots of shallow water fishing opportunities and basically year round fishing. Most of my fishing time was spent in and around my home waters of Tampa Bay, but plenty of trips to Mosquito Lagoon, Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades, The Keys, Big Bend/Nature Coast, and even The Dry Tortugas (our annual spring break trip - headed back in March - truly a paradise!). Did quite a bit of bass fishing as well.

I've been in the process of reeducating myself to fishing in Alaska. I totally get bottom fishing - very similar to bottom fishing the Gulf of Mexico - but deeper and a LOT more current. I'm still amazed at the 20+ ft tides up here - a 2-1/2' tide is a monster in the Gulf. I'm all ears though - where, when, how, etc. - and am totally game for traveling to spots with better fishing and/or better weather.

I would also appreciate any advice about equipment. My boat is pretty rigged - Ocean Kayak Big Game - with tons of rod holders and storage - but no livewell or depth finder, which I could easily remedy, if necessary. Blows my mind that seems like I'll need a dry suit! But I do not need much convincing to get and use necessary safety equipment. I always carry a GPS and a VHF, plus flares and a myriad of other safety equipment (seems like overkill until you actually need it!).

Getting back into the swing of things with salmon, but there seems to be a lot more techniques than 20 years ago - frankly a little bewildering. However, did not forget how to cure eggs - my dad's old Borax recipe - and rigging a spin and glow or tossing a pixie spoon is the same as it every was.

Trout fishing is way, way, way more complicated than it used it be - dang! When, where, what, how, rules, regs, locations, on and on. I wasn't much of a trout fisherman as a youth, so am starting from scratch.

Anyway, apologize again for my earlier post about the state of fisheries in AK. I am in no way associated with any gov't agency or political organization, just a big interest of mine and the situation in AK seems to be very complex.

No doubt the king and silver runs were pretty poor in the Kenai this year and halibut populations seem to be degraded, so as an interested party, I am curious to see what's going to happen, if anything.

Again, look forward to getting to know everyone and want to thank you in advance for answering what is likely to be hundreds of dumb questions!

Welcome to the site!  I hope to get to AK one of these days.

Really glad to make your acquaintance -- and want you to know that your concerns about our fisheries are legitimate. No offense was taken. It's an extremely complicated resource that puts science and economics in tension with one another, especially on the Kenai Peninsula in recent years. Very different from when I started fishing these waters about 30 years ago.

There's a pretty small group of Alaskans here, so we're bound to meet you. Kayak fishers stand out in the angling crowds.  I always think it's a kick when I'm out (yellow Hobie Revolution 13) and come upon one of the guys.  I like it best when I have fish in the box when that happens! Tough year for kings for me, but gangbusters on halibut, silvers, reds and pinks. Now I've turned my attention to rainbows and dollies in flowing waters, so these rains are an unwelcome development. The Upper Kenai must be nearing flood if the Peninsula's gotten half of what fell here this week. 

Hope to see you out there before hanging up the boat for the year. Welcome back to Alaska!

Welcome!  This is THE BOARD for information on kayak fishing the Pacific Northwest for sure.  I have been an avid fisherman for decades but this is the place that got me going on kayak fishing.  I lived in Kenai K-12 so SC Alaska is my home per say.  Currently in Anchorage.

I will give my two cents on the salmon and halibut issues.  Regarding the salmon, it almost has to be an ocean survival issue. Too many streams in different regions having issues.  I do have some faith in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation theory.  I have seen it work over the years as WA & OR have no fish and we do, then it switches like it is right now.  A lot of the press is after the salmon hit the streams because that's where most of the sport fisherman catch them.  In past years, a low return just meant bad fishing but eventually the runs would build again.  But these days fishing pressure is up and we are just getting too good at catching them, so the need for some crazy restrictive rules.

As far as halibut, I would correct your statement regarding about the population decline.  My sources tell me the population is similar to historic averages.  The problem is the average weight at a specific age is considerably smaller.  Therefore the biomass by weight is down.  Management plans are based on weight harvested so limits are reduced.  From my experience, if you just counted the number of fish I have caught, the fishing is every bit as good as before.  It's just I am keeping 10 to 15 pounders which would have never been kept in the past.

If you are interested here are some of my websites I keep.  All personal and despite the addresses, I am not a guide.  Hope to see you up here!!!!

My recent blogs: http://guidesak.blogspot.com/
My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/guidesak
An Old website I still keep around:  http://www.alaskafishinglogs.com/

sumpnz, akfishergal, kardinal_84 - great to hear from you and thanks for the welcome. I'm about a month away from getting my household goods up here, including my yak, so probably not going to see me on the water until next spring. As I mentioned, I have tons of questions, so hopefully you'll be monitoring NWKA in the "off" season.

kardinal_84 - your biomass explanation for halibut makes perfect sense. The Florida version would be snook - because of a slot limits and fish kills (FL had a pretty cold winter a couple of years ago - the water temps got all the way down into the 50's ), the average snook size is pretty small, but there are tons of fish. Obviously everyone hopes they all grow up, but even with closed seasons, it's pretty hard to catch a keeper (slot fish).

akfishergal - you can probably blame me for the rain. I was here all of last Sept and it rained and rained and rained. Same for May. And now Sept - again. The intermittent trips have been to build a garage. I'm second guessing that project - maybe I should have built an ark! I'll be gone for most of Oct, so I'm sure it'll be sunny.

Welcome to the board!
There is a wealth of knowlage here and some great people. If you plan on fishing Alaskan waters a drysuit is pretty much required. You could get away with waders and a dry top but I wouldn't play that game for long.
Kayak fishing Alaska is a truely magical thinkg that few get to experience. Enjoy it!

Fishery Managment is a very touchy topic and has a tendancy of polarizing people very quickly. Those that have an opinion are usually emotionally driven rather fact based. This is largely because rathering all the facts is a very difficult task and understanding the entire picture is nearly imposible. This is why our scientists still are unsure of the "why" and "what next" aspect on a regular basis.

While this year was a poor Coho and King year for the Peninsula it was a banner year for Sockeye. At the same time, as K84 pointed out, down in Washington it has been a poor year for Sockeye but one of the best for Coho and Kings.
Just 3 years ago less than 2 million Sockeye were supposed to return to the Fraiser River in Canada. 27 million showed up and there was the largest harvest since 1915 ... completely unexpected.
Many groups like to blame other groups, it is easier than looking at yourself, so you tend to get sporties blaming Natives and Commericals. Commercials blaming draggers and scientists. Natives claiming they are entitled to the fish as their tradtional rights (even when those tradtional right turn into havesting salmon for roe to sell to Russians)
It is a very touchy and complicated topic so it is usually avoided unless you have a point to make or other solid reason to start a topic.

Once again welcome and if you have any questions free to ask ..... or use the search function (there is a good chance it has been asked before)

welcome! hope to see you around. Good luck with the move!

   " The only "dumb" question, is the one not asked."

   That said------ask away Bzuefishx.You will find a wealth of knowledge on this forum,a lot of great advice,and if you listen carefully---there is a lot of funny shit that goes on too.

    When your kayak arrives --I'd suggest taking a trip up Swanson River Road ,out of Sterling, to the Swanson River.There are a lot of silvers that go up this creek and the fishing can be fast and furious.Put in where the main road makes a right turn,but go to the north,or straight ahead there.and go about 100 yards upriver to a big boulder.Back your yak into the shallow tules,then toss some eggs under a bobber and hold on.Lots of silvers in the Swanson........Have fun with em.
    Another spot is just downstream ,maybe 50 yards from the little trail to the river. There is a small creek that the silvers must spawn in cause I've seen hundreds of them staged at the mouth of this little overgrown creek.All it took to hook up was a piece of yarn and a hook with a couple of split shot above it.
   Depending on the snow--should be do--able for another month at least.
   Enjoy the Kenai--lots of opportunities there....I did for 8 years and loved it...   

Mark - hit the Swanson today, fished the launch. Water is way up and no silvers, but caught a couple of late pinks and trout. Beautiful day in between rain showers. Thanks for the suggestion!

   Keep trying.There will be silvers in there through November.Of course,it can be pretty cold by then too.So drees accordingly.Good luck.

Bzuefishx, Mr. Collett didn't steer you wrong!  Didn't take the Yak since I wanted to take my kids fishing but this spot should look familiar!

I was trying out my new 21ft and 18ft carbon fiber poles...as in rods with no reels. They worked great on the trout but the coho's were a battle!  Managed to land two of them with these rods though!!!!  On 6 pound line and a size 8 gamakatsu hook with a single pautzke egg!

  As always-way cool video Rudy.
  That is definately the spot.About 50 yards upriver is that boulder I mentioned earlier.I've kicked some silver butt there.About 100 yds downriver is that little slough I told about.Take you kayak next time........

   Do those loooong assed poles break down to a manageable size for transport ?What do they cost ?Do you have to get them from Japan ?
   They remind me of fishing with a bamboo cane pole when I was a kid---ancient history

    Rudy ,did the kids out-fish you again ?  Gotta love it..They are making precious memories they will cherish for life.Good job my freind.

They are telescoping. I got the cheaper ones at about $75 each. I got them at http://www.allfishingbuy.com/

They are a blast!  If I lived in WA I'd pick one up for the cutthroat and maybe even a 40 to 60 footer for surf perch. They are fragile though. Right now I have to figure out how to collapse the 21ft or as the two big silvers really locked down the top two sections since they pulled so hard. Watching my dad run up and down and side to side for 10 minutes landing the bigger and brighter silver was a blast!  Too bad it was raining so I didn't have my iPhone with me.

Bzuefishx, I am fairly new to yak fishing here too. Hit Whiskey Gulch, Seward, and lots of lakes around the Kenai Peninsula with some success. I live in Sterling and wouldn't mind having someone to go with now and then. PM me if you want to go sometime, or look for me in a yellow OK Prowler. Take care and see you out there I'm sure.

Well I'm a. Little late. But welcome!