by Klondike Kid
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by Klondike Kid |
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Trophy King Salmon in a Rain BarrelThe odds of an angler landing a 50 to 70 pound king salmon in Alaska may be better in fisheries other than the overcrowded Kenai River. That is, if you know where to hunt these wallhangers. Here's just one stop to put on your list. And bring the kids! Mix a beautiful bay, cascading glaciers flowing down mountains, the smell of salt air filled with bald eagles overhead....and the chance to catch a 50 pound king salmon right at your feet. Sounds like a remote location in the wilds of Alaska. Not! In fact, it is one of the most accessible areas in the state with ample room and plenty of opportunity...even for youngsters and the physically challenged.
As everyone knows, a natural resource can only provide a specific maximum yield and still maintain its renewable resource status. Overharvest or worse, unpredictable events in the environment affecting survival can put naturally occurring fisheries at the mercy of Mother Nature. And make vacation planning/timing for the traveler a veritable nightmare during some years. It is for all these reasons that the Dept. of Fish & Game has established a large number of enhanced fisheries throughout the state; not only to promote additional fishing opportunities for all anglers but in some cases to create incredible fisheries where none existed before. And these projects have achieved remarkable success, providing tens of thousands of anglers literally hundreds of thousands of salmon and trout that would not be available from the natural fisheries. With the growing popularity of the Kenai Peninsula as a vacation destination for travelers and Alaskans alike, overcrowding on the many Peninsula salmon streams is a common occurrence, but we all get along and share the resources the best we can. To reduce some of the angler pressure on the natural salmon stocks, the Department of Fish & Game has established a large number of enhanced Peninsula salmon angling opportunities. But before you cringe with thoughts of "hatchery" it is important to understand what an enhanced salmon fishery is. Unlike a hatchery trout stocking program where the resource is put and take in confined waters, salmon raised in hatcheries are released in streams or the ocean as fry or smolt (1-2 year old junveniles). These fish swim the seas, feeding on the same foods as natural-spawned fish, surviving the same perils their cousins from the streams must endure. When they return, I can guarantee you that there is absolutely no difference in the quality of the fish nor the quality of the fight. Hatchery rearing and smolt releases provide us humans a dependable means of projecting what will return and thus add a bit of certainty and expectation to these fisheries, all for the benefit of the angler, and especially those who travel great distances. Page 2...Trophy Fishing On A Shoestring Page 3...A Trophy Fishery For All Ages Page 4...Tackle & Techniques for the Fishin' Hole Page 5...Setting Your Clock & Calendar
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Inexpensive airline travel has opened up Alaska to the world during the past ten years. And now that the Internet is beginning to mature as a source of information which is literally at your fingertips, the interest in this beautiful vacation destination is growing significantly. Add to that a growing instate population and soon fisheries resources have more users than there is "product" available.