Figure I'd ask our resident experts... Wtf happened? Thanks

Well,,,,,, where do we start.. us sports fisherman blame the commercial guys.. the commercial guys blame the sports guys.. the reality the state should of shut down the Kenai to king fishing 6-7 yrs ago. Also add 4yrs of Walker administration and the head of fish and game at the time being a commercial guy did not help our cause at all. But in typical Alaska fashion everyone is about me, not the resource. The state needs to do what it did this year for the next couple yrs. also a lot of blame could be pointed at the Chinese fishing fleet running illegal tackle out in the ocean.

Ok I'm drunk. I'll re read this tomorrow... Grin 😀

Bro, you’re always drunk...Tylenol! 😬😎

79S forgot to mention the subsistence dip netters that blame the anglers and commercial fishermen.

This circus is a 3 ringer!

Most of the problem can be blamed on whiskey as the commercial fishing lobbyists buy lotsa whiskey
for our legislators in Juneau.

It is not actually a subsistence fishery, but rather, personal use... a category with no legal standing. That fishery has shifted peak run timing significantly as the heart of the run has been removed each year for a great many.

Much like in Texas it sounds like the F/G is a bit behind, but probably blame to the legistlators for lobbyist pressure.

We should have shut down the deer season in our county for a couple of years, got to where I never saw more than a couple of deer in a total year. They finally responded and we have more and better deer than I've ever seen.

Same with redfish. Almost had to shut it down totally.... but they have rebounded quite a bit due to tight regs that should have been done years before they were.

And now same with spotted sea trout...

Of course my luck has always been this way, finally come to AK and as a fishing guide and they close kings.. LOL. BUT the really important thing is not my pocket book or paying our bills, its the reality of save the resource. And usually if you act in a timely manner it can be done without closing a season, but by reducing the use of that resource instead. In this case it has to be this way to attempt to save the resource and its a good thing thats well overdue!

The king problem is based on the fact the resource is managed for reds. Commies cannot kill reds without killing innocent bystander kings in large numbers. Sport fishing is far more selective.

And SF is quite possibly more lucrative to the community. Probably been 15 years since I've done it for salmon. Almost as big a waste of valuable time as watching PGA play.

I haven't used my personal-use dip net in several years, either . The down side of that is dip-net Kenai reds are generally bigger and better tasting than Kasilof reds, tho last year the Kasilof ones were very nice fish indeed, unlike the previous year when they were slim in both depth and thickness.

My 60' gill net is far better for production - that is limited to the Kasilof run..... assuming I can fish during the last several days of the scheduled PU-gill net season. That usually depends on weather. Picking offshore net from an 18' Grumman canoe can get interesting. . The last several days of the season ( just before comm-fish opens) is when the Kasilof fish start arriving in real numbers. I set my net on the mud flats out off the beach, from the beach, for better production and no real competition from nets 100' away on either side for as far as one can see as is the case with beach squatters. I believe I was almost certainly the first to do so, years ago, other than the ones who used boats to set, pick, an pull. At least I'd never seen anyone else do so before I did it. The following year there were several. People took notice that I was catching several times the fish that the sand people did. Still not crowded tho. Just real mud-messy.

Very few kings are caught by PU fishers with either dip nets or gill nets. I caught one of @15 lbs on the Kenai dip netting from the boat once. It's those fuggin Commercials, high seas Chinee (generically speaking), and river guides.

Not liking to address, redress, or undress too many fish at once, I broke last year's effort into two days, pulling the net at or before high tide each day, and just about equally dividing the catch as well. Processing 15-17 fish per day is way more better at once than 35. Even without beer. Or especially without beer.

I had planned on just about 25 total, needing 8 or 9 to reach that on the second day, but there were some sneaky Petes down at the leadline when I went to pick the second time so I pulled early, an hour before high tide. Nailed my allowed 35 count on the nose. That doesn't often happen with a gill net.

We just traveled down through that area to Homer for the first time last week. Beautiful country, but sure lots of people. I could see that sports fishing was obviously big business in that area. Managed properly it should provide a good income for a lot of locals until the end of time....to bad the powers that be dont see it that way.

Good thing you came early, while you could still get in.....

Left turns sans traffic lights are still possible. In a few weeks I generally make as many turns in whatever direction necessary (read possible) to get to a light.

Back streets in town are good....

Just curious, that place used to be "the place" for trophy kings, I know it fell off the charts. Watched a show last night, they were citing orca and salmon sharks as a big problem... Appears salmon on the west coast has really hit the shiiter as a whole...

There are still big kings in the Kenai. But with restrictions in place with the king fishery by the state we won’t see any big one caught which is a good thing. That is a concern that the big kenai kings are gone, but as said earlier their are big kings in the kenai well according to the experts with the state.. I have heard the set net guys have caught some monster kings. But the state has two plans they are thinking about implementing that will restrict the set net folks with the type of gear they use.

That river is my second home and I love being on it more than anywhere else. The numbers are definitely down from the glory years, but it's still one of the greatest rivers on the world. There is still a god chance of catching the biggest king of your life every time you let a line out, and better than great odds of catching a trophy rainbow every day of the season if you're so inclined.
Large and plentiful Silvers from July thru November, and a god run of reds that's pretty predictable.
As far as why the numbers aren't there anymore, its a complex issue. Chinook numbers are down all up and down the west coast. Kings go out to sea and stay at sea the longest, and the biggest ones stay out 5 or even 6 years. That's a long gauntlet to run of commercial nets and pirate fisheries. Add in poor ocean conditions, and boom, smaller and less fish are making it to the redds to spawn.
Sport and guided anglers have done their part also. Beating up on fish on the spawning beds or even at the staging holes at some of the creek inlets. Selectively choosing to take the biggest fish to take pics of, and choosing females for their egg sacks hasn't helped either.
AF&G wishes that the kings would go away completely. It would make their lives so much easier, as then they could manage the river for Sockeye only and not have to worry about the escapement goals and rules.
For those who said the river should be shut down, no way. Then there's no incentive for people to fight for and protect those great fish. Catch and release, as they have already mandated to start the season this year is the answer. Studies show that VERY few die from catch and release, but it still allows the guides to work and money to pump into the area. Sure, lots less people decide to go fishing, but I think that's great. I caught more and bigger fish last season than any other I've fished, and enjoyed lots more room on the river too.

I personally had a 52" king in my hand last year. And saw others caught (and released) that were similarly large. So yes, there still are big kings in the Kenai

Good post 358

what weight is a 52 inch king?

They vary quite a bit, but the one he is talking about was a beast of a fish! Chunky kings will be 40 at 40" give or take, but maybe only 25 if skinny. 358's was much, much over 40... IMO...

Somewhere between fifty and seventy pounds, depending on girth. Girth is extremely important for an accurate weight in that size class fish; each additional inch of girth adds nearly 5 pounds of weight. My guess without having seen the fish but knowing kenai kings intimately would be an honest mid to high sixties with a girth of 31”-32”. A toad of a fish, especially in 2018.

The fish was released, so no, I didn't get a weight on it. and I didn't have a soft tape out and ready, so I chose not to hold onto it longer than necessary to get it either to get the girth measurement. But it was the deep in the chest, so I'm calling it a solid 60 + fish.

A now deceased buddy of mine caught an 81 pounder on the Kenai. I don’t know the length but I remember the girth was 32” because I told him me and his fish wore the same size pants!

Wow.... Hopefully it gets "good" again, I'd like to hit it once or twice...

I thought you hated AK and everyone who lives up here?

My neighbor and his buddy caught a 97# King.

Was one of them named Les?

If only obviously.

I'd like a big king, the weather sucks generally, and it appears from the last time I was up there, "in 91" , most Alaskans still think they're bad men..... Though my taste of Alaska was pow which is mostly druggies and tramps....

Unfortunately the days of consistently catching big kings are gone forever. They're out there, like 30" mulies and 375" elk, but the odds are slim.
There's good and bad everywhere. I grew up in Wa, but have the same opinion of it as you do of AK. It's turned into a cesspool that I hate to go back to. As far as weather, its same same.

Hopefully there's a glimmer of hope, 50lb + kings on a regular basis would draw a fair amount of $$$... Was talking with Gary Loomis the other day, appears chilie is the new spot for huge kings..... From Columbia river stock... Go figure...

I've heard that about Chilie.
To bad those June hogs aren't around anymore. Those were impressive fish pics.

Yes. The other is Bud.

That’s pretty neat. Didn’t want to ASSume you were old enough to be neighbors and buddies with them

We still get some hogs in the salt here. You need to spend the time but they still show up.

Generation+ difference, but i have chatted with the one gent.



Ol' Les looks to be struggling a little.

Alaska Sports Hall of Fame
LES ANDERSON’S WORLD RECORD KING SALMON

The Biggest Fish Story
The fish of everyone’s dreams was caught by Soldotna auto dealer Les Anderson early on the morning of May 17, 1985, much to his own shock. Anderson and partner Bud Lofstedt were fishing for early-season king salmon on the Kenai River, the world-famous Alaska salmon stream, when Anderson hooked up for the fight of his life.

Anderson, 68 at the time, was using a spin-n-glo and salmon eggs, and the powerful chinook the bait attracted had the muscle to pull Anderson around in his little boat. Three times Anderson reeled the fish up to the side of the craft, but it was too large to haul in. Finally Anderson subdued it by leading it to land.

Once Anderson and Lofstedt gazed upon the full size of the monster lifted from the water, they realized it was imperative that it be weighed as soon as possible before it dried out and too much poundage was lost. Big fish, they thought. But they didn’t know if it was the biggest king of all. They rushed it to a scale in town where onlookers who had heard tell of a giant catch were already gathered. Anderson’s king salmon weighed in at 97 pounds, four ounces — a rod-and-reel world record that still stands.

For the rest of Anderson’s life — he died in 2003 — he was introduced to people as “the man who caught the world-record salmon.” Sometimes, for short, Anderson’s memorable catch was referred to as “the big fish,” with everyone knowing which fish was being talked about.

Today, the mount of Anderson’s record catch is on display at the Soldotna Visitors Association building.

– Lew Freedman

http://alaskasportshall.org/inductee/les-andersons-king-salmon/

What in the hell were you doing down in the mtn view neighborhood?

Social climbing, obviously...

Or lowering average IQs and moral standards in two zip codes at the same time...

I just want to catch one.

You should "hook up" with Calvin then - I'm sure he could put you on one, or two . . .

Looking for my pic of that 123#er caught in the fish wheel near Petersburg. A Stikine fish. Taku River (near me) used to produce 50 - 60 # kings. Not any more.

Trying to find Spenard?

That's a bit different than the story I've heard. I'd heard he drove the fish around in his truck for a few hours before someone convinced him to go get it weighed on a certified scale.
But it's still a hell of a fish, especially for a May fish.

My dad and I fished the Kenai twice with a guide back in 2003 and 2005. Early June....First day on the water on our first trip in '03, first bite of the day... my dad reels in a 48" monster. estimated to be 65-70# by the guide. It was catch and release for the big kings that year, so he went back in the water. We caught a lot of fish that week, tossing 40#-ers back to keep fishing all day (our guide knew he was out all day with us in the boat).

Tons of fun, was just thinking I want to go back. For kings and halibut. I caught a salmon shark the one day halibut fishing, probably 15-20' long. That was hard on the back

Lots of great memories from those trips!

Not sure what kind of shark you caught, but the shark was not a salmon shark at that length. Longest salmon shark in the literature was 10' by a researcher, Hall, in 1973. I have seen many pictures of sharks called salmon sharks from AK up to 14'. When experts look at sharks that length they say they are other species. There are several they can be confused with. And that is not by way of taking anything away from your shark...

Sleeper sharks are hard to confuse with salmon sharks, but they are the most common big sharks caught on rod and reel and confused, though there is no excuse for that.

The other version is the one I heard mostly...

Thats the way I heard it too Steve. That he knew it was big, but unaware (obviously) it was a WR. Certainly lost some H2O weight.

Just heard today the Columbia River summer Chinook season will not happen.

At the time of the catch, Les owned "Les's Y Chevron." His fish did indeed ride around in the back of his truck (under a slightly damp gunny sack not sized to match the length of the fish) for at least 5 hours. I had driven over to his store and found several old cronies talking about the fish and there was no talk of a world record. Taxidermy was on their mind and several possible names of same were being light-heartedly "argued" about. I believe it was a local pharmacist (Mr. Earl Mundell) that convinced Les to have it weighed. Seems Earl had a certified scale that would do the job. I do not know if they took it to Earl's place or not. I do know there was a group of codgers placing side bets on the Chinook's weight. Most were in the 70 pound range. I can only imagine the shock on all of their faces when it hit the bottom side of the 100 pound scale! I was pissed that I had to head to work as it certainly was gonna go as high as 85 pounds😉

Les was a quiet talking fella and a gentleman of the first order. He was a hometown baseball fan and that's where I met him in 1967. Next door to his service station was the MJB drive inn. Les had sponsored a milkshake for any little leaguer that hit a homer. Had a fortunate (lucky) game and hit three. Les came over and introduced himself and shook my hand. Took an immediate liking to this fella. He never once said anything about the sponsorship and yours truly did not find out about it for 2 more years.

Les enjoyed fishing for Kings but's his biggest piscatorial enjoyment came from catching Cohos. We fished them together three or four times in the years prior to the big fish. The twinkle in his eye gave away his excitement each time he got a bite. Les would make the funniest laugh when one took out line or jumped! For the most part of my memory I do not recall ever seeing anything but a smile on Les' face. That's how I will always remember him. The hat on his head in the above picture went wherever he went. If it could only talk about all the adventures it had seen...

Was wondering if you were in-residdnce at that time, Mark.

Thanks for the addition and recollection.

Ya appears most rivers on here he west coast are fuucked this year.... only bright side is coho..

My apologizes, I mixed them up. Yes it was a sleeper. No excuses.

"I'd like a big king, the weather sucks generally, and it appears from the last time I was up there, "in 91" , most Alaskans still think they're bad men..... Though my taste of Alaska was pow which is mostly druggies and tramps...."

So a visit to POW 28 years ago, and you know how "most Alaskans" are..............do us a huge favor, and go to Chile to catch your king.

👍

LOL!

LOL!!!!

I wanna go to Chile!

With such a wide depth and breadth of knowledge regarding the small and biologically homogeneous state of Alaska I’d say you should get a job at Frommers or Milepost. 😂

Why thank you ace...

Hey he was like 15-16 yrs old.. he didn't knows any better..

16 and "knows" enough to "knows" it was a [bleep], hell it's so great it's consistently 1st or 2nd for the most suicides in the nation!!!!! Great fuucking place!!

and Washington is paradise.... i been through you slice of "paradise" many times while stationed at fort Lewis.. don't try too church up Washington

I left fort Lewis December of 99 and swore I would never go back to the god forsaken place.. now Colorado I go back too great place.. well minus Denver.. Arizona pretty damn good as well.. Alaska is #1 for me great duty assignment great place..

Just right, now you have anything to add about the Kenai river and the giant kings that were once common, or you gonna bitch and whine?

I sure do.. as others said go to Chile..

They don't raise kings in Chile. They raise atlantics.

I can guarantee that nobody is farming King Salmon. Nobody

How's your ankle coming along? That animated trailer park boys kind of sucks..

Never really got into fishing Kings on the Kenai. I've hooked, broke off, released, etc., many while trout and silver fishing, but for whatever reason preferred King fishing on the Kasilof. Trout and Dollys are a different story. I've caught some dinosaurs out of the Kenai.

Slower process than I would like, but its getting better. I liked the animated series, they got to do a lot they couldn't do before

They may not raise Kings in Chile, but they certainly have them.


Chile Kings

Anyone that knows anything knows that the Yukon kings trump all others. If you want to know why just think about how far they have to swim to spawn. Copper river fish are early and they are marketed, that is the only difference. Definitely not better.

That is news to me, thanks for the heads up.

You referring to the tape worm episode lol..

Surprised they would raise them, kings cost the most to raise. Pinks and chums are where the money is at.

It looks like they tried to start a commercial operation in the 70s by planting eggs, the operation never materialized but the kings took off. Seems like it didn't take much effort, just time.

At that price one have to be crazy not to go down there.. great prices even with airfare.. be great vacation..

Haha, that and going to space!

I'm betting it would be a hell of a trip, though I rather go down there for the trout.

I have been intimately involved with raising kings and they are a pain in the ass. They cost the most out of all the salmon to raise, that's a fact. They don't return very well either

Sea run browns? That is on my bucket list....

Well I don't know how they did it, but it seemed to have worked!

Yup, those and rainbows.

They just don't come back. Coho are the fish of the future. Keep a close eye on Port Armstrong, they are doing something that nobody else is. They send coho out to saltwater very early in their life cycle. Its groundbreaking, nobody else up in AK is doing it

Btw thanks for your service!!!

Ya a salmon\trout trip would be epic...

Local guide is getting in on the action...
https://clancysfishing.com/chile-salmon-sport-fishing/

Damn that is a hell of a deal! What you waiting on? Might be something me and momma do in a couple yrs. if a guy had 3 weeks to burn. Go to Chile fishing then fly to Argentina and do some stag hunting or wing shooting..

Be a hellava trip...