I've received several e-mails asking about the best way to nail silvers coming through an area where a boat's on the hook and rigged for flatfish.

Well, first of all you'll have to see the critters coming. Silvers are not a tough beastie to spot. They love to jump and are hard chargers after bait fish. So, if you are chillin' in a bottom mooch mode looking for a halibut and notice fish "pop-corning" while hurtling toward your boat, pull the lines up to between 40 and 20 feet below the surface. Then start sweeping the rod upward in long arcs from the water level to above your head. The traveling cohos will often attack your lure if its herring parts are smaller than a beluga. You'll have a good shot even with big circle hooks if you let them grab the bait and run for awhile.

A better approach is to have salmon gear aboard and switch to it when the party fish approach. Light tackle is sufficient for these surface feeders.

When casting into a noshing school of cohos, use light- or medium-weight spinning tackle. Ten to 12-pound test line will work just fine. Of course attaching a lure of some kind to it works even better.

Try rigging up small herring or cut mackerel bait. Other goodies and lures to try are smelt, squid, Vibrax spinners and assorted flashy silver lures of any color that you have purchased and need to qualify as indispensable to your spouse. Sparkly long-bodied streamer flies are cool, too.

Now, for the weekly Homer fishing report for the week of Aug. 25 to Sept. 1:

Again the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is requesting that persons participating in the non-commercial fisheries for Tanner crab in Kachemak Bay refrain from setting crab pots in the outer bay (i.e. outside the Homer Spit), particularly in deep water areas between the dates of Aug. 11 and Sept. 9.

NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, will conduct a sonar survey to provide detailed bottom and habitat mapping of Kachemak Bay during those dates.

The waters upstream of Fish and Game markers on the Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River are open to fishing only for Dolly Varden and rainbow/steelhead trout. Neither rainbow nor steelhead trout may be removed from the water or kept and must be released immediately. These upstream waters are closed to all salmon fishing.

Get this straight

As of 12:01 a.m. Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, the flowing waters of the Anchor River, Ninilchik River, Deep Creek and Stariski Creek are restricted to single hook and no bait.

Fresh waters

On the Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River, anglers can expect fair to good catches of Dolly Varden depending on the skill of the stream thrashers. The water levels on these streams are still low, even with recent rains.

The limit on these streams for Dolly Varden remains two per day and two in possession.

Dolly Varden are hitting anything resembling salmon eggs, small clumps of roe and small spinners. Why? Because, that's their job.

Pink salmon fishing is fair to good for those who don't consider them a waste of bait.

Anglers fishing the lower sections of the Anchor River and Deep Creek report fair to good catches of silver salmon especially during high tide.

Activity is picking up at some of the more popular holes because as of Aug. 24, 169 fish went through the weirs with just 48 the day before. Total so far: 1,111.

The limits for salmon are three per day and three in possession, only two of which can be silver salmon.

Remember, treble hooks and bait are currently allowed only until Sept. 1.

Try using salmon roe and herring when targeting silver salmon. Size 3 or smaller flashy spinners and spoons are also effective for salmon and Dolly Varden plus underwater snags that will eat your $3.99 lures up faster than the gas prices you paid to get there.

Steelhead trout are starting to enter the rivers. Because steelhead runs are not large, the rainbow/steelhead fishery is catch-and-release only. Please familiarize yourself with the differences between silver salmon and steelhead trout (I told you how to do that last week).

Salt waters: halibut

Halibut fishing continues to be good in Lower Cook Inlet. Most anglers are catching their bag limits with most halibut harvested weighing 15-20 pounds. This exciting especially to customary lily pond perch chasers.

Fishing near Bluff Point, Point Pogibshi and Flat Island has been productive, as well as the seafood sections of local food distributors.

Daily limit is two halibut, possession limit of four. Herring is the preferred bait although octopus and squid are cool for those who don't have electric reels. Fish at around 200 feet during minus tides.

Salt waters: salmon

King salmon trolling still exists in Lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay,

Silver salmon fishing is so slow at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon that a slack tide has more action

Try using cured salmon eggs on the incoming tide for next year's practice techniques. During slack water in the lagoon go get some coffee.

The daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is six in the lagoon area. The Fishing Lagoon is currently closed to snagging. Snagging of what?

Outside the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon area, the daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is three.

Silvers also are being caught in the Point Pogibshi/Flat Island areas, but your best bet is about 22 miles out. Nice silvers are still feeding in that area on passing masses of bait fish.

Other salt water fishing

This time of the season fewer anglers are targeting lingcod, rockfish and other bottom fish. Most anglers are fishing 30 to 100 feet deep near the Elizabeth and East Chugach islands.

Personal use

The Kachemak Bay coho salmon gillnet fishery opened Aug. 17. A permit is required and available at the Homer Fish and Game office.

Shellfish

The next series of good clamming tides run Sept.16-21. Remember, the best time is one hour before to two hours after low tide.

Check your Southcentral Regulation Summary Booklet for clam limits.

Fisheries for king crab, Dungeness crab and shrimp in Cook Inlet remain closed.

The Tanner crab sport, personal-use and subsistence fisheries in Cook Inlet are open.A permit is required and available at the Anchorage, Soldotna and Homer Fish and Game offices.

Nick C. Varney is a fishing fanatic in search of semi-truthful tales, tips and facts associated with anything that includes bait and a pole. If you have some, he can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com.