Well, you can sure tell that the summer season is starting to kick loose on the Spit.
A vet buddy called to report that, just as he was to turning into the Fishing Hole’s parking lot last weekend, a demented dude on a Harley almost took off his exterior mirror when he roared passed on the center line between oncoming traffic. He said the leathered lunkhead managed to weave between vehicles without smacking into anyone. He figured the idiot had either snorted some bad Ajax or was late for work as a bathroom doorstop in some after-hours bar in downtown Spenard. Probably both.
Then, a couple of days later, I received an email from a reader who was on the warpath about a Facebook post relating that an 11-year-old boy had his tackle box stolen as he was fishing off the end of the Spit. The writer was furious but, on a positive note, some very fine Homerites were stepping up to help the young man.
I can’t repeat what the missive’s author thought of the thief but let’s just say that a demented lowlife who pulls something like that fits the quintessential description of the primary exit portal of the human digestive system.
Do be careful out there, folks. It’s that time of year for people suddenly dodging into traffic, rubberneckers, scofflaws and now, social distancing by some displaying the safety awareness practices of herring in a seining net.
The Fishing Hole’s mayor, Tom, reported there were plenty of fish present throughout the week but the bites were sporadic and schizoid in predictability.
He added the cumulative catch seems to be almost double the average for this same period over the last eight to nine years. The fish are running smaller than last year’s crop and they appear to prefer both blue and red Vibrax spinners over herring or eggs.
It’s time now to take a look at this week’s expanded June 9-15 fishing report.
Emergency orders
Emergency Order 2-KS-7-16-20 closed king salmon fishing within 1 mile of shore north of Bluff Point through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 15.
Emergency Order 2-KS-7-15-20 closed the Anchor River and Deep Creek drainages to all sport fishing through 11:59 p.m. July 15.
Emergency Order 2-KS-7-07-20 reduced the king salmon bag and possession limits in the Ninilchik River to one hatchery king salmon 20 inches or greater in length through 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 15.
Special Note: The Ninilchik River fished well over last weekend but will be closed until June 16 by regulation. See page 71 of the Southcentral Alaska Sports Fishing Regulation Summary.
Emergency Order 2-RCL-7-03-20 and 2-RCL-7-04-20 closed all eastside Cook Inlet beaches to clamming for all species from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit in 2020.
Saltwater Fishing
Halibut
Fishing was a bit high on the Well-this-sucks-meter over the weekend due to the rowdy weather and smokin’ tides. Some nice slabs were still hauled up without any mention of dislocated shoulders or backs. Maybe they nailed them around slack tide.
A favorable marine weather forecast and easing tides later this week could bring some hot-stick action and full holds, especially out in the middle of Cook Inlet 20-40 miles from the harbor.
King Salmon
As mentioned earlier, fin hunters are still having fair success at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. If you are flinging eggs, prepare for an onslaught from the recently released coho and king salmon smolt. The first batch of king smolt were released Friday — 157,000 fish at 14 grams average weight. They are like miniature piranhas when roe hits the pond. Oh yeah, let’s don’t forget those lovely seals. They are rude and crude when it comes to stealing those fish that you are battling. It doesn’t matter if you are inside or on the beach, the thieving &^%$#%s will strike like flippered ninjas when you are least expecting it.
Kings remain dotted throughout Kachemak Bay with a more dependable strike zone just south of Bluff Point.
Note: New Updates and Emergency Orders from the Northern Kenai Fishing Report.
Emergency Order 2-RS-1-19-20 opens the Russian River Sanctuary Area to sport fishing for sockeye salmon beginning 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 11.
Emergency Order 2-KS-1-18-20 prohibits the retention of any sized naturally-produced king salmon and limits sport fishing gear to one, unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure while sport fishing in the Kasilof River beginning 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 10. Naturally-produced salmon have an adipose fin and may not be removed from the water and must be release immediately.
Emergency Order 2-KS-1-17-20 closes sport fishing for king salmon of all sizes in the Kenai River from the mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake beginning 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 10 through June 30. Fishing for king salmon will remain closed July 1 through July 31, in waters of the Kenai River drainage from a Fish and Game regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek, upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon accidentally caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
Emergency Order 2-NP-1-02-20 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2020 season.
Emergency Order 2-DV-1-01-20 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake for the 2020 season.
Freshwater Fishing
Not much to talk about with the closures on the lower Kenai Peninsula rivers, so if you are jonesing for some freshwater action in the Homer area, you could try fishing the Homer Reservoir for Dolly Varden. Small spinners will get them riled up.
Up north, the flowing waters of the Kenai River mainstem upstream of the Lower Killey River marker and all of the tributary streams will open Thursday, June 11. Fishing for rainbow trout in these waters is expected to be very good.
The Upper Kenai River, Russian River, and Russian River Sanctuary Area will open to fishing for sockeye on Thursday, June 11. Fishing is expected to be slow but improving next week.
Kasilof king fishing is considered fair to good. Try fishing for them from shore at the Crooked Creek State Recreation Site. Please refer to Emergency Order 2-KS-1-18-20.
Nick can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com if you have any tips or tales to share that aren’t, doom, despair and agony me, related.
