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HOW TO CATCH THE BIGGEST SALMON OF YOUR
LIFE!
By: Greg
Brush
Deep into my relatively lazy Alaska winter, with
several feet of snow on the ground and a warm cup
of java in hand, my mind wandered to the swirling
current and subtle seams of my favorite section of
river. The water I pictured was in perfect shape, a
light turquoise color with just under two feet of
visibility, and the dull gray clouds of summer
promised relaxed fish willing to aggressively
strike my intruding plug with a fury difficult to
describe. Drifting deeper into the pleasantries of
another day of King salmon fishing and
half-expecting to hear the protesting hum of the
drag, I was abruptly jolted back to reality by the
ring of my office phone.
Inquiring about guided salmon fishing still many
months away, the stranger on the other end relayed
an all-too-familiar story. He had visited Alaska
the previous summer, enjoying the spectacular
vistas and abundant wildlife as well as his time on
the water, but had returned home after a week of
fishing with his dream of a giant salmon
unfulfilled. Curious to discover where this
fisherman had gone wrong last year, I gently probed
for more details. When he said "Me and my buddy
borrowed uncle George's drift boat and some old
spinning rods and fished the Kasilof River on our
own in early May," I suddenly realized that this
well-intending angler had virtually set himself up
for disappointment. He had cut corners and failed
to do his homework early in the game, hoping to
catch the largest salmon of his life on the wrong
river at the wrong time with the wrong
equipment.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for the fellow.
After all, we're all guilty of looking for a short
cut to success at one time or another and fishermen
seem to be even more prone to this common human
tendency. Which one of us hasn't longed for the
secret weapon in lures or hot new techniques?
While the title may have led the reader on a
bit, this article is anything but another "how to"
piece on a specific method. Instead, it will reveal
the real secrets to landing your once in a lifetime
monster king salmon; basic fundamentals that are
often disregarded in a fisherman's haste to hit the
water. Before one can employ specialized
techniques, a fisherman must first put themselves
in a position where these techniques have a
reasonable chance of working! Lay a solid
foundation with these five key points and you are
well on your way to catching the biggest salmon of
your life!
FISH WHERE BIG FISH LIVE!
The necessity to fish where big fish live sounds
rather obvious at first, but it is likely the most
commonly overlooked point amongst trophy salmon
fisherman. You would be surprised how many anglers
spend years and years dreaming of the salmon of a
lifetime while fishing average water that contains
mostly average stocks. Talk to any fishery
biologist and he will be quick to point out that
genetics and habitat are critical in any trophy
fishery. For example, Kentucky may have good bass
fishing and even produce an occasional trophy sized
largemouth, but it is probably not the best place
to find the bass of a lifetime. The savvy bass
angler knows that he can increase his odds
tremendously by fishing big Florida strain
largemouth in the proven trophy waters of Mexico,
Southern California or of course Florida.
Likewise, Alaska is the salmon capitol of the
world, and the Kenai River is the undisputed king
of trophy Chinook waters (see sidebar). It has
produced the current world record, a 97 lb. 4oz.
behemoth, as well as another seven out of ten of
the biggest kings ever caught on hook and line. On
the Kenai River, an "average" king weighs right
around forty pound and fifty pounders are only
considered "good solid fish" by locals and seasoned
guides. Each summer, sixty, seventy and even a
hand-full of eighty pounders are landed by Kenai
River fishermen who do their homework. Those facts
illustrate two things: good genetics and ideal
habitat!
It is important to note that Kenai kings are all
wild fish, undiluted by hatchery genes. While most
Chinook salmon return to their natal stream to
spawn as four year old fish, Kenai kings are
genetically unique. Mother Nature, in all her
wisdom, has somehow programmed a percentage of
these special salmon to stay at sea for up to five
years, returning as huge six and seven year old
fish. Naturally, an all-wild fish that spends five
years swimming against strong ocean currents and
gorging itself on protein-rich herring, squid and
candlefish will be that much bigger than the
standard two-ocean four year old variety!
FISH WHEN BIG FISH ARE PRESENT!
Many salmon fishermen who otherwise plan well
overlook the second biggest success factor of all:
to catch a trophy Kenai king salmon one must fish
when big fish are present! Most anglers are well
aware that catching resident fish on oceans and
lakes means two things: locate the fish and
determine what they are hitting. While this
fundamental principal remains critical to all
angling success, first time river fishermen must
realize that anadromous (sea-run) fish are a bit
different. They are only present in the relatively
narrow confines of the river at certain time
periods. Repeatedly pounding proven holes and runs
with a favorite king salmon lure at the wrong time
of year will only produce an empty fish box and a
frustrated fisherman.
In fact, run timing is such an important detail
that it can literally "make or break" your trip.
The Kenai has two distinct runs of Chinook salmon,
and each has a relatively easy to identify "peak"
when the king numbers spike. You can substantially
raise your odds by being on the water during the
peak of the run when statistics show that more big
fish are present than at any other time.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game collects and
maintains an unbelievable amount of data on these
special fish, including a daily sonar count on the
number of kings entering the river. Their records
identify the period from June 5-21st (early run)
and July 13-26th (late run) as peak of the Kenai
king returns, and your best shot at the biggest
salmon of your life!
FISH WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE
FISHERY!
Kenai kings are big powerful fish that usually
necessitate the use of a boat to land them. Running
a boat on a shallow glacial river is a challenge in
itself, and the Kenai is a step above and beyond
your average river. It is big and fast, with many
obstacles to avoid. Throw in severe boat traffic
during peak seasons and it is not the best water
for beginners. Each summer, numerous otherwise
experienced salmon fisherman from "the lower 48"
are humbled by this large body of water, scratching
their heads after days of frustrating fishing puts
them no closer to their salmon of a lifetime.
Learning by trial and error is certainly an
option, but the prudent angler who is limited in
time will choose to fish with a seasoned guide or
long -time local who knows the Kenai River and the
specialized techniques used to hook its monster
salmon. And hooking a few of these incredibly
strong fish is just half the battle; landing them
is another thing! The biggest salmon in the world
combined with an extremely swift and shallow river
with lots of obstacles and other boaters makes this
venture trickier than one might think. Having an
experienced operator can really make a big
difference!
USE THE PROPER EQUIPEMENT!
Fact: without the proper gear, a trophy Kenai
king will win nearly every time. With little
effort, they can snap generic fishing line like
thread and turn cheap rods into graphite shrapnel.
Every year, tremendous salmon are lost by
nonchalant anglers who suddenly find out they
fumbled their big chance.
Many years ago, early in my career as a
professional fishing guide on the Kenai River, I
had an experienced fisherman request to use his
"old pet rod and reel' instead of the proven set-up
which I provide on all my charters. His average
quality rod and reel initially appeared to be in
fair enough condition and I simply wanted to keep
my customer happy, so we hastily pushed off that
June morning with visions of giant kings dancing in
both our heads. But it was not to be, as five
minutes into the day the power and fury of a giant
Kenai king slammed home an important point.
My client was just settling into the rhythmic
lifting and setting on the bottom of his salmon roe
when a sharp tap was followed by a serious jolting
tug. Coming back hard with the proper hook set and
proudly shouting the salmon fishermen's customary
mantra of "fish on!" my client had roughly two to
three seconds of glee before things went bad. The
huge salmon turned and ran directly away from the
boat, as they often do, peeling line off the old
level-wind reel as if the drag had been totally
backed off, only it hadn't! Turning the star drag
forward a bit to slow the run-away fish did not
work as planned, as the tired spool protested and
lurched to a sudden stop. Something has to give
when you have a locked up reel between a two
hundred pound man and eighty some-odd pounds of
irate salmon, and I can still picture the bugged
eyes, white knuckles and rigid stance of my
panicked customer as the fish continued downstream,
his rod loading past the breaking point and the
monofilament cracking like a July 4th fire cracker.
The entire event took perhaps 5 seconds, and I
doubt either of us will ever forget it.
That was the only strike the gentleman had that
morning, and I learned a very important lesson that
day. Using quality tackle of heavy weight is an
investment in success. The wise trophy hunter
always employs the very best equipment he can
afford, inspecting it meticulously and tying every
knot like it's his last. Sensitive but stout 8 to 9
foot G.Loomis rods and quality Shimano level-wind
reels with super-smooth drags have served me well
for years, surviving tremendous battles and
constant daily abuse. Premium line and terminal
tackle are of utmost importance. Anything less can
cost you a dream fish.
INVEST ENOUGH TIME AND STAY POSITIVE!
Giant king salmon don't jump in the boat! The
Kenai River is a relatively low success rate
fishery where you generally work hard for every
strike. Far too many visitors cut their odds
tremendously by not allotting enough time, leaving
disappointed after fishing just one morning.
Spending multiple days on the Kenai can make a
huge difference, as water conditions change day to
day and surges of new fish enter the river with
every high tide. The more time you invest, the more
the odds tip in your favor. I like to compare it to
big game hunting: who would travel to Africa for a
one day safari?
Finally, an angler's outlook can make a huge
difference, and a positive attitude can be an
amazingly effective weapon. Laugh if you must, but
somehow these huge fish seem to unexplainably avoid
a "sour puss" fisherman like the plague. Be patient
and have realistic expectations. Go ahead and fish
hard, but relax and enjoy your time. Watch a bald
eagle circle overhead and snap a photo of a gangly
moose. Take a minute to marvel at the emerald green
water that originated from a hundred thousand year
old glacier. Ponder just how unique a trophy Kenai
king is, and how fortunate we are to have an
opportunity at such a special creature. Let your
imagination run wild, because that's what this
river is all about: one moment you are day dreaming
about the fish of a lifetime and the very next
instant you are fighting it!
Greg Brush is a professional fishing guide from
Soldotna, Alaska. He owns and operates EZ Limit
Guide Service and in his 16th year of guiding
full-time on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. He averages
nearly 125 days a year on the Kenai and Kasilof
Rivers during a short 5 month season and his
clients have landed hundreds of trophy King Salmon
exceeding the fifty pound mark. Although he enjoys
halibut, trout, Coho, Sockeye and Pink salmon
fishing, he feels nothing is as rewarding as
putting a new angler on their first giant Kenai
King! You can e-mail your questions or comments to
Greg at fishme@alaska.net or visit his website at
www.ezlimit.com.
SIDEBAR # 1: THE BIGGEST OF "THE
BIG!"
To the best of my knowledge, the following chart
lists the largest documented king salmon ever
caught (and kept!) on rod and reel. Numerous rumors
of huge fish reportedly landed, or nearly landed,
continue to surface. It is interesting to note that
this list only contains those fish harvested, thus
a conservation minded angler, and any special fish
that he or she released, unfortunately would not be
listed.
|
#
|
Weight
|
Year
|
Angler
|
Water
|
Angler's Home
|
|
1
|
97.25
|
1985
|
Anderson
|
Kenai River
|
Soldotna, AK
|
|
2
|
95.63
|
1990
|
Plautz
|
Kenai River
|
Aloha, OR
|
|
3
|
93.00
|
1977
|
Rider
|
Kelp Bay
|
Southeast, AK
|
|
4
|
92.50
|
1959
|
Wickman
|
Skeena River
|
Terrace, BC
|
|
5
|
92.25
|
1985
|
Cato
|
Kenai River
|
Eagle River, AK
|
|
6
|
91.63
|
1988
|
Moeglein
|
Kenai River
|
Soldotna, AK
|
|
7
|
91.25
|
1987
|
Luton
|
Kenai River
|
Soldotna, AK
|
|
8
|
91.00
|
1995
|
Kaping
|
Kenai River
|
Auburn, CA
|
|
9
|
90.31
|
1993
|
Thompson
|
Kenai River
|
Anchorage, AK
|
|
10
|
90.25
|
1995
|
Odin
|
Kenai River
|
Fountain Hills, AZ
|
SIDEBAR #2: CONSIDER CATCH AND RELEASE WHEN
YOU DO SCORE!
Giant chrome-bright hens and champagne-colored
bucks with thick muscular tails, midsections as
girthy as a grown man and lengths approaching five
feet long... these tide fresh powerhouses are truly
fish to behold! Other than the occasional freak
fish considered a piscatorial anomaly in Oregon,
Washington or British Columbia, salmon this size
can be found in reliable numbers nowhere else.
These are the fish that define what the Kenai is
all about, and we are collectively responsible for
their ultimate fate, not just for ourselves but for
generations to come. Even if the law permits the
taking of two of these genetic treasures annually,
a responsible angler should ask himself "Do I
really need to kill this special fish for my table
or my wall? Couldn't I fill my freezer with an
average-sized fish? Doesn't a reproduction make
more sense than a skin mount?"
On this note, a local conservation-based
organization deserves mentioning. In an effort to
educate and entice anglers to continue releasing
trophy-sized kings, Kenai River Sportfishing
Association's "Release a Hawg" program last year
offered a $800 reward for releasing any king
measuring 50" or better, specifically good toward a
fiberglass replica of the fish. To qualify, you
needed to fish with a KRSA member or a licensed
guide who was registered to participate in the
program. An award-winning local taxidermist
graciously agreed to create a fiberglass
reproduction of the trophy fish for the $800 reward
alone. The lucky angler paid only the shipping
costs. A true "win-win" deal all the way around!
This creative program, currently in its 4th year,
received incredible support and participation, to
the point of nearly breaking the bank. An amazing
141 rewards were issued for the 2003 season. What a
great problem to have: influencing enough anglers
and releasing so many big fish that program funds
were nearly exhausted.
Currently under revision for the 2004 king
season, this program promises to influence more
fishermen next summer regardless of program
details. Contact KRSA at (907) 262-8588 to join
this pro-active organization or become a sponsor of
the "Release a Hawg" program.
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