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Introduction of a slot limit has helped large, breeding fish replenish the Kenai River with healthy offspring, ensuring large Chinook salmon for years to come.
| Almost every fisherman I know dreams about fishing for Chinook salmon in Alaska. There's just something about the wild land of Alaska and the huge salmon that call its rivers home that makes anglers who long for adventure do whatever it takes to spend a few days fishing for Chinook salmon.
The most famous river for Chinook salmon (aka king salmon) in Alaska -- and quite possibly the entire world -- is the Kenai River. Each summer, thousands of anglers from around the world gather in Soldotna, a town that borders the Kenai, and fish with the hope of catching a large salmon. Just how large do Chinook salmon get? The all-tackle world record caught in 1986 on the Kenai River was a whopping 97-pound, 4-ounce specimen! Your chances of catching a fish that large are slim, but catching one in the 40 to 80-pound range is quite good.
Tim Hiner knows a lot about catching salmon on the Kenai River. Hiner is a registered guide on the river and has taken hundreds of people fishing on the river in the last couple decades. According to Hiner, if you want to catch a large Chinook, you should plan to spend more than a few hours on the river. "Everyone dreams of coming to Alaska and catching a big fish, but many people only hire a guide for a half day or full day. If anglers want to have a good chance of catching a big salmon, they should schedule two or three days of fishing. This will increase their odds of catching a big fish," Hiner explained.
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This whopper was slightly below the slot limit, so we were able to keep the fish, which weighed 45 pounds.
| Anglers can also increase their odds by hiring a quality guide. Finding a good guide isn't difficult, but you could end up with a bad one. There are currently over 200 registered guides on the Kenai River. With that many to choose from, it's difficult to determine who's good and who isn't simply by talking with someone over the phone. Hiner has a few suggestions to help people choose a guide. "If I was looking for a guide, I would first ask if he was a fulltime guide. The Kenai is very popular and there are so many people that come here to fish that guides are in high demand. People often come here from other parts of the country to guide for the summer, and some guides are part-time. In most cases, guides that live here and fish the river constantly are going to know the river better and provide anglers with a better chance of catching a big salmon," Hiner explains.
In June, I spent a few days in Soldotna fishing for Chinook. I spent two days on the river and ended up landing a 48-1/2-inch salmon that weighed about 55 pounds. That is an above average king salmon and one I would have liked to put on the wall, but in June there's a slot limit on the Kenai River. That means that any Chinook salmon caught between 44 and 55 inches must be returned to the river. This rule allows large, breeding fish to carry on and replenish the river with healthy offspring, ensuring large Chinook salmon for years to come. This rule was enacted due to the large Chinook that were often taken in June, which was having an adverse effect on the size of salmon that were caught. Prior to the slot limit, the Chinook salmon caught were getting smaller each year. The new rule will help protect large fish. Anglers who are adamant about taking a large king home and mounting it instead of having a replica made (like I will) should plan to fish in July. The slot limit rule is only in effect until the end of June.
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The reward at the end of the day is bright red king salmon meat.
| According to Hiner, large salmon can be caught anytime, but the best time to come to Alaska and fish for kings is in July. "If people ask me when I think they should come to Alaska, I tell them July if they are serious about catching a large king that is fifty pounds or larger," Hiner noted. July seems to be the time when the large fish are caught more consistently, and anglers are able to keep the fish.
Dave Richards, another well-know guide on the Kenai, told me a story about an angler who caught a monster king salmon. "A couple years ago, I had this guy on my boat who caught a king that was just under 55 inches long and over 70 pounds. He caught the monster on the first day of July. If he would have caught it 24 hours earlier, we would have had to throw it back. July is the best time to be on the River," Richards explained.
Fishing in Alaska with a guide can be pricy, but there are several options when it comes to fishing the river. Some non-residents hire a guide and stay in a hotel; others camp. Others purchase a complete package that includes lodging, meals and guiding for one price. While fishing the Kenai, a few friends and I launched our boat from the Kenai River Bend Lodge. They offer camping and a lodge for anglers. They also offer complete fishing packages that include lodging and guiding. Another advantage of staying at a lodge is that many of them will clean, fillet and vacuum seal your fish for you after a day on the River.
Another option is buying a package that includes a few days of fishing on the Kenai River, a day or two ocean fishing for halibut, and a day of sightseeing. Purchasing complete packages that include a variety of fishing opportunities is becoming increasingly popular because it allows people to see and do several things in Alaska. Of course, the more you do the more you'll spend. Hiring a guide on the Kenai River costs about $250 a day per person. Half day trips are less, but not enough less to fish for only half a day. Packages that include several trips of fishing and lodging cost a lot more. Also keep in mind that, when fishing for King Salmon on the Kenai River, you may also catch other species such as sockeye salmon, which are bright silver in color during early June and blood red later in the summer.
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When you're not fishing, the Alaska Railroad is a great way to see Alaska.
| Alaska is a place most men want to go for the plentiful hunting and fishing opportunities, but anglers should keep The Alaska Railroad is a great way to see Alaska. in mind that when they're not fishing, Alaska has a lot to offer the entire family. I took my wife and son to Alaska and it was one of my wife's favorite vacations. She spent some time on the River with me. We also took the Alaskan Railroad out of Anchorage and visited Fairbanks and Denali National Park & Preserve. The Railroad is a great way for the family to see Alaska, and the train takes you to Fairbanks where you can mine for gold, see the Alaskan pipeline, and do several family-friendly things.
Anyone interested in going to Alaska on a guided fishing trip or going on a fishing trip/family vacation should plan ahead. "From the moment the snow melts until the fall arrives, Soldotna is a very busy place," Hiner explains. "Guides, hotels and lodges fill up fast. The sooner people start planning a trip, the better chance they have of finding a good guide and a good price on a hotel," he says.
I think a trip to Alaska should be planned at least a year in advance. One thing's for sure: The moment you see the Alaskan mountains and lay eyes on a monster king salmon, your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska may turn into an annual excursion.
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