Reeling ‘Em In: So long and thanks for all the fish

Welcome to our last Reeling ‘Em In fishing report for 2024.

The Labor Day weekend weather reflected signs of having a touch of borderline personality disorder along with dashes of testy ‘tudes.

At times, our little patch of paradise experienced erratic bursts of wind that slapped around wilted carcasses of fireweed enough to spawn puffs of seedling parachutes spinning through the air, while the white-capping bay below prematurely ended fishing for many of the small boat crowd.

Saturday was deep gray and randomly shed downpours you could soap up and shower with — yet, when Sunday rolled around, there was enough blue sky and intense rays to sneak in a light tan and tourists were able to shed their parkas.

Of course, the nastiest segments of the weather systems didn’t send everyone high-stepping for cover. There are always the die-hard fishing enthusiasts who are so committed to their sport that they’d troll from a paddleboard skimming the apex of a tidal wave just for one last chance at a strike before taking a header in the middle of the Caribou Hills.

Examples: First, a couple fishing the hole’s north side interior entrance one stormy morning. They were getting hammered by southeast gusts so stiff that seagulls were trying to flag down cabs for a ride to the end of the spit.

Personally, I don’t think there was a viable coho cruising the pond that wasn’t close to being compost with operational fins, but the duo was giving it a shot anyway and I genuinely admired their tenacity. Some air bursts were so wicked they had to cast near due south so their lures would hit the pond near the north end of the lagoon.

The second example of true toughness was the lone guy fishing off the end of the Spit. He was working hard trying to ferret up gilled creatures of the ugly kind that he stuffed in a bucket. It was engrossing to watch him get knocked around by the blustery weather while his significant other stood in the parking lot trying to convince him to seek shelter or at least counseling.

After around 10 minutes of energetic cajoling by his near hypothermic partnerette, he finally snatched up the pail and marched to the top of the hill where he proudly displayed its growing contents. She stared down, then looked up into his eyes and slowly backed away while he stormed back to the surf’s edge for another fix of the stormy mayhem.

My wife gazed at him for a moment and then made some sort of crack about me having blood kin in Alaska that I’ve never told her about.

On a more positive note, quick checks at the cleaning counters revealed that some early risers who hit the bay before the medium tempests set in did quite well. Tables displayed a nice batch of hefty flats, some surprisingly “hawg” status chinook.

Unfortunately, several of our scouting trips were terminated when random deluges and unpredictable winds took out our plans for beach walks and interviews with random inlet fishermen who weren’t as green as their raingear.

Time now to take a look at the fishing report for the week of Sept. 2.

Freshwater Fishing

Anchor River, Deep Creek, and the Ninilchik River are open to sport fishing other than kings. Fall fishing conditions are going to change with water levels. So, after extended periods of rain, these streams will become unfishable, nasty to wade, yet one wild ride in a kayak. Check NOAA’s hydrographs before planning a trip.

Coho Salmon

Silver fishing remains a grind on the lower Kenai Peninsula streams but there’s still some newbies working their way upstream. Expect the run to play out by mid-September. Fishing during the early daw n hours around high tide and near the rivers’ mouths may produce some fresh fish.

Dolly Varden

Expect somewhat fair fishing for dollies this fall. Angling with beads pegged under small strike indicators will be the best ways to target those fish. For fly fisherman, smolt patterns, streamers, and beads will rock their boats. Flashy spinners and spoons are primo options when firing spinning gear.

Steelhead

The steelhead run is off to a good start this fall and the silver warriors should continue to enter these streams into October. Beads and flies are the best bets to nail them in both the lower and upper sections of these streams.

Saltwater Fishing

Kachemak Bay/Cook Inlet

Halibut

There will be a nice number of halibut to chase into the fall but the best fishing will be in September as some of the bigger fish cruise out of Cook Inlet for deeper spawning waters.

King Salmon

Expect king fishing to be fair to good throughout the fall season. The chinook are typically scattered throughout Kachemak Bay but now and then bigger concentrations can be found in areas such as Bluff Point, Point Pogibshi, Bear Cove, and Glacier Spit.

Take a shot at multiple locations to find the fish. Also, trolling a variety of depths can enhance the chance to pop a blackmouth into your cooler. Setting the gear at mid-water column is a good starting point.

Now, before the column closes for the season, I want to give a special shout-out to Michael Booz and his exceptional Alaska Fish and Game crew for their support, sense of humor, information, and the valuable insights they provide this column each week. We don’t roll unless they do.

Also, a very special note of deep appreciation goes out to Shelley, the remarkable fish whisperer, who stepped in when her father, Tom Schroeder, a.k.a. the mayor and piscator aficionado of the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, left us for celestial waters where the runs are eternal and lines forever taut. Her fishing expertise and dedication continued her father’s legacy of fulfilling proxy limits for those unable to do so for themselves.

A very special daughter indeed.

Speaking of special, a loving hug and titanic “thank you” to my exceptional and unflappable wife, Jane, who initially edits my rants to keep my editor from calling for an intervention.

And finally, kudos to all of you who sent your questions, tips, tales, taunts and tantrums my way. That was flat fun even though some of you probably don’t remember joining the party.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

For additional information, please contact the Homer Office at 907-235-8191.

Until next year….