Homer, Alaska - Sports - 6 silvers bag limit only at Fishing Hole 08/27/08

Story last updated at 9:45 PM on Wednesday, August 27, 2008

6 silvers bag limit only at Fishing Hole

Casting About

Before I officially start this fisherpersonage tome I want to thank the majorly impressive pack of you whom have sent me feedback and tips in support of this column. Although there have been a few requests for retractions, all I can say is "Stay cool gang, your puppy release date will be posted after Labor Day."

Now for some serious stuff:

Wild Willie and Turk have been having it out since the discovery of huge silvers cruising the eastern banks of the Homer Spit. Willie has been nailing six a day for a couple of weeks from the boat basin to the northern base of the Spit. Turk has been trying to convince the common-sense-challenged miscreant that he is staring down winter incarceration because three is the limit. I agreed with Turk, but figured I'd better check with an expert from Fish and Game. I went to the best and here's the definitive answer.

"The Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon area is the only place where the silver salmon bag limit is six. Elsewhere the silver bag limit is three. The northern boundary of the Fishing Lagoon area is marked with a tripod near the top of the gravel in line with the hospitality center at the Heritage RV Park. The tripod is good sized, white and has a big blue and white sign on it designating where snagging is open. You can see the marker from the road if an RV isn't parked in the view shed. The south boundary of the Fishing Lagoon area is the city dock near the harbor entrance. The city asks people not to fish within 50 yards of the docks."

Willie is ashamed and looking over his shoulder again while Turk is a hundred-dollar-bet richer. Personally, I think that anyone whom I've just precluded from fines that could have heated their homes for the winter should pony up a tenner into the Silver Salmon Enhancement Donation Box adjacent to the disability parking area at the lagoon.

Oh yeah, one last query. When will the city quit dissin' the campers and fisherpersonages at The Hole and put a cover shed over the fish cleaning tables out there? Whassup with that? Gulls getting all nasty on the cutting surfaces. Rain comin' down so hard that you have to tread water while processin' your fish. Whoever is blocking that project is a serious waste of skin.

Count to 10, Nick, and slide on over to the Homer Chamber of Commerce for the weekly derby update:

The current jackpot leader remains a 348.2-pound airline runway polished off by Jeff Pardi of San Rafael, Calif., fishing with Capt. Keith Kalke on the Ocean Hunter of Ocean Hunter Charters on July 9.

The August special coin leaders remain the same:

First place ($1,000): A 310.4-pound halibut caught Aug. 3 byRobert Warner of Lewiston, Idaho, with Capt. Larry Croft on the Solitude of Obsession Charters;

Second place ($750): A 253.4-pound halibut whacked Aug. 1 by Alan Eishens of Wasilla, while soaking lures with Capt. George Eishens on the ADAK Venture, a private boat

Third place ($500): A 202-pound adult that David Pereira of Jackson, N.J. turned into beer batter on Aug. 3, fishing with Capt. Mark Millspaugh on the Northern Lights of Aurora Sport Fishing.

Fourth place ($250): A 201-pound pup that John True of San Antonio, Texas, hammered Aug. 11, angling with Capt. Mark Millspaugh on the Northern Lights of Aurora Sport Fishing.

The August Lady Angler is still Sharon Ray of Loreland, Colo., who pumped in a 136-pound flat Aug. 15, with Capt. Tony Arsenault on the Falcon of Falcon Charters.

My, my, there is intelligent life on this planet. Michael Schlimgen had the foresight to lay down some coin for a derby ticket and ended up putting the hurt on a $10,000 tagged fish while boppin' the bottom with Capt. Ted Scroggins on the Trophy II a private boat. (See related story, page 3B.)

Let's see, that's three $10,000 tagged fish caught with only one lure-soaker bright enough to buy a derby ticket. The human race may be doomed.

Let's not forget Scott Mills of Anchorage, who also had some prescience and scooped up a $500 tagged fish while angling with Capt. Shawn Martin on the Irish of North Country Charters Aug. 23.

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Now it's time for the official stuff. I'm going to really try not to have any comments because I'm tired of having my license checked when I'm practicing spin casting in our front yard.

Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders

Please refrain from (this means "stop it" for those of you paddling with one mental oar it the water) setting crab pots in Kachemak Bay through Friday. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is conducting a sonar survey to provide detailed bottom and habitat mapping of Kachemak Bay during those dates. If entangled with sonar gear, crab pots could be lost and/or the sonar gear could be broken.

Tanner crab fishing is open in Cook Inlet. A permit is required. Permits are available only at Fish and Game offices in Anchorage, Soldotna and Homer, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The area upstream of Department of Fish and Game markers on the Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River and upstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge on Stariski Creek is open to fishing only for Dolly Varden and rainbow/steelhead trout. Rainbow/steelhead trout may not be removed from the water or kept, and must be released immediately. These upstream waters are closed year around to all salmon fishing, including catch and release.

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

At the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit, anglers may no longer fish with weights or bobbers beyond the hook or hooks.The hook or hooks must be the last piece of tackle on the line. (I know that this sounds like so much b.s. to those who keep calling in and reporting the blatant miscreants who violate this rule, but don't give up. If they ever get their act together, the city and state would make enough money off the fines to stock The Hole.)

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Fresh Waters: Salmon

Anglers fishing the lower sections of the Anchor River and Deep Creek report fair to good catches of silver salmon, especially around the high tide. Silvers will be available through Labor Day. The limits for salmon are three per day and three in possession, only two of which can be silver salmon.

Steelhead trout are starting to enter the rivers. Because the steelhead trout 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. Rainbow/steelhead have black spots over the entire tail fin and have white mouths and gums, while silver (coho) have black spots only on the upper lobe of the tail fin and their mouth is black with white gums on the lower jaw.

Treble hooks and bait are allowed on these streams until Sept. 1.

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

Pink salmon are returning in good numbers to streams on the west side of Kachemak Bay. If you can't catch a salmon without using explosives try these idiots. They'll snap up anything including a politician's promise.

Salt Waters: Halibut

Halibut fishing continues to be good. Although the movement of halibut to deeper waters of the Gulf of Alaska is underway, there are still plenty of fish to be caught and most anglers are getting their bag limits. The best fishing has been 15 to 25 miles west of Homer, several miles offshore from Seldovia, Point Pogibshi, or in the vicinity of Flat Island.Spiny dogfish are also moving into the area but it is still against the law to use depth charges on them.

In the Deep Creek and Anchor Point areas, good weather and clam seas provided anglers from both charter and private boats many successful fishing opportunities. (I'm not sure how to explain "clam seas," but I'll get back to you.) Boats are fishing in waters between 80 and 130 feet deep and traveling 15-30 miles to find good sized halibut. The daily bag limit is two halibut, with a possession limit of four.

Salt Waters: Salmon

Silver salmon fishing is fair to good at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. Silvers will be available in the lagoon into September.

Cured salmon eggs are working well on the incoming tide, but herring also works well. During slack water in the lagoon, try fishing bait below a bobber.

The daily bag and possession limit for silver salmon is six in the lagoon area. The fishing lagoon is currently closed to snagging.

Coho salmon are in good numbers in lower Cook Inlet, as well as along the bluffs near Homer. Also look for coho salmon in Seldovia. (What are they doing, walking the docks?)

Trolling success for king salmon has picked up off the south side of Kachemak Bay, Bluff Point and north to Ninil-chik. Popular trolling tackle includes herring, hootchies, tube flies and spoons. Try using dodgers or flashers for extra attraction.

Other Saltwater Fishing

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 closed at 6 a.m. Saturday for the remainder of the 2008 season. Permit holders are reminded to return their personal use permits to the Homer office by Sept. 5.

Shellfish

A series of good clamming tides runs today through Monday. Remember, the best time is one hour before to two hours after low tide.

Nick C. Varney can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com.

Nick can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com

Homer Alaska - Sports -