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Alaska Fishing Reports
2008
2008
Alaska fishing reports and forecasts cover Deshka River and Little Susitna River
king salmon and silver salmon fishing trips in Alaska summer seasons, and winter
ice fishing in Mat-Su Valley lakes road accessible from Anchorage, Palmer, and
Wasilla. Our season fishing forecast is posted first, however, you may skip the
forecast by scrolling down, or clicking fishing
report.
2008 Alaska Salmon Fishing Forecasts
King Salmon - Deshka River Expectations
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) data collected at Deshka River Weir
during 2007 indicates the Deshka River king salmon run will likely be smaller
than last year, however, ADF&G is still expecting a Deshka king salmon return of
over 20,000 fish. Deshka fishermen will be allowed to use bait starting May 15,
but, the daily bag limit for king salmon will likely remain at one fish per day
rather than increasing to two kings daily as it has in the past. We expect the
river to be open on a 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. basis in 2008. Because Deshka River
fishing regulations have been liberalized by ADF&G each of the past several
seasons, and could be adjusted in 2008, we encourage anglers to check current
regulations before fishing Deshka River. For a Deshka River regulation update
call ADF&G at 746-6300.
Little Susitna River King Salmon - Less, but Larger
ADF&G data for the Little Susitna River king salmon fishery is not as good as
that available for the Deshka River, however, I would expect a Little Susitna
king salmon fishery similar to what we’ve seen in past seasons. This river does
not have near as many king salmon as the Deshka, however the average king salmon
caught caught can weigh up to 10 pounds heavier than the average Deshka River
king salmon.
Silver Salmon Forecast - Expect Better Fishing in August
Parent year spawning escapements topped 40,000 fish for coho salmon that should
return to both Deshka and Little Susitna River in 2008. On the other hand we
experienced a large flooding event on both rivers in the fall of 2006 which
could have affected in river survival of juvenile coho salmon. When a huge
return of silver salmon occurs we usually have larger numbers of coho salmon
through out the entire season, however, with uncertainty of how high water may
have affected young salmon that would return this year, I would advise people
with flexibility to schedule silver salmon trips in August (when the bulk of the
salmon are available in the rivers we fish).
Our goal is to post a daily fishing report for each trip I run (when I have
time I may post reports form other guides as well) but if time constraints delay
us from updating for a few days, you can also visit previous year's reports to
see what happened then. Salmon run timing is relatively consistent from year to
year, so that should give you a rough idea of what to expect. Enjoy our 2008
reports.
Viewing: September 2008
September 01, 2008
I guided 3 guests who caught 4 silver salmon. 1 guest caught a limit of 3 silver salmon, 1 guest caught 1 silver salmon, and the remaining guest hooked a silver salmon, but did was not able to land any. All of the fish were caught on Fire Cured salmon roe fished under ESB Bobbers. In addition, 2 guests also hooked silver salmon on #4 silver and black Flashtrap Spinners, but lost them before the could be landed. Most people out along the river seem to be hunting now, rather than fishing, so there is little competition for fishing holes.
September 02, 2008
I guided a group of 4 people who caught a total of 8 silver salmon. 4 silver salmon were caught on #4 Flashtrap Spinners and 4 silver salmon were caught on Fire Cured salmon roe drifted under ESB Bobbers, in addition, 1 member of the group also caught a rainbow trout on one of the bobber and bait setups. Water is dropping down quite low, although recent tides have been high (over 31 feet), so there is still plenty of water in the tidal portion of the river.
September 03, 2008
I guided a morning group of 4 guests who caught 7 silver salmon on Fire Cured salmon roe drifted under ESB Bobbers.
I guided an afternoon group of 3 guests who caught 3 silver salmon and a silver salmon jack on Fire Cured salmon roe drifted under ESB Bobbers.
Water was extremely low and clear. Although we had some light showers, the weather was nice most of the day.
September 04, 2008
I took a day off today. Silver salmon fishing has been winding down for quite a while now, and we are currently planning on booking no new 2008 salmon fishing trips after Monday September 8.
Yesterday both groups I guided caught fresh chrome silver salmon with sea lice, but I doubt such nice salmon will be available for much longer on the Little Susitna River.
September 05, 2008
I guided a group of 5 people who caught 2 nice silver salmon while fishing Fire Cured salmon roe under ESB Bobbers. The group had a few additional bites, but overall there was not much action in the lower river. Way upstream near Houston, I`ve seen that plenty of silver salmon have been moving through the ADF&G counting weir over the past few days.
Water level is very low and clear through out the entire river at this time, and while the fish are quite visible in the clear water, they may also spooky and difficult to get to bite.
September 06, 2008
We had a trip scheduled, but after discussing the fishing conditions with the guest who set up the trip, he decided to opt out, so I did not even go to the river.
September 08, 2008
The guest who had booked the last open water silver salmon trip we had booked for 2008, decided to opt out after we discussed current fishing conditions. My feeling was that if we fished down river from the launch we might not catch or hook a single silver salmon, but if we fished upstream we would see a good number of silver salmon, most which would likely not be interested in biting, and most of which would be developing dark spawning colors.
I did travel out to the river to bring my guide boat home, while at the river I took a short boat ride upriver and saw a couple schools of silver salmon not too far up from the landing. I did not stop and to fish for them.
Notice to all who have kept in touch with us by e-mail, my computer crashed near the end of our silver salmon season, and I lost quite a bit of information, including all our e-mail addresses. If you would like us to have your e-mail address for future communications, please send us an e-mail and say so. Thank You.
September 18, 2008
BEST 2009 SALMON FISHING DATES NOW AVAILABLE!
As mentioned in earlier fishing reports, the salmon fishing season is pretty much over in the Mat-Su Valley North of Anchorage, however, we are currently taking reservations for both our 2009 king salmon season in May, June, and early July, and also for our 2009 silver salmon fishing season which runs from Mid July into early September.
Working with a couple other guide services, we currently have availability for all morning and afternoon dates from May 15 - September 5, although some king season and silver salmon season mornings and a few of the afternoons have already been fully booked in my personal guide boat.
Feel welcome to send us an e-mail (on Contact Us page of this website), fill out our reservation request form located on the Prices page, or give us a phone call at 907-746-2199 if you would like to discuss fishing options with us, or if you would like to go ahead and reserve one of our best fishing dates while there are still plenty of prime dates and weeks to choose from. If you are interested in a 2009 fishing/lodging package the last time I checked availability prime lodging options were available on all dates for the entire 2009 summer seasons.
For best availability to fit your schedule, contact us now, and we`ll put together our best possible package to fit your needs.
Your Personal Invitation: Please
feel welcome to join us for a fun and exciting guided Alaska fishing trip.
To request your reservation simply click, fill out, and submit our
Fishing Trip Reservation Form or call us at
907-746-2199.
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