Kenai Lake Fishing (The Middle, not the Outlet)

[AGL4now]

Why do you rarely see people fishing the center or the east end of Kenai Lake......???

I stated that the lake was commercially fished at one point in the thread on Trot lines. What I know is mostly second hand information from old timers, who remember conversations with old timers.

Back in the early 70's we were putting in by the power plant, for spring bear hunting. There were two or three lines in the lake near the outfall. The maintenance man was there and we talked with him about fishing Kenai Lake.

He stated that the fish circle the lake in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction, and I do not remember which he stated. He said it took seven to ten days for the fish to circle the lake.

So his theory was that people did not fish the main body of the Kenai Lake because most of the fish were in one school and that school could be anywhere on the massive lake.

And that only by having sets, or nets, or trot lines around the lake could you ever know where the fish where.

All of that could be "Bunk", I am not a sport fisherman, so I have no idea if it even might be true.

That said, a lot has changed in the last 40 to 80 years, and there must be some way to track or find fish today.

So "NOT" counting the outlet of Kenai Lake, what do you know about fishing the main body of the lake....???

Thank you, Hopeak

[DRIFTER_016]

It may be true for rainbows. I have fished plenty of lakes where rainbows do laps of the lake. Lake Trout however are a different story, you will find them where you find the bait fish. Watch your sonar for bait clouds (most likely ciscoes and whitefish) and fish those clouds.

[AK2AZ]

Water color has the most to do with fishability. That lake requires bait and patience. Lakers are easier to target by far and have caught both on herring and roe from shore but have never caught a fish from the boat. Keep in mind the lake has spots much deeper that 700'.:eek:

[sayak]

Supposedly...

... Alaska Nellie, at the south end of the lake, kept a line on a pulley system which would ring a bell in her window if a fish bit. It is said that she would crank it in and fry it up in a matter of minutes. It is supposed to be on film in a short Hollywood feature length film about her. Sounds intriguing to me, but a little far-fetched.:rolleyes:

[AGL4now]

... Alaska Nellie, at the south end of the lake, kept a line on a pulley system which would ring a bell in her window if a fish bit. It is said that she would crank it in and fry it up in a matter of minutes. It is supposed to be on film in a short Hollywood feature length film about her. Sounds intriguing to me, but a little far-fetched.:rolleyes:

Have you ever read her book, great read. Neat lady. She had a trophy room that most modern men can not even dream. Many of the stories I have herd of commercial fishing Kenai Lake were during the Rail Road construction and into the 40's.

[ak_powder_monkey]

my biggest is a 22" laker, my buddy caught 2 50# kings in there one time, he was pretty dissappointed when it turned up red... Also another friend saw something eat a squirrel

That said its a tough lake to fish, very big, discolored and really not that many fish.

One tip though, smolt like to come to the surface at night.

[alaskankid13]

streams

I have had my best luck just fishing the mouths of the streams just after it gets really dark.

[sayak]

Yes I have

Have you ever read her book, great read. Neat lady. She had a trophy room that most modern men can not even dream. Many of the stories I have herd of commercial fishing Kenai Lake were during the Rail Road construction and into the 40's.

My parents lived at the USFS work station, not far from her cabin, in the 80's. Being a history buff, my mom collected her book and let me read it. I would love to get ahold of the film somehow.

I was told by Stan Harrington of Anchor Angler notoriety, that Tustumena had a commercial fishery for a time also. I have never been able to confirm that.

[Wisconsinjim]

sayak

Whats the name of her book please?

[sayak]

Alaska Nellie!

Whats the name of her book please?

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

It's in the Kenai Library too.

[sayak]

Hey Hope-

Have you ever read her book, great read. Neat lady. She had a trophy room that most modern men can not even dream. Many of the stories I have herd of commercial fishing Kenai Lake were during the Rail Road construction and into the 40's.

Don't mean to hi-jack, but did you ever see the old movie called Sourdough, which had a part with the old timer Carl Clark of Hope?

[Raptor_1]

I have had my best luck just fishing the mouths of the streams just after it gets really dark.

Really dark? So you're fishing these streams in the winter?

[Wisconsinjim]

Thanks sayak

Thanks for the info. I found one on amazon and order it.

[AGL4now]

Don't mean to hi-jack, but did you ever see the old movie called Sourdough, which had a part with the old timer Carl Clark of Hope?

Never saw the movie. But counted Carl Clark as Friend.......

[sayak]

And did you know "Red Hat" Hahn?

Never saw the movie. But counted Carl Clark as Friend.......

My dad took me to his prospecting school when I was a kid. I remember, he had a unique, very stinky, yellow jacket trap. My dad was working thereabouts in the late 60s for the FS at a time when they were having real problems with city folks desecrating the graves of the Sunrise old timers. He was also working on the Hope side of the Res. Pass Trail. Can't remember much beyond that. Talking about the freedom the old timers had is bittersweet. Oh man... I was born 50 years too late. I miss the old Alaska!

Since this is almost a total hijack, to get back on topic with lakers: If you read Alaska's #1 Guide- about old timer Andrew Berg's life up on Tustumena- he kept an almost daily log of what he caught with his set net, even under the ice. Fishing near the mouth of Indian River, he caught mostly lakers (which he called Macinaw), but also steelhead, dollies, and even salmon in the winter (including a king!). He lived almost entirely on lake trout (gave the other fish to his dogs and cat), supplemented with sheep and moose. This leads me to believe that lakers DON'T necessarily make big circuits of a lake, but are opportunists like most other fish, and can be taken where spawnouts are washing down into a lake. A tip-up set as near as is safe to a stream mouth might be the closest you could get to a trot line.