Salmon in WA Lousy, How About Kodiak?

[happygillmore]

Glad I found this forum! My friends and I are thinking about coming from Texas to do some King salmon fishing at the Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge this coming June but heard from a fishing friend of mine in Washington state the king salmon fishery was DEAD last year and would be for the next 3 years. As much as we want to spend $3,000 each to go fishing in Alaska we don't want to go this year if the king run isn't going to show. Can you give me any advice or "word on the street" about this coming June King run?

Much appreciated!

Also any feedback about the lodge or other less expensive options would be appreciated.

Happy Gillmore

[mnfish365]

There's no "run" per say, they are out there in the salt. The kings aren't really coming into the rivers much in Kodiak. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of kings around, and we are catching them right now. They are feeder kings and will spawn somewhere else. June would be a good time for Reds in the rivers, and Kings in the salt. What makes you want to come to Kodiak for kings? More of a silver salmon and Halibut fishery here.

[Bernard R Rosenberg]

Kings off island...

I wind up in Kodiak in the summer and fall and kings wind up on the end of my line during charters at sea when we troll. I also scored my first white king off the edge of the Emerald Isle.

A lot of the kings are transit to other rivers off island, but they seem readily around Kodiak to me...

Rosenberg/Florida

[Mashesta]

Glad I found this forum! My friends and I are thinking about coming from Texas to do some King salmon fishing at the Kodiak Sportsman's Lodge this coming June but heard from a fishing friend of mine in Washington state the king salmon fishery was DEAD last year and would be for the next 3 years. As much as we want to spend $3,000 each to go fishing in Alaska we don't want to go this year if the king run isn't going to show. Can you give me any advice or "word on the street" about this coming June King run?

Much appreciated!

Also any feedback about the lodge or other less expensive options would be appreciated.

Happy Gillmore

My dad lives in WA and was telling me that they are expecting a great year this year.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=feb1209a

According to the pre-season forecast, nearly 300,000 upriver spring chinook are expected to enter the Columbia River this year, which would make this year’s return the third highest since 1977.

I've only been in Alaska for a year now, so still learning the ropes of everything, never been to Kodiak, but did see that a couple emergency orders for Kodiak.
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/state...2-Southcentral

[Hunt&FishAK]

yes....why you would go to kodiak for kings i do not know....personally id be a smart tourist and do my homework, come up to anchorage and rent a SUV, and cruise all over southcentral while seein different parts of the country, all the while catching all 5 salmon species,lake trout, burbot, rainbows (trophys), dollies, grayling, pike, and a huge variety of deep sea fish...all this you could do for less than $3000 a person....i bet you could manage 4-5 guys for $7000 for 3 weeks! Hell id take it upon myself, as would a few others here im sure, to give you all advice needed and point you in the right direction....DIY trips are so much more worth it and you have a ALOT more options....like i said id do my homework, figure out a good plan and a backup plan..... sea charters you could do outta homer, seward, valdez or whittier and your pretty much garanteed to catch halibut, kings and whatever else your targeting....on the road system you have innumerable streams, rivers and lakes to choose from...you guys would have a great time im sure.......as for the king run in southcentral....everywhere is good to great...you got great king fishing all the way from homer to talkeetna on the road system.....

[dieNqvrs]

King run in two main rivers in Kodiak. The Karluk and the Ayakulik rivers, both on the south end of the island. There are few lodges that cater to fisherman for kings and reds(run generally at the same time). Would have to fly to Anchorage to Kodiak and then get a charter flight to lodge(many lodges provide the charter to the lodge). The lodges will provide food lodging fishing guides for river fishing and some provide salt expeditions for trolling for kings and jigging for halibut. Beautiful spot great time of year to see kodiak and Alaska and are very few people that make it to that part of Alaska!!!! Don't know the cost would have to inquire a google search of the two rivers and and the lodges will pop up. The other options are in old harbor with a sponsor of this site or other little lodges dotted though out the island. One thing to keep in mind is trolling is boring unless you are really catching the fish. That is what almost all charters/lodges will do to get king salmon in Kodiak. Great time to come see Alaska and Kodiak. Fishing is awesome and catching can be good for kings and halibut.


dieNqvrs/ Kodiak !!

[shawn]

Crowd's?

yes....why you would go to kodiak for kings i do not know....personally id be a smart tourist and do my homework, come up to anchorage and rent a SUV, and cruise all over southcentral while seein different parts of the country, all the while catching all 5 salmon species,lake trout, burbot, rainbows (trophys), dollies, grayling, pike, and a huge variety of deep sea fish...all this you could do for less than $3000 a person....i bet you could manage 4-5 guys for $7000 for 3 weeks! Hell id take it upon myself, as would a few others here im sure, to give you all advice needed and point you in the right direction....DIY trips are so much more worth it and you have a ALOT more options....like i said id do my homework, figure out a good plan and a backup plan..... sea charters you could do outta homer, seward, valdez or whittier and your pretty much garanteed to catch halibut, kings and whatever else your targeting....on the road system you have innumerable streams, rivers and lakes to choose from...you guys would have a great time im sure.......as for the king run in southcentral....everywhere is good to great...you got great king fishing all the way from homer to talkeetna on the road system.....

Check out the links below. Kodiak has none of that crap. By the way nearly all the Homer folks travel to the Barren Islands which just happens to be part of the Kodiak Archipelago, which happens to take them 3.5 hours each way from Homer....doesn't leave much time for fishing.

Not sure about Seward having to travel but I know Valdez is 3 hours each way. So my question is why would you want to fish the Main Land?

P.S. The boys in Old Harbor get the largest Kings of anywhere on Kodiak, bar none. These guys will take care of you, I guarantee it.

http://stock.tobinphoto.com/combat-f...ctures-472.htm

[Hunt&FishAK]

I dont deal with crowds Shawn...I bypass them... I know many a place yet to be crowded....combat fishing? i call 10 people a crowd....sure there are some places i go where there are lots of crowds, but i tend to fish those places during the workweek, in the early mornings, and really early or late in the season....biggest kings of anywhere you say? The kings in kodiak average the same size as anywhere else in southcentral alaska... I can put $20 in my gas tank, drive 80 miles north on the parks from my house and catch 20-80 lb chromers (plenty of them), big fat dollies, trophy rainbows, whitefish, burbot and grayling all in a day, in the same spot, and more often than not I can pop a few grouse with the .22 for lunch....without crowds by the way, and without a boat or atv...it just takes exploration and alittle hard work but it makes the trip much more worth it...I like to be able to say, yea thats right I dont need no stinkin guide, lodge, and full bar to go fishing or hunting!

[mnfish365]

No crowds here! FYI: Karluk river closed for kings until further notice, and Ayakulik bag limit 1 King, until further notice, as of this morning. Escapement goals have not been reached for several years in a row. Bottom line, if you want to fish for Kings primarily, try elsewhere or get ready to pay some $ in charter fees. If you want the Kodiak experiance, come on up! There are tons of fish to be caught. You could do your trip for a lot less than $3000 each on the road system, either the interior, or here in Kodiak.

[Armo_Ak]

hey hunt and fish

Any chance you'd share that spot on the parks with a tight lipped angler? I've yet to find a non-crowded spot to fish kings right on the parks. I'd be willing to trade a pretty tight lipped spot of my own for amazing late season rainbow fishing with great catch and release silver and king fishing during the peak months.