Fishing by yourself in or around Homer, need some advice

[brandbll]

Hi, i'm coming up to Alaska here for the first time over Labor Day weekend. Anyways, my roommates and i are all in grad school and are broke and trying to do things as cheap as we can. The guide services look awesome but it's just too much for any of our budgets(most i've seen are asking $200+ per person), so im thinking that's for a trip another year. We're going to be in Homer a couple of days and i'm hoping some people can give me some general advice. I'm a big fisherman so i would kick myself for not at least trying while im there.

I've heard of the Spit, but i was wondering how easy i could do some river fishing. It'd have to be with spinning reels since i haven't fly fished in a long time. Are there any rivers you can get some access to via car where you can catch some Silvers? Or is that something that you have to venture out via boat or kayak for? I heard of the Anchor, but dont know much about it. Can i do something like this or am i pretty much relegated to the Spit. At which point, can anyone give me advice on that(or maybe i should start a thread in the salt water forum?) Things like, rod/reel type, line type, and some basic gear i should get. I already found a little bit of info on that.

Also, does anyone know of a place or someone that is willing to rent out poles? The one person i talked to said i should probably just buy something cheap from Wal-Mart and then leave it behind. But that seems like such a waste.

Any help anyone can give me is really appreciated! I'm really looking forward to all of my trip and getting some fishing in is something i really want to make sure i do. I love being up north down here(really use to saying "up here"), so i'm sure this is going to blow me away. Thanks again in advance!

 

[MGH55]

Check with Homer Cabins. The man who has them is very helpful to people that stay there.

 

[brandbll]

Thanks, i will give them a call tomorrow. When you say people that stay there, do you mean Homer or at their cabins? Because i already have my lodging booked. We just got some place from a private party off Homeaway.com.

 

[MTguy]

You can fish the Anchor, Deep Creek and the Nanilcik. They should all have Silvers. Daylight and dusk are best. There is a fishing shop across from the Fishing Hole on the spit that can get your all lined up. Good luck Have a ball

 

[JR2]

Hit the Anchor River at 4:30 am and drift eggs under a bobber through the deep holes. You will have fun.

 

[AKFF]

Anchor River & Deep Creek mentioned above are accessible on the highway - the only road to Homer. A good solid spinning rod & a few Pixies or Vibrax lures should get you into some silvers, or eggs also mentioned, are probably a little better bet, if not quite as simple. If you're driving from Anchorage to Homer, stop at "Trustworthy Hardware & Fishing" in Soldotna, they should have a decent cheap spinning setup & all your other necessities.

 

[limon32]

Plan to spend any time in Kenai?

Are you driving down or flying into Homer?

There is a boat rental place in Sterling that also rents rods and reels.

How many of you are interested in fishing?

 

[brandbll]

The three of us are driving down from Anchorage to Seward on Thurs to do a Kenai tour and then we are going from there to the place we rented in Homer and will be there the next two days.

Once again, thanks for all the advice! Quick couple of questions, when you say they are accessible from the highway do you mean there are specific designated areas to pull off at? If so, im sure i can look those up. I just ask because i do trout fishing in Wisconsin and a lot of it is just pulling off the road when you find certain opening or bridges and going down to the water from there. Also, i'm assuming i should be using mono? And what pound test do you all recommend?

Once again, you all have been really helpful, glad i found this forum!

 

[MTguy]

There are three campgrounds on the Anchor between the highway and the mouth of the river. You can drive to all of them. Paved road. Vac chess the river from there, a short walk. 15 pound mono should do the trick. Very key, you need to get the bait, lure whatever you are using down to the fish. If you drift over the fish they generally won't come up for it. Good luck. Let us know how you did. I second the Trustworthy Hardware in Soldotna. On your right just before the Kenai in Soldotna.

 

[live4chrome]

on the anchor watch out for the lady who likes to steal your spot. I was fishing my center pin today, set my rod down and walked 30 feet away to grab something and she literally ran across the river and stood exactly where I was standing. I almost completely lost it. I told her what she was did was extremely rude and she wouldn't even apologize... What a $%@! she said, oh, ill give you your spot back and move like 10 feet.Totally ruined the day for me, I had to leave before I pushed her in the river.

 

[traveler]

stinkin low holer....

 

[live4chrome]

this wasn't low holing, literally the most disrespectful thing I have ever had happen. She sprinted across the river to steal my spot, even though all my stuff (rods included) were still laying there. Then saw nothing wrong with what she did

 

[kenaibow fan]

I've had a few people do that to me, though none I can recall ever ran........ If they didn't move I would simply walk out in front of them. The look on their face was more times then not, priceless.

 

[traveler]

Yeah, not technically low holing, but I just recently learned the term and was itching to use it

 

[JR2]

I used to wear a vest that had everything I needed in it. I could land a fish, put it on my stringer and go back to fishing without leaving my spot..

 

[DannerAK]

I used to wear a vest that had everything I needed in it. I could land a fish, put it on my stringer and go back to fishing without leaving my spot..

Did it have a catheter too?

 

[AKnook]

Did it have a catheter too?

Hahaha! I think Orvis makes one.

 

[JR2]

Did it have a catheter too?

No but I have whipped it out and taken care of business more than once without walking away from my spot. Do what you have to.

 

[DannerAK]

No but I have whipped it out and taken care of business more than once without walking away from my spot. Do what you have to.

Good man!:topjob:

 

[MGH55]

I can hear it now. No dear that's not lipstick it's Pro-Cure!