Kenai river fishing PSA

Fished on the Kenai near Soldotna Alaska today. It's crazy busy. That netting at the mouth for residents only is insane.

Here are my tips if you come here in July.

You need good waders. The hip boots they loan you do not allow you to get to the best spots on the gravel bars. A half day afternoon trip would be ok. I didn't see a lot of advantage to meeting the guide at 4 am. You need to fly fish. That technique where they throw just a hook on about a 6 foot leader is "artful snagging" as the guide put it. Nobody cast more than 20 ft so if you can't cast a fly rod it really doesn't matter. They troll for Kings. Everyone is trolling about the same bait which I called The Bird. It's a rotating bait with wings. Trolling is pretty boring. We only had two bites on it. One was a 28# King which was nice. The King Salmon fishery has had the hurt put on it. You can keep one per day but most guides release their clients.

The river gets the heck fished out of it. They highly regulate up the river yet that crazy netting goes on for a few weeks in July in an close to the river mouth. Doesn't make a lot of sense from a conservation perspective.

Yep, sounds like it hasn't changed in at least 15 years, when I fished it last. Will never fish the Kenai...just too many great places in Alaska to go to.

Don't forget your bear spray! My sister in law lives there, we rafted down it a few years ago. Not really fishing, we call it snagging. OH yeh, find a guide that will not set up camp on a known bear trail. If you have to move bear poop to set up your tent, you need a better giude. Insulated liner in waders are a must.