Bait restrictions on Kenai in effect Saturday

[JWhit]

If you have read any of my earlier reports you would know that we have had pretty good fishing on the Kenai this year, but I have been urging caution at the same time. Turns out ADF&G agrees that the numbers are alarmingly low and the good fishing thas been due to exceptional water conditions and a higher expoitation rate in the sport fishery than normal. Area managers have decided to finally go ahead with the bait restrictions starting on Saturday. Only unbaited, single hook, artificial lures will be allowed for the remainder of the season. The next step would be to go C&R and then total closure if it is warranted, however I feel that is highly unlikely.

A massive run of Sockeye have hit the Kenai this week, and when I say massive, I mean it's freaking epic. They hit all at once last saturday with over 230,000 fish followed by 177,000 the next day. Each day since has seen at least 100,000 more sockeye entering the river with the largest portion of the run yet to come. ADF&G is now reporting an estimated sockeye run of 6-7 million total heading for our banks this year.

Back to the King Salmon fishery, it's expected to perform much like the early run, starting off strong before falling off sharply. So now with only 9 days to go in the season, restrictions are finally put in place. The commercial fishery on the other hand due to the massive sockeye run will now operate 24 hrs a day until they are closed to the 1% rule. You can all wave goodbye to whats left of this king run and the early portion of our Coho run in August.

I mentioned further restrictions were unlikely because of two reasons. First you can restrict the fishery to no bait or even C&R with no effect on the Commercial fishery, but if you totally close it then the commercial fishery would have to be closed as well. That's not going to happen with such a large sockeye run, too much political pressure. Our area manager doesn't have the balls to pull that off and I doubt he can grow any before it's too late. Secondly, with so few days left in the season...will anyone in the dept be able to make a decision in time? The only realistic scenerio that will keep the nets out of the water anytime soon and save a few kings is the processing capacity of the canneries. When they get plugged up, and they will with this big of a run, they will stop taking fish thus forcing a small window of opportunity for the fish to pass.

[Salmonhawk]

Thanks for keeping us informed on all that is happening on the Kenai. We have so many listeners and board members that fish up there.

[JWhit]

Update: the bait restriction will now go into effect on Tuesday instead of tomorrow.