Sockeye (Red) Salmon However, some anglers report success with a bare blue, black, or red hook, sizes 3/0 or 4/0, fished below a no. 1 or 0 dodger; FlatFish lures, size X-4, X-5 or U-20; or Mepps or other bladed spinner in sizes 1 – 3. Bait is rarely, if ever, used.
Table of Contents
How do you rig a fly rod for sockeye salmon?
How do you fly fish for sockeye?
Effectively fishing for sockeye means putting the fly right on their nose. Depending upon the method of presentation, fly line choices include sinking tip fly lines or a weight forward floating line with a long leader and plenty of split shot.
What flies for sockeye salmon?
Copper Swan – Copper. The Copper Swan is a big winner fly for sockeye. These bead head, wire-bodied flies really get down to the fish. Sockeye love a dead drifted, sparse fly, coming in right at their eye level.
How far do sockeye salmon travel in a day?
How Far Can Salmon Swim Upstream in one Day? Depending on the species and water conditions, salmon can cover around 40 miles upstream per day. Sockeye, coho, and king salmon are the better swimmers, as they can swim reach up to 45 miles a day depending on the condition of the waterway.
Is flossing legal in Alaska?
Lucky for me, flossing is legal in Alaska and as long as you do it right, the technique will fill the freezer. Many fishermen shudder at the idea of flossing, comparing it to “snagging” and see the technique as “unsportsmanlike”.
How are sockeye salmon caught?
Purse seiners catch salmon by encircling them with a long net and drawing the bottom closed to capture the fish. Sockeye salmon are also caught in commercial troll fisheries for Chinook and coho salmon. Fishing gear used to catch sockeye salmon rarely contacts the ocean floor and has little impact on habitat.
How do you do the Kenai flip?
The “Kenai Flip” describes the way the lure is flung into the river upstream at about 2 or 10 O’clock (depending on which side of the river you are on) with a shoulder-wrist motion, followed down river with the rod tip to about 10 or 2 O’clock, and then pulled back out to be repeated again.
How do you fish for sockeye in Alaska?
What can I use for sockeye?
It’s not uncommon to see anglers using king gear—rated 15- to 30-pound and 10-weight fly rods in these places where an angler can’t afford to let a sockeye run. I typically use an 8-weight fly rod, and start with a 4-foot butt section of 20-pound leader that is tied with a nail knot to a floating fly line.
Are treble hooks legal in Alaska?
After May 15, bait and treble/multiple hooks are allowed. The steelhead run is extremely small, so expectations of fast and furious catch-and-release action are unrealistic.
Can you use treble hooks for salmon fishing?
– Rick S. Answer: No, you may not use treble hooks for salmon in the area you describe. Only single barbless hooks may be used, and whether trolling or drifting with bait (mooching), you may only use two single, barbless hooks per line.
Can you fly fish for sockeye salmon?
Sockeye are targeted while they are traveling. They do not actually strike the fly, so swinging the fly leader through the mouth is the technique. Yes, they are “flossed” in the mouth, so fly selection is really using flies that you can see or are weighted to get down in their travel depth.
What size flies for salmon?
If you see a salmon swipe or follow the fly, that’s a great sign. It doesn’t mean it’s the exact fly, but it could be the color they want. Use these flies in size 4-8.
What size flies for king salmon?
Designed by our pal, and Alaska West host, Stuart Foxall, the Chinook Intruder is the ultimate tube fly for king salmon. At roughly four inches in length, its much larger than your standard steelhead fly, maintaining a huge profile in the water for big eats from big fish.
What is the largest sockeye salmon ever caught?
SOCKEYE SALMON WORLD RECORD Stan Roach was fishing one of the most famous salmon fishing spots in the world at Kenai River, Alaska when he got a bite and finally landed the biggest Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) ever caught – a 6.88 kg (15 lbs. 3 oz.) sockeye that goes in the world record book.
Why is sockeye salmon more expensive?
But when it comes to salmon, the costs are most extreme. Wild salmon are very difficult to catch, therefore, catching them is expensive. Even farmed salmon are very expensive to raise and harvest- making them expensive.
Why does sockeye salmon turn red?
Why do the salmon turn red? Salmon flesh is red due to their diet. Salmon gain 99% or more of their body mass in the ocean and the food they eat in the ocean is high in carotenoids (the same pigment that gives carrots color). These pigments are stored in their flesh.
Can you fish with 2 rods in Alaska?
A. No, you cannot use more than one set of gear. For example, if you’re rod and reel fishing, you can use only 1 rod.
Can you snag sockeye in Alaska?
Freshwater sport fishing: (2) It is unlawful to intentionally snag or attempt to snag any fish in fresh water. Fish unintentionally hooked elsewhere than the mouth must be released immediately. “Snag” means to hook a fish elsewhere than in the mouth.
Can you sell salmon you catch in Alaska?
You need a permit from the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission and a Catcher-Seller permit from Alaska Fish & Game.
What is the best bait for sockeye salmon?
Salmon roe and sand shrimp are the most popular baits to add to this setup, but many others can also be used. Instead of a corky and yarn setup, you can also substitute a winged bobber (Photo 4) or other drift bobbers, for the corky, or just fish bait alone.
Why can’t sockeye salmon be farmed?
Sockeye Salmon, one of my favorite salmon species, is always wild-caught. This species has a unique diet and lifestyle that isn’t easily replicated by humans, so attempts at farming them have been unsuccessful.
Should sockeye salmon smell fishy?
Finally, fresh salmon should smell fresh. There is no fishy odor to fresh fish; it may smell like the ocean but not the ocean at low tide – more like the crisp, fresh smell of cold-running river water. Enjoy!
How fast do sockeye swim up the Kenai?
This means we approximate the sockeye travel one mile per hour as they race upstream. Knowing the main blast of fish typically comes on a high tide, one can calculate where to be and when for the best concentrations of fish.