Sockeye (Red Salmon) Fishing

While catching Silver Salmon is all about presenting the lure, and King fishing is about being in the right place at the right time, Red Salmon fishing is the shoulder-to-shoulder "combat fishing" you've all seen pictures of.  When the run is on, fishermen from all over the world congregate on the banks of the Kenai and other rivers on the Penninsula to hook into these tough, hard-fighting salmon.  In mid-June the first run of red salmon comes into the Kenai with an average a weight of 5-8 pounds. During the second run in mid-July, red salmon weigh from 9-12 pounds.  The meat of a wild-caught Alaskan Red Salmon is felt by many to be the finest eating of all fish.  And it's hard to beat the excitement of just standing in the river watching those big Sockeye porpoise out of the water in front of you!

Contrary to popular belief, however, catching Reds is not just a matter of snagging the fish as they swim by.  While it is true that the Reds don't generally feed as they swim upstream, there is really far more technique involved with catching them than many casual combat fishermen realize.

Although the Reds are spread throughout the river, most of them stick very close to shore, making it possible to catch them in the shallows of the river.  Fishermen will usually do better in spots where the current runs close to shore.  State regulations require that the fish be hooked in the mouth, and any fish hooked elsewhere must be immediately released.  Sockeye swim upstream while slowly opening and closing their mouths, and the idea is to bring your line across their path and into their mouths so that when the line is pulled they are hooked in the mouth.  This requires a careful balance of sinker weight, leader length and speed of drift through the water.

When the Red Salmon run is on and you're ready to head to the river, stop by Wilderness Way to talk to Brian, our fishing expert!  He will be happy to show you how to rig your line to optimize your chances of hooking into those big Reds. 

Equipment: 

Most fishermen use a heavy weight spinning rod and a spinning reel with heavy monofilament to go after Reds.  We don't carry those at Wilderness Way, but you can get all the spinning gear you need from our friends down the street at either Trustworthy Hardware or Ken's Fishing Supply. 

For an extra challenge, try taking Reds on a fly rod and reel!  It takes an 8-10 weight fly-rod and a heavy duty, disc-drag reel to be able to stop these powerful Sockeye in the fast Kenai current, but once you hook up you are in for some real sport!  If you want to get set up for this kind of action, stop in and we can show you some quality Sage or St. Croix rods and high-quality, heavy-duty reels.

Brian Richards with yet another big Red Salmon on his fly rod!