Fishing and Clamming
Best Fishing And Clamming Tide Times 2011
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Fishing
General Information | Best Fishing Dates | Licensing | Limits | Return to Top
The Kasilof River
The Kasilof River offers some fantastic tidewater fishing coupled with a driftboat-only setting, splendid scenery, abundant wildlife, and through most of the summer, much lighter fishing pressure than the nearby Kenai. In addition, unlike the Kenai, Kasilof King Salmon anglers are allowed to continue to catch-and-release after retaining a King.
The Kasilof River is best known for large quantities of King Salmon. Their sizes vary from 18-35 lbs (first run) to 20-60 lbs (second run). You are likely to produce numerous hook-ups!
There is also Silver Salmon fishing beginning in August and running through mid September. These cousins of the King Salmon usually average about 9 lbs and will somtimes reach 20 lbs or more!
The Kenai River
Alaska Salmon fishing on the Kenai River is world famous. Alaskas Kenai River produces the world's largest king salmon on the planet. Alaskas Kenai River is often referred to as the greatest sport-fishing river in the world. King salmon on the Kenai River average 35-45lbs and it is very common to land salmon exceeding 50-80lbs!
Alaska sockeye or red salmon, are like silver torpedoes and they offer exciting fishing action. Kenai River Sockeye average between 6-12 lbs. Sockeye salmon are most commonly caught from the bank. Over 1 million sockeye salmon return to the Kenai River every summer, and non-stop Alaska Salmon Fishing is often the result.
Alaska Silver Salmon or coho salmon, begin to enter the Kenai River in late July & early August. Alaska silver salmon are very aggressive and are known for their acrobatic fights. Alaska sport-fishing for Kenai River silver salmon, is very consistent and limits are common. Kenai river silver salmon average 10-12lbs, with larger fish weighing 15-20lbs.
The Cook Inlet
Halibut average size is 20-50lbs, but can grow as large as 400lbs! Alaska halibut are a bottom feeding migratory fish that will move into the saltwater surrounding the Kenai Peninsula in April and will stay until October. Depending on underwater terrain the Alaska halibut can be found in water from 50-500 feet deep. Generally speaking Alaska halibut are caught on heavy duty but limber rods with small pulleys as guides, and heavy duty level wind reels with 60- 120 lb test lines are common. Baits are usually herring, octopus or salmon belly although jigs in the hands of an experienced angler can produce excellent results. If you're able to take a trip to Alaska and experience Cook Inlet halibut fishing, you will have the thrill of a lifetime!
Fishing License Prices
Basic Limit Information
Regulations change so we suggest you use Ak Fish And Game website for up-to-date information. Link is below.
Basic Limit Information Resource: www.adfg.state.ak.us/
Clamming
General Information | Step-by-Step Cleaning | Cleaning Video | Tide Schedule | Return to Top
A little smaller than a dollar bill, and roughly an inch and a half thick, razor clams (often referred to as simply 'razors') are among the most highly cherished of all Pacific seafood. The beaches from just north of Homer to the Kasilof River mouth are home to one of only eight major concentrations of razors on the entire Pacific Coast, however, they can be found scattered from Pismo Beach, California to the Bering Sea.
How to clean razor clams (step-by-step instructions or video)
Note: A sharp pair of scissors with pointed blades and a good paring knife is all you should need to clean a clam.
STEP 1
The first step in cleaning is to remove the clam from the shell. There are two ways in which to do this.
The first is shuck the meat from the shell by cutting the connecting muscle from the shell ... be sure to cut along the shell in order to remove the entire clam rather than pieces of meat.
Continue to cut all connective tissue from the shell.
A second way to shell clams is to briefly place them in very hot water. Dunking them will pop the shell open. If you choose to clean them in this manner, make sure to place the opened clam immediately into cold water! If you fail to do so and allow the meat to 'cook', you will find that the clam meat will be 'tough' after cooking. It only takes about ten seconds of dunking time if the water is very hot. We prefer to dunk ours as the shucking process is much shorter this way.
STEP 2
After removing from the shell, your first step is cut off the black tip of the 'neck' ... easy to do with a good pair of scissors. If you like to do some surf or jetty fishing, these tips make an outstanding bait ... I always save mine for that very purpose. The neck tips are very tough and give off a very strong scent.
STEP 3
Working from the side of the clam that was originally near the hinged part of the shell, take your scissors and split both passages of the neck. Remove any sand or foreign matter that you may find in here. A good rule of thumb when cleaning is to remove anything that isn't white.
STEP 4
Your next step is to cut out the gills and palps with a pair of scissors. These are the brown structures that you will find near the base of the foot or 'digger'.
STEP 5
Pretty simple one here, remove the foot from the clam with the scissors.
STEP 6
Completely split the digger with the scissors, and remove any dark material found within ... this is best done under running water. Sometimes, using the paring knife to scrape some this material away is easiest, just don't remove too much of the fatty material that is found within the digger ... that is the good stuff!