Alaska King Salmon Fishing Guides Alaska Guided King Salmon Fishing Klutina Gulkana River


How do you know it when a King Salmon bites?
King salmon are almost nothing like trout or bass. They do not bite like any other fish, in fact, they don't really bite at all. Spawning salmon are in the river only to breed. They do not eat once they hit fresh water. There is quite a difference of opinion among fishermen as to why King Salmon bite anything at all. Our theory is that the salmon are spawning and when you put something bright in front of their face that has an egg sack on it, they pick it up in their mouth. They do this not to eat it but to move it. Perhaps they mouth it just make sure that another fish does not get it. Other fishermen believe that the salmon are simply showing aggression by striking out at anything in their path. If you watch salmon as they spawn, they will constantly chase and snap at one another. Some people say that they've had King Salmon hammer the bait and bite it hard. However, this isn't our experience. In those cases, the King was probably on the line a lot longer than the fisherman thought. The salmon simply hooked itself and then went berserk when it felt the hook and line. In any case, King Salmon do definitely take the lure into their mouths and the result is a bite. A bite is not a big yank or tug. Sometimes a bite manifests itself as a momentary slackening of your line. It often feels like you are caught on a rock and it won't feel like a fish at all. Zeroing in on the bite of a King takes a little focus. If you fish long enough, you will begin to get the rhythm of the river bottom. You'll know what a rock feels like. You'll also know when the tick in your line (or the absence of a tick in your line) is unusual. That's likely to be your King. You'll have plenty of opportunity for trial and error. Whenever you feel something not quite right, you can snap your rod back. If the line does nothing, then you know that it was a false alarm. If you snap and the rod just about gets ripped out of your hands, then you know that you're tuning into the King's bite. Managing your line will make the biggest difference in sensing the bite of a King. If you keep your line taught trough much of the swing of your line, then you will feel every little bump. If you allow your line to float loose, you'll miss even the strongest strikes. Getting good at drifting your line is one of the key elements to King fishing (and one of the most entertaining.) Also, good gear can make a difference. This is where spending big bucks on a King Fishing Gear can pay off. However, the rod makes little difference compared to managing the tightness of your line. For most, the 8ft Ugly Stick by Shakespeare gives plenty of sensitivity for catching Kings.

What kind of bait or lure should I use for Kings? The best bait to use is fresh or cured salmon roe (eggs) rigged with a quarter sized orange "corky" above the hook. Sometimes a second hook is tied above the corky so chances of hooking a King are increased. In order to increase fishing time by decreasing rebating stops red or orange mesh material is used to contain the eggs in a pouch. Above the top hook 18-24 inches we attach a barrel swivel, to prevent tangling and twisting of you leader. Above the swivel we attach a piece of pencil led using a large rubber band. The swivel prevents the led from sliding down to the bait. Another lure that we are very successful in catching the mighty King with is the Magnum Wiggle Wart, that is a lure that is very obnoxious under the water and the Kings hit them hard! Where do King salmon hold ? In the Gulkana River, King Salmon hold in the main current. This is simply because the main current is generally the deepest water. Here are two good things to look for: A bend in the river, where shallow water seems to pour off into a pool or eddy. Right behind large rocks and also right in front of them. On the Klutina River it is harder to find good holes without a guide. The river is so fast that the Kings will hold in just about any slack water. A good place on the Klutina is right behind a split in the river or along the shore if the water slows considerably. If you are driving up, the best thing to do is watch where others are fishing. Normally, you can pick out a hole by the people that are fishing there. Then, I would suggest getting up early and beating everyone to the hole. Red Salmon like slack water, eddies, and just spots out of the main current. You can tell that there are lots of Red Salmon in a group by their splashing, breaching and fining. Reds tend to jump when they are in big groups. What are the odds that I will catch Kings? The odds for catching Kings are very high if you are fishing with one of our guides during the seasonal part of the run. If you are fishing during the peak of the run chance of catching and fighting many Kings is excellent! You will have a sore arm by the end of the day. The right equipment and proper technique is extremely valuable when trying to hook and land the monster Kings. What is the difference between King, Red, Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, Dog, Silver, Pink, Coho, and Kokanee Salmon, because I'm completely confused? What kind of fishing gear do I need to catch a King Salmon? You'll definitely need a heavy rod that can accommodate at least 30lbs test line and a spinning or bait-casting reel. A good, inexpensive rod for King Salmon is Shakespeare's 8' Ugly Stick. This rod will cost you about $80, and will do everything you need it to. Some people prefer the feel of a more expensive rod like a G-Loomis' or Orvis. These are not absolutely necessary. However it is nice to fish with a quality rod. Success will depend more on technique and where you fish. For a reel we would suggest a bait caster. While they're a little harder to master than a spinning reel, the drag systems on these reels are unbeatable. Not to mention, you can cast to the moon with a good bait-caster (handy for hitting the opposite bank.) The Ambassador 6500 series is what we recommend. It all really depends on the preference of the fishermen. Also, a heavy duty, open-face reel will work best if that is what the fisherman is most used to. KingFisher's recommends spooling your reel with Maxima 40lb test line. This is good line and holds up well under the strain of a King. If you would like to beef up your rig and fish with "toughline" a woven nylon line we recommend 80lb test. Still having a mono leader. Changing your line is important from year to year. If any point on your line system is weak, it will break under the strain of a King. The only thing worse than loosing a good King is loosing a good King and half you line too. For terminal gear, we suggest a piece of pencil led about 18-24 inches up from your "rig" should be a quarter sized orange corky with a hook just above the corky and a hook just below. Dress the top hook with a sack of salmon roe. If the King misses one hook, the other may just get hem. Can I fly fish for King Salmon? Yes, you can fly fish for King salmon. It will take more time and skill. It's quite difficult, especially for the novice. Red salmon are awesome on a fly rod. These fish are a little easier to catch fly fishing. One of the biggest hurdles to catching a King on a fly is that you won't have the range of a bait casting reel. You'll have fewer places to fish because you'll not have the ability to reach the deeper water in mid-current or against the opposite bank. I don't want to sound like it can't be done. Fly-fishing extremists catch Kings every year with their KFP guide. If you're shooting for Kings on a fly rod, the rod has to be big. I wouldn't try it on anything less than a 10 weight rod. Also, bring an extra heavy-duty reel in case you get spooled by a King that won't stay out of the current. What are the absolute best days to come to catch Kings? The absolute best days to come and catch Kings is during the Peak of the salmon run. The King salmon season starts in early June and is over the end of July. Although the Peak is the absolute best our seasonal dates are a awesome time to catch Kings in the Copper River Valley. King Salmon Season Gulkana River Seasonal Dates June 13th - 19th, July 3rd-19th, August 1st-September 15th Klutina River Seasonal Dates July 3rd-16th Gulkana River *Peak* Dates June 20th-July 2nd Klutina River *Peak* Dates July 17th-July 31st If you fish with our Alaska King Salmon fishing guides during the peak season you have the best chances of catching a nice size King Salmon. We offer Alaska King Salmon guided fishing to assure your success. We fish on Alaska Klutina River and Alaska Gulkana River.

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