December 31, 2009–“Happy New Year on Ice!”
“…with 2009 just about in the history books, and my fishing license about to expire at midnight, the twins and their hockey buddy Cade coaxed me out of my otherwise comfortable bear’s den where I was enjoying my midwinter nap, and up the road to Sport Lake for the last fishing trip of the year. When we hit the ice we also found out it was Cade’s very first ice fishing venture, and clearly all three boys were excited and ready. As we hauled our fishing gear, hand auger, milk crates, chair, tackle box and all out on the ice we were greeted by another father/son fishing team who arrived just before us and were setting up. The revving of their power auger was a welcome sound, as they quickly offered to punch 4 holes for us and save my would-be aching back from the labor! Taylor was the first with a line in the water, and also the first with a fish responding, as he brought up a nice little rainbow before the other boys could even get a line wet! Another would follow, on Cooper’s line as well, and in no time Cade got a taste of the action with the first ice fishing success of his young career, seen below. We fished till we couldn’t feel our feet or fingers, even with a couple quick warm ups in our auger-friend’s ice shanty, and then it was time to hit the sauna, another great tradition of winter in Alaska! Happy New Year to you where every you may be!”
October 18, 2009–“It ain’t over till it’s over!”
“…this fall has been a mild one so far, and with a recent surge in water level on the Kenai River we couldn’t resist one more run before we get ready to put the boat up for winter. On this beautiful Sunday afternoon we fished until sunset, catching some nice rainbows like this one and having a nice time enjoying the flowing water of the Kenai just a little longer before freeze up. If you haven’t fished the Kenai for fall Rainbows, put it on your list and make it happen soon or you’ll have to wait till next year!”
“…leave those boys alone for a minute, and the next thing you know they’ve got another fish on the line, a fresh fall silver on this sunny October afternoon. We were busy cutting & hauling wood and working on the normal fall chores, when we took a break to wet the line, and no sooner had I turned my back than I saw the net go up in Taylor’s hands as Cooper took up the fight with this dandy of a Silver hen. This fish was fresh from the ocean just hours ago, full of feisty jumps and energy, but the boys tamed her well in the end…and she’s now getting ready for the Salmon Sauna (smokehouse!).”
September 14, 2009–“This Could Be Your’s!”
“…a fine cache of Silver awaits you on the Kenai River this fall! The photo below displays the over 50 pound catch of our most recent guests (a party of just two) at Kenai Riverfront, including fresh & frozen Silver Salmon fillets, homemade Sweet Alder Smoked Salmon and homemade Dill & Lemon Lox! Book your last minute fall 2009 trip now thru the end of October or make plans for the Kenai River in “2010 While You Can!”
September 12, 2009–“Alle Gute Dinge Sind Drei…”
“…und mit drei Silberlachs im weniger als eine Stunde, am fast letzem Morgen bei Kenai Riverfront Resort, Mike hat gesehen wie gute diese Dinge sind! Mit noch schönes Wetter und schon genug Fische im Kuhlshrank, Tief, Rauchhaus, und par “Lox”, sind wir nach Homer gefahren, etwas mehr auch zu sehen. Schöne Strände, schöne Berge und auch viel spass für die Hunde! Auf wiederlöge Alaska, bisch bald…”
September 7, 2009–“Frische Fische, Frische Freunde”
“…bei schönem Wetter am Kenai River im September fischen wir fast jeden Tag für Silverlachs frisch aus dem Meer. Jeder Tag ist ein bisschen kühler, und vor unseren Augen wechselt die Farbe der Bäume von grün bis gelb und rot, wirklich schön…Alaska Natur pur, mit Bären, Elchen, und Adlern immer in der Nähe…”
September 2, 2009–“Alaska Fischurlaub”
“…und frische Fische haben wir schon! Freunde aus der Schweiz, Renate & Michael, sind gelandet in Anchorage, nach Kenai Fluss mit uns gefahren, durch die “Alaska Alpen” und neben verschiedene Gletschern, Lachse Flusse, und schöne Blicke, und am ersten Tag auch Silverlachs gefangen und gegessen. “Excellent” sagte Mike! Frühstuck um Lachs & Kapern mit Rösti auf dem Boot, schönes Wetter am Nachmittag mit dem Bergblick, und ein wunderschöner Sonnenuntergang am Fluss während dem Nachtässe macht alles perfekt. Morgen, über Morgen, usw, wartet mehr Spass auf uns alle! Emmi auch! Söll amol cho!”
August 23, 2009–“Sushi Salmon Eggs & Sashimi”
“…it’s not every day that we get to enjoy the bounty of the Kenai River in the form of Japanese delicacies, but when we do, oishiiiiii!! Thanks to the Iwata family of five visiting the Kenai for the first time, we were able to feast on Salmon Sashimi and freshly cured Silver Salmon Eggs “ikura” style, and from the smiles on their faces you can see what a great time we all had. In their words, “…we have never seen such a beautiful, peaceful, and nutritious (to our minds) place…and Kenai Riverfront made this vacation as our best memory of summer vacations!” Domou arigatou gozaimashita Iwata-san tachi!”
August 20, 2009–“Double Date”
“…every summer we enjoy at least one good double date with our good friends Denny & Linda, and tonight was the perfect night for it. Sunny skies, warm temps, and plenty of silvers fresh off a huge evening tide! We were barely anchored up and the first fish hit, with a second on the line before the first could be netted, followed quickly by the biggest silver hen this season yet on Cindy’s line! Several more fish would round out our double date for the evening, as we headed back to camp as the sun faded across the west side of Cook Inlet. Another perfect August night.”
August 17, 2009–“Sweet Sunset Silvers”
“…is this a beautiful Kenai River sight or what???!!! Morgyn landed a couple more back to back beauties, enjoying the sunset and Kenai River all the while…I think she’s hooked & a more perfect marketing picture I can’t imagine! 🙂 “
August 16, 2009–“Sonar Silvers”
“…fishing down low on that incoming tide can be the “silver” ticket for Cohos on the Kenai, and it really started to light up with these three fish hitting eggs close to the boat, within feet of the rising shoreline. The third was a charm, on my line, a nice big silver buck! More great fishing to come yet this season!”
July Flashback–“Coopers Smoked King Salmon”
“…we interrupt our regularly scheduled fishy stories with a flashback to July! Remember when Cooper James hooked and landed that 55 pound King Salmon? Below are photos of that very King Salmon’s sweet belly that we smoked together and served with dinner this past weekend…and, as the pictures may show, it was sehr sehr lecher (very, very delicious for the German impaired)!”
August 10, 2009–“Sunrise Silvers”
“…nothing beats headin’ down the Kenai River on a calm sunny sunrise silver salmon morning, this photo captures the essence of this beautiful start to the day for us. Silvers eager on eggs were just the bonus to enjoying the Kenai today, and plenty of silvers there seem to be. Morgyn caught her first limit of Silvers, Dave caught a nice pair of fish fast, and I even managed to put a couple in the box. Just as many got away, and that makes fishin’ fun too.”
August 9, 2009–“Fast Limit”
“…in just an hour or so and Whammy!, Pammy had her limit of two Kenai River silver salmon, fresh and fiesty on the evening tide, these are the fish we wait all season for, fast-biting, agressive, water dancin’ Silver Salmon. Don’t worry Jess, there’s more where these came from!”
August 9, 2009–“Twin Silvers”
“…the boys are at it again, catching fish and learning to drive the boat down the Kenai River, at just 8 years old, but with nearly 7 years experience at doing it now! On a calm sunny Sunday evening they caught these two nice silvers, first of the season for them, and just happy to be out there with their best fishin’ buddy enjoying the start of the fall silver salmon season. Nice work boys!”
August 9, 2009–“Sunday Night Silvers”
“…as summer fades to fall, Red Salmon & King Salmon head for their spawning beds, and the next wave of salmon begins to flood into the Kenai River. It was Sunday evening, the weekend crowd was waning, most guides were off for the evening, and the river was quiet. We gathered up the crew and headed downriver to fish the incoming tide, fresh-cured King Salmon eggs in the bait bucket, some newly tied egg loops on 4.0 hooks thanks to Jillian, and the Sunday Night Silver show was set to start. The first half hour was the calm before the storm. The sun was warm, no wind in the tide zone for a change, and just a few fish splashed here and there. After a couple of egg robbers passed by, this scale tipping big buck hit Cindy’s line and broke the water. We put it in the net quickly…just in case…but more would come, 5 fresh silvers in just a couple hours fishing, plus the “ones that got away”, all in all, a very nice Sunday evening on the beautiful & quiet Kenai River.”
August 3, 2009–“Kings, Silvers, Reds & Pinks…all in a day!”
“…the tide has turned and the Kenai is quiet once again, just as it is every year starting August 1st, like clockwork. Boat traffic is down to nill, the many fisherfolk have moved on now that King season is over, leaving far less competition for the Reds that are still running strong and the Silvers that are just heating up. The past couple days have been great for shore fishing Sockeye, and today we took a trip downriver to check out the Silver fishing but were pleasantly surprised when we hooked and released three nice big Kings followed by two fresh Silvers in the fish box, a couple nice Reds, and even a stray pink salmon. That’s right, four species of salmon in a single day, within five minutes of our front door, and we know how lucky we are. Fishing with friends most of the day, followed by delicious seafood chowder, fresh grilled fish, spaghetti ice cream, and a family feud volleyball game that ended near midnight on the last night of our friend’s stay from Conneticut….a more perfect day is hard to find!”
July 31, 2009–“Alli’s Alley”
“…last day of the Kenai River King Salmon season and Allison hit one out of the park as she set the hook on this beautiful “Queen Salmon”, another fresh addition to the Saturday Salmon Bake menu! We were fishing in an unconventional spot, one we usually target for Silvers, but this high water has changed the pattern of the fish moving up river and created some new challenges. With our favorite plug wrapped with a fresh sardine fillet, this King took off hard and led us downriver as Alli scrambled to the bow deck. Safely in the net and Alli was all smiles, a nice way to end the season…followed by big sister Jillian’s Red Salmon catch moments later!”
July 30, 2009–“Lady Lydia’s Lane”
“…another early morning, 0500 rondezvous, as the Kenai River late Kenai King Salmon season nears it’s end on July 31st, but early mornings and late nights are the norm this time of year for those who love to fish. For this natural born fishergirl, our photogenic friend “Lady Lydia of Connecticut”, visiting the Kenai for her very first time, the early rise, force-yourself-out-of-the-sleeping-bag, was just the ticket for this beautiful silver bright Kenai King! On just the second pass of the morning down the newly named “Lady Lydia’s Lane”, this King made Lydia’s line run and her heart pound. She fought it nicely, not missing a beat, having learned from Cooper how to handle these big fish just yesterday. Nothing but net and the fish was on the deck getting photographed and admired from every angle. The grill is smelling good, wafting through my window this very second as I type…Rib Eye King Salmon Steaks with brother Sammie’s special seasoning…yummmmm!”
July 29, 2009–“Perseverance Pays”
“…after weeks of fishing for that “dream King”, young Cooper’s perseverance and patience finally paid off big! His pole took a slow motion bump bump and when he pulled it from the holder the line took off and the reel screamed as he set the hook high and hard. I knew instantly that this was a nice fish. Downriver fast, then upriver and across hard as we scrambled to get on top of one of the Kenai River’s finest–the mighty Chinook. The day had started at 0500 and fishing had been slow with flood-stage waters and weeds and debris clogging our lines for hours. Yet, there we were called, to Casey’s corner, and there we found this beauty of a fresh, chrome buck. The fight was classic, on the edge, tight line, then too much slack, under the boat, toward the prop, pole in the water, heart pumping, boat rocking pure fun. I knew every second counted as the fight went on, and at the first opportunity I reached out the net as this 55 pound fish jumped the wrong way, and into the open net, celebration…after a long wait, Cooper’s summer dream was fulfilled, shared with friends from afar, another perfect summertime in Alaska. Nice work son, time for a nap in the net on the bow now.”
July 28, 2009–“Schneider Family Salmon”
“…Alaska Dream Trips are always more fun when the whole family can make the journey together, and that’s just what our friends the Schneider family of Conneticut/Oregon did this summer, creating dreams to last a lifetime for one of the nicest families you’ll ever meet. With the right attitude, good fishing kharma, and bright smiles, the Schneider’s already had a box of fish from a river up north when they arrived in camp, and now their trying to figure out what to do with their clothing and other luggage so they can take home as much fresh delicious Salmon & Halibut as possible! Of course, they did their best to eat some fresh in camp, including BBQ King Salmon Ribs, fresh alder smoked Red Salmon, Cedar Plank Cajun King Salmon, Coconut Red Salmon, Jalapeno Halibut Poppers, Sweet & Sour Halibut, and last but not least Hawaiian style Pineapple Pastry Puffs! With a little luck, friends & family back home will soon get a fresh taste of Alaska….and we hope to see them here next summer when the Schneiders return!”
July 20~July 27, 2009–“Summer Salmon Fever Season”
“…as it happens, about this time every year, the Red Salmon showed up in good numbers and the Summer Salmon Fever Season hit full swing. Taylor caught a nice one on his brand new pole courtesy of friends Bernie & Bea, Cooper caught some under the midnight sun, Alli caught one as shiny as her new braces, Morgyn caught a dandy pair just after getting off work, and friends visiting from CT caught a nice batch as well. The photos follow, in no particular order, along with some other shots around camp, it’s been a great summer!!”
July 18, 2009–“Morgyn’s Landing”
“…back fresh from a quick birthday (Happy 20th birthday!!!!) and family reunion trip to Washington State (in the middle of salmon season????), Morgyn was clearly happy to be on the shore at sunset at last, new rod & reel in her hand, casting for Sockeye Salmon on a beautiful Alaska summer’s evening. It wasn’t long till we heard the screams from down river and a big male (buck) Sockeye Salmon was on the line splashing and jumping and trying to drag her down river! The epic fight that followed, including the flip flop rock walk cell phone splash drop, the splitting and breaking pole, the fish under the downstream boat, and eventually the fish hanging up near the boat launch, will not soon be forgotten. (The cell phone survived by the way…) What a battle for her first Kenai River salmon, the stuff that memories are made of. As I waded in to net the fish which was tangled on debris, with Morgyn smiling from ear to ear, it was clear this beautiful big fish was worth every aching, cramping, strained muscle she felt!”
July 19, 2009–“Dipnetting Downriver”
“…timing is everything when it comes to dipnetting, but a big net doesn’t hurt either! Grandpa, Cooper, and I headed out this afternoon, 3 hours before high tide, with Uncle Johnny and Auntie Lara for our first of the season dipnet run, and the first time ever for some aboard too! We hit the fish, dead on. In just two passes down the south shore of the dipnet grounds above the cannery (near the big rocks for those of you who know), we netted 45 nice fresh reds and were headed back to make quick work of skinning, filleting and packing before the weekend ran out!”
July 17, 2009–“Team Russia”
“…with high hopes of Reds running and Kings to conquer came Team Russia: Sergey, Vladimir and Shamil to the Kenai River. Spending half their day battling Chinook with a guide and half their day battling Sockeye from shore, they quickly learned the challenges that these wild salmon pose. Stripping line, running hard, jumping, fighting, and occassionally pulling you into the river, but alas success and the sweet savory salmon on their plates….in this case head’s and all!”
July 7~13, 2009–“Honeymoon Alaska Style”
“…they came, they saw, they are in love–with each other and Alaska too! Happy Honeymoon to Marcus & Andrea Farmer of Mainz, Germany, who chose Alaska’s Kenai River for the first stop on their American honeymoon tour and made the most of every minute! From fishing the Kenai River, Crooked Creek, Anchor River, and Ninilchik River to beachcombing in Homer and wildlife viewing all along the way, they had a great taste of summertime in Alaska, summertime night & day…”
July 12, 2009–“Barefoot Reds”
“…what a stretch of beautiful weather we’ve had, sunshine and warm days since Father’s Day unending, and time for some barefoot Red fishing on the shore for the girls. Here’s a mere sample of the results…”
July 11, 2009–“Alaska Adventures”
“…with dreams of big fish and Alaska Adventures on their minds, family Sundstrom arrived for a week at Kenai Riverfront to see it all and get a taste of Alaska in the process. King Salmon, Halibut & Red Salmon are now on the dinner menu back home, after a week of fishing on the Kenai River, ocean fishing from Homer in Kachemak Bay, Sea Kayaking at a mountain glacier lake, Flightseeing by floatplane to observe Bears in nature, travelling through the Chugach and Kenai mountains on the Alaska Railroad, running with a Dog Sled team from Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey, and Cruising through the Kenai National Fjords Park to watch tidewater glaciers calve and Humpback and Orca whales swim. Memories for a lifetime, or in the words of the Mom: ‘Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!'”
July 10, 2009–“Cooper’s Corner King”
“…on another bright sunny morning, one of countless hot days in the past month, we found this beauty of a King waiting for our friend Herr Hofmeister at Cooper’s Corner just above our place on the Kenai River. This chrome bright King hit hard on our favorite fuzzy plug and screamed down the fast water channel as we took up the fight. Passing our riverfront we heard cheers and the fish seemed to just hang low for a minute or so, then it took off under the boat, as RV quickly reached his rod into the water, coaxing the fish to swim out from under the boat…it worked and a few minutes later the fish was subdued in the net without incident. Fresh King for dinner, fresh eggs for breakfast (not our’s!!).
July 9, 2009–“Sockeye Morning”
“…welcoming new friends from faraway places is something we’ve always enjoyed, and when those new friends treasure the beauty of the Kenai like we do, and savor that first fish whether big or small, we enjoy it all the more. Happy Honeymoon to a match made in heaven. Thanks for sharing our love for Alaska.”
July 8, 2009–“Red Salmon Rondezvous”
“…fishing just up from Rondy’s Rock on this beautiful sunset evening, Cindy hooked the 1st Red of the July Run from our shore, a nice bright Sockeye, fiesty and jumping down river as it thought twice about the whole swim-in-from-the-saltwater-to-spawn-thing! With nerves of steel and a steady hand she coaxed this fish back upriver, where we put it in the net and celebrated the start of another run of these incredible wild salmon!”
July 5, 2009–“First King on the Kenai”
“…our guest said it best herself, all we we can say is CONGRATULATIONS!!—-
Jim and Cindy,
WOW! What a great time I had catching my FIRST KING!!! 48 POUNDS!! I hear that is pretty good for a first timer. Thank you for allowing us to have an amazing weekend at your place. One I will not forget.
Take Care!
Janell
June 28, 2009–“Kenai King Release”
“…just three days before the 2nd Run of Kenai Kings officially opens, with both bait restrictions & slot limits expiring on July 1st, Jackie hooked this beauty of a King, the biggest we’ve seen or heard about all season! Approximately 52 Inches and at least 60 pounds (135cm/27kilos), this gigantic buck was just too big to keep and we happily released it back into the Kenai to go and help spawn another generation of big Kings. It hit hard in deep water on one of our favorite plugs, and drug us upriver as the battle ensued. Jackie held on and patiently eased the fish to the surface as I netted it just before it went under the bow, with cheers erupting–not just from our boat but from the other boats that enjoyed the show! Photos were a challenge, since we needed to release this fish fast after the fight, but these will at least give you a taste”.
June 28, 2009–“Singlehanded Salmon”
“…like a pro, Taylor at age 8 now, brought in this beautifully fresh Red Salmon on a sunny Sunday afternoon. With no help on the pole, he reeled this fish in like an expert and he’s already requested Coconut Salmon for the dinner menu!
June 23, 2009–“Nice King Larry”
“…it’s a sure sign of summer salmon fishing, when our Kenai River fishing report page starts to lag, due to the fact that we’re spending more time on the water and less time on the keyboard! RV Park resident guest and fanatical fisher Larry brought in this nice King, his first of the season, and has already landed several more with his fishing buddies since. The weekend will be here again before you know it Larry, keep those hooks sharp!”
June 16, 2009–“Fresh Fish”
“…this has been the latest we’ve had a boat in the water on the Kenai in over 10 years, but the wait was well worth it when we launched this morning and made our first pass down the “1/4 mile”, picking up this nice 1st run Chinook Salmon fresh from the ocean! We thought we were in for just a shake-down cruise, but the generosity of the beautiful Kenai River never ceases to amaze us. Denny set the hook on this fish as it took the plug hard. It ran up along the port side, under the boat and crossed up river, narrowly missing the prop, then it turned and ran down river under the boat before losing steam enough for us to land her…yes, this first King was also a hen, so fresh bait is now in hand for some more great fishing on the Kenai River. Nice work Denny! Salmon ribs & rib eye salmon steaks for lunch made for the perfect afternoon.”
June 4, 2009–“Kings are Coming”
“…with low, clear water on the Kenai, and more tourists than average staying home this summer, fishing is really looking good for the early run. A recent spike in fish counts, after a slow count out of the gate in late May, doesn’t hurt either! The cumulative fish count through June 3, 2009 is 2,276 of a projected run size of 10,585, slightly lower than the 22 year average of 15,303. With far less people on the water than usual, you can expect to have plenty of elbow (or propeller room) while fishing the normally busy top 20 hotspots on the lower Kenai, you know them by name, right? College Hole, Sunken Island, Poacher’s Cove, Harry Gaines, Slide Hole, Porters, Airplane, Big Eddy, Stewarts, Falling in Hole, Honeymoon Cove, The Pillars, The Breakfast Bar, Eagle Rock, Crossover, Beaver Creek, Mud Island, Sonar, The Pasture and The Bridge! For more details check out our newly improved Salmon Run Timing page, available in English and German!”
June 1, 2009–“Hooligan Update”
“…no Hooligan have been spotted or netted from our shore yet, at river mile 17 below Poacher’s Cove and above Harry Gaines, but the twins are keeping a close eye out, as is soon to be retired Professor Denny. We’ll update this report with live info from camp as soon as the Hooligan are in the net!”
May 30, 2009–“First Kenai King Sighting from our shore!”
“…it’s that time of year, time to clean the yard after a long winter, rake the leaves, plant the gardens, and start looking for fish again! We haven’t even been on the water yet this year, first time in years, but it has been a slow starter so far, not that unusual for May though. Finally, today, we spotted a boat drifting by in front of Kenai Riverfront, at river mile 17, holding up a nice shiny fresh King Salmon for photos, caught just above us at the well-known fishing hole “Poachers Cove”. The water is still pretty low, just close to touching the bottom of our boat launch ramp, but it is also extremely clear. Good news, bad news. When it’s clear the Kings have ample visibility to spot your lures, which is paramount during the early “no bait” season, but with the water shallow as well as clear the fish tend to be pretty easily spooked. Takes somre real “Rambo” tactics to sneak up on them for success, like chasing a big brook trout in a shallow, clear mountain stream! Are you ready enough? Get the fever, the fish are coming.”
Looking for more fish report pics? Visit our 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 or 2008 Fishing Report Pages!