King Salmon
2022 Preliminary King Salmon Regulations
The 2022 Preliminary King Salmon regulations have been projected to be as follows for the Sitka area:
The daily and possession limit for nonresidents is projected to be one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length with a three king salmon annual harvest limit through June 30th and one per day with a one annual harvest limit from July 1st through the end of the season. All king salmon retained must be 28 inches or greater in length. Final regulations are projected to be announced closer to May 1st.
The Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Salmon is the biggest, most popular and arguably the tastiest type of Salmon. Also known as the King Salmon, it was designated the state fish of Alaska in 1962. They average 22-28 pounds and 30-36 inches long, but it is common to pull in kings that are much, much bigger. The record King Salmon, at 126 pounds, was caught in a fish trap in 1949 near Petersburg. The record sport-caught King Salmon was 97 pounds, caught in the Kenai River in 1986.
How to identify a King Salmon
Fishing for Kings – Mooching
All our boats are equipped with Furuno electronic fish-finders. Your captain will be able to tell you at what depth salmon or bait might be present. If you are below the depth the captain calls, quickly work your bait up near that depth. If you are already above the depth where the fish are, you have two options. You can either strip out line very slowly, or reel all the way up and cast your line back out. If your captain says there are salmon at 60 feet, for example, and you are casting out, send your bait 20 feet deeper, to 80 feet. Then reel back up through the “strike zone.” This gives you two chances at getting a bite: once on your way down, and once on your way back up.
A word of caution: because the bait spins, you cannot free-spool your line down from whatever depth you are at; your line will become hopelessly tangled and you will not have as much of a chance at getting a bite.
Salmon in Southeast Alaska like to grab the bait and swim upward with it. When they do that, your lead will slide to the lowest point in the line and your rod tip will jerk a little bit. It may not be obvious to you, but if you see that, or if your captain or deckhand tells you you’re getting a bite, you have to reel quickly to try and catch up to your fish. It may take upwards of 50 turns before you catch up with your fish and the rod feels heavy, so don’t give up—just keep cranking. Reel your rod tip right down to the water and reel your line in until it gets heavy and tight.
When your salmon is near the surface, your captain and deckhand will be there to assist you in landing or releasing your fish as needed. Should you require help with any aspect of mooching for salmon, just ask, and we will do everything we can to make this an enjoyable and successful fishing experience each day!