SPARKING THE
‘WEIRD’ COHO, TOP LURES LEFT AT HOME – ANGLERS STRUGGLE WITH JUNEAU FISH PUZZLE BY BRIAN KELLY
O
ne would think that after 10 years of traveling to Alaska in search of salmon, the trips would get easier, as in get off the plane and start whacking chrome! Well … Even with experience, the grind can happen. The fish have a mind of their own – especially coho – meaning they do not arrive on a set schedule. The best laid plans can go down the drain if the fish aren’t there. That’s when the fun starts – putting together the pieces of the puzzle, figuring out the bite and, most importantly, putting in the time to make the most of an active bite, even when your bum shoulder burns after eight hours of casting!
THE TRAVEL PORTION OF my 2021 trip was 16
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
far less stressful than 2020’s, thanks to relaxed Covid protocols in Alaska. Testing requirements were dropped and masking up was the only prerequisite on flights and in public spaces. After a long, hot summer in Pennsylvania, it felt good to land in Southeast Alaska and the cool, wet weather the area is known for. Local reports had some fish around, but the big push had yet to arrive, though that could change on the next tide. The first day on the water was fruitful; fat silvers were following and biting, and we had three chunky fish on the rope in a matter of hours. My fishing partner was on his way and filets were in the freezer on day 1; things were looking up. And then … the silvers got weird,
APRIL 2022 | aksportingjournal.com
which will happen. But this was a totally different level of weird than I have ever seen in the past. The fish numbers were building, as evidenced by the crazy number of follows we were experiencing. The fish were super fresh and curious, but they just weren’t committing to presentations that in the past had worked well for us. They would chase the spinner or jig to the end of the rod and turn away without opening their mouth. It got to the point where I quit counting follows, as it was starting to get a bit annoying. The bite windows were very short, like two or three fish on the rope for eight-plus hours on the water. We tried every trick in the book! Stop and go; speed up; dead slow; sweep the rod one direction or the other
