Kasilof goes to ONE single hook no bait to offset the increased effort from the masses displaced from the big river.

Kenai also cancels its traditional July 1 bait opener.

Read about it here....

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.R2&year=2012

Through June 17 the DIDSON sonar cumulative estimate of king salmon passage into the Kenai River was 2,201 fish. Inseason projections using DIDSON sonar are for a total run to the river of 4,000 to 4,100 early-run Kenai River king salmon. All of this information used in combination indicates the 2012 early-run is the lowest on record.

In addition, based upon the poor performance of king salmon stocks in Cook Inlet and other areas of the state, it is likely the Kenai River late-run king salmon stock will also experience poor performance and require conservative management. Therefore, the late-run king salmon fishery will begin without the use of bait in those waters remaining open to sport fishing for king salmon.
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Really sad. I think I remember reading an article about 8 years ago that predicted the ominous fate of this once great run of fish. Oh wait, that was you, wasnt it???

Close the Kenai for good!

Sad, frustrating, disappointing, and entirely predictable.......

There are very few, if any, intensive fisheries on Chinook salmon that have not resulted in the serious depeltion of the stock. Sometimes it happens quickly, sometime it happens slowly. But it happens. The Kenai is no different. It's also happening on several rivers on Kodiak Island, and the Yukon River. Pehaps we can chalk it up to "ocean conditions" but this pattern has been repeated throughout the history of Atlantic and Pacific salmon and the fisheries that focus on them. I'm optimistic the stocks will rebound, but the real question is when, and whether they will return to their former abundance. Time will tell.

Non-selective fisheries and mixed stocks, like Kenai chinook and sockeye, are inherently incompatible. Either under-harvest the sockeye, or over-harvest the chinook. All because the managing agency and its constituent commercial fisherman refuse to switch to selective fishing methods. Stupidity reaps its rewards.

Sg