Fishing report: Catching low-water king salmon

Mat-Su king salmon anglers fishing the Little Susitna and Deshka rivers have been dealing with low water conditions all season. Even though there is rain in the weather forecast for the coming week, it is likely the trend will continue.

King salmon normally run during some of the peak water flows of the summer, and more often than not many king salmon anglers use large bright colored lures in an effort to attract a king salmon’s attention during normal or high water levels. During times of low and clear water conditions, however, these same large bright colored lures that work well in high or turbid water conditions may actually scare away king salmon.

If you’ve been presenting your standard king salmon lures to active fish with no or little success, it may be time to downsize lures or choose some darker colored models. For anglers who have always had a desire to catch a king salmon on a fly using standard fly fishing gear, the low clear water conditions of 2014 may provide you with the perfect opportunity.

This small and duller colored lure approach has been working quite well for my guests while fishing the Little Susitna River, and has had mixed results on the Deshka River, where heavier angling pressure may also be having a negative impact on king salmon catch rates. When back-trolling for king salmon, the K-15 Kwikfish is normally one of the most successful lures in my boat. But through June 11, only one king salmon has been taken from my guide boat using this large very active lure. Instead, I’ve downsized the Kwikfish to K-14 and even further to K-11, and these two lures have helped guests on my boat catch several king salmon this year.

In addition, they have also scored with a less intrusive darker colored blue #2 Spin-N-Glo. The #2 Spin-N-Glo is the same size I normally use for king salmon, but under low clear water conditions, the darker colored lure can far out-catch the traditional bright orange, pink or chartreuse versions of the same lure.

When fishing smaller lures in lower water conditions, it can also pay dividends to use a smaller diameter line that allows the maximum action of these smaller lures. At the same time, it is often helpful when fishing for large powerful king salmon to have a strong line that can withstand some abuse.

Super braid lines provide an option that is very strong for the line’s diameter, but the line diameter is much smaller than monofilament of the same strength. Therefore, super braid can provide the best of both situations when fishing under low clear water flows for large fish.

This year I’ve used 40-pound Sufix 832 braid when casting spinners down to about 3/8 ounce. While expensive, this line casts very well for distance and has held up to several king salmon landed.

Another approach to catching large fish in small water is to situate yourself a bit further back from the hole’s edge or position your boat a bit further away from the fish to avoid spooking them. Do not hover overhead in low clear water conditions, especially with bright sunlight present, and expect to have no effect on the fish. A clumsy approach could negate the whole smaller/dull-colored lure selection and finer line we’ve already considered in an effort to catch spooky king salmon.

Another way to find less spooky salmon is to fish away from where others are flogging the water with their own presentation or away from where less careful anglers are clunking around in a boat. On this same thought about a careful approach, consider fishing during low light hours – early or late in the day, or during cloudy weather conditions.

All of these items have helped Mat-Su anglers catch more king salmon during the 2014 season.

Deshka doing well

As of June 10, 6,570 king salmon already swam past the Deshka River weir, even though this fishery has been open for sport harvest on a 7-day-per-week basis ever since the ice melted. Success rates have been down due to the regulations requiring artificial lures with only one single hook on this low and clear water fishery. However, with an abundance of fish, hopefully the tips in this article may help you catch a Mat-Su king salmon from the Deshka River or some other fishery during the coming week.

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides www.fish4salmon.com and is a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.