MAT-SU ANGLERS FISHING CORNER

Huge hooligan harvests

As predicted in last week’s column, fishing for these oily little guys along the Sustina River has proven excellent. Two of my friends reported dip netting as many hooligans as they wanted from a gravel bar along the Sustina River just upstream from the Deshka River mouth. In both cases my friends used a boat to access the fishery and then had additional friends interested in much of the fish they caught. Multiple large coolers were filled, and one individual estimated his boat was carrying a load of more than 500 pounds of hooligan. Not bad for less than an hour’s worth of dip netting. It is definitely easy pickings and should last through the coming weekend, but as mentioned last week, be careful to keep only as many hooligans as you can realistically use. Before long this productive Mat-Su fishery will be over for another year.

Mat-Su king salmon

Fishing for the largest of the Mat-Su Valley’s salmon has been providing plenty of interest for the past couple weeks, but only modest harvest numbers. Expect that to change dramatically in the coming week. Weir counts made during the 1990s on the lower Little Susitna River typically show king salmon weir passage numbers peaking around June 10, and Deshka River weir records also show large king salmon passage numbers by the same date on most years. From May 20-28 of this year, king salmon passage through Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Deshka River weir was only 67 fish. By June 10, a daily weir count at Deshka weir may exceed 1,000 king salmon. This easily shows how dramatically king salmon harvest opportunities could and should increase in the coming week. While Deshka and Little Su provide most of the king salmon harvest at this time, uncrowded bank fishing opportunities for early arriving king salmon also exist at Eklutna Tailrace and the Susitna River tributary streams located between Willow and Talkeetna. Remember to review fishing regulations before taking your trip. Also plan to keep our beautiful Mat-Su fishing areas clean by picking up and disposing of any trash generated in an appropriate manner.

Mat-Su Anglers meeting

Mark you calendar for 6;30 p.m. June 10 at Mat-Su Resort to learn about shrimping and saltwater fishing from Steve Violette at the Mat-Su Anglers Club monthly meeting. Cathy Inman, project manager for the Wasilla Soil and Water Conservation District, will also give a presentation on current salmon restoration projects. Club meetings provide an opportunity for all attendees to hear and discuss their latest fishing adventures and news, and I’m hopeful club president Julie Busch will provide insights from her Memorial Day weekend excursion to Eklutna Lake. The public is invited to attend, so if you would like to participate in this fast moving, fun evening meeting give Julie a call for more information at 892-7543, or just show up. Food and beverages are available for purchase.

Kids Casting Clinics coming soon

The Mat-Su Anglers Club, working with James Hastings and the Menard sports center in Wasilla, plan to offer some Kids Casting Clinics with safety tips, instruction, practice opportunity and some complimentary tackle items for participants. One date in June, two dates in July and one date in August are being planned. For more information or to sign your kid up as a participant, call the above mentioned Julie Busch.

Mat-Su Silver Salmon Derby

On the horizon is the Aug. 6 -22 Mat-Su Silver Salmon Derby. As mentioned in last week’s column, the Mat-Su Anglers Club in conjunction with the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce will be putting this event on and is currently looking for event and prize sponsors and volunteers to make this a must-do Mat-Su Valley happening. High energy, do-everything Julie Busch is scheduled for shoulder surgery on June 29, so club and non-club volunteers are welcome to ease some of Julie’s volunteer efforts as she recovers. For now, give Julie the call to sign up your derby sponsorships or volunteer efforts.

Next week I plan to discuss free fishing information sources that may help Mat-Su anglers learn the what, where, when, why and how answers for the specific Mat-Su fisheries they participate in. A little knowledge can be a powerful tool on the way to increased catches and enhanced appreciation of sport fishing, so you’ll want to read next Friday’s Frontiersman to learn more.

E-mail this column at sports@frontiersman.com if you have Mat-Su fishing questions or information readers may find useful.

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides (fish4salmon.com), is a Mat-Su Anglers Club member (matsuanglers.org) and member of the Matanuska-Susitna Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Sportsmen’s Committee.