Time to bring out the dipnet

Now that the dust is starting to settle on our king salmon season in the Northern District, let’s talk about dipnetting for sockeyes around Cook Inlet. The two big dipnet fisheries occur on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers, and a smaller but just as intense dipnet fishery can happen on Fish Creek, here in the Valley.

The Kasilof dipnet fishery opened by regulation this past Wednesday, June 25, and is scheduled to run through August 7. This fishery is open 24 hours/day and participants can dip either from the shore or out of a boat. ADF&G posts regulatory markers identifying the legal areas on the river, near the mouth, where dipnetting can occur.

The Kenai River sockeye dipnet fishery opens July 10 and runs through July 31. Legal hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; dippers can operate either from shore or out of a boat; and the legal areas run from the Warren Ames bridge downstream to the mouth and both north and south from the mouth to regulatory markers Fish and Game has posted along the Cook Inlet shoreline.

Any dipnetting in Fish Creek requires that the projected sockeye escapement into that system will exceed 50,000 fish before ADF&G opens the fishery by emergency order. The department watches escapement counts through the Fish Creek weir closely and has been conservative in their openings. If the fishery is opened, the legal area to dip runs from a marker located a quarter-mile upstream of Knik-Goose Bay road to a marker above mean high tide near the mouth.

If you plan to participate in any of these dipnet fisheries, watch for emergency orders issued by Fish and Game which would alter opening dates, fishing times, and bag and possession limits. Be aware of permit requirements, dipnet dimension requirements, and open and closed areas along the shoreline, especially along the Kenai River.

Here’s a quick summary of needed information. You must be an Alaskan resident to participate – nonresidents can only watch, period. That rule will be enforced! You must have your sportsfishing license and an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon Fishery permit in your possession while fishing. This permit is free, but only one permit per household will be issued. The permit lists all members of the household and the total amount of salmon that can be harvested on that permit.

The current amount is 25 fish for the head of household and an additional 10 fish per household member. A household of two can harvest 35 fish; a household of three can harvest 45 fish, and so on. This one permit covers the three fisheries identified above and the total number of harvested fish is cumulative. No matter where or how many times you go dipnetting, you are limited to the total number of fish listed on your permit.

Clip off the tips of the tail fin to identify the fish as a personal use catch. Do so before concealing the fish from plain view or before transporting the fish from your fishing site. Record the date, location, and number of each species of fish caught on your permit before you leave your fishing area and make sure to return the permit to ADF&G no later than August 15.

Quoting from the current Southcentral Alaska 2014 Sport Fishing Regulations Summary, “By regulation, a dip net is defined as a bag-shaped net supported on all sides by a rigid frame. The maximum straight-line distance between any two points on the net frame, as measured through the net opening, may not exceed 5 feet. The depth of the bag must be at least one-half the greatest straight-line distance as measured through the net opening. No portion of the bag may be constructed of webbing that exceeds a stretched measurement of 4 ½ inches. The frame must be attached to a single rigid handle and be operated by hand.”

Get a copy of the regulations summary and read everything from page 13 through 15. If you have questions, call Fish and Game and get things clarified before you go dipnetting. Ask about any EO’s which might have been issued which affect the fishery of interest. Better to know before you go!

I’ve seen round dipnetting frames, handles and nets available at Sportsman’s Warehouse, Costco, Cabela’s, and several other places. The price for a good quality sturdy aluminum net frame, handle and net runs from $120 to $150, depending on whether it’s a 3-foot or 5-foot hoop.

Good luck!