Of course, the prize of the world famous Kenai River is the chance of hooking into a world record “k

Alaska is one of those destinations that has so much to offer, it is hard to decide what you want to experience in a typical seven-day adventure.  Whether it be fishing, hunting, site-seeing or a little of all three, car rentals in maui hawaii you just really can't go wrong with any combination.  It only depends on the time of year that allows you the time to get away.
One of my favorite areas is the Kenai region of south-central Alaska.  This area has so much to offer and during a week's stay, you can take in almost any Alaskan fishing adventure you can think of.  And, that is exactly what I would like to do in this article Shed a little light on some of the great fishing opportunities that you really should take in on your next visit to Alaska, "The Last Frontier".
Let's talk a little car rentals in maui hawaii bit about species.  First, let's take a trip to the Cook Inlet.  The launching areas for day trips are Deep Creek, Anchor Point and Homer.  Depending on the areas that your charter captains like to fish, you most likely will meet them in one of these three spots.  I personally have had great success out of Anchor Point and my charter of choice is Captain Aaron Mahoney of Alaska Gulf Coast Expeditions aboard the 'Independence'.  Aaron is a third generation fisherman and has everything you look for in a first-class fishing boat captain.  Halibut is the name of the game in Cook Inlet and for those of you that savor its succulent white fillets, you just have to include a day trip in your schedule.
Halibut are among the largest fish in the sea and the largest of all the flatfish. They can grow to more than eight feet in length and 700 pounds. Halibut weighing in at more than 100 pounds are often called "Whales", "Soakers" car rentals in maui hawaii or even "Barn Doors", while smaller halibut, less than 20 pounds, are often called "Chickens". The largest Alaskan halibut ever caught while sport fishing was 459 lbs. in Unalaska Bay.
Being a flatfish, halibut car rentals in maui hawaii have both eyes on the upper dark side. Their upper sides tend to assume the coloration of the ocean bottom, while their underside, being as whitish as it is, tends to blend in well with the sky when viewed from below. These color adaptations allow halibut car rentals in maui hawaii to avoid detection by both prey and predator.
Halibut spawn in the winter with peaks from December through February. Most spawning takes place off the continental shelf in deep waters car rentals in maui hawaii of 200 to 300 fathoms. Females lay two to three millions eggs annually, depending on the size of the halibut. Males and females mature in 7-8 and 8-12 years, respectively.  Younger halibut, up to 10 years, are highly migratory and generally migrate in a clockwise direction east and south throughout the Gulf of Alaska. Older halibut tend to be less migratory.  Halibut live a long time. Females grow faster and live longer than males. The oldest recorded female was 42 years old and the oldest male was 27 years old.  Halibut fishing starts in mid-May and runs into September in most Alaskan waters.  Halibut car rentals in maui hawaii are caught by using bait, which includes gray cod, salmon and herring pieces or with a weighted jig.  Depending on the amount of current, up to five pound  weights must be used to get your hook to the bottom, then a jigging or mooching motion is used to attract the fish.
Another species that requires a little more travel time is lingcod. Lingcod live throughout the West Coast, from Alaska's Aleutian Islands, throughout British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California and down the west coast of Baja Mexico. Female lingcod can reach weights exceeding 100 pounds, while male lingcod seldom reach weights over 15 pounds.
Tagging studies show that lingcod are largely non migratory and colonize or "recruit" in localized areas. Lingcod live on the bottom, but may feed throughout the water column. And unlike many other bottom fish species like rockfish, lingcod do not have an air bladder, which enables them to freely swim up and down the water column without injury. Sport or commercial anglers can haul lingcod from depths car rentals in maui hawaii of 500-feet or more to the surface and release them unharmed.
During fall months lingcod move from their rocky, often times steep bottom areas to near shore areas to spawn. Males migrate first and establish a site with strong currents and rocky crevices, ledges or rock outcroppings. Spawning takes place sometime between December and March, depending on the area and water temperatures. car rentals in maui hawaii After depositing their eggs in a sticky mass in a rocky crevice near bottom, the females leave the area immediately, leaving male lingcod to guard the nest. When guarding the lingcod egg nest, the male lingcod will attack anything, car rentals in maui hawaii including lures that invade their territory. Predators attempting to eat lingcod eggs will be in for a fight against the male lingcod. The lingcod eggs will hatch in early March through late April or early May, depending on the area and when the female lingcod laid her eggs.
When hatched, the tiny lingcod larvae become pelagic (any water not close to the bottom is the pelagic zone). In late May through early June juvenile lingcod settle to the bottom, near eel grass beds. Eventually car rentals in maui hawaii they will move to non-typical areas for older lingcod, usually flat, sandy areas. They will remain in these flat, sandy areas for up to three years before "recruiting" to typical lingcod habitat consisting of pinnacles, rocky outcroppings, steep ledges or other areas with "underwater hydraulic relief car rentals in maui hawaii zones." These areas have current that sweeps over them, along with unsuspecting baitfish and rockfish. The relief zone is the area on the back side of the rock or ledge, where lingcod wait to ambush their prey.
When feeding, lingcod attack their prey and especially enjoy chasing anything that flees from their rows of sharp teeth. In the underwater world of lingcod, car rentals in maui hawaii it is an "eat or be eaten" world.  Because lingcod are found in rocky, shallower areas, if you are going after them in the Cook Inlet area, a longer boat ride is required to the more open waters in the Gulf of Alaska. The season starts July 1st and the great thing about this adventure is, you just never know what will be on your hook when you reel in your line.  Jigs are again used to entice these prehistoric looking fish. Lingcod, yellow eye, black bass and halibut all inhabit some of the same areas and a day trip can really present you with a great Alaskan mixed bag of fillets. Hill Norvell's car rentals in maui hawaii Alaskan Adventures out of Seward runs one of the best boats anywhere in Alaska for multi-species trips.
Of course, the prize of the world famous Kenai River is the chance of hooking into a world record "king" salmon. The Alaska king salmon is the largest species of Pacific salmon. car rentals in maui hawaii The present Alaska State Sport Fishing record is 97.25 lbs taken on the Kenai River. In fact, of the top 10 king salmon record holders, nine of these fish were taken in the Kenai River. King salmon spend from 2-5 years in the ocean, so their size in a run varies a lot, with the State of Alaska average for this salmon car rentals in maui hawaii being about 20 lbs., however Kenai king salmon are typically in the 20-50 lb. range. No other salmon draws as much attention as the king salmon which is the official State of Alaska car rentals in maui hawaii fish. Hooking and landing a big king salmon is the dream of most of the fisherman who come to the Kenai Peninsula and from early May to the end of July many fisherman, from beginners to professional sport fisherman, try to fulfill that dream with a fish that has legendary power and grace.  When the Kenai Peninsula kings begin their return to their spawning streams they will generally follow the Kenai Peninsula coastline until they get to their waterway and head up the stream or river of their hatch until they reach their original spawning car rentals in maui hawaii beds.  Powerboats are used on the Kenai River, with back trolling with "quick-fish" or "eggs" the most common techniques.  King salmon fishing is also very popular on the Kasilof River, where drift boats only are allowed, car rentals in maui hawaii but offers a another car rentals in maui hawaii great experience that is well worth the effort.
High flying red and silver salmon are prized for their meaty fillets, with each species having two runs each yearly; June and late July for reds (sockeye) and August and September for silvers (coho).  Pink salmon make their run on even years on the Kenai and "humpies" car rentals in maui hawaii as they are also called, can offer even more excitement to your trip.  I always try to influence first timers and families to plan their trip on an even year to take advantage of the pink run.  The numbers of pinks in the river are big and it is a great opportunity to introduce young and old alike into the 'catching' part of fishing. Reds and pinks are usually in the 4-10 pound range, with silvers ranging up to as much as 20 pounds during their second run in September.  Monster rainbow trout and beautiful Dolly Varden are also available for catch and release, May through October and a float trip on the upper Kenai is definitely a must do.  The Gone Fishin' Lodge is one of our original Platinum Approved car rentals in maui hawaii Outfitters and is located right on the banks of the Kenai River in Soldotna.  They can put together a trip for you that will give you a chance to experience a different location and species every day of your trip.
Although the Soldotna area, in my estimation, offers the best all-around Alaskan fishing adventure, there are many great destinations throughout the state.  Here is a list of some of our other wonderful Platinum Approved Outfitters in Alaska that I have visited and the species that they offer:
Alaska's Bearclaw car rentals in maui hawaii Lodge Wood/Tikchik area near Dillingham in the Bristol Bay Drainage: River and lake fishing for all five species of salmon, along with great rainbow, Arctic char, grayling car rentals in maui hawaii and northern pike action.
Pybus Point Lodge Admiralty Island near Juneau: Mostly ocean fishing for all five species of salmon, halibut, lingcod, yellow eye and other rock fish, shrimping and crabbing as well as  limited stream fishing for salmon and trout.
Tsiu River Lodge Tsiu River near Yakutat: car rentals in maui hawaii Great river fishing for silver