Salmon Fishing is an Alaskan tradition. Sometimes the fish is almost as big as the fisherman!With the end of winter and the first signs of spring comes the anticipation of a new run of salmon. Alaska fishermen and fishing fanatics from all over the world crave the thought of hordes of salmon filling Alaska’s streams with the tasty fish. Salmon arrive in Alaska’s waters in waves.Salmon species and when they arrive.The first to arrive is the Chinook or King Salmon. Perhaps the most sought after of all the salmon species, it is also the largest. The average King will vary depending on the waters they come from. Each creek or River that holds Kings will have its own reputation for kings of various sizes. The Kenai peninsula has a reputation for producing very large Kings. The Kenai River is perhaps the King of Rivers in South Central Alaska for producing Record Book Kings. Salmon weighing 60, 70, even 80 pounds, are caught each season. The current record for rod and reel in Alaska is from the Kenai River and was caught by Les Anderson and weighed an astounding 102 lbs. Consider that you are using relatively light tackle and fishing in swift waters, this can be an experience of a lifetime. Landing a King can be a physically exhausting adventure and may take up to several hours to accomplish. I remember once seeing on the 6 o’clock news that a man had a huge King on and had been fighting it for hours. He fought the Monster for several hours, before the King won the battle and swam free. It was a major story, because they thought it was perhaps a new record. Wow, imagine fighting a fish for so long that the News crews show up for the event. That’s the most intriguing thing about King fishing, you never know just how big the fish might be. Most waters that hold kings will produce the occasional 60 pounder, and believe me, 60 pounds is plenty to fight, and will be a story you tell for years to come.  Here's me with a very small King, barely 10 lbs., but a lot of fun to catch!The next to arrive is the Sockeye or Red Salmon. This is considered by many to be the best tasting of all the Salmon. The commercial fleets are primarily fishing for Reds because of their commercial value and the shear number of fish that return each year to reproduce in the lakes of Alaska. Reds will turn a very bright red color after being in fresh water for short time. Some Rivers will literally fill up with Reds and the fishing can be fantastic. Millions of Reds return each year and Alaskans and visitors alike can fill their freezers.The Chum or Dog Salmon is not far behind. Chums are less numerous and not consider to be as delectable as other salmon species. However a fresh Dog will make a fine meal for anyone. These salmon are known for their fight and they grow to be 20 pounds or better. As they turn colors in the fresh water they will develop a vertical striped pattern that makes them very easy to identify. Pink Salmon or Humpys are next. This is perhaps the smallest of the pacific salmon but they make up for their size with numbers. Millions and millions of pinks fill Alaska’s bays and streams each July and August. It is not uncommon to see creeks loaded with spawning pinks in the fall, splashing around in an overcrowded creek. They get their nickname Humpys from the males that will develop a very pronounced hump on their back during the spawn. 
My buddy Bill with a nice silver he caught on a late fall trip to Prince William Sound.
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