By Nick Varney

Special to the Homer Independent Press

This week’s fishing report could easily be classified as a hybrid weather briefing due to the snippy attitude of Mother Nature and her wet minions of fronts cavorting through the area.

One day, it was T-shirts and sunscreen, a day later it took high quality scuba gear just to look up.

The constant debut of rolling curtains of rain across the peninsula kept the rivers in flux, with the high water putting a serious smack-down on the fishing.

Monday, the Spit surprisingly reflected flashback images of the Fourth of July.

Many of the parking lots and boat trailer storage areas were jammed along with a long line of two-abreast rigs lined up waiting to launch.

The cleaning tables were humming as knives sliced plump reds from China Poot into primo fillets or globs of meat resembling something previously gnawed on — the latter depending on the skill level and sobriety of the wielder. Most likely both.

The Fishing Hole hasn’t been the hottest scene for action lately because the king run has turned into a tardy selection of wandering jacks and a few overzealous and early arriving silvers.

Even the pathetic bare-hook floss snaggers are a rare sight but will return when the coho run gets real and will be as welcome as a full scale invasion of pinks into the lagoon.

Time now to take a look at the fishing report for the week of July 20.

Freshwater fishing

The lower sections of the lower Kenai Peninsula roadside streams are open to sport fishing for fish other than kings, but conditions are nasty, high and muddy. Fishing is not likely to be productive this week ‘cause even they can’t see what they’re doing.

China Poot personal use sockeye salmon

The massive invasion of sockeye continues to roar into the dip net area. Fishing is expected to remain rockin’ for the remainder of July.

Saltwater fishing

Kachemak Bay/Cook Inlet

Halibut

Halibut fishing kept the heat on the past week, with some impressive flats flapping into the holds.

Hitting them during the slack tides works well by allowing baits to be soaked near the bottom without the use of an old refrigerator to hold the bottom.

King salmon

King fishing was ugly to tolerable last week, with some anglers reporting some success off and around Point Pogibshi. Everywhere else was as active as a filet on ice.

Lingcod

Lingcod fishing has been open since July 1.

Expect some pretty fair to flat good fishing over the next week if the seas behave enough for you to reach the outer coast and fish along it from the Chugach Islands to Gore Point.

Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon

A few tenacious anglers have nailed some early-arriving silvers, typically on the incoming tide. Roe, small plug-cut herring and pieces of mackerel about a foot and a half below a steelhead bobber or flashy spinners with red highlights will work well on these shiny warriors.

Surf fishing

Whiskey Gulch and Deep Creek are still the way to go for taking halibut from the shoreline.

Willing to fish for just about anything? Well, give fishing off the tip of the Homer Spit a shot. Some pretty fine entrees with fins are lurking around out there along with species that have yet to be identified as originating on earth and may consider you as edible.

Sockeye

There should be a superfluity (big honkin’ bunch) of sockeye in Tutka Lagoon and in front of China Poot Creek.

Most fish chasers snag these fish with weighted treble hooks and the technique has been working great the last few days. Expect the same during the coming week.

Emergency Orders

King Salmon Restrictions in Cook Inlet Salt Waters

Rockfish Restrictions in North Gulf Coast and Cook Inlet

Reduced Season and Bag Limit for Hatchery King Salmon, and Gear Restrictions in the Ninilchik River

Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast Sport and Personal Use Razor Clam Permit Now Required

For additional information, please contact the Homer ADF&G Office at 907-235-8191.

Until next week…

Nick can be reached at ncvarney@gmail.com if you have any tips, tales or more printable suggestions on what to do about the arrogant flouting of the regs at the lagoon.