Proposal to allow sockeye snagging throughout Alaska

10/30/06

Juneau, Alaska - A former member and chairman of the Kenai-Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee has proposed allowing anglers statewide to snag sockeye salmon. The effort is to reduce injuries to fishermen and to ease crowding on the Kenai and Russian rivers.

A former member and chairman of the Kenai-Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee has proposed allowing anglers statewide to snag sockeye salmon.

The Advisory Committee agreed and recommended that the state Board of Fisheries remove the prohibition on illegally hooking a fish somewhere besides the mouth. The board will consider it at its March meeting in Anchorage.

Dwight Kramer proposed the idea after seeing fishermen injured on the river.

"I was up fishing one day several years ago on the Russian," he said. "I was only there for an hour and two people got hooked." ADN.com reported.

Jan Carlson of Anchorage agrees with the idea. "I fish the Russian every year and it would thin out the crowds if they could get their three fish and leave. The hillbillies from down South make it scary at the confluence. They've never seen so many fish and have no idea how to fish sockeye correctly."