Fishing Report: Snagging sockeyes in Seward

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It is a telltale sign that the summer fishing season has officially arrived when hundreds of anglers converge on Seward to snag for sockeye salmon.

Snagging is only allowed in saltwater and the area down Nash Road near McDonald’s Campground is one of the few places in Alaska where you can snag legally. To get the job done, anglers will need a size eight snagging hook, some very strong line and a good stretch due to the repetitive ripping motion for hours on end. It also helps to have a set of waders as well to really get into the game, but those are not always necessary.

“I am a lifelong Alaskan, so it’s what I have always known,” Seward snagger Alex Roy said. “It feels good to have a story behind what I eat you know kind of that subsistence lifestyle you know living off what I catch.”

The limit is six sockeyes per day and six in possession. If the run is hot, anglers should have no problem pulling in that limit in an hour or two. The best part about snagging has to be the availability.

Anglers snagging in Resurrection Bay don’t need a boat, just transportation to Seward and a cooler to bring all the fish you catch back home. If for some reason the fish don’t find themselves on the end of your fishing line, the feeling of fishing in one of the most beautiful spots in the state Resurrection Bay is unmatched.

“It is just so beautiful and you kind of get your fish preseason, so it is a good way to jump-start the year,” Naomi Pollock said.

The best time to go is 1-2 hours before high tide and to find that information click here.

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