Salmon Fishing Alaska's Kenai and Russian River for Silvers and Reds DIY

The Silhouette crew heads North to Alaska's Kenai Peninsula to battle Sockeye and Silver salmon DIY style. Scott, Jess and Dakota primarily fish the Kenai and Russian river for both species of salmon. You'll see their set ups and this great property that they stayed at managed by good friend Derek Gardner. Don't forget to watch the blooper reels at the end with a surprise bonus reel catch in the Alaska'n surf.
Contact Derek Gardner:
www.akfinsandf...
Phone: [phone]
Big thanks to Cutthroat Leaders Co. for their great furled salmon leaders!
www.cutthroatf...
Gear used:
Gamikatzu size 2/0 octopus hooks: amzn.to/3ww4RhP
Size 7 Snap Swivels: amzn.to/3wBCLli
1/4" Surgical Tubing: amzn.to/3FSYE3y
30 Lb. Stren Monofilament Line (clear) : amzn.to/3sJq06V
40 lb Seaguar Flourocarbon Leader: amzn.to/3NmNDdk
Green UV Glow Yarn: amzn.to/3Nji4RM
Soft Salmon Egg Beads: amzn.to/3FWfQ8j
9' Lamiglass bait casting rod Med-Heavy: amzn.to/3sGKRI9
Shimano Cardiff 400 Bait Casting Reel: amzn.to/3FEeWgT
Needle Nose Pliers: amzn.to/3wwUDO9
Get Social with us on Facebook and Instagram!!
You can find Jess Caldwell@
Facebook: / wildkindacademy
Instagram: / wildkindacademy
You can find Silhouette Outdoors on social media@
Facebook: / silhouetteoutdoors
Instagram: / silhouetteoutdoors
Music by Epidemic Sound music archive
#Salmonfishing
#Alaska
#Alaskaadventure
#Keanairiver
#Russianriver
#Fishingalaska
#Alaskafishing
#howtofish
#howtocatchsalmon
#silversalmon
#cohosalmon
#reds
#sockeyesalmon

[@dakotamiller7509]

This trip was one for the books no doubt. I still can’t put into words how amazing it was. I’m glad we are fortunate enough to continue these adventures and show our followers the memories being made.

[@marioguel6979]

She’s a badass!!!! Congrats and a solid first salmon, a hook in the hand, and a shot of booze. RAD!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

She is!! And that’s how we roll. Take a shot and get back after it! 🎣

[@STILLPHENOM]

That hookset on the finger was tough to look. Wat a keeper either way. 🙏🙏

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

It's brutal to watch, knowing it's coming. Tough lesson learned there..

[@TicklerDude]

I witnessed a lady take a hook to the eye on the Kenai. She was not wearing sunglasses and it was nasty. I saw her fishing a few days later wearing an eye patch. The doctor told her that she had a 50/50 chance of losing the eye permanently. Never saw her again, but I hope she's OK

[@susieast450]

Woohoo! Soldotna is my town! We had an amazing sockeye season and just getting ready to do some silver fishing. Great video. Such beautiful footage 🥹

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

I'm jealous!! I heard that the reds where thick again this year! hopefully they are again next year, as i'll be back. Glad you enjoyed the video! :)

[@joematt7333]

Awesome Video, my wife and I are heading to Derek's place in the middle of August. We can't wait. It will be our 1st trip to Kenai.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That’s excellent!! This was such a phenomenal trip!! Derek has a first class operation. You guys have to check out the Russian river as well as the Kenai.

[@joematt7333]

What restaurants did you go to? We love a good patio and beer.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

@@joematt7333 one of our favorites was Buckets in Soldotna. They had a phenomenal halibut fish and chips.

[@kennithandirsen7184]

I have been to all of this places...done that! A great time living in AK...!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Nice! I’m envious. Tough to beat those sockeye for table fare.

[@TrdOverland]

Hard to tell what she made look easier, the straight whisky or the hook through her finger 😳 what a champ👏🏼

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

And putting fish on the beach an hour after extracting that hook.

[@tomacquilano1304]

Oh man, I miss Alaska. Lived in Anchorage four 4 years. Was totally hooked on Salmon fishing. The Russian was my favorite. Could not stay away when the reds were running. I would shoot down there at the drop of a hat after work, do a little fishing, sleep in the back of the van and fish again in the morning until I got my limit. Tough to get the bright ones in August though. Once they start to turn pink and then red, they're no good to eat. Can't wait to get back up there. Thanks for the video. Really brings back memories.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

I’m jealous you got to spend 4 summers up there! I’ve came so close to moving there myself. Those reds are the best salmon I’ve ever eaten, can’t wait to get back as well. And really glad you enjoyed the video! Tight lines my friend..

[@jerryonly4939]

Derek is a great guy.Went fishing and hunting with him for years when he lived in Washington state.Hes a good guy and excellent fisherman.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That’s awesome! Derek’s a good guy!! And doing well with his guiding service, it’s a sweet setup! We talked a bunch about duck hunting, pretty sure I need a harlequin in my life at some point.

[@jerryonly4939]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors Funny that you say that my friend,I shot my second harlequin with Derek.We had a few awesome duck hunting spots until people came in with big money and leased them all.Derek and I would hit the local rivers literally every day in his sled.Hes a life long friend of mine.I love your content Sir and you definitely got a new sub.Good job on the video!

[@deancarver6899]

I cannot wait to make it up there this summer and do some catching on the Kenai

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

I’ve you’ve nerve been? It’s amazing!!! It will 100% spoil you.. Good luck!

[@deancarver6899]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors I went to Kodiak in 21 and even in December well after the peak of the runs still managed more silvers in a day than I've caught in probably the last 5seasons here in WA. I can't fathom what going in August to Kenai will be like

[@nickhumphreys3160]

Have me sold. Came across this video researching for the trip the wife and I are taking to Alaska this summer. Just booked the same lodge. Can not wait!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Honestly, you guys are going to love this place! Derek is great! The Kenai was even better than we had hoped, i'd say good luck, but you likely wont need it. Feel free to hit me up when you get there in case there's any tips i can help you guys out with to make it incredible!

[@fishsalmon8747]

Awesome video, one state I’d love to visit. That hook didn’t stop her!! 😀 hells yeah!! Fish on..

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thanks!! No it didn’t, she’s pretty tough. I know I would had to have lost a limb to stop fishing that day..

[@erinlogan9886]

Beautiful scenery and absolutely amazing salmons!!!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

It truly is an amazing place! And those salmon taste amazing as well. Thanks for watching!

[@joebass517]

Wow, Alaska is any fisherman's dream spot, amazing video & time guys, such an amazing fishery, incredible beautiful place, nothing better then the HOOK UP all day. Thx for sharing & info hope to make it up there next year. Howdy fellow Idahoans,👈🎣🎣

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thank you!! And yes! It will ruin you.. Catching 4-10 lb salmon until your arms get too tired is a great problem to have. Hope you make the trek, you can always message for info if you book a trip, happy to help!

[@joebass517]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors thx bud.

[@stevet8121]

Really awesome video! I've been to Soldotna a few times and it never disappoints if the timing is right. Dakota is a trooper and never skipped a beat with the hook in the finger. Ouch! Great photography too! Thanks!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thank you! Pretty sure we couldn’t have hit it any better to get limits of sockeye and silvers. That hook was gnarly.. Jess had to take antibiotics the rest of the trip because that hook hit bone..

[@albertapikewalleye6833]

Awesome haul and good job on the sslmon boys

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thank you!! Filling the freezer

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

I enjoyed that 👍 Jess and that hook though 🥴

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Gives us the heebeejeebee’s every time we watch that sequence.. That hook was buried!

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors yah, knock on wood it hasn't happened to me yet. She was champ about it 👍

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

@@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors crazy thing is, I had just buried a treble hook off a rapala in my thumb not a month prior for the first time.. And ya, it didn’t slow her down

[@brycelessfishing]

Alaska is so beautiful and looks absolutely awesome to fish! Definitely on my bucket list to fish there some day! Awesome video! -Bryce

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thanks!! It’s fishing paradise.. Better move that one to the top of this list

[@deancarver6899]

Dean Carver 1 second ago Do it.. I went up to visit family in Kodiak for thanksgiving in 21 and even the 1st week of december which is way past prime time caught more silvers than I normally catch in a whole season in Wa.. The amount of fish there is mind boggling

[@tyjo44]

Awesome video guys!!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it

[@davidanderson6712]

This was a surprise because I know Jess through my brother, there into the whole outdoor skills and survival rewilding experience, way cool for her toughing out the hook in the finger, very impressive. Although a true mountain gal would have run that sucker through the other side and skipped the doctor's office.

[@davidanderson6712]

I'm heading up to the Kenai in July to hopefully catch a few

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

It was pretty gnarly. That hook clipped the bone, so she had to get on antibiotics as well. Pretty cool an hour after extraction, she caught another silver. That place is amazing!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

@@davidanderson6712 you should kill it on reds! Has to be the best salmon on the Planet for table fare. Good luck!!

[@davidanderson6712]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors I'm stoked, a Buddie of mine has a cabin in Soldotna I fished up there 10 years ago when you could still keep the kings but never caught a sockeye, we fished hard for a week, went to Homer and caught Halibut one day. Great video by the way.

[@brucenilssen1235]

Great video....thank you

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Glad you liked it Bruce!

[@robertbeck8585]

Awesome video!! I just moved right on the Kenai river! I was curious which park you were at where you went plunking for cohos.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Thank you! I believe it was Centennial Park where the old timer’s were plunking, and they were doing really good every day!

[@mcfishingaddicts]

That's why pliers is very useful without touching the live fish with the hook with barb on it.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That’s a fact! I’ve never seen fish that squirm and flop as much as these. We are use to chinooks and steelhead, you can control them by the tail. Hard lesson learned right there..

[@damienbell3155]

I’ll give you some tips on the salmon runs. The kings in 2022 are going to be non catchable, but if you go to Seward end of may 1st week of June you can snag the kings in Seward , the sockeye come into Seward 1st week to that weekend for snagging on McDonald side of bay the 1st run of sockeye that hit Russian is around June 12-14 fish and game announces when it will open in 2020 40,000 plus came in so they opened the Russian and the sanctuary. You can track count off the AK fish and game site. You have to use a special hook for there, called the Russ river fly can be purchased everywhere here , the next run of reds sockeye come in on Kenai around July 16-21st somewhere in that date range, silvers come in august towards the end I go to klutina beginning of June afterseward and July , then I go to Valdez end of august beginning of September,the silvers their are huge. I did catch a 21lbs coho silver Sept 18’ Kenai river was flooded , actually caught 4 huge silvers. I bleed it and by the time I got it to fish and game it had dropped to 18.1 lbs. I got a trophy certificate for it. Anyways hope this helps you out and glad the lady didn’t lose her finger. She’s a bad azz. Oh snagging in homer for kings on July 4th in the lagoon sometimes silvers are already there mixed in.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That’s some great info, thank you!! We are Cabo bound to catch a rooster on the fly this summer, but coming back in summer of 2023! I’m fine with missing the pink run this year. I really want to catch a good halibut next trip too.,

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Congrats on that tanker silver btw! That’s HUGE!!

[@real.headless_horseman]

Hi thats a huge silver! What method of fishing were you doing?

[@damienbell3155]

@@real.headless_horseman I was lucky was caught on a 3/4 oz little wolf silver in color they only can be purchased in the 6 pack of Mepps spin lures. Have at Walmart

[@khecarlson]

oh man.. that hook in the finger... aaaaaah! worst nightmare come true!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

And not one you can just pull out.. We for sure charged up tactics in handling those fish after that

[@jeremykendall3003]

Awesome video! Just curious what time of year did you go and about what percentage or reds in Russian River we’re still silver? Thank you!

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

We went end of august. But you couldn’t keep reds in the Russian then, only the silvers. But reds were open on the Kenai still. It changes year to year. We got lucky.. Best sockeye run in 30 years

[@jaywillinchin5241]

Wow

[@kevinbrown8812]

fishing the Kenai in Soldotna and eating at Buckets, Can it get better then that?

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

It really doesn't.. And that's why we are returning this coming summer! The place spoils you bad

[@wrknhonks]

Sucks , done the same thing more than a few times … had to man up and push it through and cut the barb .. the hospital wasn’t an option .. good thing Owner hooks are super sharp pushed through no pain ..

[@adamsz5759]

Cudowna 'Laska' czy Alaska ?

[@Fernhockey3779]

What month was your trip?

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

We went in august. But the silver fishing goes right into September as well. Reds are more end of July. We got lucky and hit both

[@antik_adam]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors what part of august?

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

@@antik_adam we went end of august. But I’ve heard the sockeye run is already slowing down this year. How ever, the silvers will just get better as august goes on into September.

[@michaelwalters2235]

Huh. Hum .um. A. Jeeze. Nice trip tho 😁

[@darsunid]

MAANTABBB

[@christopherharrington4476]

Sol dot na…..

[@10MinutestoRouletteFortune]

OUCH......hook in the finger! That's every fisherman's nightmare!! Moral of the story? Keep the line tight in the water and LOOSE on land and in the hand. Years ago the Salty Dog Saloon literally had 2 inches of peanut shells on the floor. The said it was easier to clean up after someone drank too much and turned their head to ralph.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That’s hilarious! Who knew peanut shells had such a practical use. The big problem with those fish is there’s no good way to grab them if you’re going to release them, they won’t stop flop’n! Apparently the hospital gets a ton of hooks in body parts throughout salmon season..

[@10MinutestoRouletteFortune]

@@SilhouetteOutdoors Yup, silvers are acrobatic and a blast to catch especially on a 8 weight fly rod. I live up here near the Kenai and when you land them, we smack them over the head with a stick for that reason. It's just a local way of handling things. We all have learned the hard way and Gamakatsu hooks (the go to hook up here) are sharp. Many up here also go barbless to increase the challenge and for making it easier to pull out not only the hook for catch and release but out of our own flesh. I refuse to combat fish up here. Sadly its very common and flipping is a great way to get one stuck in you. Circle hooks are the way to go especially with Sockeyes when you floss. It rotates in the mouth and nearly guarantees a hook up.......it's also curved at the tip which cut the chance of you getting stuck by a large margin.....if not completely as the tip curves inward. I say, there is no better hook to use for Kokes and flossing. I'll never go back but, you can't use them on the upper K due to hook gap regulations. Keep the line tight.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

@@10MinutestoRouletteFortune great info! I’m planning on a return trip this next summer. I still need to catch a good halibut! We went so late in August, there weren’t many people, it was nice. I’ve been watching the madness at the mouth of the Russian and snagging out at Seward. No thanks! Lol

[@tearoftaste4183]

That's why you kill the fish first then take the hook out. Great video

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Great idea for the keepers, to bonk em first. But we did a ton of catch and release. After that incident, I just used pliers. That was so gnarly

[@DJcra]

going to the hospital for a hook in the finger?? really lol

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

Ya, it was all the way through her finger and poking out the other side. She had to be on antibiotics because it scratched the bone. It was pretty gnarly

[@JustMike2791]

Akk tese fish are dead soon anyway.

[@terrancemathew6032]

Wow they are pretty bad

[@quedub8184]

Brave girl. Reminds me of the last time I fished Steamboat Lake in Colorado. Feisty rainbows got the better of me one day. Was catching them one after another and instead of using a pliers I was just grabbing the hook. First one got me in the thumb. It was in the fleshy part so I was able to push into the flesh far enough to pull out the barb n hook. Not too bad. Second one got me in the forefinger. When I tried to pull the out the hook the barb had hooked onto a tendon and was not coming out. So I drove the boat, with a lure hanging off my finger, back to the campsite. Had to find someone with a cutters to cut the hook from the lure. Found a vice-grips that has a crude cutter. Went back to the RV, took a couple swigs of the Ol Jack, pushed the hook through the finger, then had my sweety grab the tip and pull it out. Lesson learned: I now carry a industrial wire cutter that's capable of cutting through a # 10 hardened steel wire. Oh yea...always use your pliers to unhook your fish!!

[@quedub8184]

Oh yea, don't have any on there myself but there's a collection of hooks that have been removed outside of the Urgent care, lol.