CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Shipping Fish

There is nothing as mouth watering as the smell of a wild caught salmon as it sits in a layer of sizzling oil. There’s nothing that gets the stomach rumbling like a big slab of wild caught salmon sitting over a bed of charcoal. It’s one of the main reasons anglers from all over the world come to Alaska. We have great salmon runs.

A question I get all the time is, how do I get my fresh Kenai River salmon home?

When you fish with Jason’s Guide Service we fillet any salmon you catch and keep.  After your day on the water we will direct you to a reputable fish processor who will vacuum pack your fish for you.  Once you have your fish packaged you have the option of paying the processor to freeze and store your fish, or you can bring them to where ever you are staying.

After you have packaged and frozen fish the best two options for transporting home is shipping through FedEx or bringing it home as luggage.  The FedEx option is great for people who are on the front end of their vacation and don’t want to travel with fish.  The luggage option is my favorite because it costs a lot less.

How much it costs exactly to ship salmon by Fed Ex, varies depending on weight.  The cost of bringing it home as luggage depends on what airline you fly and how many checked bags you have.  With a couple phone calls you should be able to come up with a ball park estimate of cost and budget it into your trip.

Once you get your fish home the only logistic left is making sure you don’t let the secret out that you have some Kenai River salmon on the menu or you may discover you have loads of close friends and neighbors who will just happen to arrive at your door around dinner time.

 

CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Common Questions

Is there a toilet in the boat? Will flip-flops work on my feet? Are those albino eagles?

 

These are not common questions, but I get them on occasion. And there is really no question that doesn’t warrant an answer. Because there is nothing scarier than the unknown. Having all the answers mean you have all the solutions to anything that can arise during your trip and this means smooth sailing, or in our case, is a smooth drift.

 

One key question is, “How long have you been guiding?” Now I agree that experience is a major benefit, and I’ve been on the rivers in Alaska for 30 years, but there are some old, cranky, burnt-out and impatient guides out there that have a lot of experience but little tolerance and even-temperedness anymore. So, experience is only as good as the personality and passion of the guide.

 

On the other hand, Through experience I realize there are some phenomenal young guides on the Kenai River. I have them working for me. I firmly believe that a well-trained young guide with a high level of motivation to treat their anglers with the best trip possible.

 

Young guides are inspired to produce by many differing emotions. The quest to be the best on the water can be driven by their fear of failure, their desire for prestige among their peers and elders, and their determination to prove they can get the job done.

 

The only way to ensure a young guide is capable of becoming an all-star and providing anglers with the experience they deserve is through a rigorous training program. My guides all start training well before the season begins beginning with boat safety, and ending with customer satisfaction.

 

I get asked a lot, “Are there restrooms on the river?” The Kenai River has restrooms at the boat launches, but that’s it. If you have to answer nature’s call while we’re drifting I can easily pull the boat over to the shoreline.

 

How do I get my fish home? That’s one that everyone loves to hear my answer. Because, I fillet your salmon right on the river. I will recommend the best processor in Cooper Landing where you can have them vacuum packed, paying by the pound. Your fillets can either be taken on the plane as luggage in a cooler or freezer box you purchase from the fish processor, or you can ship the fish by FedEx. Most all fish processors can store your fish and will arrange the FedEx shipment.

 

How do I get a fishing license? The easiest way is get it online at ADFG.com. You DO NOT need a king salmon stamp when you fish with Jason’a Guide Service. You can also purchase a license at any sporting goods store in Anchorage when you arrive. Even some grocery stores will sell you a license in Alaska. Just check at the Customer Service desk.

 

How much do I tip my guide?  Millions in stock. Cryptocurrency works well too. All kidding aside. There is an industry standard. This is ten to twenty percent. Many tips are directly related to the amount and size of fish that were caught. While this makes sense to many, what people don’t realize is when the fishing is good, it’s really easy to be a great guide. When the fishing is tough, and it can be in a fair-chase environment where the resource gets a lot of pressure, a great guide will dig deeper and work harder to put a fish in the net.

 

When you log 150 days on the water a year you realize that only a small percentage are truly phenomenal. With that in mind you can grasp that a great guide is there to provide you the best experience based solely on the conditions that are present when you are on the water. The best guides will use every resource at their disposal to guarantee your trip was a complete success.

 

With that in mind, tip according to the overall experience.

 

Oh, and how about those albino river eagles?  In states where you see real eagles you’ll know immediately that those are just big sea gulls.

 

 

CategoriesRainbow Trout, Salmon by

Is There a Best Time to Target a Particular Species?

So I get a phone call. “I want to come up when the sockeyes are running hard; when is the best time?” Now this is six months to a year before the season opens. So I get out my trusty crystal ball and tell them exactly when the perfect time will be when the salmon will be in the river so thick you can walk from one shoreline to the other on the backs of those fish. Okay; that’s not going to happen. Even the best biologist in the world can’t answer that question, let alone a lousy psychic with a cracked and broken crystal ball.

So, all I can do is use my experience and past patterns to come up with a high-percentage outlook on when the optimum time is going to be for a particular species to be at their highest concentration in the system.

There are other variables to decoding when a particular species will be at the height of their concentrations as well as the ability to target trophy-sized fish. Let me give you some examples.

Basically, sockeye salmon and silver salmon have two good runs each year on the Kenai River where I guide. The first run of sockeye salmon run up the Kenai into the Russian River. This begins in early June. The second sockeye run starts in mid-July and runs hard through August. Both runs are controlled by a season opening date as well as a season closing date.

The first silvers show up in the Kenai at the beginning of August and arrive at the upper and middle river sections in good numbers typically around the third week of August. The second run is in full swing by the second week of September.

Success is dictated by timing and the size of the runs. Some years are better than others when it comes to the number of fish in the system. And, the runs generally come in waves with peaks and valleys. You can be on the river one day and have but a few hooks and the next day the waters are teaming with fish.

Trophy rainbow trout and char in the Kenai are a wild strain of fish that are in the system all year long. Big ones, the fish that are 26 inches or larger are definitely a seasonal phenomenon. The best times to target the huge fish are the last ten days of August until the end of October. The big trout are keying on the salmon spawn and this is what makes these discerning fish gullible for a tempting presentation.

So, is there a best time to target a species? Absolutely. That being said, your only option when planning a trip well in advance of arrival is to play the percentages and roll the dice hoping for sevens when you arrive. If you hit the runs perfectly we look like geniuses.

CategoriesRainbow Trout, Salmon by

Putting the Bullseye on Your Target Species

We’ve all heard the saying, “If I had a nickel for (pick your topic), I’d be rich.” Well, I might not be up to Warren Buffet’s level yet, but I could take the family out to the finest dining experience in Alaska with what my proceeds would be based on this one quandary.

If I had a nickel every time someone bought a ticket, flew to Alaska to target a species that was not even available to them, it would generate a pretty penny. It’s truly amazing to me how many individuals come here expecting to get into a particular species and they can’t due to the wrong timing.

My point here is that you must put the bullseye on your target species. Don’t book a silver salmon trip in June. Don’t book a sockeye salmon trip in October. And don’t think you’re going to have 30-inch rainbows jumping in the boat on the Kenai River if you’re there in July.

I could go so far to say that some periods of the season are better than others. You can find out all you need to know before hitting the “buy” button on that airline web site just by giving me a call. I’m a guide. It’s my business to know what works, when it works, and why it works, and this will ensure that you end up in the right place at the right time putting that perfect cast dead center into that target of that species you have decided to pursue. And everything else is just icing on the angling cake.

CategoriesDolly Varden, Fly Fishing, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

2020 Recap and 2021 Forecast

2020 Recap

2020 was a year that had a lack of anglers on the river, the least ever in the last 10 years. That made for some of the most phenomenal rainbow trout and Dolly Varden fishing in as long as I can remember. I anticipate this will carry over into 2021 resulting in a lot of un pressured fish. We should make 2021 the year that we educate them with tactics and techniques they have yet to experience.

2021 forecast

If Nostradamus was a guide on the Kenai River here’s what he would predict for 2021 ye shall see, according to the Alaska Fish and Game there will be strong first and second run of sockeye salmon. The lack of pressure on the rainbow trout and Dolly Varden char in 2020 will make for some phenomenal fishing in 2021. The first and second run of silver salmon is predicted to be big runs this year as well, so the fishing on the Kenai River should be great from June 11 through October this year for all the species.

Capitalizing on a Salmon run

When there is a great salmon run anybody can catch a fish, but not everyone will get a limit. When it is a smaller salmon run everyone won’t catch fish, it takes experience and knowledge to put fish in the boat. To truly capitalize on a salmon run good timing and a good guide are a must, but timing is only as good as the guide you choose. So choose wisely.

Experience is your catalyst for success

There are two ways you gain advanced knowledge on the Kenai River. Someone like myself who has spent a lifetime fishing and spent decades guiding on the Kenai River learned through my own experiences. Those that guide for me under my banner have both the benefit of their own experiences plus the added knowledge of my experience. There is no substitute for time on the water and trial and error, yet training with someone with my degree of experience can defiantly shorten their learning curve. Always choose guides that you know are strong in their knowledge and passionate about the never ending quest for perfection.

Being flexible on a guided trip

Control the controllable’s and be prepared for the unpredictable. When you book a trip no matter how much homework you do Mother Nature has a way of being unpredictable. The angler’s that are willing be flexible are the ones that usually have the most success. Because, the salmon run could be off, the river could be blown out, the water temperatures on a glacier river can fluctuate greatly, water levels could be high or low. These variables, and others mean adapting to achieve your goals. Make sure to choose a guide that is capable of adapting under any circumstance in using the gear weather it be fly rods, spinning rods, conventional tackle, or hand tied flies to ensure you get the fish to bite.

CategoriesDolly Varden, Ice Fishing, Jasons Guide Service, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

We Launched Our New Website

Jason Lesmeister, owner of Jason’s Guide Service, has 20 years of experience as an Alaskan fishing guide, ten of them on the Kenai River, so he is well qualified to help visiting anglers shorten the necessary learning curve for a successful trip.

He has just launched his new website, www.JasonsGuideService.com.The website was redesigned from the ground up and now contains helpful information about the fish to be found in the Kenai River, the best season for each, and the services and equipment Lesmeister offers.

When asked about the upgraded website, Lesmeister said, “I love everything about our new web presence. It’s going to allow me to provide more detailed information about the gear we use and what we are catching day in and day out. I will also be updating my blog on the website on a regular basis so you can read up on our guests’ adventures.”

Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden appeal to fishermen because they bite readily, put up an aggressive fight, and are plentiful all year. Red (sockeye) salmon, silver (coho) and other salmon species migrate up the Kenai River at certain times. Sockeye salmon peak from mid-July through the first week in August. Silver salmon fishing is best from the third week of August through the end of October.

Lesmeister’s Kenai River guiding service provides all the equipment you might need, including custom built 20 foot drift boats, G. Loomis, Sage, Lamson and Shimano rods and reels, and all tackle and baits. They will also clean fish and offer other expertise necessary for a quality trip.

Ice fishing the Kenai and surrounding lakes is also outstanding and Jason’s Guide Service is one of the few serious organizations serving this type of fishing and implement the latest technology to locate the fish and keep you warm on the ice.

Jason is headquartered in Cooper Landing, Alaska, and covers the entire Kenai River resource – Kenai, Soldotna, Sterling, Skilak Lake, Kenai Lake, and the Cooper Landing Area. Fishermen are encouraged to bring their cameras so they can post photos of their catch with the others on the website’s “Braggin’ Board”. It is a good idea to make reservations for prime seasons as far in advance as possible.

For more information, visit the website and send questions via the contact form or push the handy “Push to Call” button to initiate a direct call.

Contact:

Jason’s Guide Service
Mile Marker 48
Cooper Landing, AK 99572
(866) 738-6638 | Toll-Free

www.JasonsGuideService.com

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CategoriesIce Fishing, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

Spring is in the Air

It’s March, and March is one of the best months of the year for fishing the Kenai in my world. March doesn’t have the hordes of spawning salmon, or salmon carcasses floating down the river. In the spring we have different hatches going off, alvin and smolt popping, leeches and lamprey swimming the river. It’s a magical time on the river to go and fish without the masses of people and the opportunity to fish more than just flesh and beads. Spring on the Kenai it’s where it’s at!! www.Jasonsguideservice.com

CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Sockeye Salmon is it a sport fish or a meat fish?

Sockeye Salmon run into the Kenai in great abundance most years and have many different obstacles to avoid before the spawn.  I’m a fishing guide on the Kenai so Sockeye are a sport fish that is fun to catch on fly rods and also very tasty to eat.  Some of my good friends wouldn’t use a rod to catch a Sockeye to save there life if they can use a net.  Regardless of tool used to catch or harvest these fish everybody that pursues these fish loves the action.  I personally like to keep and kill about 20 fish a year so I can smoke some, jar some, and freeze some fresh.  Everybody has there magic number, and that’s ok as long as none of the meat isn’t getting wasted.  It’s the meat mongers of the world that ruin things for everyone, wether they use rod and reel or net.  As Alaskans we have the right to harvest these fish how we please, and that should come with responsibility.  Whatever weapon you choose it’s your responsibility to not be wasteful and to cherish the meat you get.  Don’t kill more than your going to eat, we need the fish too spawn so we can enjoy them year after year, from generation to generation.  Please be responsible so we can all enjoy our natural resources year after year.  www.jasonsguideservice.com

Sockeye Salmon is it a sport fish or a meat fish?
CategoriesDolly Varden, Rainbow Trout, Salmon by

Chrome Fury on the Kenai

Sockeye Salmon, everybody want’s one…maybe 25 or 35.  Sockeye Salmon sport fish or subsistence fish?  Sockeye Salmon mean dollar bills to many, and means food to others.  Sockeye Salmon mean entertainment to those who catch them with rod n reel or net.  Sockeye Salmon are the life blood of the Kenai Rivers rainbow trout and Dolly Varden Char.
Who decided that the Kenai River is the place for Alaskans to come and catch as many Sockeye Salmon as they can over a three weekend period.  How many people are throwing away salmon to go kill 25 more?  How many people are stopping at Portage Alaska’s animal farm and dropping all there left over dip netted Sockeye Salmon so they can dip net more?
July is the season were all of Alaska comes to the Kenai Peninsula to to slay Salmon, drive like lunatics and litter everywhere and anywhere.
Thank you very little to the people that come down to the Kenai and take more fish than they want or need and litter there way across the state.

Chrome Fury on the Kenai
CategoriesJasons Guide Service, Salmon by

Control the Controllables

What’s the best time to fish, morning or evening, when is the salmon run the best, when should we book our trip, these are just a few of the many questions we get as guides, that have no right or wrong answer.  As a fair chase fishing guide on the legendary Kenai River, I get to see and experience it all.  I can’t predict the weather or the salmon runs.  I don’t know when the best of the day is gonna happen until it happens.  I deal with Mother Nature and what she throws my way daily.  What I do know is that a good guide controls the controllable’s and let’s Mother Nature take care of the rest.  Control the controllable’s means you use the best gear, have a clean boat, show up on time, have all the local up to date knowledge on the fishery, and are willing to crawl across barb-wire and broken glass to give your people a great fishing trip.  So when you pick a guide to fish with on the Kenai River pick one that controls the controllable’s and you’ll have a great trip.

Control the Controllables