We are really excited to announce that Sledge Outfitters has taken the knowledge we've obtained on the water and started our own lure line! Locals Only Lures is simplifying the lure buying process by highlighting local guides and picking the most productive lure they use season after season. So if your visiting new waters or going after a new species, take out the guessing game of which lure to use and trust the local guide with their Locals Only Lure. Already assembled, Locals Only Lures is an attach and go option having you fish like the guides in less than 5 minutes. 10% Goes Towards Taking Veterans Hunting and Fishing We are fortunate enough here at Sledge Outfitters to have been able to guide hunting and fishing trips for returning veterans. This is something that is really special to us! the truth is the different foundations don't have enough founding to support all the veterans that should be able to go on hunting and fishing trips. Sledge Outfitters has decided to dedicate funds to this cause and give the opportunity for you to partner with us as we respect those who have fought for our freedoms and gift them with hunting and fishing trips. With each lure you buy from Locals Only Lures 10% proceeds go towards taking veterans hunting and fishing! How cool is that! Locals Only Lure King Salmon The first lure launched is a king salmon Lure specifically for Alaska. We like to call this baby the Record Setter. This lure highlights Evan Sledge who is a fishing guide for king salmon on the Kenai and Kasilof River. Evan said, "it's a no brainer, I have a lure I assemble called Record Setter. Record Setter has been my most producing king salmon setup year after year. It doesn't matter if it's the first or second run of salmon, I will always have a record setter out there. Packaging No more pointless descriptions and directions we have seen out of lure manufactures to this point. Locals Only Lures give clear and easy directions along with pictures to be sure you are using the lure correctly in under 5 minutes. Locals Only Lures also will tell you very clearly what species this lure targets and what waters it has been guide proven to work. Also, you can visit sledgeoutfitters.com to watch videos of the sponsored guide giving direction on how to assemble and use your lure. Where to Buy Right now Locals Only Lures King Salmon can be found in local tackle shops in Soldotna and Kasilof. We are trying to get in more locations right now. If locals Only Lures is something that you are interested in we recommend you tell your local tackle shop and we will try our best to supply them with some lures. In the meantime our Locals Only Lure is available to order via our website. The Future Locals Only Lures will continue to expand its offering highlighting bass guides on different Texas lakes, as well as trout and salmon here in Alaska. Our guides in Texas are field testing our bass lure for lake Granbury, Fork and Rayburn right now. We are hoping to have a launch next Spring!
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The season Is upon us!!! going into the third week of June Soldotna is getting busier and more people are out on the water fishing. Although it isn't as busy as the July rush, it is safe to say that June on the Kenai has arrived. I hope this short blog is helpful and interesting before you head up. Kenai Kings There aint nothing I love more than going after some king salmon! King salmon are the prize fish here in Alaska and are the hardest of the five species of salmon to catch. As a guide it takes a lot of preparation and knowledge to get one of these beast. This early run we experimented with our gear, and have found a recipe the big kings can't resist. One of the good problems we have had is the kings we have been catching are above the Alaska fish and game requirements for June of 36 inches (more on Kenai regs). After talking with other guides, we are not the only ones catching some good size kings on the first run. Usually the second run (July) of king salmon will be larger on the Kenai River than the first run in May and June. However, it is known that some of the biggest kings of the season will come up late May early June. In fact, The world record king salmon was caught around this time. On May 17th 1985 Les Anderson caught the world record king salmon on the Kenai River. The monster fish weighed in at 97 and 1/4 pounds (more on Les Anderson). Now I am not saying that someone is going to take over Les Andersons record this season, but I would bet that when it does happen it's on the Kenai River. Insider Info: We have started to se a few Russian reds coming through the stream. So the next 10 days should be a good chance to catch some early run sockeye. Kasilof Kings The Kasilof River in my opinion is one the most hidden gems in Alaska. The Kasilof River is about 15 minutes south of Soldotna and brings the true Alaska adventure. The Kasilof offers excellent salmon fishing, lots of wildlife, a peaceful float, and a lot of history. The first hunting license given in Alaska was given to Andrew Berg. Andrew Berg would take out rick Europeans for hunts and fishing trips on the Kasilof river and Tustemena Lake. The Kasilof has been a little slow on fishing this season. A large part of this can be due to the low and cold water temperatures. Luckily, the last two days we have had rising water levels and an increase in strikes while fishing. The Kasilof should just keep getting better and better as the season goes on. July on the Kasilof is a great time to plan your combo trips. we will start in Tustemena lake, do some sockeye fishing on the upper kasilof, have a beachside lunch, then finish up with king fishing the bottom Kasilof. Halibut Free some freezer space cause were catching limits out in Deep Creek. The halibut fishing has been pretty good out of Homer, Anchor Point, and Deep Creek. After talking with a few other captains it seems pretty aware the halibut are still staying shallow between 80-150 feet. If your looking to catch big halibut try fishing a salmon head, and watch your pole come tide switch. Emergency Orders Alaska Department of Fish and Game made a few emergency orders regarding salmon fishing. The Anchor River and Ninilchik have been closed the rest of June to fishing. Also saltwater salmon fishing has been closed within a mile of Deep Creek. If you have a combo trip planned out of Deep Creek, I would recommend calling your guide/outfitter and just ask them if this emergency order affect your trip in any way. Just recently we got to other emergency orders. We recommend you visit Alaska Fish and Game website to learn about all regulation changes. Pretty much though, the emergency river affected the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers for king salmon fishing. On the Kenai River it is only catch and release for king salmon. On the Kasilof River you can old retain hatchery king salmon. |