On the river Shouldering into someone else's run In combat fishing zones in Alaska, people tend to congregate where other anglers are catching fish. Provided that the run is equal, two anglers 200 feet apart using the same technique will catch the same amount of fish. Therefore, don't sidle up to someone catching fish and expect that being 20 feet away from this person will allow you to catch more sockeye. Work on your technique and give the other fisherman some space.

Low-holing Let's say you are floating a Susitna Valley stream and you notice two people floating towards you in one-man rafts. Should you a) jump in your boat and row like to hell to stay in front of them or b) take your time fishing the hole that you are in and leapfrog them later? The same concept applies to hiking a river in a group. Take turns on the lead so that all members in your party get a chance at new water. Don't be afraid to fish the water that has been fished, using a different lure or presentation. What's better than burning your fishing buddy when you come in behind him and catch fish in a run where he couldn't so much as stir up a strike?

Casting too far Spend some time on the upper Kenai River during the peak of the sockeye runs and you will undoubtedly see anglers casting halfway across the river trying to catch a red salmon. Watch the skilled anglers on the river and you will notice that they roll cast about two rod lengths and keep in contact with their lure the entire drift. When they hook fish, they create less tangles for the other anglers around them since they have less line in the water. They are also more likely to hook a sockeye in the mouth, rather than snagging a fish blindly, and this also reduces tangles since a snagged fish often turns and runs downstream at breakneck pace, crossing all lines in the way.

Light tackle I'm not suggesting that you use halibut gear fishing for salmon, but it is easier to land a fish more quickly with heavier tackle. It is easier on the fish if you intend to release it and will allow you to get more fish for your freezer in less time.

Catch-and release-tactics There have been too many occasions on the Kenai this summer when I witnessed someone hook and fight a rainbow and then attempt to drag it on the beach like a sockeye. I jumped in on five separate fish and helped the angler keep the trout in the water and release it with a minimum of handling. If you intend to let a fish go, then keep it in the water and wet your hands before handling. It also makes good sense to pinch your barbs.

Boat Launches Lack of patience When you finally arrive at a boat launch and are full of anticipation to start fishing, it is a real trial on one's patience to have to sit and wait while inexperienced anglers fumble around the launch. The best thing that you can do is have some patience and not let it ruin what will soon be a fun day. After all, we all start inexperienced. Not preparing before occupying the boat launch Before putting your boat on the launch, make sure that you have everything ready to go. Take off your trailering strap and safety chain, put the plugs in, connect your battery, tie on your lines, load all of your gear, and do anything else required to your boat in order to go in the water in advance of approaching the launch. Once the boat is in the water, the only thing you should have left to do is remove the winch cable and tie-off to the dock before pulling your vehicle and trailer away from the ramp.

Too little practice backing your trailer in tight quarters using your mirrors It can be pretty embarrassing to swerve your way down the boat launch, with repeated failed attempts to properly put your trailer where it needs to be, either with or without a boat. This type of behavior also leads to agitation with others waiting to use the boat launch, bringing us full circle to a general lack of patience among anglers. Therefore, take the time to get good at backing your trailer with your mirrors. Go to an empty parking lot and practice.

Taking up two lanes of a boat ramp This is more a subsection of the previous point, but it bears consideration nonetheless.

Efficiency in taking the boat out of the water Before putting the trailer in the water, or the boat in the main body of the boat launch, be ready for the other party. If you are a one man operation, try not to hold up other boats that will take less time getting out of the water. The boat launch is a bottleneck and we all need to try to reduce the traffic jam.

I'm aware most of our readers probably don't make these kind of mistakes on a regular basis, but by pointing out some of these solutions, we might just be able to enjoy the amazing productivity of our state's waterways for a long time.

ÑMarcus Weiner Publisher