“Fishing from Washington to Alaska with Mister Twister and Mepps Lures with Steve Burress”

Part 2: Why I Like Fishing in Alaska

Editor’s Note: Steve Burress of Winlock, Washington, a member of the Mister Twister pro staff, fishes from Canada to Arizona and even in Alaska using Mister Twister and Mepps lures. This week, Burress will tell us where and how he fishes in his home state of Washington and in Alaska.

Question: Steve, why do you fish in Alaska, when the fishing’s so productive in Washington?

Burress: My children live in Alaska.

Question: What do you fish for when you visit Alaska?

Burress: Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden trout and silver salmon. For catching silver salmon, I’ll use the Mister Twister Steelhead and Trout Jig fished on 14-pound-test line.

Question: How do you fish the Steelhead and Trout Jig?

Burress: I’ll just drift the jig. Often when I’m reeling up the slack at the end of the drift, I’ll see one of those salmon come out of the shadows from halfway across the river to chase this bait. Those silvers like the white/white feather/blue flash/white Exude Trout Worm color. I’ll not only catch silver salmon with this jig, but I’ll also catch rainbow trout. I fish many of Alaska’s smaller streams and the Kenai River. The Little Susitna River is productive for catching rainbow trout and silver salmon.

If rainbow trout and silver salmon are in the lake, I’m fishing a Steelhead and Trout Jig. The rainbow trout in Alaska will measure up to 30-inches long, and the silver salmon often weigh from 12- to 14-pounds each. The silver salmon generally will come up the river first, followed by the rainbow trout and the Dolly Varden trout. Fishing through August and September, you usually can keep about six smallmouths per day. When fishing in Alaska, I’ll use an 8-1/2-foot rod with a Shimano reel. The 1/8-ounce Steelhead and Trout Jig is the perfect weight to bounce along the bottom.