Category Archives: The Captain’s Blog

Bright sun and t-shirt weather visited Sitka last week as clean-up and set-up got underway for AU. Captains Tom and Chuck went to work on boats including an installation of the latest electronics in Ouzel (Captain Tom’s boat) - a Simrad system that features the highly touted CHIRP sounding technology that is rumored to be the next quantum leap forward in find finding. Captain David took on the less glamorous task of sanding all the paint off the deck of Loon in preparation for a new coating of non-skid. Gus Ohaus addressed all kinds of clean up jobs around the lodge buildings and AU friend Joe Loranger, who runs an automotive shop east of Issaquah, began the process of getting the rental car fleet back into shape. We have less than a month until the Hook and Cook event and everything will be ship shape by then. The hard part last week was looking out to sea – flat calm and sunny for days with verified reports of kings begin caught at Biorka and Cape Edgecumbe. A pair of sea otters has taken up residence on the southeast corner of the island across from our waterfront suites and the herring are milling around and spawning along the shoreline. The work is hard, but the life is good in Sitka this spring.

We’ve recieved final word on the 2012 king salmon regulations. These regulations are driven by the chinook (king) salmon abundance index for Southeast Alaska which came in at 1.52, just slightly lower than 2011.

• The nonresident bag limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; except during May 2012 when the bag limit is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;
• The nonresident annual limit is four king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.

The annual limit is down from five in 2011 to four in 2012. The daily limits are the same. For more in depth details go to: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static-sf/EONR/PDFs/2012/R1/2_EO-01-KS-R-02-12(d).pdf

As for the fishing, expect the usual – the best salt water king salmon fishing on the planet starting in early May and lasting well into August. Our experience is the abundance index has everything to do with the regulations and less to do with the catching. We’ve had great fishing under very low abundance indexes (2008 as a big example), so a minor drop in the index is no cause for conern regarding the king salmon action in 2012.

Halibut regulations are much improved over 2011 for the coming season. Limit will be one per day with a “reverse slot limit” meaning you can keep halibut that are under 45 inches or over 68 inches. For more details, read the press release from the Southeast Alaska Guides Organization (SEAGO) below. SEAGO continues to fight hard for sustainable and reasonable regulations for charter customers who visit Southeast Alaska. Visit us at seagoalaska.org and support SEAGO.

(ANCHORAGE) – Following several days of meetings by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) discussing the health of the halibut stock, establishing catch limits for the 2012 season and considering new regulations the Southeast Alaska Guides Organization (SEAGO) applauded the commission’s measured approach and thoughtful deliberations while approving measures for 2012.

The Commission approved staff recommendations for Southeast catch limits and a new management measure the charter fleet recommended intended to provide relief from a 2011 rule.

In December, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) recommended a “reverse slot-limit” of under 45″ or over 68″ (U45/O68) for the Southeast charter fleet.  The Council’s motion to make that recommendation was adopted without objection.

During the week’s meetings, some controversy arose stemming from a regulatory proposal for the Area 2C (Southeast) charter fleet.  The Conference Board (CB), a body comprised of representatives of charter and commercial fishing groups from the United States and Canada, took up the issue of the new management measure for Southeast.

During the CB deliberations the Halibut Coalition, which represents commercial fishing interests, made a move to stop a liberalized management measure intended to mitigate damage done to charter operators by an overly aggressive management measure.  The Conference Board vote is a non-binding and advisory to the Commission.  Despite the CB’s vote, the IPHC chose to adopt the U45/O68 reverse slot limit.

Heath Hilyard, Executive Director of the Southeast Alaska Guides Organization (SEAGO) stated, “We’re very pleased that the Commission chose to adopt the recommendation coming out of the Council process.  A number of our members worked diligently through the Charter Management Implementation Committee and with the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game to develop a regulation that was both responsive to the needs of the charter fleet and adequately addressed conservation concerns.  We expect the reverse slot-limit to provide measureable improvement to operators and their clients.”

I visited Sitka on the way to the International Pacific Halibut Commission meeting in Anchorage. It was a bit snowy making it hard to get up and down the hill to my house. On one trip up the hill I got part way, the car ran out of traction, and started back down despite my pushing on the brakes. I ended up doing a 180 and pointed out the drive. I opted to park in the lot at our lodge. The boats are quietly waiting out the snowy season. We’re all looking forward to getting back to fishing in May.

By Captain Tom Ohaus

Background:

My fishing year is divided between striped bass and salmon. I fish for bass for about from late April to mid-May each year inBuzzards Bay,Massachusetts. Then I relocate toSitka,Alaskato guide for king salmon (Chinook), coho salmon (coho), and halibut all summer. I arrive back inMassachusettsin September for two months of fishing the fall run of stripers

Striped bass and king salmon are the premier inshore sport fish in their region. My home waters – for both species – are the crème de la crème. TheSitka area has one of the highest salt water catch rates for kings anywhere on the planet. Buzzards Bay and adjacent waters includes the famed haunts of Cuttyhunk Island and the Elizabeth Islands, along with countless productive estuaries and rocky points.

Tom's personal best on a fly - 30 pounds

A 45 pound King Salmon caught in the Shark hole, Sitka, Alaska.

LOCATION: Striped bass are highly prized from North Carolina to Maine. King salmon are caught in salt water from central California to the Bering Sea. The Bay Area of California as well as the Coos Bay Area and Umpqua River system in central Oregon are the only places you’ll find kings and stripers overlapping. Stripers were transplanted into the Pacific from New Jersey bass via train car in the late 1800’s. Both fish have been transplanted into freshwater environments. Kings can be found in the Great Lakes and stripers are caught in large lakes and reservoirs across the country.

SIZE OF FISH: Both stripers and kings have a historical maximum size of roughly 125 pounds. Such monsters no longer exist for a variety of reasons. Trophy size on salt water for both species is nearly the same: 40 pounds gives you bragging rights, 50 pounds is fish of a lifetime territory, 60 pounds is rare air, and very few, like a handful of people, will ever see anything over 70. There are a few river systems that produce huge kings, like the Kenai. Stripers seem to have far less obvious genetic specificity – big stripers simply take a lot of years to get that way – something that’s hard to do in a heavily fished world. Because king salmon are caught almost exclusively as they are maturing, the average size is larger. Unlike with bass, you don’t catch schoolies when fishing the ocean for kings.

PROPER GEAR/TACKLE: Mooching gear for kings begins with top of the line G.Loomis rods ranging from 8’6” to 10’6” in length – your pick. At Angling Unlimited, we pair that with a Shimano Tekota 500 LC, which features a line counter so you know the depth of your gear all the time. We spool the reel with Berkley Big-Game 20 pound test in solar collector green. We use sliding weights from Metzler, Berkley Big-Game 30 or 40 pound test leader, and the world’s sharpest hooks from Gamagatsu. We also use circle hooks form Daiichi and Owner when catch and release is the priority. For bait, we use a plug-cut herring 99% of the time, but we’re developing a growing interest in artificial baits, specifically Berkley Gulp.

Striped bass tackle ranges from heavy 4/0 reels and stiff trolling rods when designed for wire line (boring) to fly rods and lighter spinning gear for casting to surface and shallow feeding fish (great sport). If you fish near rocks, you’ll have to make sure your gear – fly, spinning or conventional, has enough power to keep the stripers from taking you into the rocks and breaking you off.

FISHING TECHNIQUES/METHODS:  Compared to striped bass, king salmon school much deeper.  King schools usually show up from 30 feet down all the way to the bottom in 150 to 200 feet of water.  You’re not going to get very many salt water opportunities to take kings near or on the surface. They are long shot on a fly in salt water.  Salmon fishing can be broken down to three methods: mooching, jigging, and trolling with downriggers (boring).

On the other hand, striped bass often feed on top, making them great targets fly rods and spin fishermen casting surface lures. Striped bass are taken by wire line trolling (boring), chumming, live lining eels or baitfish, casting lures, or casting flies.

My methods of choice are mooching for kings and throwing flies at striped bass. If fly fishing isn’t your cup of tea, casting surface lures at bass is great sport.

THE FIGHT:

King salmon have more endurance – no doubt. Stripers have plenty of pull in the beginning, but run out of gas sooner. When you hook a big bass on a fly near rocky structure, you need to put a lot of wood to the fish and keep the head up, or the fish will dive into the structure and break you off. Salmon occasionally run into the kelp, but typically fight out in the open water.

AT THE TABLE:

Both are excellent. Kings mostly have pink meat most of the time, but white kings are also possible. Kings have high oil content – very rich. Stripers are a wonderful white meat fish with enough oil to make them more forgiving to cook than halibut. I’ve served grilled king salmon and striped bass side by side. Though quite different, my guests generally eat and rave about both.  If forced to pick one – I’d go with the king salmon. I’m glad I don’t have to make that choice. Because of the higher oil content, the smoking qualities of the king are far superior.

AND THE WINNER IS?

King salmon by a nose because they fight harder and I never tire of eating them smoked. That said, the striper’s willingness to crash surface lures and feed shallow enough so that I can catch them on a fly make them a very special fish. Why choose? Fish for both.

On Nov. 10th I had reconstructive knee surgery.  It was a pretty major overhaul, but things seem to be mending well.  My ACL was tore 20 years ago, and this summer I think I tore my meniscus.  All that was fixed along with a microfracture to attempt to build up some new cartilage on the bottom of my femur.  Doc says I’m on crutches until Christmas.  That should give the cartilage time to heal.  My family and friends have been a wonderful support group.  My wife Jen has always had a bit of a weak stomache, and she confirmed that again as she passed out after visiting with the doctor during the post operation visit.  A couple black and white photos of the inside of my knee and a little discription of the procedure was all it took to get her a ride on a wheel chair into her own recovery room!  She’s doing just fine now too.  My brother Dave suggested that rather than doing surgery, that it would be better to have them cut it off and just add a wooden peg!  I’m sure that along with my Captain Morgan halloween costume would have been entertaining during the summer.  I just don’t think I could keep a straight face as I asked my guests “AAAARRRRGGGG you ready to go fishing” each morning!

I’ll be ready to dance on the deck of the 7th Sun by May.  AAAARRRR you going to join me?

October 18, 1867 marked the formal transfer of Alaska from Russian to American control with a official ceremony in downtown Sitka on Castle Hill. This event finalized the $7.2 million purchase known as “Seward’s Folly” because few people in post Civil War America could see why we paid so much for a frozen wasteland. We now see the payoffs in fish, oil, timber, tourism and many other benefits that come from the Alaska, including terrrific sport fishing. It’s hard to imagine the geopolitical impacts on 20th century if Alaska had been a republic in the Soviet Union. Amazing to think this global and national game changer was made official in Sitka.

It was on this day, October 18th, 1867 the Russian flag was lowered, and the stars and stripes were raised right here in Sitka on Castle Hill.  Alaskans everywhere will be celebrating today, especially in Sitka!  For all of us that travel to Alaska to enjoy the most beautiful place on earth, isn’t it great that we don’t have to worry about passports?!