The summer of calm came to an abrupt end during the last week. A series of fronts brought rain, wind, and rough seas. This doesn’t make the fishing easier, but stormy weather brings out another positive aspect of fishing Sitka – we have a lot of protected places that can save a rainy day. Our inside spots haven’t been real strong for silvers, but have continued to produce good king catches. Our boats, which handle rough water really well, have been able to get on the ocean most days and clients are making good catches. The most surprising result is the continuation king limits. On August 19, the Baker party, fishing with captain Ryan Refshaw, limited on kings to 35 pounds and silvers on a bouncy yet fishable ocean. After that, they headed out for a qucik limit of halibut. Yesterday – August 22 – the seas were still unsettled but much less rough. All AU boats returned with king limits and good numbers of silvers. Captain DJ Gross fishing with the Bob Campbell party brought in limits of kings, silvers, rockfish, and halibut. The silver fishing is not the lights, white hot out show we expect in late August. For some reason the silvers aren’t schooled up. To get a limit yesterday, the Bob Campbell party picked up 8 early in one spot, then moved and got three more, then moved again and finished the limit over a few hours of fishing in yet another location. Right now, it’s all about picking them off one at a time, but over the course of the day, that adds up. Your blogger still expects the onshore push of big late season silvers – any day now. Forecast for the end of the week isn’t great for weather, but we’re still expecting to catch plenty of fish.
I have Faith that Capt TOM will find them if they are around there .