1. Hook It and Cook It – Great fishing, gourmet dining, and detailed instruction on how to prepare meals that will dazzle your family and friends with your take-home catch. If you haven’t done Hook It and Cook It, take advantage of a bumper crop of kings for 2015 – make this the year.

2. Wilderness experience – The waters around Sitka are a saltwater wilderness all season, but the lighter fishing pressure in May along with excellent catch rates make this a special time to enjoy a bit more solitude while catching abundant kings, halibut, rockfish, and lings.

3. White Kings – Our catch of these uniquely rich king salmon is highest during the early season.

4. Discounts – For lack of a better term, May is a “shoulder season”. The kids or grandkids are still in school and people aren’t thinking summer vacation yet. The simple rules of supply and demand apply to Angling Unlimited and Alaska Airlines. Check the rates for fishing and air – May is a bargain.

5. Regulations – King salmon regulations have not been set for 2015, but all signs point to a high abundance index with good regulations. May is the first month in which the state liberalizes king salmon bag limits. We won’t know the regulations for certain, but we’re betting on a bag limit of two kings per day in May for 2015.

6. Black Cod – The offshore grounds produce some of the better black cod catches of the season as we pursue halibut. If you haven’t tried freshly caught black cod, you’re in for a rare treat.

7. Scenery – Snow covered mountains nearly down to the saltwater give the area a uniquely “alpine” look in May. This snowcapped beauty has prompted the question “what’s the altitude here?” more than once. To which the only reply is, “Let me check the tide book.”

8. Wildlife – The whales are back by May, the albatross and shearwaters are abundant offshore, the sea otters are rafted up inshore. Every day of fishing is an eco-tour, too.

9. Because you can – If the long fishless offseason gets you down, May is the break out month. Why wait for what’s already here – great king fishing, best king regulations, plus halibut, rockfish, lingcod, blackcod, and whatever else that bites.