Once again, Ludger Szmania of Warm Springs Inn & Winery entertained and amazed our guests with his knowledge and skill of preparing fresh seafood for Hook It & Cook It. During his four nights of cooking, Ludger prepared three dishes per night from the day’s catch. He cooked for 25 guests – the most ever for our event! His dishes included pacific cod, rockfish, halibut, and salmon. From stews to salads to pastas, his courses inspired a new way of fish preparation for our guests and each left with a complete recipe book of the event. It was a perfect opportunity for everyone to enjoy five-star cuisine, share stories, and reminisce over each group’s photos.

During the four days of fishing for the event, most captains had to search multiple spots to find the kings. After the first day where most of the boats filled their limit at the Cape, the fleet spread out, fishing just about every salmon spot in-between the Shark Hole and Biorka. The best spots remained The Cape, Shelikof Bay, and The Bowl. The average king catch that hit the dock was 6 per boat, with most fish weighing around the 20-pound mark. Most salmon bites coincided with the appearance of bait. If you found some bait, you’d have some salmon opportunities.

The halibut and rockfish action was as reliable as every, with daily limits commonplace. The halibut continue to be numerous at the Cape with anglers catching quality fish in the 35-40 inch range. Offshore fishing was also productive when the sea permitted. Lingcod opened on May 16 and a few boats found slot lingcod as a bonus to their daily catch. The wind remains semi-strong, mostly blowing from the NW, with seas 5-7 feet. The forecast for the next week will be similar with many days of sun.

Overall, Hook It & Cook It 2015 was a huge success. It was fantastic to see many new faces at the event, plus many return guests who love the cooking from Ludger and early May fishing. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by the spectacular weather, which made for comfortable days on the water and beautiful photos. Ludger also announced that he will return in 2016 for another year, continuing his run as chef for our event.

Here are some of the amazing photos from this year’s event: