The story the last few weeks resembles that of 2014 – a reliable salmon bite at the Cape. The ocean has no doubt helped our fishing. It’s been calm and flat, which allows us to drift through the areas holding the fish. When conditions require us to anchor, there can be limited space when many boats want to fish the same area. Drifting allows for boats to be in closer proximity and have the flexibility to quickly move and search for bait.
The Hofto’s caught quick limits of king salmon everyday during their trip. One day they had their 8 kings by 8 a.m. John Hofto caught the largest king of the trip, which was a 30-pounder. The Hofto’s and other groups also caught 3-5 cohos each day. We haven’t explored areas to the North much lately. The Cape is impossible to pass up right now, with the constant king action and the short drive from our dock.
Captain Bryan’s halibut program varied each day of the trip. They managed to catch them off the gravelly Cape structure and chose to venture to the deep on other days. Both were successful, with the deep water trip rewarding them with a mixed catch of cod, halibut, and rockfish.
Another highlight from this great stretch was a crew fishing outing where Collin Fossum caught the biggest king so far in 2015 – a 52-pound giant. And, it was a white king! It was a memorable fish that the crew enjoyed snapping photos with at the dock.