First timers Ralph Noyes, Dennis Owsley, Fred Stahlbush, and Scott Brunsdon came to Sitka after Ralph’s thorough research revealed it to be the best fishery in Alaska. They chose Angling Unlimited after learning from our website what their experience would be like. They were blown away.

During their three-day fishing trip, Captain Bo took them to our reliable area in Hoonah Sound. Day one was hot – they caught their limit of silvers by 9:30 a.m. The guys were in awe of the hook-ups, acrobatics and chaos of a quick silver bite. Then they moved on to catch their white meat of halibut and cod. It was an early return to the dock and an unbelievable start to their trip.

Day two was slower. Fleet wide, the silvers were more difficult. There was heavy rain and few opportunities. The group managed to boat a handful of silvers and halibut before traveling to the Shark Hole. They caught rockfish and a slot lingcod. The total haul for their day was less than the day before, but as these fishermen learned, a slow day in Sitka still trumps a great day elsewhere in Alaska.

Day three returned to the form of day one. The Emmons’ silver bite exploded again for quick limits. The men were getting multiple hook-ups with schools of fish swarming their baits under the boat. They reeled up hooked fish only to see other silvers following with curiosity. The rain stopped mid-morning, which made for a comfortably calm day in our new favorite spot.

These newcomers were impressed with their visit and plan to return again. Mostly river and stream fisherman from the west, they were amazed with the fishing and Angling Unlimited experience.

Now that the ocean has calmed, some of the fleet ventured south to the open ocean and others still returned to Emmons. Stay tuned for the next report detailing the open ocean fishing as we get into late-August and anxiously anticipate the arrival of trophy-sized silvers.