The three day groups who just finished fishing with us had a sample of the common weather conditions of 2015 – from a sunny day on the ocean to a windy, rainy day tucked away in inside waters. Fortunately, when weather rolls in, we find sanctuary in protected waters that still hold fish – a huge benefit to fishing Sitka.

During the first two days, the sun was out and the open ocean was fishable. The fleet split between heading south to fish the Cape and heading north to fish Emmons. Those who fished the open ocean caught larger silvers than what we’ve been seeing from the north, with some approaching mid-teens in weight. Kelly Maki and Kurt Klussman both caught silvers over 12 pounds while fishing with Captain Cobra. Both areas yielded silver limits for our anglers. Kings were also more reliable on the open ocean. Jim and Bonnie Stockhaus bagged a beautiful double on kings with Captain DJ – each around 20-pounds. Another benefit for those fishing off shore was larger halibut. However, the ocean was bumpy, so those who wanted calmer days went to Emmons and still found a good silver and halibut bite.

The last day of everyone’s trip was spent at Emmons. A storm rolled into Sitka, building the ocean seas to 10-plus feet and chasing many charters to inside waters. Most boats drifted across the eastern point of Emmons Island. Using 8-ounce leads to fight the fast drift, anglers picked away at cohos throughout the day. Success varied amongst the fleet, with some boats catching near limits, while others had single digits. If you were able to touch bottom, there was a good chance to catch sole, halibut, or rockfish. The most reliable technique for halibut was to anchor off the edge near some pinnacles and chum in the flat fish with bits of salmon guts or oily herring.

Anglers arriving to fish the beginning of this week should be excited about the sunny forecast, which awaits them in Sitka. We hope to get to the south, where the Cape still holds a lot of nice silvers and provides access to the most reliable halibut bite of the year.