The rain didn’t seem to let up the last week of July and neither did the fishing. As we moved closer to August, the slight dip in silver action in the middle of July turned up to finish the month strong. Most boats are getting 15-20 silvers a day. And, the fish are growing each week – many are in the 10-12-pound range.

There are definitely still kings to catch as well. Limits aren’t as common anymore, but there have been more big fish hitting the dock. There have been 30-pounders hitting the dock every third day and Nic Martell caught a 50-pound king at the hourglass with Captain Bo! After a 45-minute battle, in steep 8-foot seas with green water spilling over the sides and bow, they landed the monster fish. His setup was a freshly spooled and greased brand new rod and reel. Prior to the trophy fish, the setup was named the “dream catcher 5000” by deckhand Mike. That name will probably stick.

With the windy weather and the silvers feeding in the top half of the water column, most captains have been drifting with their groups. Long drifts at the Cape or Shelikof Bay have been prosperous for our anglers. Long drifts help us spread out and find where concentrations of fish are located. If the weather lets up at all, groups took the opportunity to find their halibut. As usual, halibut fishing didn’t disappoint. They are still numerous and hungry.

An interesting sighting this week at the Cape were Mola Molas. It’s a sign that the water temperature is rising when these southern fish arrive in our waters. Often mistaken for sharks because of their fin, they like to cruise the surface looking for jellyfish or a chance to sun themselves on a sunny day.

Here are the photos from the last week in July: