Our king salmon allocation increased by over 40% as a result of a more positive forecast for the 2020 run. This means an improvement in regulations for the first week of July and very little likelihood of in-season closure after that. We saw much better king numbers last summer than in the previous few years and the average size was greatly improved. We’re looking forward to fishing that’s more like the good old days.
We also got a bump up in halibut. The new “reverse slot” limit allows for keeping one halibut a day that is either under 40 inches or over 80 inches. Last year it was under 38 inches and over 80 inches. That 2-inch change brings the maximum size halibut on the low end up from 24.8 pounds to 29.3 pounds – a nearly 20% increase.
We’re hoping to run AU to the highest standards of service and safety in the summer of 2020. With all the difficult news we’re absorbing right now, a summer day of the coast of Southeast Alaska sounds like the perfect medicine. Let’s hope you’re allowed to take it.