The great calm of 2023 came to a roaring end on Saturday the 12th with a storm that dumped 3.5 inches of rain on Sitka along with winds up to 30 knots. Did we cancel fishing? In a word – no. Some of our boats headed inland but most ended up in the protection of the Shark Hole. Most boats returned with anywhere from a dozen silvers to a full limit along with rockfish and some lingcod. Prior to the blow, silver fishing continued at a good pace with limits to near limits most days along with a decent number of kings. Halibut fishing has been decent close to the salmon grounds. The deep-water fishing for halibut produced bigger fish with some blackcod (not a lot) mixed in. On most days silver fishing requires a long grind, so the decision to carve out time for the offshore trip, weather permitting, may come at the cost of a lower silver score. Rockfish, as always, provide a fast-paced way to punctuate or finish your day.
The long range forecast indicates a period of brighter, sunny, and settled weather beginning toward the end of the week.
