Kings Bust Out
Despite the low abundance forecast, our guests have enjoyed solid king fishing through the first two weeks of June. We’ve also found good numbers of kings in protected inside water. The big mid-June focus has been on the west side of Kruzof as schools moved into the usual locations. The size of the kings ranges from the low teens to the mid-20’s with a couple over 30 pounds.
Spinning for Kings
At AU, we work hard to innovate new ways to enhance angling excitement. In the effort, we’ve purchased lightweight spinning rods and reels. So far, the biggest king on spinning gear was a 30-pounder caught jigging in a serene inside location. The method is simple: Open the bail, let the jig flitter down to the bottom, then work it up and down slowly bringing the lure up in the water column. The captain keeps his or her eyes on the live scope and apprises the anglers of the depth of cruising salmon. The anglers guesstimate the depth of the jig, given that spinning reels don’t have a line counter. We’ve seen great hook ups and classic fights on this light gear.
Blackcod Bounty
There are a couple of big year classes of blackcod that have moved into the deep water on the edge of the shelf. This provides excellent action and table fare for our guests. How deep you ask? Generally between 1,000 and 1,200 feet. Blackcod is an offshore game best done with light winds and calm seas. We have two electric reels on each boat, plus we fish manual crank reels from the bow. We’re getting increasingly dialed in on the blackcod with limit catches of 4 per angler more and more possible. The annual limit is 8. A couple big shortraker rockfish often spice the action. Clearly, the prize for going deep is in the eating, yet the process and the mystery of what might come up from the deep deep brings a certain fascination.
Silver Watch
It’s a bit early, yet we begin hoping for good numbers of silvers to show by the end of June. So far, we’ve seen random silvers, chums, and pinks in our catches. Nothing earth-shaking, yet hopefully the vanguard of a good run to soon follow. We’ve enjoyed excellent silver fishing in the latter part of June in rare years – nothing to bet on, but we’re hoping they decide to make an early showing in 2025. We’ll keep you posted.
June 17th Fishing Report
Find even more on the recent fishing from our latest fishing report!