Silver Showdown
The good news for the start of July is that it is the best early showing of silvers that we’ve seen in recent years. AU’s first boat limit came on July 7 aboard Albatross with Captain Jack McNamee and the Leighton party of 6 – that’s 36 silvers. They pretty much fished all day for them forgoing offshore fishing for blackcod and halibut. Most of the boats split the effort and came in with half to ¾ limits.
More good news: For the first time in over 5 years yelloweye can be kept until August 25 with a one annual limit. We’ve seen lots of them hitting the dock. Weather permitting, the blackcod catches continue to be solid and they seem to have moved into the same depths as the halibut. The black rockfish, aka swimming tacos, continue to make for great fun.
The bad news. Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed king retention beginning midnight July 6. Our guest enjoyed excellent king catches on the 6th, then the door closed. Guests can still have the challenge and fun of hooking kings, but we have to release them. We in the charter fleet were left pretty much in the dark on this regulation until it was right on top of us. Thank heavens for the strong influx of silvers as well as ocean bright chums.
