First Half of the Season
King Salmon
Following a slightly sluggish start, the king bite gained steam by the end of May and kept building right up to the end of June. The catch rate for kings was the highest in 10 years according to ADFG statistics. Our experience on the fishing grounds bore little correlation to weak run forecast which rendered the draconian regulation of a one king annual limit. By the end of June, 75% of the overall king allocation for nonresident anglers had been caught. We were blind sided when Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced complete closure of kings beginning July 7. Thus we have a mixed review of kings – fishing great, regulations not so great. The size of the fish was consistent with recent years – lots of teens, occasional 20’s, and a few 30’s.
38 pounds caught on June 28 by 15-year-old Hudson Lattin from Southern California – his first king on his first trip to Alaska. Great way to start, tough act to follow!
Halibut
Halibut fishing started out in a challenging manner due to a large influx of dogfish in many of our traditional spots. We did find good numbers of halibut on some of the inshore salmon spots, but they weren’t always big enough. Our locations 3 to 8 miles out got hit badly by the dogfish. Thankfully, the dogs thinned out as June rolled on. Our best halibut fishing took place in 700 feet, on the edge of the shelf. That’s a bit of a run, but we were often headed in that direction for blackcod.
GAF Halibut caught by JD Martin aboard Raefen with Captain Ryan on May 24th
Blackcod
Weather permitting, blackcod catches were very good with limits and near limits. AU’s addition of 2 electric reels per boat made the 1100-foot depths more manageable. It’s a lot easier to flip a switch than crank 1100 feet. The blackcod have been good size – mostly 5 to 15 pounds with some even bigger. As a bonus, big shortrakers (one per day limit), perhaps the best eating of all rockfish, were often mixed in with the blackcod.
Laurie Carlson of the Carlson party caught a 25 pound blackcod while fishing with Captain Tyler May 18th.
Lingcod
Catches of lingcod in the 30-35-inch slot seemed easier than ever from our opening in May until retention of lings ended on June 14th. Lingcod will reopen on August 16th through the end of the season. What we’re seeing on the grounds suggests that lingcod stocks are very healthy.
35 inches. Caught by multiple anglers due to the slot regulation of 30-35 inches. Pictured is Kevin Kumagai who fished with Captain Spencer May 17th.
Rockfish
As always, the black rockfish deliver everyday fun and fast action. We catch them in depths from 20 feet in the kelp to 180 feet on offshore structure. Nothing brightens the day like a hot rockfish bite. We’ve added light tackle in the form of spinning rods to make it that much more fun.
Second Half
The second half of our season brings a wide variety of fish to catch, especially salmon.
Silvers (coho) began showing up in the last week of June as our boats began returning with decent scores. The first boat limit of 36 silvers for 6 anglers was landed aboard Albatross on July 6. Coho are typically a little inconsistent in the early days of the run but our catch rates have been higher than in recent years. We expect the numbers to build in the coming weeks as silvers form the backbone of the salmon fishery in July and August.
Chum salmon began their onshore push in the first week of July. A chrome bright ocean chum salmon is a fine eating fish whether you grill it or smoke it. Pinks are coming onshore also. They are best eaten fresh as they don’t freeze that well. The mix of silvers, chums, and coho provides lots of action. For anglers new to mooching for salmon, you’ll get a lot of practice hooking them.
For the first time in more than half a decade, our guests can keep one yelloweye rockfish per season during the period of July 1 – August 25. This is in addition to 2 black rockfish and one “slope” rockfish which includes shortrakers. We encounter a lot of yelloweyes, so getting that one annual fish shouldn’t be a problem. The shortrakers come as bycatch in the pursuit of blackcod. The black rockfish deliver slam dunk fun with a limit of 2 per day.
The number of lingcod we’re seeing is impressive this year. The season for them will reopen on August 16th with a slot of 30-35 inches, one per day with an annual limit of one.
Recipe of the Week
Citrus-Soy Glazed Black Cod By Andrew Pooch in the Angling Unlimited Cook Book
- Black Cod Fillet
- Coarse salt and pepper
- 2 T brown sugar
- 3 T lime juice
- 2 T rice vinegar
- 1 T soy sauce
- Sliced mint leaves, for garnish
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
Add 2 T brown sugar, 3 T lime juice, 2 T rice vinegar, 1 T soy sauce, and pinch of salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until thick and syrupy, nearly 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Foil a cookie sheep and spray with cooking spray. Season fish with salt and pepper and place in prepared dish. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of glaze every over each cod fillet; save remaining glaze. Transfer baking dish to over and bake about 12 minutes – fish will begin to flake. Garnish with mint and scallions; serve with reserved glaze. Enjoy!
