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June 2009 | Volume 1 | Issue 8
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Off and Running
Good News: King salmon regulations are back to normal – bag limit of one per day/3 per year.
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Gerry Cameron claiming Lee Crutchers' King because it was bigger than his.
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That means July and early August are king season once again. Of course, you can expect excellent silver and halibut fishing, too. The run forecast is strong and, for those who haven’t sampled late July and early August fishing, this is your chance.
Last year’s conservation regulations and the tough economy have left us with an excellent scattering of dates available during a time that is normally booked solid. You can book your dates by phone at (800) 297-3380, or fill out our online reservation form.
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Important News
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The continuing decline in halibut quotas for
both commercial and sport fishermen has Southeast Alaska
(that’s us) down to a one halibut per day limit beginning
June 5 and running through the rest of the season. The charter
industry tried to block the regulation with legal action, but
did not prevail. What is lost versus last year’s
regulations is one halibut of less than 32 inches per person,
per day. Feel free to call with any questions.
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Season Opener
May 2009 opened with Angling Unlimited’s “Women Gone Fishing” event.
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Captain Phil and his fishing crew. |
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The king salmon were difficult to find during the four days of the event, but thankfully the ocean was very calm and halibut fishing was excellent.
Stand-out halibut catches include Carolyn Rondthaler’s 110 pounder, Erma Ackemann’s 115 pounder, and Chef Linda Libby’s 120 pounder. Ruth Wilson and Maria Campo landed the first king salmon of the season. During the same time period Earl Parrish landed halibut of 72 and 75 pounds while one of his fishing buddies, Billy Don Ledbetter, caught a 135 pounder.
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The king salmon fishing picked up during the May 16-20 “Hook’it and Cook’it” event.
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Peter Dow, our chef, who did a terrific job of teaching the art of fish cookery and wine appreciation, landed a 28 pound king on May 19. The Denny Miller group brought six kings to the boat on their first day out and four on their last day. Still, kings weren’t what we normally expect in May. Thankfully, calm seas and big halibut more than made up for it with Joe Loranger’s 163 pounder (the biggest of the month), Mark Baker’s 115 pounder, and Bob Finnegan’s 105 pounder.
Salmon picked up in the fourth week of May with limits experienced by nearly all the boats by May 24. During their stay, the Supplee party enjoyed halibut limits on their first two days with fish up to 80 pounds and salmon limits on their last two days. Brent Supplee landed a 32 pound king on May 23. Jordan Nakamura brought five kings to the boat on May 25, plus he caught an 80 pound halibut – quite a day on the water. John Carel caught a 34 pound king and a 115 pound halibut on his trip.
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Joe Loranger and his 163 pound halibut.
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JT and Ricky Nakamura struggle to show off their hallies. |
From May 25-27, the Needham party boated limits of halibut each day. Scott Jenkins landed a 100 pounder. On May 30 Dave Kohles landed a 155 pound halibut using a salmon rod.
By the end of May, the king salmon fishing was showing signs of reaching the normal excellent Sitka form. The ocean was alive with bait, krill, porpoises, whales, and birds.
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Angling Unlimited is running 7 boats this season – down one due to the recession. We’ve added a “Tent Event” – a reception for all guests on one night of their stay where we serve snacks and everyone gets to a little more time to get to know our captains and crew. It’s a great chance to swap stories and have some fun together.
We do have dates available throughout much of the season – again the result of the recession – so if you get the sudden urge, see our website and give Kim a call at 218-732-4744 and she’ll provide you with all the options.
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Captain Tom Ohaus and Captain Chuck McNamee
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