Alaska Fisheries Board

Archive for the ‘Fishery News’ Category

The rivers are in pristine condition, and fishermen are turning up on the Northwest coast in droves. With all of the boats popping up on every major river, I would guess that steelhead fishing is pretty good right now, which means that rivers might be a little bit overcrowded. So locals may want to fish their own more secluded niche, preferably in the same area. However, even with the crowds, fisherman seem to be catching more fish than you might expect.

Weather for This Weekend

Rain will break on the Northwest coast Wednesday and Thursday, and you can expect light rain on Friday and Saturday. The Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather service reports that you may see a small rise in wind, but it shouldn’t be too bothersome on the rivers. Next Monday, you can expect a stronger front to drop in, and this front may stay til Tuesday.

More Steelhead in the Trinity

Numbers have been lagging the past few years, but it appears that steelhead have returned to the Trinity River in record numbers this year. Mary Claire Kier of the Department of Fish and Game Trinity River Project reports that 4002 wild adult steelhead have returned to the river this year. Last year, only 2027 returned.

The Chetco River is Decent

Reports show that the river is now below 1000 cf’s and the fish are described as being “extremely spooky.” Boat traffic is particularly heavy on this river, and you may not see the fish you want. Small bait or puff balls seem to be the most effective bait right now, but you should watch out for trees in certain areas according to river officials.

Smith River

Boat traffic has been light so far and the fish are abundant. The river is getting low, but fish seem to be sticking around for the long haul. This week, most fisherman report getting bites one day and no bites the next. With reports of rain this weekend, many fisherman are hoping for more bites in the weeks to come.

Eel River

Darren Brown of Garberville’s Brown’s Sporting Goods reports, With the rain we had, the river came up 8 to 12 inches and colored up a bit. The river should be in great shape heading into the weekend. So far, the fishing has not been optimal on this river.

Van Duzen: Your Best Bet?

The Van Duzen has seen plenty of fish already, and according to regulars, anglers are doing extremely well. The creek is described as being a little bit cloudy, but the river looks good. On Wednesday, CF levels rose, peaking at 600 CF’s. This is by far the best looking river so far.

With a coal burning plant that was previously on the shores of Lake Erie closing, experts and environmentalists expect Lake Erie’s fish population to jump. The plant is being shut down due to new air pollution rules, and even before these rules were put into place, we knew it was a problem. For years, this plant has ^{sucked billions of gallons of water in each year, killing the large majority of the fish population.} Literally millions of fish have been lost in the past to this one plant.

Environmental groups have been long lobbying to get this plant shut down, saying that the coal production contributed to the decline of species such as the yellow perch and walleye, two important fish that anglers seek specifically in the Midwest. Previously, environmental groups lobbied to force the plant to install new technologies that would protect fishy populations, but plant owners, the Akron based FirstEnergy Corp, did not make the costly changes.

Last week, it was officially announced that FirstEnergy will be shutting down 6 different coal fired plans near the Maumee River by Toledo, which many say will also protect the walleye, another fish species that has been waning because of the methods used.

How Much Damage Does This Really Do?

Experts estimate that the methods previously used by FirstEnergy killed 46 million adult fish and millions more eggs that would have spawned even more fish. According to Sandy Bihn, leader of the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association, Now these numbers will go way down.

Some activists hope that other similar plants will be closing down in the near future, or preferably changing their ways and investing in safer technology that specifically protects the countless fish who have been sacrificed in the past. However, this is not without cost.

The Cost of Closing the Plants

Because of the FirstEnergy closing, company officials say that 80 people will lose their jobs when all of the coal burning generators at the plant near Toledo are shut down. One non-coal burning generator will remain open. Of course, activists and others would rather see the plant make the necessary modifications for environmental friendliness, nobody wants these 80 people to lose their jobs.

However, FirstEnergy and others have stated that if they were to make these changes, it would cost $100 million and electricity rates would significantly spike. However, for the fishing community, this could be an almost immediate improvement. With the rate at which fish are able to spawn, Charter Captain Dave Spangler thinks that A lot of those fish are primarily bait fish, and there will be many more walleye that can get by during spawning.

Cordova, Alaska, a small fishing town, is now the victim of one of the biggest snowstorms in years. In fact, the National Guard has been employed to help dig people out of their homes buried by avalanches. Cordova, like any other area of Alaska, is used to snow, but not like this.

According to reports from the Guard, more than 18 feet of snow has fallen in the past few weeks, though they do not have an exact measurement at this time. According to officials, “This is more quantity than can be handled.”

At least 3 buildings have collapsed or partially collapsed because of the snow, and six homes are severely stressed by the heavy, wet snow. It has been 3 weeks now of unrelenting snow, leaving some residents staying in shelters and others staying with family members. Some have also been staying with other residents. Cordova spokesman Allen Marquette has also stated that officials are ready to set up a pet shelter.

Mayor Jim Kallander has stated, “We have no alternative but to declare an emergency. It became a life-safety issue.”

There are no roads open to the town, in part because of the heavy snowfall and rain that has made road conditions extremely treacherous. Workers can only get there by boat or plane. No injuries have been reported so far luckily, but bad weather has prevented Guard from even flying in in certain cases.

Over 70 guard were able to get in by Ferry Sunday, and about 50 will clear roofs, boats, roads, and other areas. Officials say that guard will be there for 2 weeks to lend help where they can. This will continue to be an ongoing operation for as long as necessary though.

Today’s classes started later than usual to account for the weather. However, officials have stated that parents need only send students if they are comfortable venturing out into the weather. Most residents seem to be taking other approaches to transportation, walking, skiing, or snowshoeing to get from place to place.

A Massachusetts fisherman officially pulled up an 881 pound tuna this year, only to find out that he couldn’t keep it. Because of licensing issues, the fish was confiscated, and while it sounds ridiculous, all of this is completely true.

Mr. Rafael, the would be record breaking fisherman, and his crew used nets to catch bottom dwelling fish, and they inadvertently happened to catch this particular fish. When they docked though, federal fishery enforcement agents took control of the giant tuna. The reason was simple, despite what you may think.

The boat Rafael was on did not actually have tuna permits, and fisherman are only technically allowed to catch tuna with rod and reel by law. The fact that it was an accident had no bearing. Rafael didn’t need a bigger boat, just a better permit and a rod and reel with the intent to specifically fish for tuna. Going out on his particular expedition, anyone could admit that he had no way of knowing what was coming.

Rafael has been interviewed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) enforcement division, who state that he caught the tuna at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He has disputed this idea. Rafael states, “They didn’t catch that fish on the bottom. They probably got it in the mid-water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon.”

However, the pride of catching a fish that big is not the only thing that Rafael has had taken away from him. Selling a fish like that would actually bring in quite a bit of money. A 754 pound tuna recently sold for $396,000. You can imagine how much a fish over 100 pounds heavier would sell for. Unfortunately, the NOAA has no responsibility or intention of sharing the profits of this fish with the fisherman who actually caught it.

Monica Allen, a deputy director with the NOAA fisheries has stated, “This rule is important to the conservation of this unusual fish that is severely depleted and managed internationally by more than 48 nations. Because they are slow to mature and reproduce, rebuilding this species population is a lengthy and difficult process.”

In Amarillo, TX, a group called the Fly Guys are specifically reaching out to war veterans, reeducating them and teaching them how to work in the area of custom fly rods. According to founder Kyle McAdams, “They’re actually constructing something that they’ll be able to use later on, on the river and then ultimately pass down and hand down to their kids and things like that.”

Veterans have been taught how to build lightweight fly rods so far, which they can use on a planned trip to Cimarron, New Mexico. Each veteran is given a beginner rod building kit, which comes with reel seats, grips, guides, threads, and other things that are necessary to build a basic rod. This gives them the feel of things, and it brings participating veterans together with a sense of community, giving participants something to be proud of according to custom rod instructor Austin McWhorter.

Veterans who have “graduated” from the programs with new rods have stated that it feels “gratifying” to catch fish with something that they made with their own hands, and many have reported being treated well by everybody.

It currently costs veterans a total of $80 to buy a quality tying vise and $125 to buy a whole fly rod kit. $25 buys fly tying materials, which may become more expensive or cheaper with experience, with many being able to find different shops. However, this is just meant to be a start. However, all of these materials can last up to a year for many veterans.

Currently, Fly Guys is being sponsored by groups including the Brown Automotive group, Amarillo National Bank, Budweiser Distributing Company, Top Notch Outfitters, Travelers Oil Company, Southwest Honda, Marble Depot Incorporated, and Dennis M Plunk DDS, all of whom McAdams states that Fly Guys and the veteran participants could not do without.

It was a day and a fishing trip that grandma Laverne Glover of Moorpark will never forget. Most fisherman are lucky to pull in a fish of this size, but this grandma was able to reel in a 380 pounds halibut on a fishing trip in Sitka, Alaska with her husband, Bob.

It measured a total of 7 feet and 4 inches, effectively bigger than Glover herself, who only stands 5’3 ¼. A retired receptionist who previously worked in a beauty salon, Laverne Glover used chunk bait with a 5’6 seeker hook and 80 pound spectra line. She wanted a big fish, but never knew she would get a monster, which apparently she knew right away when it started tugging.

“I was so shocked and I was trying to stay composed, you know, not just scream.”

LaVerne Glover used both hands and had to “really raise it up.” It took a total of 45 minutes, and she didn’t do it on her own. The whole boat had to help her to haul the fish in. However, it was close to making records. There have been bigger, but not by much. Technically, the scales were closed the day that LaVerne caught it, which can make a rather significant difference.

However, the Glovers aren’t protesting, just proud to have caught a fish so large. The Glovers have long been involved in fishing as a couple. LaVerne actually gave it up between childhood and when she married Bob. However, the Glovers have been able to bring back 150 pounds of fish, which will be feeding their small family for a while.

Salmon fishing season is coming to its end as trout fishing picks up in Alaska. Chums, pinks, and silvers are still spawning down the river, but the reports in Anchorage are that rainbow fishing in the Matu-su has been increasingly impressive lately.

Water conditions are excellent for trout fishing, and the locals are suggesting that anybody looking to fish Alaska this time of year have a variety of fresh flies (pink, ginger, and off-white) on hand. You should also keep a few maggot flies with you to get better results with trout fishing.

The Upper Kenai is boasting active spawning and the rainbows and dollies are picking up. The same goes for the Parks streams.

The Prince William Sound has become a good source of silvers according to Mountain View crew and it is recommended that you be prepared with hoochies tipped with herring if you want to fish this particular area. The fish are generally fishing 25 to 50 feet deep. So be prepared to get your line a little deeper.

The Nancy Lake System seems to be improving with low water temperatures, and so far, South Rolly, Nancy, and Red Shirt Lakes seem to be the most promising for virtually any fisherman. Get there before the crowds roll in.

In Alaska, you can choose your season depending on what kind of fish you want to catch and the results you want to get. If you want trout, this is your season. However, if you want salmon specifically, you will have to wait til next year.

The North Pacific Fisher Management Council who is supposed to be the watchdog for the oceanic resources of the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea have taken a mafia-style family approach to running their domain of the Alaskan Fisheries. This group of individuals is not related by blood, and many of them don’t even live in the state of Alaska, but somehow, they’ve come together to dole our the rights to harvest more than $2 billion in U.S. fishery resources.

Who Gets the Money?

Just as the majority of modern-day ruling powers, the Management Council reserves the rights to please any party they wish and this preferential power has come into question as of late, particularly this summer as this group shake hands under tables in order manipulate where this money goes.

To begin, we can tell you where this money is NOT going…the Management Council currently wants to take 1.4 million pounds of halibut away from local, ma and pop-owned establishments and hand it over to charter fishing businesses in Southcentral Alaska by giving it to commercial fisherman. Without keeping the local charter fishing companies in mind, the Management Council has the ability to bankrupt these small communities who are truly the heart of the Alaska Fisheries and have been for centuries.

The “Family’s” Reasoning

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s hear the mobsters out. According to recent research, the biomass of Halibut is steadily declining in the waters off Alaska. Due to the decreasing environment and therefore decreasing number of fish, the larger commercial fishing companies have been regulated on the amount of fish they’re allowed to catch in the area, while the smaller charter companies have actually been able to catch more.

This doesn’t account for the fact that the price of halibut has soared since the mid 90′s. In 1995, a pound of halibut was selling dockside for $2 a pound and today sells for nearly $6-7 per pound. Overall, the commercial fisherman are getting to work less, catch fewer fish, and making a lot more money.

Conclusion

Apparently, the “council family” has grown tired of the entire issue which leads us to believe that they’ll be reaching a decision soon. The question now lies, will this mafia-family of Fishery Management take the local plight into consideration when coming to their own conclusion, or will the commercial fisherman who produce more at a lower cost ultimately win reign of the Alaskan halibut coast?