dvharman
2012-02-11 03:20:09
What do the kings usually bring in Apri? I heard its a great time to Kingfish! Any opinions?
Salty
2012-02-11 18:51:55
April is a great month to troll Kings in April if you like combat fishing. A few fish sag across the winter line into Sitka Sound every April. Up to 140 trollers are waiting for them. The only meaningful production (and I have been fishing April in Sitka since 1979) is on the line. I suspect 90% or more of the April troll Chinook harvest is within a mile of the winter line.
While there is an understood etiquette of starboard on the line etc. the fishery is just too crowded for any semblance of order. There are always a few rogues pushing or blatantly violating the line. Others are trying to fish too much wire for the crowded conditions. 90% of the catch is 40-60 fathoms deep. The west end of the drag ends in a bottleneck between the edge and the line forcing all kinds of creative navigation. Chaos reigns.
A recent development is some of the guys fishing straight flashers like chum trolling, only with massive bait, but going less than two knots down the line. Screws everyone trying to fish 2.5 to 3 knots up. But, more power to them if that is what works and it seems to be. Threading hundreds of herring a day is not my cup of tea, but it is the norm now.
Radio screaming at each other is common. Broken poles and tangled floatbags occur every spring. Altercations on the docks are frequent. Any conversation between two Sitka trollers in April invariably degenerates into respective stories about some @#% hole behavior on the line.
The only comparable fishing experience I have had was fly fishing for Sockeye where the Russian River joins the Kenai River. But that was with one line fishing 2-3 feet deep.
I seldom fish the winter line anymore. Basically removes me from being a producer in April here.
I will post a picture or two on the pictures thread.
Come on over, experience troller hell.
I agree with Salty on this one. I fished all last April , mostly on the line. Alone. First season. Pretty chaotic and a lot of hotheads. I used to commute from downtown LA to southcentral a long time ago on the freeway. That was peaceful.
Abundance
2012-02-12 02:13:59
I remember when I first went up to Sitka in April, about five years ago. I took one look at that pole forest and spent my time fishing alone in closer to town. Didn't catch worth squat of course. My Dad also was up there with me and spent one full day out there in the howling mob. He used to fish Sitka every winter, but it is just too much of a nightmare now. We actually ended up going to Chatham Strait and fished around Kuiu Island to finish the trip. We were the only boats around and were doubling what we would have gotten back in Sitka Sound. Sometimes it pays to go off and find your own thing, if only for your sanity.
Trnaround
2012-02-12 17:12:37
Usually in April the fish prices are still pretty attractive. That in itself brings out the intensity of fishermen who need the income after a long winter. Be prepared to compete if you fish on "the line". There are many boats that really know what they are doing and many that are new to the area and frankly just don't know or just bring bad fishing habits. The boats I know that do the best aren't the gougers or the ones that try to get more than their share. They just fish well and put in their time. Some actually turn their radio's off or down in the crowd so they don't have to listen to the whining and tantrums. If it gets so crowded that they actually can't catch, they leave because nobody is benefiting at that point. It's unfortunate but it probably won't change, it is frustrating because everyone would catch more if there was order but it only takes one gouger to start the chaos and then it multiplies. Well good fishing, don't look down too long and starboard pole on the line or the beach has the right of way..... right?
dvharman
2012-02-13 14:41:01
Thanks for the input, someone told me they caught 400 in april alone sounds pretty high but is that possible?
Numbers are a joke and can become a disease. Advice: Ignore all numbers you hear...they are said to only make you go crazy. They are basically synonimous with the old "I caught a fish this long".