Whats the big deal about Barkley sockeye fishing?

[Cuba Libre]

Each to his own, but I cant understand the gleeful posts about getting on the water by 5am (or earlier) and getting back off the water with a couple of small fish by 6am [?]

The pseudocommercial gear that is being used ( as many flashers and rods as possible) does not allow a chance to properly play the fish. Most times the fish is reefed into the boat with the speed of a bass fishing pro out for tournament big bucks. At least with combat fishing for chums in Johnstone Strait you have a fish that is a worthy quarry and will not allow itself to be yanked out of the water like an overgrown sardine!!

Now, I have nothing against meat fishing in some circumstances (I'll be up in Johnstone Straits for soxs myself) But I will not delude myself that I am "Sport" fishing. I will be "harvesting".
I also am having trouble understanding why some ( not all) feel that anglers deserve 4 sockeye but they dont want the commercial guys to take a limited number of fish. Obviously they havent read the DFO Allocation Policy on which sector gets what.

Cheers
CL

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[scott craven]

Cuba,
could be sockeye's are just so damn tasty

 

[Cuba Libre]

OK-- now that makes sense!

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Agreed. Id take 1 10lb soceye over 5 20lb springs or coho anyday.

Fill the dam tub!

 

[profisher]

I know about the allocation policy. My question is why do the commercial guys come into the inlet and mop up Chinook later on when the sport fishery is not back to a limit of (2) any size on the west coast of the Island. They are only supposed to fish a surplus when we are at full limits. If they can fish there must be enough fish to allow a (2) fish any size limit. If not they should stay away from Chinook.

 

[The Fish Assassin]

quote:Agreed. Id take 1 10lb soceye over 5 20lb springs or coho anyday.

I'd gladly take that trade. I don't find them to be outrageously better than either one. I'd BBQ the spring with my sauce or turn the coho into Indian Candy.

Take only what you need.

 

[The Fish Assassin]

quote:Originally posted by profisher

I know about the allocation policy. My question is why do the commercial guys come into the inlet and mop up Chinook later on when the sport fishery is not back to a limit of (2) any size on the west coast of the Island. They are only supposed to fish a surplus when we are at full limits. If they can fish there must be enough fish to allow a (2) fish any size limit. If not they should stay away from Chinook.

The "mop up" is a terminal fishery. That means they are only targeting the fish from one particular river system. In theory sports fisherman have more options to choose from, so in the same area they might be fishing a different stock of fish. But I know what you mean. They could increase our limits to 4 a day during and after the commercials go in there after the springs and I bet anyone would be hard pressed to get 1 never mind all 4.

Take only what you need.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Maybe we can get more sox from Aklaska...[xx(]

quote:Glut of reds overwhelms Bristol Bay processors
LAINE WELCH
FISHERIES

http://www.adn.com/money/welch/story/853730.html

Published: July 4th, 2009 07:48 PM
Last Modified: July 5th, 2009 12:46 AM

KODIAK -- Salmon fishermen at Bristol Bay were bracing for another surge of reds over the July 4 weekend -- and likely more catch limits.

The peak of the sockeye run is on its way, said Susie Jenkins on Friday. Jenkins is a "company liaison" at the state Department of Fish and Game office in Dillingham, where she is in daily contact with fishermen and processors.

The second pulse of fish gives processing crews barely enough time to catch their breath after last week's huge haul of 10 million reds, taken throughout the bay in about three days. The major processing companies were unable to handle the glut of fish, and last Sunday, the earliest date ever, they put fishermen on catch limits; some suspended buying altogether.

The first run of sockeye salmon arrived several days early and seemed to catch some processors off guard, Jenkins said, plus "all the bays were hitting at the same time, so they were getting it from all sides."

"The fishermen are angry. All winter long we've been told the processors have the capacity to handle large runs. The fishermen have been told they are going to work hard to keep them off limits and bring more tenders into the bay. This is the sixth season in a row that they've gone on limits, and they've been caught unprepared.

"When this peak comes, this is the time for these guys to make money. This is the time for them to catch fish. And the bulk of the run is going past their nets and they're only allowed to catch 4,000 pounds? They can catch that in an hour," Jenkins said.
A study last year by the Juneau-based McDowell Group found that 37 million fish worth $131 million to fishermen went unharvested at Bristol Bay in the past five years.

In the 2009 processor survey, 13 companies said they could handle the projected catch of 24 million sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay this summer. A 3 percent boost in tendering capacity was also added to haul excess fish to King Cove and Kodiak plants. But it still doesn't seem to be enough, agreed Cora Crome, fisheries aide to the governor.

"We have a consistent pattern in the bay where it's clear that there is a need out there for a little bit more processing right at the peak," Crome said last year after a "foregone harvest" of 3 million harvestable red salmon swam away upstream.

Fishermen for years have urged the state to let foreign companies come into the bay to pull up the processing slack. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who visited Dillingham last week, posed that question to Tom Winihan, manager at Peter Pan Seafoods.

"If we allow foreigners to come in and process, they should have to adhere to all the same regulations that we do, the same hiring and wage standards, bonding standards for paying fishermen," Winihan told KDLG. "If they do that, great; we will compete with them. But they won't do that, so we can't compete with them."

"Everyone is frustrated," said Susie Jenkins. "When their fishermen are unhappy it's hard to have a good working relationship. It's tough on all the managers. ... But nothing has been done to remedy the situation and it just reverberates to everybody."

Meanwhile, a fleet of 1,300 drift gillnetters are working in Bristol Bay, similar to last year. Ditto the advance sockeye prices of 62 to 68 cents a pound.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laine Welch is a Kodiak-based fisheries journalist. Her Fish Radio programs can be heard on stations around the state. Her information column appears every other Sunday. This material is protected by copyright. For information on reprinting or placing on your Web site or newsletter, contact msfish@alaska.com

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[TheBigGuy]

Cuba Libra, I'm in agreement on all of your points. I mostly did the Sockeye thing in Alberni to amuse the kids. The Sockeye run when the kids are out of school, and the action is great for kids. The only better action is in Sept for Coho in the Sound. For sheer sport I'd much rather fish the Coho, but the kids are back in school then. I kept them out of school to fish coho when they were in elementary school, but they can't miss much time once they're in high school.

The kids were pretty hard to get up a 4:30m in the morning most of the time. So some times I'd take them out for a late trip. One thing most people don't know is that there is a really intense Sockeye bite just before it gets dark in Alberni.