COMMON COD CATCHERS!

Alaska is all about catching fish. Whether its salmon, halibut or rock fish, everyone wants to catch fish.  The fishing industry is huge in Alaska, so I thought it would be a good idea to fill everyone in on this lucrative, and somewhat political, way of life.

First of all, there are several different classifications of fishing.  You can do COMMERCIAL FISHING, which is highly governed and has its own set of laws (I won't go into those here, in part, because I don't have a clue about it), there is fishing for PERSONAL ENJOYMENT, and there is GUIDED SPORTS FISHING.

We offer guided sports fishing here at Fishmaster's Inn.  Since my arrival, only two king salmon have been caught and our guests took them home. King Salmon has become the elusive fish to find.  Most everyone is catching either halibut, rock fish or ling cod.  In fact, the rock fish are so plentiful, they have become a joke.

Just last week two of our guests were talking, one man turned to the other, and jokingly called him a "Common Cod Catcher!"  We all had a good laugh and I immediately thought it was a great title for this blog.

With all this talk of fish it got me thinking.  What are the rules and regulations regarding the fishing industry, and how do they apply to our guests and, in particular, the fishing lodge owners?

I knew there had been harsh talk about this year's new fishing regulations, and how they might impact business for the lodges, but I wanted to get the facts straight

So I took my questions to the main man, Jerry Shelden, owner of Fishmaster's Inn and expert Alaska fishing guide.  Here's what I learned...

There are different sets of rules for each classification of fishing (see above) and I'll do my best to explain them in simple terms.

 
HALIBUT:

As we all know, halibut is highly regarded in the restaurant industry, and is often found on menus throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Up here, it is all about catching the biggest halibut, not so much about getting the meat.


Our federal government, under the guise of the Federal Halibut Commission, set all standards for catching these fish.  This year, it is not looking good for guided sports fishing.


The limit for guided sports fishing on halibut is this...
You may catch and keep halibut up to 37" long.  According to the commission, this is due to the current lack of halibut.  However, there seems to be political undertones, and could in fact, be related to the Alaska commercial fishing industry and their heavy lobbyists in Washington.  But this is just speculation and not bound by fact.

When I was in Elfin Cove four years ago, there was no limit on the size of halibut our guests caught, and there were many pulled in at over 200 pounds.  These halibut were always prized and well photographed. You can imagine the disappointment, and frustration, with this year's size regulations.


Now, if you are out on your own boat, fishing for personal enjoyment, you do not have to follow the same rules.  You can catch up to two halibut per day at any size.

ROCK FISH / LING COD:

With the rock fish, it is a little different and much more lienient, depending on the type of rock fish you catch (no size restrictions).  It is the same limit for everyone.


Yellow Eye Rock Fish is limited to 2 per year.
Black Bass is limited to 5 per day
China Rockfish is limited to 2 per day


As for Ling Cod, there is seasonal limits as well as quantity and size restrictions.
The Ling Cod seasons run from May 1st - June 16, and from August 15-October 1st.
You can catch only 2 per year and they must be sized between 30" - 35".



SALMON:



There are several varieties, including...
King - the big prize, and often specified by the region it comes from.
            Wild Alaska, Atlantic Farm-Raised, Copper River
Coho (Silver)
Chum (Dog)
Pink (Humpies)
Sockeye - it should be noted that our guests don't catch sockeye because they won't bite.  Sockeye is usually caught in big nets by commercial fisherman.

For the elusive King Salmon, which we aren't finding much of these days, both guided sports fishing and fishing for personal enjoyment  can catch only 5 king salmon per year, and they must be at least 28" or longer.  

YOU HAVE TO PAY IF YOU WANT TO PLAY:



With the exception of halibut, all other fish caught in Alaska's icy waters are regulated by the Alaska Department of Fisheries.  You can only imagine how powerful this governmental agency is.  They also have different restrictions according to the type of fishing.




All fishing requires a license and King Salmon fishing requires a tag (or stamp) placed on your license.


Here is the pricing for a non-resident of Alaska fishing license...
1 day     $20
3 days   $35
7 days   $55
14 days $80
1 year   $145


Add a King Salmon stamp to your license and you pay...
1 day     $10
3 days   $20
7 days   $30
14 days $50
1 year   $100


Now that's some expensive fish!  And we complain about the price per pound at the grocery store.


Okay, all you common cod catchers, now you know everything there is about fishing regulations in Alaska.


On a side note:  I have yet to cook any salmon and I'm moving into my third week.  Sigh!

Once again, my apologies for not being able to upload photos.


Until next time..
Bon Voyage and Bon Appetit!