• Non-Resident bag limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length per day in June, July and August. May the bag limit is 2 per day 28 inches or greater in length.
• Non-Resident annual limit is four king salmon

Any questions please let me know. Hope to see you in Sitka. Thank you.

Greg

Last week in Anchorage the NPFMC (North Pacific Fishery Management Council) meet to talk about Halibut regulations for the 2012 season. The NPFMC passed a motion with recommendations to the IPHC (International Pacific Halibut Commission). The IPHC will meet in Anchorage in late January to finalize the regulations.

Recommended regulations for non-resident anglers are:

One fish per day – either under 45 inches or over 68 inches.

This is great news and big improvement from last seasons regulations. I am thrilled and happy to be moving in the right direction. We will keep following things as they progress and keep you informed. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Tight lines!

Thousands of productive salmon fishing areas dot the Pacific Coast and inland waters like a gigantic connect-the-dots painting. Anglers who connect the dots with hook and line, and spend time discovering and exploring the West Coast’s vast salmon fishing areas will eventually learn about one of the most productive saltwater salmon fisheries on earth-Sitka, Alaska.

A quick glance of a map or chart reveals why Sitka ranks high on the must-fish list for hard-core salmon anglers from around the world. Sitka sits strategically facing the bountiful Pacific Ocean, and has the protection of Kruzof Island, which gives Sitka anglers the ability to find lee waters when the ocean becomes wave torn. Remoteness from “mainland civilization” also plays a key role in Sitka’s allure. Inaccessibility by road to mainland keeps cars and large amounts of people from traveling to the quaint port helping Sitka remain unspoiled from mass development.

For centuries Sitka has been one of the Pacific Coast’s major salmon feeding areas. The nutrient-rich, super fertile Pacific Ocean waters in front of Sitka attract baitfish of epic proportions. The vast shoreline surrounding Kruzof Island, to the west of Sitka, also offers a healthy kelp forest for baitfish and in turn attracts salmon by the tens of thousands. Sitka Sound’s protected waters also attract numerous baitfish including herring, candlefish, squid, and shrimp. Add this all together and you end up with a massive baitfish buffet combined with a massive customer base of salmon, halibut, lingcod, and rockfish-that all want to gorge themselves with an easy, free meal.

My first trip to Sitka happened eleven years ago, after hearing multitudes of stories about Sitka’s salmon fishing action that could not possibly be true. I booked a trip with Greg Kain, owner of Kain’s Fishing Adventures. Kain, a hard-core river fishing guide from Washington State, had also heard about the incredible salmon fishing from Southeast Alaska’s small port of Sitka. Kain visited Sitka to see first-hand if the stories were true and when he found out they were he decided to start a lodge.

Kain was ahead of the curve of most of his lodge operating friends. In the past decade he’s seen Sitka’s sport fishing fleet grow exponentially. Sitka, for the record, harbors one of the largest charter fleets in all of southeast Alaska. And its reputation is backed up by statistics. Sitka produces some of the largest numbers of salmon caught every year, not to mention some of the biggest salmon caught. Those fish over 50 pounds that help perpetuate Sitka’s reputation typically come from the outer coast en route to the spawning grounds in other parts of Alaska, Canada and the lower 48. Despite a large portion of the catch coming from Sitka Sound, you will find plenty of fish caught further north near Salisbury Sound and Nakwasina Sound.

Be forewarned. Once you leave the protection of Kruzof Island you enter into a world of open seas and potentially dangerous waters.

Near Salisbury Sound, the area that separates Baranof and Chichagof islands, most of the salmon caught are headed for terminal fisheries. The west end of Salisbury is an ideal collecting area for baitfish; subsequently it’s one of the better areas to find fish. It is here that you’ll find Sitka’s main charter fleet pounding the near-shore reefs.

Back in Sitka Sound expect to find plump, mirror bright Coho and kings feeding on the massive schools of herring, squid, candlefish and shrimp. On a recent trip here with Kain, we enjoyed non-stop action, including several quadruple headers. We also hooked several king salmon in the 20 to 30 pound range, which is fairly common of the salmon that prowl these waters.

After that first trip, I have made many trips to Sitka and fished with Kain several times. As mentioned earlier, a trip to Sitka is a life-changing experience. Once you experience the consistency and quality of fishing you will return, even if you have to save up your money for years.

Last summer I visited Sitka with a goal of catching monster halibut with a side of salmon. Not only does Sitka offer anglers awesome king and silver fishing, it offers world-class halibut fishing, too. While most Sitka’s halibut range in size from 20 to 60 pounds, trophy-sized halibut can be caught if you know where to fish. Instead of running offshore and anchoring in any one of a hundred known “chicken” holes (small halibut ranging in size from 15 to 25 pounds are called chickens) it’s recommended to look for any hump or rise on the bottom. While fishing with Kain last summer he stared at his fish finder, watching for any sudden rise on the ocean floor. Suddenly, with no other boats in sight, we stopped the boat, turned 180 degrees and slowly motored over a high spot on the fish finder.

Within minutes of anchoring perfectly above the high spot, which rose just 20 feet at its peak, I hooked a nice 120-pound halibut. Soon after the first halibut, another halibut rod bent over double. One of Kain’s deckhands had baited the rod with a 20/0 circle hook and loaded it up with fresh salmon guts and scent. The deckhand pulled on the monster halibut and then passed the rod to me, the second biggest I have ever fought. The battle lasted about 40 minutes and bent the rod into a pretzel. When the 300-pound barn door appeared under the boat, its massive body created an intimidating shadow. Staring into the abyss, my eyes focused on the massive flat fish, giving me enough adrenaline to pump the fish within reach. With the help of a deckhand, Kain handled the fish and hoisted it over the gunwale.

During last summer’s trip I also caught and released lingcod ranging in size from 15 to 55 pounds. In addition, like every trip to Sitka, the salmon proved easy and fun to catch. If you want a challenge catching salmon, go somewhere else- because catching salmon in Sitka is the closest sure thing in salmon fishing you will find.

Anglers who visit Sitka typically book with a lodge, and choose a three or four-day fishing package. For many anglers, a trip to Sitka will usually guarantee them of bringing home at least two 50-pound boxes of vacuum-packed fillets. Many lodges limit anglers to their two 50-pound fish boxes. Some lodges allow anglers additional boxes at a fair processing price.

When you’re looking to book with a lodge, ask pointed questions about equipment, boats and accommodations. For example, Kain runs 32-foot fishing boats with private marine heads. The boat cabins provide a warm, dry ride to and from the fishing grounds. Each boat is equipped with “state of the art” electronics for navigation, communication and finding fish. These vessels are very seaworthy in Alaskan waters, cruise at 25 knots, and have to range to get to the best fishing grounds. An Alaska waters experienced U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain pilots each boat.

Each boat also has an experienced deckhand to bait hooks, net fish and keep anglers from tangling during double, triple and quadruple headers. It’s a recommended upon landing a salmon to immediately bleed, gut and pack the stomach cavity with shaved ice. Back at the dock the salmon will be filleted and ten cut into meal-sized portions, vacuum packed, and flash frozen.

Mooching is a favorite method for catching Sitka salmon. The method consists of drifting over prime locations where feeding salmon have been spotted on the depth sounder; it could be a prime migration route where you wait for waves of salmon to swim past your bait. When anchoring, the captain watches the fish finder closely and calls out the proper depth where he sees salmon feeding on baitfish. The technique works great, and causes multiple hookups when the fish move through. When the bite goes wide-open, success means simply stripping out line to put the cut-plug at the desired depth-a bite will usually occur within seconds.

During most trips, anglers catch their limit of salmon first, and then venture offshore to target halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Anchoring over prime bottom structure is the preferred method among almost all Sitka-based charter captains who maintain a GPS logbook chock full of prime locations to find limits of halibut for their customers. In addition to using fresh salmon guts, bellies and heads for halibut bait, I’ve caught halibut on 24-ounce lead-head jigs equipped with a rubber worm or small scampi stinger hook. Jigging can be addictive, especially when the halibut hit is so hard, you almost lose the rod.

Situations like that only add to the stories told by numerous Sitka-crazed fish junkies. Sitka’s legendary fishing lives up to its reputation and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that fishing and catching are one and the same in Sitka. To this day, after fishing hundreds of locations, Sitka remains the most consistent salmon and halibut fishing destination I have encountered.

Prime time for kings runs from mid-May through July. It is still possible to catch king salmon in August, but not as likely as prime time Coho arrive in mid-July and build in numbers through September. Two nearby hatcheries put out millions of fish with returns expected to number about 2 million annually, which explains the generous six Coho per day limit. Mid-May through September is prime time for halibut. Halibut follow bait and salmon into the area and feed voraciously throughout the season. Lingcod can be caught throughout the season as well as big, feisty rockfish.

Sitka was originally named Shee-Atika by Tlingit natives, which means people on the side of Shee. Long before Europeans discovered Sitka, these resourceful Tlingit Indians forged a comfortable living from the area’s bounty of saltwater delicacies. In 1799 Russians first sailed into Sitka after Czar Paul claimed Alaska as a Russian possession. He soon appointed Baranov as the first Russian Governor of Alaska. Soon after his appointment, Baranov established a post inside of Sitka Sound, at the mouth of Katlian Bay. Sitka provided a protected port for the tall ships and an abundance of seafood to feed settlers throughout the winter. By 1840 Bishop Innocent, (Ivan Veniaminov), had St. Michael’s Cathedral built, downtown Sitka’s centerpieces. Sitka was the capital during Russia’s reign of Alaska, which gives Sitka special distinction among followers of the Russian Orthodox faith. The Russian and Tlingit’s lived together for years prior to Alaska’s transfer from Russia to the United States, which took place in Sitka. In 1966, a tragic fire destroyed the original cathedral and in 1977, a replica of the original cathedral was reconstructed giving the tiny town its centerpiece once again. Visitors can tour the building and see many of the original artifacts for a nominal donation.

The Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center provides one of the best up close viewing opportunities for anyone who loves eagles and other raptors. Sitka also offers visitor the chance to visit the Sheldon Jackson Museum, one of the best native museums in America. Visitors can also go to the National Historic Parks, or Castle Hill. The Centennial building by the marina also offers daily Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian folk dances along with performances by the Tlingit Native Dancers.

Mount Edgecumbe, a semi-dormant volcano on Kruzof Island, provides a scenic reminder that Sitka sits on the edge of the Pacific Rim of Fire. Several area trailheads lead to Edgecumbe viewing spots and lakes full of fish. Area streams also provide fast action when the season allows the taking of salmon. A few anglers bring pack fly rods and take advantage of miles of shoreline teaming with pink salmon. Failure to catch pinks on a fly here means you didn’t use a hook! Pink salmon swarm Sitka in July in numbers to great they try jumping into every small drain-pipe emptying water into Sitka Sound.

Kayaking excursions as well as wildlife viewing abound in Sitka. Flight-seeing tours also provide a unique view of the area. All of these activities seem tempting, but it is hard to spare time away from Sitka’s “reel” draw- a saltwater bounty to be experienced rather than told.

Not many anglers in the know would argue that the prime waters of South East Alaska’s Baranof Island are perhaps the best Pacific Coast waters for an easy limit of salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Sitka, located on the prime western shores of Baranof Island has provided a wealth of fishing opportunities for hundreds of years, when the Tlingit first named the city Shee-Atika. Now, after the sport fishing community recognized the area’s abundant fish stocks, Sitka’s reputation as a “can’t miss” destination has become known worldwide.

Greg Kain, owner of Kain’s Fishing Adventures has been taking advantage of the area’s awesome fishing for more than a decade. During that time his guests have routinely taken limits of salmon, halibut and whatever bottomfish they choose to catch. During several trips to Sitka, fishing with Kain, I’ve never been disappointed and never gone home without catching plenty of whatever species we targeted.

Kain specializes in mooching for king and coho salmon using light action G.Loomis rods and quality Shimano reels. He’ll often anchor over prime migration routes, a technique that works wonders, especially if you like multiple hook ups. When the fish come through, he will see them on the fish finder and call out the proper depth to fish. Anglers then pull out the required number of pulls to reach depth. It rarely takes long after you put your tightly spinning bait to the right depth. When everyone has their chinook, generous six coho limit Kain, or his guides will put everyone onto any one of a hundred top halibut holes. Halibut range in size from chickens to over 300 pounds.

Deciding when to fish Sitka can be tough. From May through early July chinook dominate the efforts. Chinook don’t run huge here, with the most common size ranging from 15 to 35 pounds. However, you could hook into a 50-plus too. Coho fishing begins in July and peaks in mid August and early September. Halibut fishing is good throughout the summer season.

“I give Kain’s Fishing Adventures a Five Star Rating,” John L. Beath.

Sitka reigns king of halibut fishing in Southeast Alaska. The vast open ocean waters on the west coast of Kruzof Island or the inside waters of Sitka Sound could easily produce a once-in-a-lifetime halibut. A few years ago, while fishing just offshore from Cape Edgecumbe in 325 feet of water, I hooked and landed my biggest halibut ever, a 7-foot 1-incher that weighed 325 pounds. It was my goal to catch and keep a trophy that year and that’s the very reason I choose Sitka to attempt and ultimately achieve my goal.

Several other factors also make Sitka a top choice on this list. First and foremost, the salmon fishing gets red hot, especially the coho fishing with generous six fish limits. Early in the season, from mid May until mid July anglers can also enjoy spectacular king fishing. Typically anglers can catch a limit of salmon and halibut in the same day, making this destination one of my all time favorites, especially when fishing with Kain’s Fishing Adventures!

But for anglers who want to target triple digit halibut it’s simply a matter of asking the charter operator prior to booking your trip. But be aware that most of the guides practice catch and release on large fish. This practice has worked out well and provides many anglers the chance to catch large fish without depleting the resource. Anglers who want to go home with their more-than-generous fish limit of 2 halibut per day won’t be disappointed. Skippers working for Kain’s Fishing Adventures almost always limit their customers on halibut, even when other charter operators experience scratchy fishing conditions. Kain’s skippers always seem to know where to find halibut and what they want to eat.

Savy anglers who fish for three or four days will likely notice that the charter captains self regulate themselves by fishing in areas with average-sized halibut most days and fish areas with larger halibut only part of the time. This practice as worked well to maintain the resource and works out well for anglers who want to bring the highest quality halibut fillets from halibut weighing 30 to 50 pounds. As stated above, if you want to catch bigger fish let your captain know your intentions ahead of time – including your desire to release big fish or keep them. It’s much better to communicate your wishes with the captain prior to booking your trip.

Best Methods

Virtually any traditional method of catching halibut works well in Sitka, but anchoring is the norm here. Kain prefers 16-ounce leadhead jigs with 8-inch Kalin white scampi tails. “We also use an 8/0 stinger hook crimped on the leadhead hook and a red twister tail worm on that hook too.”

Best depths, according to Kain, typically range from 250 to 500-feet deep. During late summer the shallow waters of Sitka Sound can provide top action too.

Many Alaska-bound anglers travel much farther than needed in their search for salmon, halibut, steelhead, trout and rockfish. Farther usually means more money, time, and perfect trip timing. Since all five species of salmon swarm throughout Southeast Alaska from spring through fall, anglers need only book a short 2 1/2 hour flight from Seattle to land in the heart of great Alaska fishing.

Places like Sitka Alaska attract southeast Alaska loyalists because the area lies within an area filthy rich with bait-invested waters on the Pacific Ocean’s prime salmon feeding grounds. Add towering trees, remote inlets, coves, breathtaking mountains, lots of protected water and almost guaranteed salmon limits and you begin to realize why Sitka Alaska has such a loyal following of anglers.

Sitka sits at the edge of the open Pacific Ocean, on the west side of Baranof Island, inside the protected waters of Sitka Sound. During summer months, anglers can usually fish the incredibly fertile waters of the open ocean, in front of Kruzof Island. If the wind does blow beyond safety standards, miles of shoreline on the lee side of Kruzof Island can be safely accessed and fished successfully.

During June Sitka Sound and the offshore waters, become the feeding grounds for tens of thousands of chinook salmon bulking up on plentiful feed. Anglers typically catch chinook ranging in size from 20 to 30-pounds with the occasional 30 to 50-pounder. Anglers head to Southeast Alaska’s Sitka in late May too intercept the first migrating chinook salmon of the year. The kings average from 20 to 35-pounds, but fight like bigger fish. May also provides the first chance at consistent 30 to 100-pound halibut action and improves as the season progresses. During June through July, king fishing peaks as they feed their way southward.

Just about any traditional fishing method works because these fish aren’t shy. Mooching and jigging with quality light tackle is by far the most sporting, hands on method of catching Sitka’s chinook and coho salmon. Kain’s Fishing Adventures specializes in these techniques and consistently provide world-class fishing and more importantly, catching for their sport fishing clients. Coho enter the catch in July along with a mix of chums and sockeye. You’ll find pink salmon here too – but in larger numbers during odd years.

Most anglers targeting chinook will limit easily in June and July. Most, in fact, will have to catch and release chinook because they will catch numerous fish during a morning tide. Sitka is considered one of the best chinook fishing locales in the world among hard-core king anglers. When you experience a fish after fish bite you will likely agree.

Mooching cut-plug herring with 15 to 20-pound rated equipment is the preferred method to catch chinook in Sitka area waters. Jigging and trolling works too, and offers anglers a nice variety of action to add to their experience. In July the coho arrive in unimaginable numbers. Local coho limits of six coho per day reflect the total numbers of fish in the area. Two nearby hatcheries put out millions of fish with returns expected to number about two million annually. Guide boats drift mooch with cut-plug herring or they anchor and wait for schools of coho to swim past. Both methods works great – you seldom have to wait more than a few minutes between bites.

Once anglers have their limits of salmon, the guides will move onto one of the constantly productive halibut hideouts. There is a saying among Sitka halibut anglers, “if you don’t catch a limit of halibut you didn’t go fishing.” Sizes range from 30 to 100-pounds. Catch and release is strongly encouraged on halibut weighing over 100-pounds.

Sitka is a place where all your dreams of fishing in Alaska can come true. Every morning Kain’s Fishing Adventures’ sportfisher leaves the sheltered docks deep in Sitka Sound and the only sound, if any, is the scream of a bald eagle. The ancient town of Sitka is shrouded in dawn shadows as the boat threads through islets to more open water. The morning sun shoots broad swords of light through the banners of clouds bugging the mountaintops of Baranof Island and backlights the mixed fleet of salmon trawlers and sport boats headed out to the fishing grounds of the open ocean. Seagulls pile one on another near a kelp bed by a finger reef of volcanic rock, but skipper Greg Kain dismisses the frenzy with a quick look through the binoculars. “They’re on rockfish.”

Instead Kain sets up a drift over an offshore hump that the video sonar reveals in full color. Then he shows us the underhand cast necessary to keep the long leader of the mooching rig from tangling with the sinker. “Go ahead and drop it all the way to the bottom,” Kain says. “First thing in the morning there’s a chance of catching some kings.”

And that’s just how Bobby Loomis of G. Loomis kicks off the morning – he hooks up with a bright, deep shouldered chinook that puts a good bend in the G. Loomis STR 1265, which is a 10’6″ mooching rod. But it’s Bob Loomis, Sr. who gives us a lesson on how to put the mooching rod to good use. He starts hooking silver salmon with uncommon rapidity, and the chunky cohos rocket up to the surface as soon as they feel the bite of the long rod.

“Way to go, Gary,” says Ben Secrest of AFTCO, who has needled Loomis about his brother, the namesake of G. Loomis, in this manner ever since the airport. We’re all getting bit, including Secrest, who somehow survives a look that should have killed him, and, since the rods were equipped with Shimano line counter levelwind reels, everyone pays close attention to Kain as he keeps a close eye on the sonar.
“There are some fish at 60 feet and 40 feet,” he says, and that sets everyone’s minds to quick meter-to-feet conversions.

Yet it is the senior Loomis who is on fire and he quickly approaches the six-fish limit for silvers. So I study his technique. The fairly heavy sinker puts a bend in the limber rod, and Bob uses the bend to advantage – sort of a pre-hookset bend – by keeping the tip in the water. When the silver hits, he puts the reel in gear and lets the fish take the rod tip deep in the water before he lifts up and the salmon is on the hook.

Bobby Loomis and Ben Secrest do fairly well with soaking their bait in the zones Kain names, but I combine the senior Loomis’ hookset method with my own approach, which calls for a fairly rapid retrieve to the fish holding depth, but then only a slowdown instead of a complete stop. The silvers want it on the move. But, hey, the bite is so wide open that we all have limits in the fish box in not time at all.

It’s time to move onto larger, more serious prey – the giant halibut of Sitka. We make a long run around the outside of Kruzof Island, and as Kain sets the anchor on the spot, he tells us this is a good spot for number of flatfish in the 100 to 200-pound range. That brings the 16-pound test IGFA men’s line class record for Pacific halibut into the realm of possibility – the existing record is only 165 pounds.

So one of the two bait rigs Kain deploys in the forward area of the cockpit near the wheelhouse is a 16-pound IGFA setup, while the other is a more standard 50-pound Spectra rig. Both are laden with a disgusting ball of salmon guts. “Not only will we have a chance of catching a halibut on these rigs,” say Kain, “but they also act as chum since they milk out a scent.”

Bobby Loomis and Ben Secrest, veterans of the Sitka halibut fishery, take a more active approach. Preferring to fish with artificial baits (well mostly artificial), they break out their secret lure rig. The rig is a combination of two of Kalin’s plastic lures – a large white twin tail Scampi on a heavy (12 to 16 ounces) leadhead is topped off with an open eye Siwash hook pinched down on the bend of the hook on the leadhead. Onto this stinger hook is threaded a pink/silver flake 5-inch Kalin grub.
Secrest and Loomis disagree on the final touch – a piece of salmon belly, also cut to form a split tail in position only. Ben likes to put it on the trailing hook, while Bobby opts for the bigger leadhead hook. Then, using G. Loomis SWR 90-25 rods and Shimano TLD 25 reels packed with Spectra, the pair starts working the combos around the high spot the tide is just starting to settle the boat on perfectly. Secrest sets the hook, but he’s only connected with a (formerly) permanent dweller of the rock, a big, fat, brillant orange yelloweye rockfish.

The next time he rears back, the fish burns some drag fiber and Secrest has to work before he gets a view of a white slab belly as the flattie makes on last dive for freedom. But the fish is soon back up and Kain and deckhand Bryce Kilponen get their hooks in the fish and a 100-pound halibut is put on board. Then it’s Bobby Loomis’ turn, but his fish turns out to be a lingcod.

One of the bait rigs gets hit and the senior Loomis gets a chance, and we have another flattie on the boat. Meanwhile I’m scrambling to match the setup used by Ben and Bob, because Secrest is hooked up again. I also try the other side of the boat. Bob Loomis steps into the corner I just vacated and hooks a hawg halibut. This fish torques him back and forth along the rail and up and over the outboard and back again. The G. Loomis rod is bent like it has a world record yellowfin on the other end.

Then the behemoth looms under the boat and the refraction makes the halibut look twice its 160 pounds, and the reason it has fought so hard becomes clear – the lure is in the side of the fish’s face. The halibut either sniffed a little too close, or rejected the offering a little too late. Either way, Loomis was quick enough to make the halibut pay. This fish Kain dispatches with the help of not only his gaffs, but a revolver. While this is going on, Secrest hooks and lands another halibut, then I finally get on the board with a flattie right at 100 pounds. About that time the world record setup gets bit and Kain himself is the one who picks it up and fights the halibut after both Loomis and Secrest decline.

Now it’s later in the afternoon and there’s lots of fish cleaning ahead, so Kain says it’s time to go. As I reel up the plastic/bait combo, something slams it halfway to the boat and one last halibut goes in the fish box. Back at the docks we hang out and help with the fish processing. The passengers on the other boat that Kain’s Fishing Adventures operates head back to the lodge for a jacuzzi and cocktail on the deck of the lodge overlooking the bay. It’s not long before we’re also enjoying the view, while a local gal uses the vacuum sealer downstairs to package the fillets before they’re sent to be flash frozen.

The next morning the sky clears and I put my newly perfected mooching techinque to good use, landing a quick limit of silvers and a couple pinks. The wind comes up before everyone is limited and Kain takes us across the sound to a secluded spot that is holding a school of silvers that want to eat lures. I take a backseat to the expertise of Bobby Loomis with the metal Crippled Herring and Bryce Kiltonen with the plastic B-2 Squid, as they outstrip everyone during the catch and release action. Secrest does use one of his imported Fish Trap swim bait plastics to hook a couple silvers. What’s most impressive with the swim baits is how they attract bands of following salmon right to the boat’s stern.

Now the wind really hoots, but we huddle in the cabin as the sportfisher pounds through the swell. It’s still nasty when we get to the spot, so much so that Kain decides to stay at the wheel and make controlled drifts over the reef. Bob, Sr. chooses to keep him company since the target now is lingcod and that means deep jigging.

We’re treated to an awesome sight as Kain makes a turn over the reef to set up the drift. “Whoa, look at that, it’s all silver salmon,” Secrest cries out and scambles to grab his swim bait rod. It’s a huge school of silver salmon up near the surface – what we would call a breezer in offshore fishing for yellowtail or tuna – and we’re so close you can see perfectly individual fish out of the hundreds swimming south. “That’s why the fishery here is Sitka is so amazing”, says Kain. “The fish use this coastline as a migratory landmark. Every salmon headed for most of southeast Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and ever Oregon and California from out of the Bering Sea comes by here.”

Lingcod, of course, are a more sedentary species, although their young travel far in larval form. For this reason, one of the best reefs off Sitka has been voluntarily placed off limits by the sportfishing fleet. But the reef we’re on is still a good one. Secrest is the first to hook up, but the fish unbuttons after some mean, Spectra-striping runs. Bobby Loomis seems to finds every lure-eating hole in the bottom. I find the willing maw of a 48-pound lincod with a face only a mother could love. Talk about prehistoric.

On the way home, the Sitka Sound is alive with humpback whales. It’s as if the blowholes of the literally hundreds of the huge marine mammals signal an impending eruption of Mount Edgecombe, which looms in the background.
Kings and silver fill the final day, but an engine problem makes it impossible to hit the halibut spot Kain save for the finale. That evening we take the entire crew of the lodge out to dinner in downtown Sitka and the next morning I’m on a plane home. Unfortunately, I don’t have to pinch myself to know I’m not in Alaska.

Greg Kain is a guide who takes his fishing very seriously – just the way I like it! Greg is the owner and operator of Kain’s Fishing Adventures. He specializes in steelhead fishing in Washington and salmon fishing in Sitka, Alaska. Northwest Fishing Holes I fished with Greg and experienced his steelhead expertise on the Wynoochee River last year. This past July, my wife Elaine and I had the opportunity to sample the other half of Kain’s Fishing Adventures, in Sitka.

No less an authority than Nick Amato, the editor of Salmon Trout Steelheader, believes that Sitka offers the best salt water salmon fishing on the West Coast. After experiencing it for myself, I have to agree. With miles of protected bays, channels, and inlets, as well as easily accessible open ocean water, anglers very rarely see a day when weather absolutely prohibits fishing. The Sitka area boasts at least one large salmon hatchery, but more importantly, it lies on the edge of the biggest salmon highway in North America.

Greg leaves Washington behind and moves up to Alaska to begin his Sitka operation in May and returns home towards the end of September. Chinook begin to show in the waters around Sitka in May and start to taper off in late August and September. Coho, the other most targeted salmon species, begin in mid-July and continue to peak through September. Halibut, lingcod, and a variety of rockfish abound in the area and are available throughout the entire five month season.

Sitka is situated on the west side of Baranof Island along the southeast corner of the Gulf of Alaska, southwest of Juneau and northwest of Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan. Alaska Airlines has daily jet service into Sitka via Seattle. It is served by Alaska Marine Highway Ferries, and is also a favorite stopping-off point for cruise ships going up and down the Inside Passage. While Sitka is a fairly good sized town with plenty of amenities, most of the area is still unpopulated, and the scenery is spectacular. It is a real oasis in a desolate stretch of island, glacier, mountains, and fjords. (For a detailed map of the area, see nautical chart #17320, Coronation Island to Lisianski Strait.)

Greg headquarters this northern half of Kain’s Fishing Adventures in a beautiful lodge overlooking Sitka Sound, just north of town on a road aptly named Halibut Point Road.

Set up to accommodate sixteen guests, the lodge has nine rooms, a beautiful living room, dining room, and kitchen, and a spectacular deck complete with hot tub and a breathtaking 180 degree view. Inside, guests can relax near the bar, watch a large television, play cards, or just sit and watch a variety of wildlife. We viewed eagles and deer from the living room window on a daily basis.

The day begins with a large breakfast, and guests are sent to the boats equipped with generous box lunches. Plenty of coffee, soft drinks, and cookies are also available. From the lodge, guests are shuttled in a van to the harbor, just minutes away, where the Kain’s boats are waiting.

Captain Lou Javete skipper Bite Me, a twin of Greg’s boat. Greg’s assistant and deck hand is Bryce Kilponen and Josh Perlatti works with Lou. Typically, four guests fish on each boat. Both Captain Kain and Captain Javete specialize in mooching with plug cut herring, which suited Elaine and I just fine. While trolling can bring a lot of fish to the boat, we enjoy holding our rods and doing our own fishing. One of the hallmarks of Kain’s Fishing Adventures, whether in Alaska or Washington, is that Greg expects a little fishing out of his clients. He believes it makes for a more rewarding experience. Again, I have to agree.

Both boats provide anglers with ten and a half foot Loomis rods and Shimano Triton reels lined with Izoreline. This quality equipment makes fishing more enjoyable and more successful. We used Gamakatsu hooks, the sharpest hooks on the market, and a sliding sinker setup which made bite detection much easier. Both are critical when mooching for salmon. In addition, the sliding sinker rig permitted a direct line to the fish without feeling the weight, making playing fish more fun and exciting.

Our first day began with a run north, inside Kruzof Island via Olga Strait and Nova Strait into Salisbury Sound. Later, we fished our way down the outside of Kruzof, stopping at Cape Georgiana, Point Amelia, and Shelikof Bay. We caught a mixture of Chinook and coho in the morning and then spent some time halibut fishing. Our Chinook were in the upper teens and low 20′s and our largest halibut was about 60 pounds. We had flat water and sunshine the entire day. As was the case every day, we fished about eight hours, not including the run to our fishing destination.

Typically, we left the dock around 5:30 a.m. and returned by 3:00 or 3:30 p.m.
The morning of our second day, we woke to a steady rain and some wind, but because of the covered cabin on Greg’s boat, quality raingear, and the ability to get out of the wind behind an island, we hardly knew it was a miserable day. First thing in the morning we anchored in 120 feet of water and began to mooch for salmon. Greg runs very sophisticated sonar equipment, and he was able to identify Chinook over other salmon and call out their depth. He would tell each of us what depth to fish (determined by number of “pulls” off the reel), when to reel up, etc. This added an extra precision and thrill to the hunt, and kept us all ready, anticipating the exciting tap tap of a salmon mouthing the herring.

That second day was awesome! We caught king, coho, chum, and pink salmon all from the same anchored location. Two of the Chinook were over 30 pounds and several were in their mid 20′s. Some of the coho reached ten to twelve pounds. Later, we pulled anchor and moved out around Cape Edgecumbe to fish for lingcod. Later still, we anchored in 280 feet and fished for halibut. By the end of the day, we and the two other guests on board headed in with a boatload of fish and tired arms.

One of the more impressive aspects of the operation was the way Greg and his hands handled and cared for our fish. Greg was more than happy to carefully release fish, or if you decided to keep one, kill and bleed it immediately. Our fish were quickly cleaned and iced onboard and upon returning to the dock, the crew filleted and vacuum packed the meat within hours. The fish were then taken to a commercial seafood processor for flash freezing and packing. Upon our departure, fish boxes already labeled and packed were delivered to us at the airport. This is an aspect of fishing often overlooked, but from my point of view, absolutely necessary. Now, at least three months later, we are still enjoying salmon, halibut, and lingcod that tastes as fresh as the day it was caught.

Our third day of fishing was another sterling display of both Greg’s talents and the abundant opportunities in the Sitka area. We were catching fish when other weren’t, visibly enjoying ourselves (read gloating) with a variety of high fives and yells. It’s hard not to show off I guess. We even began to harass Greg and our likable deckhand, Bryce. Of course, being the only woman onboard became an issue for my wife after she proceeded to catch the first five salmon of the morning. Once again, before the day was over, we had boated kings up to 30 pounds, several coho, and numerous halibut. We also took time to view whales, seals, and eagles.

Evenings after fishing are fun too, since you are free, and have plenty of time, to visit the sites, shops, and restaurants of Sitka. Shuttle service is provided by some local restaurants or by the lodge. Taxi service is also available. Some ot the finest seafood in all of Alaska is served in Sitka restaurants. We also enjoyed socializing with the other lodge guests, comparing fish stories, and just relaxing on the deck or in the hot tub.

Kain’s Fishing Adventures books trips a year in advance. In fact, many of Greg’s guests are repeat customers who book their next trip before departing the lodge. For a beautiful color brochure and more information or to make reservations, contact Great Kain at 800-926-7932, or email him soon!

Far too often, west coast fishing destinations require lots of luck and expertise. Hopeful anglers travel hundreds, even thousands of miles in hopes of maybe catching salmon or halibut. But now luck doesn’t have to be the main ingredient to catch fish – not since top-guide, Greg Kain, of Kain’s Fishing Adventures discovered Sitka Alaska.

A quick glance of a map reveals why this tiny village in southeast Alaska should rank high on the must-fish list for anglers from around the world. This tiny Baranof Island port, largely influenced by Russian settlers and Tlingit natives, sits strategically facing the bountiful Pacific Ocean. Inaccessibility to the mainland keeps cars and large amounts of people from traveling here which helps Sitka remain largely undiscovered and unspoiled.

Anglers have two productive options in Sitka – fish the “outside” waters or fish the “inside” waters. Either location could yield a trophy of a lifetime, thus eliminating the threat of a no-fishing-because-of-weather day.

Bordered by hundreds of miles of desolate island beaches, bays and waterways, Sitka’s location provides perfect conditions for explosive plankton blooms throughout the season, from May through September. Billions of Pacific sand lance swarm the area to feed on this abundant life-giving plankton. These super enriched, nutrient-filled waters blanket the area, which allowing salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish to feed and grow to trophy proportions.

Sitka doesn’t just rely on wimpy or endangered hatchery runs like many other west coast locales. This part of the Pacific Ocean hosts countless runs of chinook, coho, chum and literally millions of pink salmon. Nearby hatcheries do enhance the area with at least two million returning coho and multi-millions of pink salmon. Fish are so plentiful anglers may keep six coho per day – and they usually do! The waters in and around Sitka can easily be called a super highway for fish heading south to B.C., Washington, Oregon and California.

Since these fish require feed and lots of it, the abundant supply of baitfish provides an around the clock, all-you-can-eat buffet. Salmon gorge themselves like teenagers before maturing, or they prolong their long migration journey to renew lost energy. And lets not forget the fish that end their journey here, but still need energy prior to spawning.

The phenomenal abundance of salmon enables the Sitka sport fishing fleet to consistently provide some of the world’s very best salmon and halibut fishing – the reason why Greg Kain now resides in Sitka during salmon season. Add monster lingcod and rockfish to the list and most anglers can’t move their arms after only three days of steady fishing with Greg!

Greg first introduced me to this angler’s paradise last winter, at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition in Seattle. After watching Greg out fish most anglers for several years on the Cowlitz River, I took notice when he regaled me with stories from the previous season. Pictures of big fish along with his pledge to guide anglers to salmon and halibut didn’t have the same “maybeness” that many other locales and guides exhibited. But then again, I already knew Greg’s reputation for being a top-notch guide and angler.

My fishing partner, Joe Kaminski, and I eagerly booked a late summer trip with Greg to take advantage of the coho fishing. And of course we couldn’t keep the prized white fillets from hard-fighting halibut off our minds either.
Our flight from SeaTac Airport first landed in Juneau, where we viewed a massive glacier bordering the airport. From there, the Alaska Airlines jet whisked us to the small airport on Japonski Island in Sitka. The airport’s baggage area had more fish boxes than standard luggage – a sure sign of great fishing! Not one visiting angler in the crowd wore a frown. Most overheard conversations focused on who caught how many and who caught the biggest fish.

Prior to joining Greg at his guest house, Joe and I spent four days exploring Sitka’s historic sites, shops, trails and the entire 14-miles of roadway. Four days of land-based tourist activities, while rewarding, caused Joe and I to welcome the first morning fishing.

Bud and Jeff Nelson from the Seattle area, joined us during our three days of fishing. Not surprisingly, Greg’s boat provided lots of elbow room for us all. Instead of following the bulk of the sport fishing fleet, Greg generally travels farther, through the inside of Kruzof Island, past Salisbury Sound to the super-productive western shores of Kruzof Island. This morning was no different.

Our boat ride to the fishing grounds lasted less than an hour and revealed miles of pristine shoreline and wildlife. Within minutes of our arrival at Pt. Mary, Greg wasted no time locating a school of fish with his fish finder. Instead of drifting he lowered the anchor, securing us in 200-feet of water. Sitka guides and residents have discovered that anchoring over fish, once they’ve been located, often works better than waiting for luck to drift the boat into a school of fish.

This method proved itself almost instantly as the four of us eagerly free spooled our cut-plug herring to 45-feet. Bud first called fish on with a pink salmon followed by Joe with a 30-pound chinook and me with an ocean fresh, double digit coho. Throughout the day we traded positions as each aerial coho or darting pink salmon went this way or that way. Double headers, triples and even quadruple hookups provided entertainment and limits of six coho each.

Instead of waiting till the end of the day to clean fish, Greg immediately removes the guts from the fish and places them in a bucket. Each fish’s belly cavity is then filled with ice and placed in the fish box on ice. I’ve never encountered another guide who takes such excellent care of fish as Greg.

The fresh guts have a super high acid content from scores of Pacific sandlance. This acid, if left in the fish’s belly will ruin portions of the meat. The guts don’t go wasted either – halibut love them like no other bait!

With only 90-minutes worth of fishing time remaining, Greg moved to his can’t-miss halibut hole. Once again he anchored the boat, this time in 235-feet of water. Greg suggested that we try using his light weight G. Loomis salmon mooching rods for halibut. We all agreed with eager smiles. Guts impaled on our hooks quickly began their slow downward decent.

As if on cue, three out of four rods twitched the presence of hungry halibut. The welcomed sight of three anglers, including me, playing tug-o-war made me laugh aloud. Anytime you can find hungry halibut and lots of ‘em, I’m more than happy to trade aching muscles for future fish ‘n chips! This can’t-miss hole truly couldn’t miss. Each of us had our limit of chicken-sized halibut in less time than it takes to watch most TV fishing programs – and this action was for real!

On our second morning fog blanketed Sitka Sound with a ghostly see-through, off-white thickness. Radar and a GPS video plotter guided us safely through the early morning above water cloud. Slowly but surely Greg guided the boat to the day’s fishing paradise. Instead of anchor mooching, Greg favored drift mooching closer to shore, where we might have a chance at big lingcod.

While drifting close to the shoreline of Kruzof Island, the sun erased the fog, revealing beautiful Mount Edgecumbe, a once powerful volcano. My eyes took turns watching the fish finder and the volcano. When fish appeared on the scope our baits tumbled toward their depth, usually into an awaiting coho’s mouth. Joe and Jeff could hardly keep coho from attacking their baits. Drifting from one school of fish to the next proved rewarding in more ways than one.

On several occasions, a cut-plug fished too deep would attract rockfish, which in turn attracted large lingcod. On one occasion two lingcod, a 15-pounder and a 30-pounder, followed my rockfish to the surface. Both lings followed my struggling rockfish as I teased them with the rockfish partly out of the water. The largest ling finally couldn’t resist, prompting it to bring its head out of the water inhaling the rockfish like a trout taking a dry fly!

Our second day of halibut fishing can be described in one word – awesome! We anchored in another one of Greg’s can’t-miss holes. But this time, we rigged with heavier G. Loomis rods designed for the purpose of landing really big fish. Circle hooks surrounded by fresh coho guts on sturdy 80-pound Spectra line slowly fell 250-feet to the bottom with the aid of 12-ounce weights. Even before my fish guts hit bottom, Jeff’s rod butt pinched his mid-section when his rod tip hit the water’s edge, pulsing with the angry attitude of a 60-pound halibut.

A full hour elapsed before the next bite, but when it happened, all hell broke loose. Like magic, three rods violently jerked simultaneously in the rod holders. Jeff responded to his rod first, followed by Joe and me. Joe quietly announced, “This is the biggest fish I’ve ever had on in my life!” Moans and groans from each of us signaled three big fish, a challenging situation for Greg.

Jeff brought his 70-plus pound prize topside first. A well-placed shot to the head of the fish subdued the beast. My halibut somehow tangled in the anchor line but stayed calm while Joe and Greg subdued his 100-plus pounder. Calmly, Greg somehow freed my line from the anchor rope which allowed me to continue my battle. Soon, my fish’s brown-colored camouflage emerged from the dark depths, revealing another prize over 80-pounds. Exhausted, I sat down mumbling, no guts, no glory.

Three days of fishing paradise is almost to much! Each of us already had plenty of fish and sore muscles from many battles won and a few lost. Like good troops and the hard-core anglers we are, it didn’t take an arm twist to get us on the water in search of more fish. Our first stop of the misty morning looked fishy. The name of the place, the Shark Hole, also implied fish, but hopefully not sharks. This place got its name a few years back, when someone caught a salmon shark. Since then the nick name has stuck to this super productive salmon hole.

The day dawned bright with golden rays painting the island an unforgettable glow, as if a painter brushed the sky with a giant paint brush soaked in gold. When the glow reached the water our baits reached the fish and they weren’t sharks. Once hooked, the coho leapt skyward toward the glow, reflecting glimmers of joy from an AlasKain adventure come true.

We continued to catch coho and pinks all day, along with easy limits of halibut. In all of my travels, I’ve never experienced such rewarding fishing as Sitka’s saltwater treasures. It’s almost to easy too catch fish in Sitka – especially when you fish with Greg Kain. Now you too can experience an angler’s paradise and leave luck at home – where it belongs – with the lottery tickets.