PWS last two wweks

[breausaw]

Last weekend shrimped Perry 6 gallons tails 5 picks, 3 person limit of nice yellow off outside of upper night Island Passage, Saturday 30 & 45# butt off outer naked island. Each time fishing less than 2 hours.

This weekend Seal Rock Saturday, nothing but chickens, kept a 2 person limit tossed back half of what we landed , fished inside Seal Rock for butts too rough outside. Whittier Charter boats we're out there fishing also with similar luck, lots of chatter on the radio seems like the fishing just shut down for halibut. It calmed down on the outside around noon fished a Rockpile limited out on nice black rockfish in about 6 drifts, the current was horrendous out there. Picked up one legal lingcod in addition to the rockfish and one fat yellow eye. It's the first time I saw so many charter boats outside of hinchinbrook from Whittier seems they usually run South so can only conclude that the halibut are not on the bite down south,I think they're moving into the sound at this point following the salmon.

2 gallons of shrimp tails off Perry in 2 picks, could have got more but don't think I got the depth dialed in, (no specifics on location here sorry)

At this point I don't think you need to go out more than forty or fifty miles to get into good fishing.

 

[Frostbitten]

We've experienced the exact same thing. Last 2 weeks or so, the halibut have just been off the bite, but I have no idea why. I was hoping last week was just a fluke, but struggled all day again today. Also not seeing many salmon around. Crafton was dead, and no jumpers at all in the usual places. Interestingly, no herring at all at the breakwater this year. Strange.

 

[Rob B]

We fished the chiswells out of Seward Saturday and our usual great halibut spits were completely full of massive black bass. Couldn't catch a halibut at all. We ended up moving into some shallow water and picked up our limits of small chickens. Yeah weird cycle for sure. Pony Cove was real slow as well.


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[Brian in AK]

Mooched with herring all day Saturday with no luck, switched to a salmon head and picked up a nice little 30 pounder right at he end of the day.

Both of the chickens we caught on Friday were mushy, first time we've run into that in the sound. Also caught an arrow tooth in Port Wells, first time for that also, hope they are not moving in.

 

[Frostbitten]

Good point Brian, we have also found several mushy PWS halibut this year.

 

[Bullelkklr]

Good point Brian, we have also found several mushy PWS halibut this year.

Me too...and now just typing to fill in minimum letters for post

 

[offshore]

fishing

fishing

Last weekend shrimped Perry 6 gallons tails 5 picks, 3 person limit of nice yellow off outside of upper night Island Passage, Saturday 30 & 45# butt off outer naked island. Each time fishing less than 2 hours.

This weekend Seal Rock Saturday, nothing but chickens, kept a 2 person limit tossed back half of what we landed , fished inside Seal Rock for butts too rough outside. Whittier Charter boats we're out there fishing also with similar luck, lots of chatter on the radio seems like the fishing just shut down for halibut. It calmed down on the outside around noon fished a Rockpile limited out on nice black rockfish in about 6 drifts, the current was horrendous out there. Picked up one legal lingcod in addition to the rockfish and one fat yellow eye. It's the first time I saw so many charter boats outside of hinchinbrook from Whittier seems they usually run South so can only conclude that the halibut are not on the bite down south,I think they're moving into the sound at this point following the salmon.

2 gallons of shrimp tails off Perry in 2 picks, could have got more but don't think I got the depth dialed in, (no specifics on location here sorry)

At this point I don't think you need to go out more than forty or fifty miles to get into good fishing.

From my perspective, halibut fishing has been solid. There seem to be nice fish throughout the Sound and Gulf, near and far, deep and shallow. Sometimes they come easy, sometimes harder. I can't say why exactly, but I think the widespread harvest reductions over the past few years have made a noticeable difference. Those who know what they are doing and have patience are doing well most days. I wouldn't put much weight in what you hear on the radio.... I think that the guys you would want to hear from rarely talk about fishing anyway. Following the fleet and googling waypoints is not the way to consistently catch big fish. Black bass and lingcod are still pretty easy to find, although there are certainly less ling in some places. No silvers in any numbers yet, but there are a few kings around. The hatchery forecast is poor. I hope they are wrong. Good luck.