My boss called me about 10 minutes ago (2:30pm) 4/9 and told me he is standing down at Auke Bay watching a school of fish a ways off shore. He said they are just going back and forth and just breaking the surface of the water here and there. He said they looked like kings to him. The school must be pretty large because 7 to 8 of these fish keep breaking the surface constantly. Any body have any clue what he is seeing?
Question for Juneau fishermen
- Thread starter LungShot
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ak_powder_monkey
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Herring? Maybe I'll go take a look after the hockey game
The herring are in strong right now. Would be sweet if there were kings in too. I got to go check out the herring opener in Sitka the other week. There were schools acting like that, just bubbling at the surface of the water. Did he actually get a good look at the fish jumping?
CanCanCase
New member
There were some halibut doing that surface thing just outside of Windham yesterday. Could be flatties.
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DRIFTER_016
Well-known member
I dunno
I dunno
I guess it could be halibut. The behavior he described sounded almost like pre spawning salmon but I dont think thats possible in early April. Maybe... just maybe his depth perception is out of wack and he was seeing herring that were much closer than he thought making them look like larger fish further away.... maybe. Being almost even with the water level it's sometimes hard to judge distance.
I dunno
I guess it could be halibut. The behavior he described sounded almost like pre spawning salmon but I dont think thats possible in early April. Maybe... just maybe his depth perception is out of wack and he was seeing herring that were much closer than he thought making them look like larger fish further away.... maybe. Being almost even with the water level it's sometimes hard to judge distance.
CanCanCase
New member
Knowing the area my guess would be herring or halibut as we've all described.... I'll be South of town for most of May, and I'm hoping to see much of this behavior... solo-ing the boat lends itself to throwing flies rather than long hours trolling. Sight fishing for halibut... I love it!
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ak_powder_monkey
New member
I took a look, did not see anything. My money is on Herring or Porpoises
DRIFTER_016
Well-known member
I think it's more likely that they are the Penguins doing their spring migration!!!! 
windypoint
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It sounds like everbody is getting King fever....I know I am.
alaskachuck
New member
I think it's more likely that they are the Penguins doing their spring migration!!!!
They should be running up cook inlet soon. Time to get my penguin 8wt ready
Oh come on sunshine and spring
Monkey nailed it
Monkey nailed it
Porpoises for sure. I had him explain it detail to me. The fin on the back ruled out halibut and the fact he only ever saw backs, no head, which is exactly how Porpoises break pretty much explains it all. Definetly further out than he originally explained too.
Although... the giant alaskan penguins have started their spring run early so you never know.
Monkey nailed it
Porpoises for sure. I had him explain it detail to me. The fin on the back ruled out halibut and the fact he only ever saw backs, no head, which is exactly how Porpoises break pretty much explains it all. Definetly further out than he originally explained too.
Although... the giant alaskan penguins have started their spring run early so you never know.
ak_powder_monkey
New member
Good to see they are back, my girl friend saw a robin today, sure signs of spirng
CanCanCase
New member
large flights of pelicans are cruising the southern Oregon coast too... should be a good tuna season 50 miles offshore!
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akriverrat
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reminds me of when i worked at sagaya and one of the workers there was fishing silvers or kings (cant remember the time of year) way out at the mouth of ship creek. anyway he told me of all the halibut he seen "jumping" out of the water. i said NAW halibut? he said "yea you could see there white bellies."took me a bit but i figured he was seeing beluga whales out there.
