commercial salmon trolling

[Night goat]

Any trollers here?

[Woodchuck]

@Skillet

[Skillet]

@Skillet

Reporting for duty-

[Woodchuck]

@Skillet

Reporting for duty-

[Duckslayer89]

I spent a little time in the troll industry.

[Skillet]

I spent a little time in the troll industry.

Speaking of which, I chatted with Dave the other day. He's doing good, getting ready to haul out in Hoonah.

[Duckslayer89]

I spent a little time in the troll industry.

Speaking of which, I chatted with Dave the other day. He's doing good, getting ready to haul out in Hoonah.

That’s awesome! I’ve been wondering how he’s doing. Tell him I said hi if you see him.

[Skillet]

So we just taking roll here, or...?

[Night goat]

How ya guys feeling about this coming season? I'm probably not go going to fish

[Skillet]

I think that might be a good call this year if you have other options.  Pretty bleak on most fronts, to be honest.  In Sitka we had the best winter king season for numbers we've had in a lot of years, and that saved a few guy's seasons.

Prices are weak.  Black cod absolutely in the tank right now, halibut very volatile (fell as low as $3.50 for U/20's and 80-up!) but trending to the low side, avg $5.25-$5.50.  For the trolling outlook, the few predictions I've heard for coho prices is not too encouraging, mirroring last year's start at roughly $1.00/# for G&G iced.  The 2022 glut of chum hasn't cleared the market yet, but that may change by July.  In any case, we're not looking at anything more than $.50/#. Last year it went down to $.20/# mid season, buying from Co-op members only, and the Co-op cancelled tender service for the fleet.  They just didn't want the fish.  Pinks went from $.20/# to "no-buy" at the same time.

The only bright spots I can see in Southeast AK for an ice boat troller is the kings. There are a ton around and since CA shut down it's ocean season for the second year in a row there should be a fair price. How it will be managed is still up in the air though.

 

[Night goat]

My boats in Juneau, probably gonna run her south mid summer, stick her on the hard in WA, might try to get a gig on a tuna boat to get a feel for it... thought about hauling out in Hoonah but half of last season was electrical and satellite compass and bad gps issues, she runs ok now, is functional, but I wanna rewire the boat. I'd be on the drag and all nav would freeze and I'd have to guess where I was at, was very limited due to tech issues. I slogged it out, I get the ADFG updates.. I still was selling pinks in Elfin Cove even after the "no buy" for longline bait, but it got to the point where I wasn't even covering food and fuel so I called it early. It's gonna rebound for sure, it's just a matter of when



Just take one trip up to excursion inlet and wander the old cannery and take a peek in the museum... writings on the wall, props to Ji Jeh Reh, Connely was king at a point in time, was thinking about Yak and Fairweather, we will see, I know even on the east coast when they shut down all commercial harvest in Massachusetts and the banks for xyz# of years, things bounced back, but they didn't have to contend with the industrial dragger fleet... I cut my teeth opie fishing.. at least my boat would make a nice yacht if it goes TU

[Skillet]

Roger that. Selling to AGS in Elfin is a good strategy - they definitely support the troll fleet.  Sitka is great when the market is good, but the buyers here get real stingy when things get tight.

If you're gonna sit out AK and move the boat to WA, it might make sense to find a WA troll permit to lease. Too late to register for halibut bycatch,  but it's a while different program and might be worth a $5k lease this year, especially if you can hit the big weeks out of Neah Bay and Westport.  I've fished WA in the past in May and most of June before I ran to AK for the king opener, and never lost money.  Based on what I saw up here this winter, I believe WA is going to have another great king year.

Something to think about.

[Night goat]

Roger that. Selling to AGS in Elfin is a good strategy - they definitely support the troll fleet.  Sitka is great when the market is good, but the buyers here get real stingy when things get tight.

If you're gonna sit out AK and move the boat to WA, it might make sense to find a WA troll permit to lease. Too late to register for halibut bycatch,  but it's a while different program and might be worth a $5k lease this year, especially if you can hit the big weeks out of Neah Bay and Westport.  I've fished WA in the past in May and most of June before I ran to AK for the king opener, and never lost money.  Based on what I saw up here this winter, I believe WA is going to have another great king year.

Something to think about.

That going forward, what kind of quality work can you expect in Hoonah?

[Skillet]

If you're talking hauling out in Hoonah, I don't have any first-hand experience with it. But lots of guys from Sitka head up there, simply because it's closer than Wrangell.  I don't know what the electrician situation is up there. 
For a more comprehensive situation like you're probably looking at, Wrangell would be a good option to consider if you wanted to stay up here.
I'll ask around and see if I can get some opinions on Hoonah's electrician for ya.

[rem700300]

I’ve fished the Washington coastal fishery starting in 2018.Not a full time gig but helping a friend on a few trips.Heading to SE for the July opener for the first time!! Excited for a new adventure !!!