Posts by Scott Wagner

July 5th Hidden Falls return update

Posted by on Jul 5, 2023 in front page, news | Comments Off on July 5th Hidden Falls return update

July 5th Hidden Falls return update

Chum returns to Hidden Falls continue to improve and it is beginning to look like our forecast of 800k adults may be possible.  To date approximately 213k adults have been harvested by the seine fishery. This will certainly be the largest commercial catch in the Hidden Falls THA in over a decade by the time it is over. While I am optimistic that the return is coming in strong and continuing to build, the Thursday July 6th Hidden Falls opener has had further area restrictions to begin to accumulate brood stock in Kasnyku Bay. Currently there is less than 5k adults behind the barrier net with...

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Friday June 30 Return Update

Posted by on Jun 30, 2023 in front page, news, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Friday June 30 Return Update

Friday June 30 Return Update

After a slow first 10 days of fishing at Hidden Falls things have begun to pick up. Yesterday (6/29) in the Thursday seine opening approximately 60k chum were harvested compared to a cumulative total of 25k for the previous 10 days. The 6/29 sample had a 6.5lb size avg, 67% male and the age structure of the return so far is relatively “normal” with the majority being age 4. .  While this harvest increase gives us confidence that the return is tracking our forecast of 800k total return, the lines have been modified for Sundays (7/2) opener to provide more protection for brood...

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Deep Inlet/Bear Cove Closure

Posted by on Sep 7, 2022 in news, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Deep Inlet/Bear Cove Closure

Deep Inlet/Bear Cove Closure

The Deep Inlet terminal harvest area will close to common property fishing at end of day Saturday (9/10) for chum and coho brood stock concerns at Medvejie Hatchery, and a likely shortfall of chum cost recovery from Crawfish Inlet.  We are just over 50% complete on the fall chum egg take goal of 92 million at Medvejie and estimate that we may need an additional 5-10k fish for brood, depending upon additional recruitment, and final sex ratio. Additionally, the coho return to Bear Cove and Deep Inlet continue to perform below forecast. Bear Cove will close to retention of coho salmon at...

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Sept 2-Return Update

Posted by on Sep 2, 2022 in news | Comments Off on Sept 2-Return Update

Sept 2-Return Update

Fall chum returns continue to taper after peaking over the past 2 weeks. Deep Inlet and Bear Cove returns are now a combined 112% of forecast and this week topped a total return of 2 million chum.  The trollers continue on their record setting harvest and are now tantalizingly close to one million troll caught chum, between Deep Inlet and Crawfish Inlet returns, with a total of 970k chum harvested (820k DI & 150k CI). While the trollers have been in record setting territory for several weeks, breaking the million mark would be a historic milestone.  Based upon the dwindling numbers of...

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Aug 29th-Return Update

Posted by on Aug 29, 2022 in news, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Aug 29th-Return Update

Aug 29th-Return Update

Cost recovery continues at Crawfish Inlet and we have approximately 42% left to harvest.  We made good progress over Friday and Saturday at CI and harvested nearly 20% of the goal.  The male sex ratio is holding high in the cost recovery samples and last sample taken from Saturdays harvest was 65% male. We have been seeing a high 3-year old percentage at CI and that is maintaining at 35% of the harvest in recent samples. We will continue cost recovery fishing at CI Monday (8/29) through Wednesday (8/31). It is very unlikely that there will be a Thursday seine opening for CI as the...

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