Deep Inlet fall run is beginning to heat up for the troll fleet, but the fish have stalled in Sitka Sound due to the sunny, still weather. The latest sex ratio is 72% male in a troll sample with 22% of the sample being 3-year-old fish. This is unusual to see this many threes this early in the run and could mean a very large bell curve for the threes. A small component of those 3’s were Crawfish Inlet bound chum.
The big question we are evaluating is when to have the closure for cost recovery. Our goal is to close Deep Inlet at or during the peak of the run so we can have it closed for as short a period as possible. It does not make sense to close it now if there are no fish going into the inlet, as that would just prolong the closure. Naturally, we need to evaluate if the run is significantly smaller than forecast because in that scenario we would need to close Deep Inlet for a longer period. Currently, we do not think that is the case. We collect important information every day of the troll and net fisheries on sex ratio, age structure, and run strength; these inputs inform cost recovery and management decisions.
NSRAA will continue to evaluate the run this coming week August 6 – 12 with the goal of announcing the closure by the end of the week and provide approximately a week notice prior to the closure.
Good fishing to all.
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