What a difference a week makes. Chum returns to the Sitka area have improved greatly over the past week. We have seen our weekly catch numbers match our long-term average for Deep Inlet for stat week 33, and based upon current catch, this week at Deep Inlet may surpass the long-term average. Most recent Deep Inlet gillnet sample indicates 65% male and 63% 3-year olds. Troll catch continues to be excellent at both Deep Inlet and West Crawfish with a current catch rate of ~80k per week for the troll fleet at Deep Inlet/Eastern Channel alone. An additional 50k chum were caught last week in West Crawfish and similar numbers likely this week. Overall the fall chum troll catch has surpassed 300k fish and it is looking like it will top 400k before the troll catch drops off (455k highest DI NSRAA chum troll catch). On Thursday 8/20 there were an estimated 60-70 trollers working the drag from past the Eckholms to Entry Point in Eastern Channel and what appeared to be an excellent catch rate. With the good price this year for chum the troll commercial value is over $2m so far and currently leading the gear groups in total catch at Deep Inlet.
Crawfish Inlet cost recovery continues to go well. Today we are again fishing in the inlet with 2 boats and will continue Saturday with 4. Based upon observations we should be able to harvest over 1m pounds the next few days. If fishing continues to be this productive in Crawfish Inlet for cost recovery we will likely meet our goal early next week and potentially could have a common property seine opening on Thursday 8/26. Currently we are approximately 34% complete on cost recovery. Once Crawfish Inlet opens for seine we will mirror the Deep Inlet opening days/times at Crawfish Inlet to keep the fleet spread out.
After a dismal early summer chum return it is great to wrap up the year with a strong fall chum run.
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