Town is 25-30 minutes away but we have our own Ruth Anns, only better!

Check mate.

Enjoy it while it lasts. It certainly won't forever. Either the fish will go, or the people paying to catch them, maybe both.

I don't mean to sound overly negative, but that kind of harvest is only sustainable for a short period of time. We have so many examples of abundance turned scarcity that every time I hear about or read about the next great spot to "get a limit," I count help but think, countdown to extinction. We humans are pretty darn efficient at killing stuff these days.

I guess these thoughts are aimed as much at myself as they are anyone else. Don't get me wrong, when I pay someone to take me fishing in the ocean, which I do once a year, I have two goals, 1) have a good time, 2) bring home as much meat as I am legally allowed. When I get paid to take people fishing, I make it my personal goal to help them take home as much meat as they desire, in addition to having a good time.

I am part of the problem.

Perhaps I am just in a glass half empty kind of mood. The half full perspective is getting harder and harder to connect with these days.

Glad you guys are having good times getting them though.

I'm thinking the State (in our case, Washington...in yours, Alaska...others as well) should be sued for reckless endangerment by putting money issues above resource health.

Now thats priceless Hankster!

I really don't think you understand the area that Waterfall operates out of. It is very sustainable fishing, that is managed to provide long term angling opportunities. Waterfall has been operating since I was born, and still running strong. Fishing on the W coast of Prince of Wales is consistently good, and I see absolutely no reason why it would drop off or customers would abandon it. Even a 1 halibut limit with a reverse slot leaves some very satisfied customers if the guide does his part. The halibut fishing is getting better every single year too.

Waterfall's take of the resourse is a minor drop in the bucket compared to the commercial fleet who has been here alot longer then the resort has (30 yrs.). Waterfall and Craig fisherman experienced the best king season in the history of the resort last summer, this year has been very good to excellent as well, we'll be out of business before we know it!

Hank, you can have the Craig whore house, we'll have to settle for college chicks and cheaper booze, alot of both around here.

I definitely don't and didn't mean to claim to.

Globally speaking, the examples of past abundance turned to scarcity are too numerous to count. If indeed fisheries in your neck of the woods are "improving" with regard to population health, you have a unique thing going on there and I hope it continues.

I guess I have just been feeling guilty for my part as of late. Locally, as with most places, fisheries are in a state of decline across the board. Every year I help people kill hundreds of salmon that they otherwise would not have, all while complaining about the state of the resource. That juxtaposition is beginning to feel not quite right for me.

I get scared when I see and/or hear these tales of "too good to be true fishing" because it usually is, at least for the long run. The pattern seems the same. A new best place is discovered, the hoards descend, and the place winds up like all the rest eventually. You should have seen it back in the day...

If you don't mind my asking, how are the fishing practices there "managed for sustainability" outside of the halibut quota reduction that is.

Slot limit on Ling Cod to protect large breeders, with an annual limit of 1 for Non-Res. Annual limit on Yellow Eye for Non-Res to prevent over harvest. Strict limits on rockfish. Annual limit on Kings for non-res, that changes with the abundance index. Reverse slot limit to protect breeders on Halibut, and guides and crew cannot retain halibut. We currently have a limit of 1 per day, either over 68" or under 45".

And to top it off, we now have a Charter Halibut Permit, which prevents mass growth in our area. In other words, you have to buy an existing permit that limits the amount of halibut charters in SE AK.

Even with all the "limits" and restrictions targeting the charter angler in SE AK, we have fantastic fishing opportunities and non-stop fishing action with the exception of some terrible weather days, or a temporary disappearing act by the salmon.

Based on what I see with my own eyes, I'm looking forward to fishing this area when I'm an old man, and I expect it to be better than it is now.

The worst crowd I ever fished in around the Noyes, Heceta, or Sanfernando area was maybe 3 non-commercial boats in 4 years of fishing that area, and we moved to get away from them. We did see a slew of about 6 purse seiners netting pinks in a round robbin formation. Those boats took way more than the whole recreational fleet that day.

Stable or increasing catch is no measure of the "health" of a population. You need to know the size of the whole thing, all catch and a real number for escapement. Need to know the age and size structure, too.

Time and again the catch level would seem to be maintaining itself but the fish got smaller/younger.

If 50 years ago Vhinook were 30-40-50 pounds and now 30 pounder is a "toad" then you have problems brewing.

Good point. I just have my own personal observations from fishing these waters all year long, based on what's ending up in my fish box. Hard to ignore the "health" of all the bigger halibut we are seeing and releasing. Average sized keeper ending up in my box is growing too, and we usually don't dedicate more than 3 hours to halibut fishing a day. Usually done in an hour.

BTW, it takes a 50lb+ to make Toad status in my neck of the woods. Saw a 60lb-ish get netted next to me yesterday. That was a Toad. 30lb fish are very nice sized kings, not to take anything away from them either.

The Drs, lawyers and over-inflated business types have their bar, we have ours (and theirs), they don't come to ours.
As for the chicks, no longer playing the field since meeting and marrying my wife here, sure had alot of fun though in the years prior to meeting her,
Can't post pics from this computer, maybe when I get home.

If we down south mf'rs increase our hatchery production, fishing will be great for years to come up north.

Clipped fish are not rare in SE.

crazy good fishing right now. Kings, cohos, and hali.