What species might I find in Craig?
King
Salmon
The largest of the 5 salmon species,
king salmon are aptly named for their
size and strength. The summer months in
Craig, Alaska provide anglers with
perhaps the best saltwater king salmon
fishing on the entire west coast.
King
salmon in the waters around Craig
average in the mid-20's and trophy class
kings in the 60 and even 70 pound range
are not uncommon in the waters around
Prince of Wales Island.
Our method of
choice for catching kings in Alaska is
drift mooching cut plug herring, meaning
you hold the rod, you work the bait, and
you set the hook. There is no more
exciting technique for catching king
salmon!
Silver Salmon
Silver salmon abound in both the waters
around Craig, Alaska in the latter part
of July thru August and in the rivers of
Washington State from September thru
November. Silver salmon average from
6-12 pounds, and get as big as 20
pounds. Silvers are typified by their
often nonstop tail-walking and
unpredictable runs and can provide day
long action in the waters around Craig
once they arrive. Mooching cut plug
herring for silver salmon can be fast
action on our summer charters and it
isn't uncommon for all four rods to be
hooked up at the same time.
Chum
Salmon
Pound-for-pound, the chum salmon is one
of the hardest fighting of all the
salmon species and they definitely don't
get the respect they deserve. We often
run into saltwater chums on our charters
in Craig in the summer and our customers
are amazed at how hard they fight. While
their appearance in our waters is often
difficult to predict, we certainly don't
complain when we run into these hard
fighting salmon.
Pink
Salmon
Pink Salmon invade our waters by the
millions during the summer months and
can be found from mid-July on thru the
end of August. While their eating
quality isn't as good as king or silver
salmon they provide great fun on light
tackle and are very aggressive biters.
 Halibut
Halibut are known for their fine table
fare and are prolific in our Southeast
Alaskan waters. Typical eating-size
halibut average from 15 to 60 pounds and
halibut as large as 200 and 300 pounds
aren't uncommon. Halibut are taken both
anchoring and drifting large baits and
jigs near the ocean floor.
Yelloweye Rockfish (aka Snapper)
Red Snapper are a delicacy in many
restaurants and can be found near
pinnacles, rock outcroppings, and other
structure near the bottom in Alaska.
These
fish average 10 to 15 pounds and can get
as large as 25 pounds. We often take
these bottomfish while fishing for
halibut near underwater structure in
Alaska. An adult red snapper can be up
to 80 years old, which is why we try to
limit our take of these slow developing
fish.
Lingcod
Lingcod are also associated with
structure and are a ferocious predator
of the deeps. They have large teeth and
prey on just about any fish that swims
within range. Catching them on a small
halibut or bottomfish is quite normal
and some of our largest lingcod are
caught incidentally while bringing in a
smaller fish. Like halibut and red
snapper, lingcod are also a
delicious fish and are considered a
delicacy in many restaurants.
Bottomfish
Over 20 species of bottomfish are
available in the waters surrounding
Prince of Wales Island and they come in
all colors, shapes, and sizes. Rockfish
are excellent table fare and are a
favorite of many of customers. While
their numbers are prolific around Craig
they are also a slow developing fish and
we encourage our customers to limit
their take of these fish.
|
