Sportfishermen and women have been lucky this February, catching king salmon in and around Portage Cove near downtown Haines. The chinook “shore huggers” are not part of a salmon run, but instead hang out locally as part of a historical winter rearing. The older, local fishermen are delighted to see the kings return to Haines’ shores.
Word on the street is that Ole Taug caught nine kings off the shores of downtown Haines in one day this February. KHNS was unable to reach Taug to confirm the fish tale. But we were able to snag Paul Carrington.
Carrington is a recreational sportfisherman, and this is his first year going after winter kings. He said they’ve been on his bucket list.
“So, so far this year I’ve hooked into two,” Carrington said. “One was 29 inches and the other was just under 36 inches.”
Sport fishing regulations have a bag and possession limit of two kings per day, and the fish must be 28 inches or greater in length. The season is open until March 31, and fishermen may use two rods.
King salmon have been rearing in the waters in front of Haines for the past week.
Brian Elliott is a king salmon biologist with the state Department of Fish and Game. He says the kings being caught are not necessarily Chilkat River stocks, which aren’t expected to return until spring. He says that based on winter trolling data, the fish are a mix of different stocks, mostly hatchery-produced fish, hanging out as they eventually make their way back to British Columbia.
“They’re not leaving,” Elliot said. “It’s kind of like a high school graduate. They’re going to go out. And maybe go to college. Maybe get a job. Do whatever. They’re out in the world. So they’re not coming back yet. It’s only February. A lot of these spring stock, meaning they start entering their rivers of origin in spring. So, you know May, June that timeframe. They’re not ready to do that yet. So these are considered immature fish.”
He says the king salmon currently being caught are in a “marine rearing phase.” They are trying to get as big and strong as possible right now, before returning to their freshwater spawning grounds.
And Elliott says that while the winter kings currently being harvested near Haines are mostly not local stock, the forecast for them looks promising.
“You know, specifically about the Chilkat stock, it feels like we’re bouncing back,” Elliot said. “We had missed our goal six out of the seven years from 2012 to 2018. And since then, we have made the goal in the last four out of five years, so it feels like we might be turning a corner. So I’m guardedly optimistic that the Chilkats can get back on their feet.”
Chinook salmon are one of the most unpredictable of salmon species. The time they spend in the marine environment can vary from one to four years. Elliott said that in prior eras, they would stay in the ocean for up to five years.
The larger fishing boats that Haines residents have spotted outside the small boat harbor during this week’s clear weather are not fishing for kings. At noon on Saturday, February 17th, commercial fishing for tanner and golden king crab opened.
Luke Williams and Stewart Dewitt are currently the only two permit holders for crab locally. Dewitt said crabbing so far is “pretty good.”
Fish and Game commercial fisheries biologist Nicole Zeiser told KHNS that when there are “fewer than three” permit holders, harvest information is confidential. This is because it would be too easy to discern exactly where to put pots, if the fisherman made their numbers public.
