Just another Northwest scene.

[gstours]

👌 ok, I can show you some more pictures of the bait rigs and ⚙️ gear for the bottom fish.   Keep watching,  slow day is Emma nent.  Spouse to snow tomorrow.  Trying to launch boat 🚣‍♀️ for the short opening winter king troll season.   Butt it's always a weather thing,  hurry up and wait.
   This gear type topic might be spacivic to halibut fishing so maybe I should post it with a name in another section?  What is the best place to cat a gory?   Thanks 🙏

[Gman_WC]

👌 ok, I can show you some more pictures of the bait rigs and ⚙️ gear for the bottom fish.   Keep watching,  slow day is Emma nent.  Spouse to snow tomorrow.  Trying to launch boat 🚣‍♀️ for the short opening winter king troll season.   Butt it's always a weather thing,  hurry up and wait.
   This gear type topic might be spacivic to halibut fishing so maybe I should post it with a name in another section?  What is the best place to cat a gory?   Thanks 🙏

Along with the gear rundown Gary, I'd like to hear about a typical fishing year in your area?
I know it changes from year to year but maybe as the year progresses with the usual reports,
a comment or a rundown Halibut or Salmon
(I know you have many laws or time regulations on specific salmonid species)
Something like "Last year we were knocking the socks off the Kings\Sockeye at this time of year. This year they
won't touch anything but a red cooler hoochie special", or early and last season bites and thoughts?
Just so us common folk not fortunate enough to wet a line of your neck of the woods can get the pulse
of whats going on up there. Wait a minute you might be able to blog and make some $ off of this deal! 
I'd be very interested!
-gary

[gstours]

Every area in the world seems to be in a way unique to its fish, and fishing opportunities.  Bottom fish like rockfish, in my area  usually stay in a little geographical area it seems if food is abundant although some straying is documented in tagged fish.    While pacific halibut winter in the deep and large expanses of the gulf of Alaska.  It seems like they (adults) migrant into shallower waters to breed and or spawn usually staying there until fall and then migrate back to the deep waters they are designed for.
   May to  sept are peak for fishing success in my area.  Juvenile fish may be had year around as they seem to prefer the shallow water and abundant feed with the increased water clarity ... some halibut don't stray it seems.
There is year around opportunities for our halibut as currently we have no sports fishing closures and residents can keep 2 fish any size plus there is no annual or aggregate bag limit.
     Butt for a charter boat customer things are far different.  They can only keep fish in a size slot.  This changes some yearly it seems and the entire fishery is managed by the international halibut commission and has been for many years.      Thanks for the interest,  I,m not an expert,  it's just a general overview of my area for halibut fishing opportunities.     Next post will be about salmon and timing and streams , hatchery stuff etc.    🚣‍♀️

[Gman_WC]

Thanks you.

-gary

[Dominick]

Gary, I read somewhere that when fish reach a certain age and size they tend to stay in an area where food is abundant and they do not have to expend too much energy to feed.  If a fish of a certain size has to chase food it could very well expend more calories than it takes in.  Therefore, it will stay in an area where the food comes to it, rather than chase after it.  I read this on studies of tarpon survival, so I would imagine it would work across other species.  Dominick

[Donnyboat]

Yes Dominick & Gary, they were telling us in Western Australia, that the Dhu fish, dont move far @ all, but in the Geogragh bay, there is this huge bay, with know reefs, so they place a concrete reef in the middle of it, about six weeks later, they took photos of the reef, & there was several Dhu fish there, there breeding season coinsides with the rocklobsters sheading there shells, we then call the lobsters whites, they berry themselves in the sand till the shell hardens, the Dhu fish feed on them, I would like to see more close ups of your rigs Gary, & thanks for the many videos you place on the forum, always very informitive, cheers Don.

[gstours]

Ok,  I talked about out bottom fish, now on to the 😋 tasty salmon of se Alaska.
     We have chum,pink,coho,king,and sockeye species.  Each one is hatched from eggs, incubation is in fresh water and the salty ocean feeds them,  each species is unique and there return to fresh water to spawn is one thing that they have in common.   Some rivers have several species in the water at the same time.   Generally the runs of migration are somewhat separated by time , weather,and tides.
   We have some hatchery, both private and state operated in se Ak, but most of the fish are wild.  In the area where I live all the fish we catch are wild stocks,  we have no large rivers near by, so our fish are migrating in from the ocean and move eastward in the sound and decide to go to their stream of origin.
   We have a small stream in our town that has a fair run of pink, and coho salmon,  otherwise we fish generally mooching or trolling for the fish in front of town and every where.   Butt this is for the "run" fish.
   Our winter trolling season has been another opportunity to catch some king salmon as it's generally open for the winter ❄️,as you might imagine it's got some good days as their is few people out, generally the weather is The limiting factor.  We get a lot of storms and the weather is generally below freezing for the worst part and the wind blows when it's clear.   Buttthe luring of the King is always present.
    The winter kings are not in a migratory mode.  This is where they live,  they wander around always looking for food. As kings live 4-6 years they grow quite large.  Some fish have white meat like a halibut and are quite highly prized by the locals.  Generally they are red meat, and average about 20-25 pounds whole.   We troll the shoreline generally in 20-50 feet of water and fish near the bottom contours of the bays.   Large5-7 inch herring rotation in a slow wide roll is the preferred bait.   Plugs and some spoons are ok for a few folks.   Generally the winter king is a spooky and cautious fish,  usually a slow presentation is needed,   In shallow water the visibility is generally good.  That's why they are there,  more sunlight concentrates the feed,  and they ambush what they want hiding around kelp beds, rock structures, and behind the strong flood of the almost always changing water movements.
   Typically I favor the small tides,  and it's been said that the fish move in from the gulf with the big tides.
This is just a primer on my fishing for kings.  Not all inclusive,  butt I'll be glad to answer your questions as this is not yet about gear ⚙️.     Watching a good salmon rod pounding up and down while drinking my coffee is the reason I go back.

[David Hall]

  Watching a good salmon rod pounding up and down while drinking my coffee is the reason I go back.

Ill second that emotion Gary.  there is nothing like watching the rod go off and start pumping.  god I love King Salmon Fishing.

[Gman_WC]

What a view. Catching fish is a bonus in red cooler country. 

-gary

[gstours]

It's just about the middle of the winter here,  but every day is about 5 minutes more daylight,  I,m waiting for a break in the generally breezy weather that usually comes with clear and sunny skies.   
   I've heard of some salmon being caught recently,  one friend of mine got a 40# male while I was traveling back home 🏡,   The weather pattern is always changing about every week.   As I mentioned before the weather is the limiting factor in the winter time.
   Our salmon runs for the kings migrating in from the gulf usually starts about April to June and it will be closed again here April 1,  and will reopen late June.   The silvers/ coho, will generally appear following the pink/humpy migration in late June,  coho is generally good in August, and early September here.
   The saltwater daily limit is 6 pinks, 6 coho, and usually 2 kings butt the King salmon daily is one for nonresident fishers.   The kings must be 28 inches long to be retained.  That's not a big deal.   There is no size restrictions on the pinks and coho.   The chum/dog salmon are not really targeted as a troll fishery butt are seined sometime in concentrations and the roe/eggs are the target for markets.
   The pink salmon can legally be used for bait for halibut and longline fishing, crab and shrimp bait as well as sport fishing the halibut.
  Coho and kings are primary a troll fishery here as they demand a good market price for the white tablecloths.   
  I just want to add some information to those who don't live in the northwest.    Have a great day!

[David Hall]

clear and sunny. stay warm and fish on.

[Darin Crofton]

Another great video, Gary, keep em comin...

[Fishy247]

God bless it, that's pretty!

[gstours]

Here is today in early afternoon.  Hope to fish tomorrow....