We spent a long time trying to find someone to smoke fish for us. Starting in Alaska, shipping logistics were difficult, and we struggled to find the right fit. For a while when we had a plant in Sitka we smoked fish ourselves. We were not experts, but we learned a lot. Then we found the right people to help us dial in our operation.
If you have ever had a perfect piece of salmon right out of the smoker, you know the magic. But recreating that quality on a commercial scale takes a lot of scientific know how. Commercial hot smoked fish has to be brought to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, which is considered overcooked for most backyard smokers. We invited chef and master smoker Chris Eley from Smoking Goose Meats in Indianapolis to help us improve. With his guidance, we strengthened our processes, but we still did not believe our products were as good as they could be.
We were also busy at our plant with filleting and freezing, so there was not enough time to dedicate ourselves fully to the smoking program. As we grew, we needed the space that our smoker occupied. We shut down our program and started searching for a smoking partner. This took years of trial and error as we scoured the West Coast for companies that could smoke fish the way we liked. We would find one good smoker, only for them to go out of business or become too difficult to work with to continue the partnership.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, we finally stumbled upon Bearcats Smokehouse in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I remember that first call to reach out to owner Billy Smith. It seemed too good to be true. He was extremely kind and genuinely knew his stuff, especially when it came to the smoking operation and the wild seafood we sell. Our first test batch of smoked salmon came out delicious, and our partnership has been growing ever since.
That partnership has also given us the opportunity to develop new products together. Working closely with our team at Sitka Seafood Market, Billy has helped turn ideas into recipes that showcase our wild Alaska seafood in new ways, including our smoked salmon candy, smoked sablefish candy, and smoked salmon spread. Each product has been developed collaboratively, combining Billy’s expertise in smoking and preservation with our team’s focus on flavor, quality, and making the most of exceptional wild-caught fish.
Billy Smith grew up on the Kenai Penninsula.
Located near the mouth of Duck Creek in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Bearcats Fish House has been smoking fish for decades. Owner Billy Smith bought Bearcats in 2012 because of his experience in commercial fishing. He grew up in Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, fishing with his father for salmon. There, they gillnetted for sockeye, coho, and keta salmon. Billy spent that time on the ocean learning firsthand how to handle fish with care.
Billy's talent for hockey brought him to Wisconsin as a teenager.
When he was not at school or fishing, Billy spent his time playing hockey. During high school, his talent on the ice earned him the opportunity to play for the Green Bay Gamblers, a junior hockey team. He met his wife while playing junior hockey, and after college they married and started a family, which is how he ended up in the area. He has been anchored to the Midwest ever since.
Billy's family keeps him rooted to the Midwest.
Billy reached out to the owners of Bearcats at the right time. As he put it, he was going back up to Alaska to commercial fish. Just as he was looking to get into business for himself, Bearcats fell into place. Owners Jerry Bearcat Berkovitz and his wife Linda were eager to retire and hand the business off to someone as passionate about smoked fish as they were. Billy says they had such a wonderful business established, and they tried their best to keep the quality and the products the same. Ten years later, Billy is carrying on the tradition as a premier source of smoked seafood in the Great Lakes region.
If you get smoked fish in your subscription or a one time box, it has gone through Bearcats meticulous smoking method. It is a lengthy process, Billy explains. Bearcats uses 4,700 square feet of operating space, including freezers, coolers, and smokers that can preserve fish using either a cold or hot method. For Billy, it all comes down to four variables: time, temperature, moisture, and salinity. When you tour Bearcats, it is clear that it is a well run operation. First, you notice the lovely aromas of wood smoke and the clean smell of fresh seafood. There are no fishy odors and no clutter. You can tell Billy runs a tight ship.
Billy studied business in college, but he has the attention to detail of a laboratory scientist. Preservation has a lot of variables, but it is basically a drying process, Billy says. You take moisture out of the fish, add salt through a brine, and then add an additional layer of protection with smoke.
“It is awesome to handle fish that I grew up harvesting and see it through to the end consumer”.
Billy has learned much from traditional methods while bringing a high level of precision to an ancient art. In the current facility, modern technology allows him to control dry time, fan speed, and the consistency of the product overall. His method creates only about a 3 percent variance in consistency in every batch of smoked fish. That means when Billy gets a recipe dialed in, each batch is as close to the same as possible. This science based approach also helps produce smoke that is full of flavor without overdoing any part of the process. He’s also willing to invest in his equipment so that he’s always producing the very best end product.
As you might imagine, running a smoke house has made Billy a connoisseur of wood, with plenty of traditions. Alaskans typically use alderwood, while more adventurous folks experiment with chips from whiskey barrels. Billy keeps it simple. “When you are smoking fish, you want a slightly sweeter wood because it adds a subtle flavor to the fish. Maple is a great choice in the Midwest”. Apple, peach, and other fruitwoods are excellent options for smoking fish.
When Billy is not at home with his family, he spends his free time hunting and, of course, fishing in the Great Lakes. He loves the Midwest, but he always looks forward to trips home to Alaska. “There is something unique about the ocean, the tides, the clarity of the water, and the availability of wildlife that we simply do not have access to here”, he says. “Being surrounded by freshwater makes it different”. Billy is committed to maintaining his connection to home. “Growing up in Alaska is definitely something I cherished, and I look forward to spending more time there in the future”.
Marsh and Billy at Bear Cat's
Grateful for the support of the community and for partners like Sitka Seafood Market, Billy says, “It has been wonderful working with your company. It is awesome to handle fish that I grew up harvesting and see it through to the end consumer”.
Billy Smith's attention to detail and his desire to listen and build relationships in his community are why we are proud to send our wild caught seafood to Bearcats Fish House for all our smoking needs. If you are ever in Green Bay, drop in and try local favorites such as smoked whitefish from Lake Michigan with a side of cheese curds.
Marsh Skeele
Marsh is our original fisherman and helped start Sitka Seafood Market over a decade ago. He grew up fishing with his family outside of Sitka and began his own fishing journey captaining the F/V Loon in 2011. Shortly thereafter at a dinner party sharing his catch, he met friends that figured out how to get his fish to the Midwest and Sitka Seafood Market was born. He loves finding the highest quality ingredients and sharing the stories of their harvest over a dinner party. You can find him fishing with his family in Sitka and searching for the next delicious piece of seafood to share with you.
