When Spring Arrives Beneath the Surface
Spring in Southeast Alaska doesn’t always feel like spring. This winter’s near-record snowfall lingered throughout March, but even with below-freezing temperatures, spring seems to be arriving under the sea. Humpback whales are returning to Sitka Sound to spawn, and reports say it’s the best whale-watching season in years. The snow-covered docks are alive with activity as new herring seiners and tenders arrive, and the longline season is just getting underway. I’m walking the Sitka dock today to catch up with some fellow fishermen as they are busy baiting gear and readying their pots for the start of the season. It’s a pretty competitive fishery, since the first sets along the black cod edge are usually the most productive. Recent year classes of black cod have been robust, and quotas are about double what they were a decade ago. This means more fish to catch and greater competition to catch the larger, more valuable fish early in the season. Sablefish migrate onto the fishing grounds to feed during the winter when no fishing is allowed, so getting a good start is paramount.
Bait shed on F/V El Tiburon
Built by Hand, Earned at Sea
First I chat with with Stu Weathers, captain of the F/V El Tiburon, about his season getting going, and he’s optimistic about catching his fish quickly this spring. He shifted from “stuck gear” (a line with baited hooks) to pots or “traps.” With pots, he can set his gear quickly, and his crew doesn’t need to spend three days baiting hooks before each trip starts. Last season was mostly complete in four good trips, which is what he’s hoping for again this year. Black cod prices are usually strongest when the Asian market is buying aggressively. Most of the fish in that fishery still goes to Asia, but since the yen hasn’t been strong, more is being sold domestically. Prices were low during COVID with reduced restaurant demand, but black cod is gaining popularity among Americans. Just as we sell premarinated miso cod, others are doing the same, and Stu hopes rising sales will improve dock prices. Stu spent a long winter tearing into his back decks to replace bad fuel tanks. Even before the work began, he had to build a tarp structure over the stern of his boat to keep out rain and snow while he worked. He said it was grueling and expensive — with at least 20 hours spent grinding fiberglass — and he hopes he never has to do it again. Sometimes fishing is the fun part of being a fisherman; the rest just comes with the territory.
The Weight of a Season
Next I run into Isaac Reynolds, who is busy baiting gear on the Ida Lee. After replacing his engine last season, his finances are still in the red and he’s looking forward to a good longline season this year to pull him out of that. Winter king salmon fishing can be hit or miss, and this year was skinnier than the previous two years, making this longline crew’s job especially important. Isaac has fished with Brett Zaenglein on the Ida Lee off and on for the last decade, so it’s a familiar grind — baiting up gear and fishing black cod in the spring. It’s the same story aboard the Ida Lee as the El Tiburon, where pressure is high to start the season strong.
baited tubs of black cod
Reading the Water, Chasing the Fish
Woody Cyr, on the F/V Patience, spent most of the winter in the docks because catch rates weren’t high enough to justify fishing. He’s just begun his spring troll season and will search around different areas to find king salmon. When herring are spawning in Sitka Sound, fishing slows down considerably. There are plenty of herring for the kings to eat, so they aren’t as interested in biting our lures. The cloudy water — plus the simultaneous spawning of many invertebrates — may also play a role. He’s hoping that 20 miles from town, in the largest spawn areas, might yield a few fish to finish the season on a positive note.
A Fleet That Looks Out for Its Own
I also heard some good news on the troll front — an overdue vessel was found in southern Chatham Strait near Table Bay. The F/V Sierra Dawn had been reported a couple of days overdue on a fishing trip, and many feared the worst. Sitka’s Coast Guard helicopters searched miles of coastline before locating the vessel in good condition. The boat had a dead battery and no way to call for help or start the engine. I’m sure the crew was glad to see the helicopter and to know that a rescue tow would be on the way. It’s always reassuring to know the Coast Guard is around to look out for our fishing fleet.
One Set at a Time
Even with snow still piled high along the docks, there’s no mistaking the shift. The boats are waking up, the crews are finding their rhythm again, and the fish are returning on their own time, as they always do. Spring up here doesn’t arrive all at once — it comes in pieces, in whale blows on the horizon, in baited hooks and humming hydraulics, in cautious optimism shared between fishermen who know how much is at stake and how much is out of their hands. Another season is beginning, the same and different all at once, and we’ll meet it the way we always do — one set at a time.
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.
