Sitka's Secrets Charters

The latest news and observations
from Kent and Bev at Sitka's Secrets

January 2008

Wow, another year is behind us.

We will start migrating home at the end of this month.

The future always looks brighter the more inquiries we get, so keep those emails coming! Here’s the address: info@sitkasecret.com

We hope 2008 brings boatloads of peace and happiness.

February 2008

Based on the amount of snow on the ground in early February, it has been below 32 degrees for an unusually long time.

The ravens, gulls and bald eagles are constantly on the lookout for something to eat.

With the potential for freezing spray, we are not in any hurry to go out on the ocean.

It is a good time to catch up on indoor tasks.

March 2008

Hello? Is there anything out there besides high winds and rough seas?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is predicting extra large herring, representing older age classes, to be plentiful this spring. We hope this translates to a good reproductive year for animals higher up the food chain.

We are available for charters, whenever the ocean settles down.

April 2008

The sun is rising and setting on time. The tide is coming in and going out on time. The calendar pages are turning on time. But, something isn’t right.

Salmon and halibut abundance are forecast to be down this year. Biologists are pointing to changing ocean conditions. Marine birds and mammals are also affected by what goes on under the surface of the water.

With the salmon fishing closures off the West Coast, there doesn’t leave much choice but to wet a line in Alaska! With a wary eye towards the future, we’re hoping for the best.

May 2008

I have been waiting in hopes of issuing better news.

May is half over and the ocean continues to be rough. The final ruling on the daily bag limit for halibut, for this summer, has still not been issued. The current daily bag is two halibut, of which one must be under 32 inches in length.

But, summer is here. It is warmer and we have more daylight. Judging by the global news, things could be worse. Our summer season has begun.

June 2008

Summer is off to a chilly start.

The weather and fishing are best described as erratic.

Humpback whales, tufted puffins, sea otters and bald eagles are present and accounted for.

Please email us if you are curious about today!

July 2008

The lack of sunshine has kept temperatures in the 50s. We can handle this aberrant behavior of the sun, as long as the ocean behaves itself.

Even though the birds of St Lazaria Island are nesting later than usual, we are consistently finding puffins, whales, sea otters and bald eagles.

Fishing for salmon and halibut has been slow, but steady enough to whet our appetites!

August 2008

Looking back, it is like the last two years of August (wet and overcast), but with noticeably less silver and pink salmon.

Halibut fishing is productive as long as you put in your time and have reasonable seas.

There have been several sightings of brown bears, probably looking for pink salmon, along the shoreline.

Looking forward, it sure looks like fall outside. The only thing missing is the crisp chill of the morning air.

September 2008

It’s quieting down here. It seems even more so with the media coverage of the Olympics last month, and hurricanes this month.

In hindsight, the coho run was erratic, like everything else. They averaged 12 pounds throughout the summer, though. Halibut filets are noticeably thicker, which is as expected.

The whales are still around, plus bald eagles, sea otters and a few puffins.

We will be here until the end of the month. After that, the best way to contact us is by email: info@sitkasecret.com . If you prefer to use the postal service, please allow up to three weeks for a response. We look forward to hearing from everyone!

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