Yesterday was a typical day for this season. When I arrived at my processor with my totes of fish, the right trailer wheel was off, hanging on by a thread. The outer bearing was pushed to the end of the axle, and the inner bearing was just plain gone. Took the bearing and race to the auto parts store, and received replacement parts. Unfortunately, when I returned to the trailer the parts didn’t fit, so back to the store. By the time I got the right parts I had to leave right away to sell fish at the dock. When I returned, however, my processor – a mechanical wizard – had already changed out the bearings and I was ready to go. Back out fishing today to try to scratch a couple near town with my remaining ice.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Beautiful day – sunny and in the 60’s, and decent fishing. Fog rolled in mid morning, making for tough fishing by myself. I’d set a course by the radar that was not in the path of any other boat, run back and run gear, then back forward to the radar to look for boats again. Same program for cleaning and icing.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Moved to Homeshore on a hot tip this morning. There is definitely a push of coho coming through. lots of bright jumpers coming down Icy Strait. Caught 16 at Funter, then 25 coho, 2 sockeye and a chum at Homeshore. Nice large, bright, mostly female cohos. Beautiful day, too, with west wind and temperature in the 60’s with partly sunny skies in the evening.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Fished Square Cove to Funter for 45. Sotheast wind about 20 and lots of rain. Hear there is fish outside, but too tired to run and weather looks crappy till thurs.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Woke about 5:30. Checked the oil, water and transmission in my morning ritual. When I went to untie from the dock, the resident otter gave a few snorts of salutation from his perch on the float, then jumped over and swam away.

Fished Funter south to Pt. Marsden for 23. Then crossed to Freshwater Bay and nothing. Anchored early at 4:30 in Pavlof Harbor. Tough fishing this time of year. I’m pretty burned out and hard to be patient when coho fishing is so slow and the usual Sept. weather of wind, waves, and rain.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Wind was honking in Pavlof Hbr last night, but luckily we did not drag anchor. A sow with 2 cubs and 2 other large bears were fishing below the falls in Pavlor this morning. Weather forecast is not good for the rest of the week, and with no fish here yesterday, I’m moving back closer to town, probably for the rest of the season.
Fishing poor again today. My venture down Chatham was rain, wind and few fish. I found a few south of Pt Hepburn, and when I turned to go back over the water I’d caught the fish, I was excited to see a flock of birds feeding…until I saw the orcas surface. They may have been feeding on the same school of cohos I was catching. So, I continued north to Square Cove, a spot I’ve never anchored in. A neat spot with a creek, waterfall and gravel beach.

Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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