Another beautiful day. The weather was changing, and it was the calm before the storm with partly cloudy skies most of the day, and a soft SW swell. Late in the day the clouds rolled in and it’s pouring rain here on the pick. Caught about the same number of kings as yesterday, with 60 cohos.
Ran to Lost Cove to meet up with Eric. He’s selling his fish to the fish coop tomorrow, and had plenty of unused ice to give me. After I shoveled ice into my hold, Eric came over, threw all the various wet clothes and fishing gear, etc from the setee bench, and we had a grand chat about our week of fishing. It’s supposed to blow South 30 tomorrow until the afternoon, so I may have a partial weather day to tie up some more gear and clean up this hell-hole of a boat cabin.

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

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Northwesterly today made for sloppy seas in the afternoon. Fishing slow in the morning, and the fish showed up at low tide about noon. Same kings as the first two days, but only 40 cohos. Catching a few sockeye here as well. Big cohos late in the day. Kept tangling my gear on the starbard side between the heavy and the bag lines. Tried lengthening the heavy tag line and adding weight to the bag line, but continued to tangle gear so I finally just pulled the bag in and fished 3 lines. Maybe I need to turn to port when setting the starbard bag or something. Tomorrow may be the last fishable day till Friday as 30 kt winda and rain forecast for 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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Eric and I both caught nearly the same scores for kings and cohos as yesterday. It felt to me like I worked alot harder, but that is probably because I fished 2 hours less. Large cohos and kings. Overcast, calm, and warm with a SW swell. About the same number of boats as yesterday so either folks are satisfied with their catches or have not heard of greener pastures elsewhere.

Had deer meatloaf with Paradise Valley instant mashed potatoes. Sara baked and froze 2 meatloafs for me before she left town with our neices. I sure appreciate them, especially on days like today where I’d likely as not make a pbj sandwich because I’m too tired to cook. They sure are tasty and quick to heat up. The potatoes are a great tasting product and a godsend to fishermen.

Very warm for August. Sweating hard everyday under the rain gear, and it’s good as I can stand to lose some weight.

It’s muggy tonight and so many bugs in this anchorage that I had to put up the no-see-um screens over the windows, and that greatly reduces airflow thru the cabin. A seal just surfaced to look at the boat, and I hear porpoises blowing nearby.

By next year I’ll hopefully have enough demand for our fish to hire a deckhand for the summer and leave this fishing alone for the young bucks… Man, I’m pooped.

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 off 3 Sisters south of Lisianski Inlet for the first time alongside with my fishing mentor Eric in his boat. Caught about 70 cohos and 20 kings with a soft SW swell and overcast. Huge cohos for much of the day, and several nice kings.

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

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Traveling through thick fog rounding the corner at Pt. Adolphus heading west. Town time was nothing but work. Three trips to our processor, but lucky to have Sara help this week offloading and cut the time in half. I hoped to be out this far or farther yesterday, but got a call from a Pennsylvania distributer with an order when I was almost to the harbor, so had to turn around to go mail the order and didn’t leave till noon.

By 4 pm I was having a hard time staying awake, so pulled in to Swanson Harbor for a nap. We’ve had 4 days in arow of record temps in the 80’s and today it may reach 90. The glare on the water and the heat just wore me out after 4 days of running around in town. I started for the coast about 7 pm, and decided to just run to Hoohah at dark, as the nearest anchorages were still a couple hours away.

Fog from Adolphus to Lisianski Inlet. I’m heading out Lisianski Strait now, and I haven’t been out here for 4 years. A really neat long channel. I’ve decided to head to new country with a mentor who showed me how to fish my first season. Looks like the weather may blow up by midweek, but it should be on my stern if I need to run for cover. This will be the furthest I’ve fished from home. I’m both apprehensive and excited.

Finally put the hook down in Ogden Passage after a beautiful run on the inside passage around Herbert Graves Island. Changed over my gear from coho spoons to alternating 4 fa hootchie spreads and 2 fa spoon spreads. Boiled a pot of coffee for the thermos, and went to bed about 8:30.
Mark Stopha
F/V Dutch Master
Alaska Wild Salmon Co
4455 N Douglas Hwy
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-463-3115

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Caught 50 cohos by 11:30 am, and headed to town as I was out of ice. Must be over 70 degrees again today. Flat calm for the run to Juneau.

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

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