King Crab

Bearbait · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:17 pm Post subject: King Crab

Hi, This is my first time posting on this site, thanks everyone for the info I've garnered from reading through the archives. Now on to the question. This summer I'm taking my c-dory to Haines and travel down into the country around juneau. Can anyone give me any info on finding and catching king crab? What depths, what time of year is best, are they scattered all over or are there specific areas they are concentrated? I'll be bringing a dungenus pot also but I really want to catch a few king crab. Thanks

Chivita · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:42 pm Post subject:

Hello Bearbait!

Not sure on the exact location for your King Crab, but the fisherfolk around here tell me that the pickings around Juneau are pretty slim. People are spending hours in that neck of the woods to catch what takes minutes in the Sitka area. You might want to adjust your travel plans accordingly. If you do make it to Sitka, look me up. I can get you a few suggestions!

"Chivita" Dave

Chivita · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:07 pm Post subject:

Bearbait

The local fishhead says to try Hoonah Bay, about 45 miles northwest of Sitka!

Bearbait · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I'm not sure where we'll go after Juneau. We may head up to Hoonah. I spend most of my time in PWS but I want to see something different and get a few crabs, which we're not allowed to get in PWS.

lyle-t · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 7:13 pm Post subject: Where in Sitka

Hi Dave ,
Where in Sitka are you? My Daughter lives in Sitka and we get up that way a lot. May get a chance to visit up that way soon.
Lyle and Judy

Chivita · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:38 am Post subject:

Right on the historic waterfront portion near the Pioneers Home and next to ANB harbor. Closest boat to the hotel moored in ANB is of course a C-Dory. Can be rather hard to focus on business when the commercial fleet is right outside your window.

There is a Bald Eagle that hangs out on one of the seiners in front of the hotel, and if you think seagull poop is hard to clean up, well it's nothing compared to that mess.

Went out as a licensed deckhand with the commercial Herring fleet this past week, and what an experience. 14 planes zipping around each other trying to locate the largest schools while the snow came falling down, what looked like at least 50 seiners, tenders and processors mixed in with a bunch of corker skiffs within less than one square mile all after a couple hundred tons of Herring that has to be harvested within a fifteen minute closely regulated span of time. Probably the most interesting fishing I've ever done! Watched a 70 foot seiner doing 12 knots come within 1 foot of a net skiff attempting to do 0 to 50 knots in a split second. The guy driving the skiff was still jittery an hour later, smiling and laughing like mad but watching his stern even five seconds!

First time I ever seen a 60 foot boat catch an 80 foot boat in it's net, you kinda don't believe what you are seeing but then it happens again and again. Absolutely wild! One boat would be laying out there nets and another boat would power around him dropping his net right inside the other's to steal his set. This is know as "getting corked" and is accompanied by much cussing and horn blowing!

There is a whole hierarchy out there as well with steel boats on the top rung and fiberglass and wood towards the bottom. This comes from the fact that it really doesn't matter if the steel boat hits the fiberglass boat or the fiberglass hits the steel, it's going to to bad for the fiberglass boat! Of course us corker skiffs get the hell out of everybody's way since we'll get mowed over no matter what that seiner is made of.

My job as a corker was to assit the seiner with the nets, they get so full of fish that the nets get pulled underwater, despite the net being rimmed with hundreds of floats. Herring so thick the water boils and you have to bang the surface around the fish to keep all the Herring from taking flight over the nets. More fun than any guy deserves to have topped off by the occasional moment of pure blissful panic when you almost get beaned by a rock dropping out of a raised net, a near miss from a captain intent on encircling a huge Herring bait ball or the mad dash to help the next seiner in your co-op with net issues. Once you get the net under control you have to capture three 5 gallon buckets of Herring
(full to the brim and no water dam it) and rush it over to one of the support boats where the people buying the fish are waiting to cut these samples up and determine if this catch is worth anything. All of this is happening on bouncing boats flung about by rough open water and crazy wakes from every direction while snow flakes the size of silver dollars come wafting by!

Then there is are the Herring scales covering every square inch of the deck, don't even get me started on Herring scales, suffice it to say that I'll take Bald Eagle poop over 2.3 million Herring scales!

Although I hear that boating in the Sitka area is paradise in summer, working the Herring catch is an experience on a level all to its own.

Next year I'm selling tickets to this show, that's when you REALLY want to visit Sitka so come on up!

Just bring a survival suit in case I can't do 0-50 knots in one split second!

"Chivita" Dave, corker apprentice and Herring scale swab

Sawdust · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:10 am Post subject:

Absolutely GREAT story Dave. I'm coming to Sitka!!!!

Dusty

Jeff and Julie · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:12 am Post subject:

Dave, your story brought a smile to my face and surfaced many memories I have of watching this when I grew up in Sitka!! See you in August when we come up.

Julie

Redƒox · Guest

You crazy ... Americans Exclamation

...

Dave, thnx, (great story!) and don't worry about my sister now Shocked

she is being trained to work on a "tour boat". She's excited Thumbs Up

Hey there was a fella on this site, (this is related to the original post) was askin me last season if I wanted to head out of Haines this summer Idea

Of course I am up to that Thumbs Up

If were not in the moving to the Southeast stage. Hell I'd rather live there than just visit. Very Happy

shogimac · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 9:32 pm Post subject: King Crabs

Hello,

Just outside of Auke Bay, there is a productive shelf. No secret here and you'll see lots of traps and Buoys. I saw a trap of 12 come up but its competitive among the locals. Hoohan and the sound beyond the town. Teenakee Inlet, deep during the summer but there are king crabs in both of these inlets. Traps are sold in Hoohan and Juneau. Good Luck! Perhaps we'll see you (with the crabs I hope).

Shawn

Jeff and Julie · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject:

Shawn,
I have read your stories on your web page of the trips that you and Toni have taken to Alaska. Are you getting ready for another one this year? If so, are you planning on any new stops? Just trying to live this journey vicariously through you!!

Julie

Rock-C · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject:

Toni O
I have read thru you web site. Great reading and inspiration for future adventure.
Some day CoolSmile

shogimac · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:08 pm Post subject: IP 4

Hello J&J - Rock C,

I'll tell Tonie that you liked her web work, she sometimes wonders if it is worth her while. Inside Passage 4 is on the slate for this summer. Tonie says its time to go around Prince of Whales Island and I think that we can make a summer out of it. If the stars and moons line up, we'll leave Port Hardy around the solstice.

Anyone have shrimping spots on the west side of PW?

Shawn

Jeff and Julie · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:26 pm Post subject:

Yes!! Please tell Tonie that I have loved reading your stories. Do you usually update along the way, or wait until your return to post your adventures?
Jeff and Julie

Larry H · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm Post subject:

Shawn & Tonie

I have enjoyed your web site stories. Please don't stop posting.

What charts did you use going thru Rocky Pass? I considered that route from Kake south, but everyone I met said local knowledge was needed.