WHITTIER, Alaska — This time of year, chasing Coho is a favorite pastime of Southcentral anglers. In this week's Channel 2 Fishing Report, we head out of Whittier in search of silvers.
The town of Whittier slips from view as we head out onto the waters of Prince William Sound. Alaskan Four Star Charters captain Jody Mason is taking us silver salmon fishing.
An hour into our trip, we discover we're not the only ones out here chasing coho, as a pod of killer whales passes by us.
Eventually we resume our voyage, searching for silvers. Our method of operation: mooching.
“It's basically a jigging method with herring and between a 3 and 4-ounce weight,” Mason said. “What that does is you drop it down, the weight goes down, the herring kind of free floats as you pull it up -- it causes the herring to move in a circular manner. It's a crippled fish, which makes the silvers hopefully become aggressive.”
And they were aggressive -- at least at the end of photographer Eric Sowl’s line.
“I like the fact that you caught a fish before Carp did,” Mason said.
Eric didn't just catch one fish before I did: he caught his limit of three for the day before I even got a decent bite.
Our other fishing companion, Gregory from Russia, also struck silver before I did. But with the number of coho in these waters, it was just a matter of time before I hooked up with two fish. Besides, it was the third one to hit my limit that took a little longer.
That wasn’t exactly the trip’s end. Captain Jody wetted a line and came up with a huge silver.
“I told you guys I would take you guys to the fish, and then I'd catch the biggest fish,” Mason reminded us.
A few points to remember if you do go to Whittier:
Silver fishing is prettier in Whittier
• KNOW THE TUNNEL SCHEDULE
Knowing when the Whittier Tunnel is open in each direction could save you some waiting-around time.
• BE PATIENT
There are silvers out there; if you’re not catching them in the spot you’re fishing in, move!
• BRING YOUR CAMERA!
If you’re fishing in the waters of Prince William Sound, expect to see whales and other great wildlife!
• TAKE TIME TO TAKE IT ALL IN
Prince William Sound is spectacularly beautiful. Make sure you take some time to soak in the scenery -- in between catching all those silvers, that is!
As for this week's hot spots, Whittier is one place to consider. The silver fishing is good, and there's a derby with cash prizes to win -- but you've got to have a ticket.
The Seward Silver Salmon Derby runs through Sunday afternoon, and the fishing there reportedly has been good.
Valdez has its own silver derby, and fishing in Prince William Sound from that approach has been very good.
And for something non-salmon, get adventurous and hike into Red Shirt Lake. There's pike there, with early mornings and late evenings the best time to hook into a “water wolf.”
If you have any questions about fishing, make sure you call the folks at Fish and Game at 267-2218.
Contact John Carpenter at jcarpenter@ktuu.com
