Top Reasons Why You Should Fish Sitka in the Early Season

• Excellent weather!  The sunniest months of in Sitka are during May and June.
• Wildlife viewing opportunities!  There is a strong likelihood you will see brown bears eating grasses on the beaches, as they have just come out of hibernation. This is the best time to spot sows with cubs.
• Strong opportunities for hooking a big king salmon!  The local Sitka Salmon derby occurs during the last weekend of May, which takes advantage of the absence of competing commercial king fishermen, as well as the strong runs of larger kings.  Washington area biologists are predicting 2010 to have the LARGEST RUN of king salmon returning from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest they have seen in seven years!
• Better chance at catching white kings!  According to IslandView Resort & Charters lodge owner and guide, Kevin McNamee, who has fished in Sitka since the early 1990s, he estimates a higher percentage of white king salmon caught during the month of May (Alaskan "Pearl") than any other time of the season.  Many prefer this unique salmon as it has a pleasant taste with higher Omega 3 oil content.
• High average halibut catch!  Sport fishing for halibut earlier in the season is a sure bet. This is because of the fact that you are getting on the fishing grounds when it has not been fished hard all season.
• Inside waters are open to guided halibut fishing:  Sitka has a local area management plan (LAMP) which limits the amount of inside area halibut fishing in order to preserve opportunities for locals and subsistence anglers.  Guided charter anglers who come early in the season are in luck, as the LAMP is open to them early until June 1st.
• Ling cod season is open from May 16 until June 15:  To those anglers who savor the taste of ling cod, you can keep one of these voracious fish in late May and early June, The ling cod season for nonresident anglers is only open at the beginning and end of the summer.
• More Relaxed Fishing!  May is less crowded on the fishing grounds, both in terms of commercial and sport anglers.  No commercial crabbing or king fishing occurs during the month of May, and the majority of the charter anglers come to Sitka later in the season due to school and family commitments...What does this mean to you?  May is the best time to fish in Sitka if you want to get a jump on the fishing before everyone else does!