Being close to open ocean will increase your odds of finding larger fish, consistently larger numbers of fish, and greater species variety. Some species you won't find on inside waters at all.
You want protected waters just in case the weather comes up. South East Alaska is known for inconsitent weather, rain and higher than average winds. Our island chain provides the leeward sides of the islands allowing us to frequently fish next to the open ocean without having to deal with the big wave conditions. Where we choose to fish is commonly selected based on weather conditions. Because of our protected waters, we have yet to cancel a fishing day in over 25 years.
The diverse underwater topography of Prince of Wales island consists of gravel beds, steep cliffs, ridges and pinacles provide homes for a large biomass. This translates into plenty of food and homes for our favorite species. Huge kelp beds are the prime environment for young fish to thrive. Your first day on the water will show you the food chain here is alive. You will fish next to marine mamals, see bald eagles and other sea birds numbering in the the thousands.
Salmon inundate the waterways of Prince of Wales Island with numbers building in May and dwindling in September. The island structures, channels and bays concentrate food creating a banquet worthy of staying a while. Here, you are not targeting a run of fish but hundreds of runs as they loiter here only to gain weight. This is what makes the islands outside of Craig second to none.
The larger and more powerful King Salmon with it's desirable fat content are in abundance in June and early July. We frequently find kings as late as August as the younger fish drop in to feed. Silver salmon begin to arrive around the 4th of July with numbers staying consistent throughout August. Their abundant numbers and chaotic fighting style are fun for all ages.
Halibut live in the waters of Prince of Wales island year round. We find fish of all sizes from the pesky juvenile to the larger females. Halibut are not difficult to find here however, fishing to look for the size you desire may work your biceps to failure. Larger fish can be found at any depth and it is not uncommon to find larger fish while salmon fishing shallower waters.
Lingcod love underwater structure. The ridges, troughs and pinnacles off the coast of this island chain are home for one of the healthies ling cod fisheries on the planet. Our most common size of lings range between 40" and 50". These fish are hearty, photogenic and incredibly tasty. Feeling the strike, setting the hook and reeling them in will cure all fishing withdrawl symptoms.
The rock fish species variety is neat to see. Colors range from Black, to yellow, bright red and orange. The large yellow eye rock fish are known for their briliant orange color, aggressive eating habits and great flavor on the grill. Black rock fish are tasty but more importantly incredibly fun when you get into a big feeding frenzy.
ReservationShelter Cove's vessels are commercial quality aluminum boats built by North River Boats in Roserburg, Oregon. Their commercial standards and unique hull design combine to make an incredibly seaworthy platform we can trust. Equipped with twin 225 hp Mercury outboards, they can fish or return home running on one engine at full speed in the event of a mechanical. This is some great peace of mind while offshore chasing big fish. Our experienced captains, regularly updated state of the art GPS and radar electronics, all USCG rated safety equipment and Satelite communications are all part of our dedication to safety.
The care of your catch is of the utmost importance. This begins with the bleeding and icing of each fish immediately after it is brought on board. Upon your return to the dock, our friendly dock crew will help you get weights and photos then back on ice it goes. It will then be cut into very usable portions and vaccume packed in custom ordered heavy 5 mill bags to preserve fresheness. Each vessels' fish is tracked with a tagging system as it enters the freezer to be frozen quickly. This ensures you go home with your catch. The fish is then packed in airline approved insulated boxes and prepared to be shipped. Our goal is to send you home with an incredibly easy to use product that will stay good for up to two years. It will thaw in a water bath in minutes. You will tear the bag open, rinse in cold water and it is ready to cook!
We feel that our guests visiting in August shoud have equipment in great condition just like those fishing in June. We keep plenty of spares in stock to swap when a reel or rod begins to feel used up. Some of these fish are hard to land already. The last thing we want is to lose a big one due to an equipment failure. We feature mostly shimano equipment. The reels are in the Shimano Tekota family. The 600 line counter is used for salmon. The 800 is our bottom fishing favorite paired with the Shimano Trevala rod. We have really nice flexible raingear to keep you warm and dry with Xtra Tuff deck boots for great traction and waterproofing.
As all fisherman know, timing is everything. The summer waters on the West coast of Prince of Wales island are full of hungry fish, many here specifically to gain weight. King salmon arrive first to be later overlapped by Silver salmon, pink salmon and chum salmon. The king salmon numbers typically begin to taper off in late July, however that taper is frequently very gradual. King salmon are frequently caught as early as May 1st to as late as early September. Our halibut, lingcod and rockfish species are available year round. The ling and rock fish are our residents that don't migrate much in their lifetime while the halibut swim up from deeper Gulf of Alaska to capitalize on the abundant feeding opportunities the near-shore summer waters provide.
Your timing selection will be based on what species you will place as your first priority. June and early July is the best time to take home king salmon, halibut and other bottom fish species. Late July and all of August is the best time to fill your freezer with silver silver salmon and all bottom fish species. Don't forget to ask about our GAF halibut tag specials we operate each season. GAF tags allow the take of an additional halibut of any size.