September 02, 2014

Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area

Week of September 2 to September 8
Issued September 2, 2014

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

• Permits are mandatory for all noncommercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors.
• Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.
• ***Cordova area fishermen***, remember, for streams crossing the Copper River Highway from the Eyak River all the way out past where the bridge is washed out, coho salmon that are removed from the water MUST BE RETAINED and becomes part of your daily bag limit. If you plan on releasing fish, come prepared and do not bring any fish out of the water unless you are going to take it home.

Freshwaters

Salmon

• Cordova silvers are back Ibeck is good as long as water clarity allows. Alaganik Slough and Hippie Cove Silvers are showing up as well. Please read the regulations regarding catch/release fishing before heading out.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

• Anglers are reminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout.
• Cutthroat trout fishing continues to be good along the Copper River highway and in trout waters throughout PWS. Leech patterns, small spinners, and egg patterns are good options.
• Dolly Varden are present in many of the streams throughout Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Use fry/smolt imitation flies or small spinners at lake outlets or stream confluences. Egg patterns fished behind pink and chum salmon is a great approach to catching these fish.

Saltwaters

Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish

• Best spots for halibut are still out near ocean entrances, but if weather won’t allow or you don’t have time, chickens and a few nice ones are being caught around Main Bay and Applegate.
• AND REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)
What’s deepwater release?
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.rockfishconservation
• It has been a good year for lingcod fishing in Prince William Sound. Anglers have reported catching large lingcod in the southern parts of the sound. Some folks are even having some luck in Blackstone Bay. Large jigs fished 10 feet off the bottom near and on top of steep rocky ridges and reefs work quite well for lingcod.

Salmon

• Valdez silvers did not show up in good numbers at all this year. If you are still looking for Coho fun this year, try Cordova or Seward.
• Silvers are still slow near the head of the bay in Whittier but trolling around or heading out to Ester Hatchery might be a good way to get a few.

Shellfish

• Shrimping continues to be productive throughout Prince William Sound with anglers reporting better catches with deeper sets (350 - 600 ft).
• Don’t forget your shrimp permit – everyone needs one.