Tools of the Trade

  For six days there has been a troll closure for all salmon here in Southeast Alaska. It doesn't impact the sport boys or the charter guys, but it shuts us right down. The theory is that it will give the coho salmon more of a chance to get into the streams and rivers. I find it interesting that in the past, the closure has always coincided with the Golden North Salmon Derby in Juneau. The fact is though, there seems to be less salmon being caught this year than in recent years. How much that has to do with all the hot, sunny weather we've had and the warmer water temps and what percentage can be attributed to the fact that there are more and more lodges and charter outfits targeting all the species of salmon as well as halibut, rockfish, ling cod and whatever else is swimming in these waters is a matter of speculation. I suspect that if something doesn't change soon, fishermen, lodges, charter companies and residents are going to find themselves with nothing. However, in the interim, things go on as usual. I was out fishing last week and looked around my boat cabin and realized how much things have changed for me since 1978, when I first found out that people would pay me to catch fish. From fishing with two rods and pink lady divers out of an open skiff, I graduated to using Penn downriggers, first with that same 14 foot Hi- Laker, and then later in a 22 foot Larson Commander. Eventually I got gurdies, which required that I have a depth sounder to keep the gear off the bottom.It didn't always work, but that was operator error.At the time a VHF radio and a CB radio rounded out my compliment of tech gadgets. Eventually I bought the Bonnie J, the old wooden troller that I have now. It's hard to believe, but I purchased it in 1990. It was built in 1945 and has undergone so many changes since I've owned it that I doubt that the original owner would recognize it. In my opinion, without a doubt, one of the greatest inventions ever created and used by the fishing industry has been the GPS. Though it wasn't created for the fishing industry, we have nontheless put it to great use. I have a Nobeltec program for my lap top, and I'd be lost without it, sometimes literally. It's guided me through the fog in Cross Sound, and kept me off the rocks in Port Frederick. With it I can mark the beginning and end of a halibut set and expect to find my buoys the next day. I can mark crab pots and high spots in an effort to avoid them, and if the fish are in a particular spot I can mark that as well. If a crew hand drops a gaff overboard, or if they fall overboard, I can put a mark on the spot. It tells me my speed over ground, what direction I'm going in and where I've been. It's been one of the best investments I've ever made. I wish I'd had it years earlier. Of course a depth sounder is absolutely necessary to for fishing and navigation, and it shows fish and feed as well as the bottom depth and type. Beside the fire extenguisher hanging on the wall is a container holding a flare gun and flares, should I find myself in distress and needing to signal someone. It seems kind of old fashioned in this day and age, but if you were somewhere without cell service, or you lost your battery and couldn't use the radio, you'd be glad you had the flares, assuming any passing boats weren't on their cell phones playing games or some such thing. Finally I have a twelve mile Furuno radar. I don't really need a twelve mile radar, I'm never that far from land, and I don't really think I'm going to run into another boat twelve miles away, but when it's foggy outside, which is going to become more commonplace soon, as the weather (hopefully) starts to cool down and we transition into fall, it's an invaluable piece of equipment. While the GPS can tell me where I am, it can't tell me if there is another boat in front of me, hence the need for the radar. By comparison, my boat is fairly elementary, but I'm a fairly simple guy and the equipment I have seems to get the job done. Hopefully it will all continue to work as we start trolling again on Tuesday. If it fails for some reason, I'll let you know.