Commercial Salmon Trolling Forum

Hello all, I have been fishing here and there all my life but just started commercial trolling. I appreciate all the info and look forward to making some kind of contribution in the future.
SE Alaska

I finally got out for the first time the other day and put some of the things I learned here to use. I messed up bad in the AM overslept, missed the tide, left the bait at the dock, went to the wrong spot and then decided to stay away from the fleet. I had some work to do for my regular job so I went in and did that around noon. In the afternoon I went back out and finished well. I managed 4 kings on cut plugs with the rods and then switched over and got one more on a threaded herring with the hand gurdie. I did lose one that ran off under a sport boat and then broke my line after I horsed it back boat side. In addition I had one other broken line and another fish pulled the hook at the boat. In the start I was using 40lb mono and then went to 60 fluorocarbon for the cut plugs after I broke off. I learned a ton that day and it was much fun. If I had made better choices at the start it could have been a bigger money day but I did alright. Filling up of the gas tank was not bad at all and that check I got was so sweet.

Thank you all very much for the help!

Here is a picture of my first commercial king.

Very cool...

Going forward, you'll want to get rid of more blood elsewhere before you put them on the ice. Buyers won't like to see bloody ice as it supports more bacteria.

Thanks for the heads up about the blood. I figured as much and had that box set up only to kill and slush fish, just until gutting and belly packing in another cooler. One of my main goals the first time out was to score all #1's at the buyer and I got it the next day when I delivered.

Nice size fish for this early. What is the price up there? In coos bay we just got $6.65 / lb.

The price was about the same @6.75 here. I understand there is a wide fluctuation in prices as the season progresses. I don't know how much I will get out this summer but I am gearing up for full time fishing this winter.

I just bought a 26ft Nordic Tug set up to troll. The boat is solid but I want to make some improvements before I start fishing it in Oct. I will get some new pictures up later my USB cord is acting up so I have not got them on the desk top yet.