Commercial Salmon Trolling Forum

Hello-

This is my first season commercial trolling. I troll near Juneau. I have few questions about fall/ winter king salmon shaker to keeper/ legal ratio for other trollers in SE Alaska ?

My ratio is around 1 keeper/ legal King to 12 shakers. Is that normal? Do I need to just keep fishing the same and sort through the shakers? Fish deeper?

Thanks in advance.

Generally, the bigger fish will be below and or behind the smaller fish. Predatory fish segment themselves based on size. The little guys don't want to become lunch for there bigger sister. What I'll do when I get in a patch of shakers is drop the gear 10 fathoms (if I can) and take off 2 spreads. If that doesn't work, try to figure out which direction the school is moving and go the opposite direction. There are bigger fish in the area. You just have to find them and save next years catch.

I've noticed in Sitka Sound shakers move out as we get later into Oct..Then as fall turns into winter you hardly encounter shakers.Late winter zip,as all those 27 and a half fish have grown to legal size or the fish segregate or something.
You might try flatting the barbs on your hooks,I think that helps on small guys or don't run bait cause smaller fish seem to love that.

Thank you for the advice. I was getting worried about that 12 to 1 ratio being to high and that I was doing something detrimental to the fishery.

12 to 1 ratio seems extreme. Don't know if I've ever seen that on the northern end.

I go to plugs, and large hootchies and speed up. Shakers love bait. Sometimes you can fish under them as they are usually in the top 50 fathoms.
1-1 is too high. I move, change gear or depth if I encounter more than 1 shaker to 5 keepers. 12 shakers to one keeper is totally unacceptable.

I refuse to work in an area that is producing only sub-legals, and your ratio seems to be very high. In my experience, I would agree with what others have posted - deeper seems to be better for size, and bait is a no-no if there are shakers around.

Like, JKD

Like, John Murray. I agree totally.

JKD said it best. Leave the little guys alone. Stack the gear and run. You're killing next year's fish, wasting time, and money.

Agree Lulu.

Thank you all for the help. I had a strong hunch that that ratio wasn't right so that's why I started asking for the advice. It's much appreciated and I don't want be doing anything detrimental to the fishery.

Right on Jamill45.

Jamill45, thanks to technology which allows forums like this, you're able to learn faster than the 20+ years of mistakes and hard knocks it took me. Thanks for asking