We left our anchorage in Magoun Cove at 07:30, after stopping to collect our empty prawn trap, we headed out on our 48 mile trip to Rodman Bay with a 11:45 appointment with slack tide at Sergius Narrows. There was some commercial salmon trolling activity in Salisbury sound when we passed. maybe fishing is improving.
As we passed Point Kakul we reached the westernmost point of Baranof Island and this years cruise. 57° 21.765’ N / 135° 42’ W
We arrived at Sergius Narrows, 57° 24.400’ N / 135° 36.651’ W, about 45 minuets early with about 2 knots of current pushing us through.
Good thing, as we were approaching the channel we heard an announcement on the VHF radio that a tug with barge in tow was approaching from the other direction, and the resulting conversation with the high-speed ferry coming up behind the tug.
We were able to get through the narrows just in time to pass the tug towing barge, and ferry in the wide spot just east of the narrow channel.
A short time latter we passed a big hump back whale that had gone through the narrows before we did. They probably are not effected to much by the 6-8 knot current, but I bet they don't like going through there with tugs, barges and big ferry boats.
As we rounded Nismeni Point at the top of Baranof Island and entered Hoonah sound we reached the northernmost point of this years cruise 57° 34’ N / 135° 25’ W
We set the prawn trap before going to the head of Rodman Bay. I had reckoned from the chart that the crabbing would be good there.
We were surprised to see the entire end of the bay loaded with hundreds of commercial crab pots set to follow the contour of the shoal. Set by the same fisherman preparing their gear for the opening of their season at the same docks we moored at while in Sitka.
We, after a frustrating time sounding for a suitable anchorage,57° 26.814’ N / 135°23.689’ W, on the tricky bottom, set the anchor in about 80 feet on a reasonably flat bottom . I rowed the skiff out to set our crab trap, before settling in for the night in the beautiful scenery at the end of the bay.
Early the next morning the first of four crab boats we saw heading for their pots, came into the cove and started to tend their pots. They were collecting fair numbers of crab.Before we left for Baranof Warm Spring Bay on Chatham Strait, we hauled our trap and found three crabs and one flounder, that we kept for bait. We kept two good sized male crabs and returned one that was just legal size, 6-1/2 inches.
More to come, stay tuned.
George and JoAnne
