However, the prawn trap came up loaded with eight dozen good sized prawns.
We re-set the prawn trap at the entrance to Dickman Bay in West Arm on our way to South Arm.
We went to the head of South Arm to set the crab trap and check out the anchorage there. It was too open for our taste and we went back up the Arm to a little cove we spotted on our way in.
We sounded the little N. E. nook in the cove and felt comfortable anchoring there for the night. 54° 58.830’ N / 132° 07.940’ W
We had no sooner left the spot where we set the crab trap, and JoAnne spotted a bear working the high tide line on the opposite shore. I motored carefully over toward the bear into shoal water so JoAnne could get some photos. I had to back off when the depth of the water got too shallow. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge for a better shot at the bear. Before we got to the cove where we anchored, we spotted another bear also working the high tide line of the shore.
The little cove where we anchored was tranquil and secure. Click on thumbnail to see the interesting reflections (totems).
The next morning we went back to the head of South Arm to pick up our empty crab trap, and spotted a third bear actually grazing along the high tide line. This 1s where "Beach Asparagus" thrives this time of year. Locals harvest this plant and some can it, and enjoy this delicacy all year. We figured the bears had zeroed in on it too.After picking up the crab trap, we went over to West Arm and found four dozen good sized prawns in our prawn trap before heading over to Johnson Cove.
We re-set the prawn trap near the entrance to Johnson Cove before going to the head end to set the crab trap and anchoring in the cove. 54° 58.365’ N / 132° 05.520’ W
We set the crab trap near this old ferry boat that apparently had been scuttled and left as a derelict.
The cove was peaceful as well as scenic in the afternoon sun.
While we were sounding our anchorage, this little buck was content to stay put and just watch. When he discovered we were staying, he disappear into the foliage and we never saw him again the rest of our stay.
The next morning we picked up our empty crab trap and headed out of Johnson Cove to get our prawn trap on our way back to Ketchikan.
The prawn trap produced four dozen big prawns, in spite of the tel tale evidence of sand fleas. They left nothing behind of the bait, but the lacy remains of bones picked absolutely clean. There was also a skinny little star fish.
We left Moira Sound with 20 dozen of these tasty morsels in the box.... except for the ones we ate along the way. It's hard to not sample these tasty little morsels when you've worked so hard to gather them.We got across a flat calm Clarance Strait and into Nichols Passage before the N.W. wind built. I started trolling for Coho as soon as we reached the Bronaugh Islands. We hadn't gone very far when we had a fish on. We got it to the boat, but again we farmed it out before we got 'em in the net. We fished along the north shore until we got to Bostwick Inlet, a local favorite for crabbing. We were hungry for crab and it was early enough in the day to go in to the head end of the inlet and set our trap amongst at least a hundred others. Boats are continually coming and going into Bostwick to tend crab pots. We then spent the next three hours unsuccessfully trolling along the shore between Bostwick Point and Blank Inlet while we were waiting for our trap to fill up with big succulent Dungeness Crabs.
When we went back into the inlet to tend our trap we found two legal sized males and one female which was returned. We went into Thomas Basin at the Ketchikan Yacht Club, and had crab for dinner.
We will hang in here until the incoming weather clears, then go around Revillagigedo Island through Misty Fiords, explore the top end of "Revilla" then come back here to get squared away for our trip south back to Puget Sound to lay Teal up for the winter.
Stay tuned,
George and JoAnne.
