Lackluster Copper River opener

Seems like we say this every year, but the Copper River salmon fishery is off to a slow start.

In Monday's 12-hour season opener, driftnetters took about 10,900 sockeye, well short of the 17,600 projected, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

The fleet also took an estimated 1,100 Chinook.

Fishery participation seemed low, with 359 deliveries reported.

We haven't heard anything about prices, but early season Copper River fish typically pay handsomely.

The Copper River District will open again at 7 a.m. Thursday for a 12-hour fishing period.

Sluggish start at the Copper River

Once again, the Copper River salmon fishery is off to a slow start.

Monday's 12-hour season opener produced an estimated 8,200 sockeye, far short of the 27,100 anticipated for the period. The catch averaged fewer than 21 fish per delivery.

Gillnetters also caught 1,960 Chinook salmon during the opener.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has scheduled another 12-hour opener for Thursday in the Copper River District.

Halibut season opens at noon Friday

Here's a Pacific Fishing magazine article with catch limits and the status of the halibut stock.

Salmon time!

Go get 'em day for gillnetters. Deckboss photo

The Copper River fishery opens at 7 a.m. today for a 12-hour period, signifying what many will regard as the official start of a new Alaska salmon season.

Of course, gillnetters and trollers started stalking Chinook salmon at the Stikine and Taku rivers in Southeast on May 7.

But for Copper River connoisseurs, that doesn't count, right?

Anyway, Deckboss wishes the Copper River fleet a safe day and good fishing.

Catch up, prices down at Copper River

Here's the box score from Thursday's season opener in the Copper River District.

Total catch was 1,549 Chinook salmon and 20,216 sockeye.

My sources in Cordova tell me the ex-vessel price, the amount processors pay to gillnetters for raw fish, was about $5.25 per pound for Chinook and $3.50 for sockeye.

Last year, the opening day catch was 800 Chinook and 2,400 sockeye, with prices running about $6.50 and $4 respectively.

So, obviously, a substantially larger opening day harvest this year, but lower prices. The price drop was expected, I reckon, considering the recession.

My Cordova friends say weather was fairly miserable yesterday, windy and cold.

But conditions were better than last year when lots of boats stayed in port on opening day due to a storm. This year's catch was bigger at least in part because more boats went fishing.

The state Department of Fish and Game has scheduled another 12-hour opener beginning at 7 a.m. Monday.

Here we go

The Copper River salmon fishery starts at 7 a.m. today with a 12-hour opener.

This fishery, as you might have heard, is a celebrated rite of spring and sort of the unofficial kickoff to a new Alaska commercial salmon season each year.

Some 500 gillnet boats out of Cordova and other ports will chase Chinook and sockeye, prized among gastronomes in Seattle and beyond as the "first salmon" of the season. Never mind that's not exactly so.

Anyway, having savored them myself, I can attest to the quality of the Copper River fish. Mighty tasty.

Here's a couple of thoughts to ponder as we sail into opening day:

• Will the recession crimp those absurdly high prices Copper River fishermen usually enjoy at the docks early in the season? We've seen upwards of $7 a pound for Chinook and $5 for sockeye. I'm guessing a little less irrational exuberance this year.

• Will Copper River salmon returns rebound from last year? State biologists are forecasting a Chinook harvest of 30,000 fish and a sockeye catch of 704,000 fish. Not great, but way better than last season’s sorry results: 11,450 Chinook and 320,815 sockeye.

All right, enough with the pregame warm-up. Be safe out there, guys, and good fishing.