Bob Penney crosses the bar

Bob Penney, Kenai River sportfishing advocate and former member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, reportedly has died at age 90.

Ban setnetters?

A group called the Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance wants to let voters decide whether to ban commercial setnets near the state's main population centers. Here's a press release.

Battle over Brent Johnson

Down in Juneau, the House Resources Committee is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. tomorrow to consider Gov. Sarah Palin's appointments to the Board of Fisheries.

All the hubbub is over one Brent Johnson.

The idea of a Cook Inlet commercial salmon fisherman taking a spot on the seven-member board has sportfishermen in a lather.

An outfit called the Cook Inlet Sportfishing Caucus ran a half-page ad in the sports section of Sunday's Anchorage Daily News urging people to tell their legislators to vote against Johnson's appointment.

The ad features a big fish labeled "Commercial" gobbling up a minnow labeled "Sport."

The ad has three names on the bottom: Phil Cutler, Bruce Knowles and Bob Penney.

On Monday the "friends of Brent Johnson" ran their own quarter-page ad saying in part: "We believe that you will find Brent a very real guy, a regular Alaskan open to your ideas, beliefs and wishes."

People tell me this appointment is so hot that someone is paying for a telephone survey to drum up opposition to Johnson.

Yep, it's always a brawl between the commercial and sport guys in Cook Inlet, isn't it?

The Legislature is scheduled to vote on the appointment Thursday. Let's see if Johnson survives.