Bristol Bay Fish Frenzy

Pictured above: The blessing of the 2014 Fleet in Dillingham, AK. Photo by Dave Bendinger.

Alaskan summer is officially in full swing. The summer solstice has recently come and gone, and with nearly 24 hours of light and the fish biting, it doesn't get much better than this.

For an angler in Alaska, it's easy to stay in the know on Salmon runs without even standing in the river. Alaskan Salmon make the news way more than any political figure could dream. There are articles about trophy fish, how to cook fish, and daily limit changes. Season openings make the front page news.

In our effort to protect Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine, it's easy for us to send out an alert when something goes wrong, but not always easy to remember to share with you just how special of a place Bristol Bay is, and why many anglers and lodge owners in Alaska and beyond have spent almost a decade of our lives working to protect it.

The news this summer proves just how much Bristol Bay's salmon are thriving, and just how bad of an idea Pebble is.

But don't take my word for it. Here are a few pictures and news clips from the past few weeks of the all-out Bristol Bay fish frenzy to keep our Lower 48 friends in the know. Time to start planning your trip!

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KDLG Radio, Dillingam, AK: Nearly 10-Million Sockeye Harvested in Bristol Bay, June 30

"The sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay slowed down on Sunday as the large catches late last week overwhelmed the Bay’s processing sector resulting in limits and suspension placed on many fishermen. Sunday’s sockeye catch was just over 1-million to push the season total to over 9.8-million."

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Pictured above: Andy Simon with a King released last week, 47 inches long with a 29 inch girth! Photo Credit: Alaska Sportsman's Bear Trail Lodge in Naknek, AK.

SavingSeaFood: Massive 3 million fish days in Bristol Bay cause salmon run forecast estimates to be revised upward, June 30

"The amount of fish coming in Friday was the most in a single day since 2008, and the earliest large day since 1970. This amount of harvest has only been achieved 14 times since 1970."

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Pictured Above: Thomas Tinker posted this picture of his catch as part of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay's "Faces of the Fleet" photo contest. Click here to enter the contest!

Happy Fishing out there!

-TU Alaska