Bairdi 2009

Hello again.

It has been some time since you've heard from me and I apologize for the delay. The time we spent in Dutch Harbor was brief between King Crab and Bairdi with most of our time being consumed rigging the gear over again, which is a larger chore than I can describe here, but I will take the time to do so between seasons which will be soon! The Bairdi fishery is unique in that few boats participate and with an average weight of 2.6 -3.0 lbs apiece Bairdi crab are substantially larger but not nearly as plentiful as their close relative the Opilio (aka snow) crab. The Wizard has targeted these elusive critters for many years and most of the time I am given the task of running the boat. The fishing grounds are split into two areas with the center boundary line being the 166* west longitude. This longitude line runs north/south almost right through Dutch Harbor. The crab in the western district is primarily caught around or between Saint Paul and Saint George Islands. Because abundance is low in the west fishing there has proven difficult over the years, and for 2009 the fishery was closed altogether. Thank God!

As for the eastern district the crab are generally caught around Amak Island about 135 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor, and this is where we intend to fish. With mixed results in the past the entire crew knows it could be a battle to put together a viable trip but nonetheless we have high hopes. Capt. Monte "mouse"