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Issue 51

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Exploring Alaska’s bounty - On Ice and at Sea

It seems almost routine for me now. Every year when March rolls around and I watch the sun stay in the sky a little longer each day, I get lost in the thought of loading my fishing gear in the truck and making tracks to my next fishing hole. Then I remember all the things on my ever-expanding “to-do” list, and suddenly I’m hit with a conundrum – hammer and nails, or rod and reel? Now imagine a tackle box gathering dust in the corner of my garage and you’ll understand why I don’t always make the right choice. I guess there’s always tomorrow.

March is here! And in this edition of Reel Times we have some exciting content. Ever wanted to dive for sea cucumbers and sea urchin in Southeast? How about take a drive to hit a few stocked lakes in the Donnelly Training area in the Interior? You’ll find these stories and more below.

Have you purchased your 2022 sport fishing license yet? If not, be sure to do so before you head out on your next fishing adventure. Visit our online store to get started.

Are you following us on social media? If not, be sure to check us out on Instagram @wefishak. You can also follow us on Facebook at ADF&G - wefishak . Also, visit our YouTube channel for a growing selection of “how-to” videos and much more.

If you have a comment or story ideas for Reel Times, we encourage you to send them our way. You can send comments to ryan.ragan@alaska.gov.

We’ll see you on the water.

Ryan Ragan

Finding seafood royalty in Southeast Alaska

By Jake Wieliczkiewicz

Icy winter water bit what little was exposed of my face. Swimming towards shore, I spit out my snorkel to reveal a chattering grin. “Got ‘em!” I exclaimed, heaving the faded mesh bag onto the rocky coast. Inside it lay a load of world class, grade A for “Alaskan” seafood. Pulling off my swimming fins in the surf, I hoisted the bag over my shoulder and made for the truck. Rather than a congratulatory pat on the back, I received a sharp poke. “Ouch!” Oh right, they’re urchins!

When most people think of premium Alaskan seafood, several of the world’s most sought-after species come to mind; salmon, halibut, those cod they use to make fish sandwiches… But in between all the talk of “King” salmon, and “King” crab, there lays an entire court of seafood royalty, some of which have a few more spikes on their crowns than others. Sea urchins, and their close cousins the sea cucumber, are among some of the most relished ingredients throughout the world, though they rarely make it onto western tables. In this article we’ll talk a bit more about what these fascinating creatures are, and most importantly, how to harvest and prepare them.

Sea urchins

Known as “Uni” in Japanese and “Ricci” in Italian, sea urchins are eaten across the world in gourmet cuisine. These spiky snow globes are part of the group called “Echinoderms” (pronounced uh-kine-o’-derms) which includes other organisms such as sea cucumbers, sand dollars, and sea stars. In Alaska, the two primary species of urchin encountered are the larger red urchin and smaller green urchin. Feeding upon algae and seaweed, sea urchins are found generally in rocky, intertidal habitats less than 100 feet deep.

While sea urchins are a normal, healthy part of an ecosystem, if their populations are left unchecked, they can chew away at kelp stalks until the kelp blades float away, leaving the plants to die. The resulting area is what’s known as an “urchin barren” and removes the habitat that other species need for food and shelter. Predators such as sea otters and wolf eels help to keep their populations in balance and ecosystems healthy.

Sea urchins have pentaradial symmetry, which means their bodies are composed of 5 equal segments arranged around the center. Humans for example, only have two (think left and right). This 5-point symmetry makes their shells, called tests, a mesmerizing sight. Inside of this test are 5 golden skeins of roe, one lining each section of the inside of the test. This roe is what gourmands are after.

Known for their soft, buttery flavor, urchin roe is at its fullest when harvested in winter before the spawn cycle in the spring (Roe picture). Urchins can be eaten year-round, but for making the most of your harvesting efforts, try to get them in these colder months. Urchins can be collected diving, snorkeling, or tide pooling on a good low tide. While their spines serve their purpose as a deterrent against being picked up with a bare hand, they can easily be pried from their rocky homes with a flat thin prybar, such as an abalone iron, or with an urchin rake. Don’t have an urchin rake? Of course not, nobody does. A small garden claw works great and can be found cheaply at most gardening stores.

Once you’ve collected your urchins it’s time to open them up. To do this you will need:

• A glove or towel (or not, if you're tough)
• A pair of sturdy scissors or kitchen shears
• A spoon
• A bowl

1. Start by holding the urchin in the glove or towel with the mouth side (see picture) facing up towards you.

2. Using the scissors, make one cut on both sides of the mouth opposite each other going roughly halfway down the shell.

3. Insert the scissors next to the mouth and open perpendicularly to the two cuts. The urchin should pop open in half. Inside you will see 5 golden skeins of roe. These can vary in color from chartreuse to vibrant yellow.

4. Using the spoon, scoop out these 5 skeins and place them in the bowl, doing your best to keep them as intact as possible. Don’t worry if you break the skein though, it doesn’t damage the taste or quality, it just results in smaller pieces.

5. To finish up, gently clean the roe of any debris, under water if necessary.

6. Viola! Sea urchin roe.

Some recommendations for eating your urchin roe:

• Tossed fresh in pasta with a garlic butter and white wine reduction
• Spread thickly over toast
• Served atop rice or on sushi boats
• Garnished on top of omelets
• And my favorite: Fresh with a dash of soy sauce and lemon

Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumbers are fascinating, if not bizarre, creatures. Although sea cucumbers are echinoderms as previously mentioned, they more closely resemble a melted jelly bean than a sea urchin. Despite their unassuming image, sea cucumbers play an important role in nutrient cycling in the ocean. These benthic burritos eat by using tentacles to pull in and consume particles settled in the sediments, releasing them back into the surrounding ocean. While they have somewhat limited mobility, they have been known to move up to 13 feet a day in search of food. This is accomplished by the use of tube feet on their underside, similar to how sea stars cling to their rocky homes.

The most commonly encountered sea cucumber in Alaska is the Giant Red Sea Cucumber which has a wide range, from Alaska all the way down to Baja, Mexico. Growing up to 20 inches long, they’re most frequently found in protected bays with rocky or sandy bottoms and prefer to stay away from mud and freshwater outlets. Sea cucumbers can be gathered by hand while snorkeling or while tide pooling on a low tide. When startled, sea cucumbers can expel sticky filaments and even their stomach contents to deter and entangle predators. Hungry yet? Me too!

Sea cucumbers feature widely in the subsistence and commercial fisheries. They can be dried whole, or their skin and meat can be separated for use in gourmet Asian cuisine. Though there are different preparation techniques, in this article we will cover how to process a live sea cucumber for just it’s rib meat. This meat has a subtle, clammy flavor with a springy consistency similar to calamari.

To process a sea cucumber, you will need:

1. Begin by cutting about two inches off both ends of the sea cucumber. This will allow the water and entrails to drain out and leave you with a “tube” shape.

2. Take your knife and as straight as you can, cut lengthwise up the tube to turn it into a single sheet. If any entrails remain attached to the inside of the sea cucumber, give them a quick rinse.

3. Lay your cucumber flat, inside facing up, and notice the white lines running the length of its body. This is the rib meat.

4. Either pin your cucumber to the cutting board with your fork, grab a hold of it with vice grips, or hang it over the nail to secure the cucumber.

5. Using your spoon or paint scraper, start closest to your fork/nail/pliers and begin scraping the sea cucumber lengthwise. Scrape the flesh all the way down to the white rubbery skin.

6. Viola! Sea cucumber meat.

Recommendations on how to prepare your sea cucumber:

Ice Fishing the Stocked Lakes of the Donnelly Training Area

By Brandy Baker

When an epic winter storm hit Fairbanks and Delta Junction in late December of 2021, public access to some of the more popular winter recreational areas was literally blocked due to snow and ice. Since the access has been restored, now is the time to get out and explore new areas for ice fishing, especially as daylength increases and temperatures are warming in Interior Alaska.

Did you know there are 12 lakes stocked on U.S. Army Garrison Alaska-Donnelly Training Area (DTA) which is located just south of Delta Junction? Many of these lakes are small and easily accessible from the plowed gravel roads used by the military to traverse their training lands. Depending on the lake, you can fish for Arctic char, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, and lake trout. Fishing these stocked lakes can be an enjoyable family experience. The lakes are small, access is convenient, and the views are breathtaking. Be aware that there are no facilities at most of these lakes other than parking, although there is an outhouse at the North and South Twin lakes parking area that is maintained during the winter months.

The stocked lakes of the DTA are accessible from Meadows Road, located eight miles south of Delta Junction at mile post 257.6 of the Richardson Highway. The journey to these lakes provides beautiful views of the Delta River, Donnelly Dome, and the Alaska Range mountains. Bolio, North Twin, South Twin, Chet, and J Lakes all have plowed roads and parking adjacent to the lakes. Sheefish, Bullwinkle, Mark, Doc, Ghost and Nickel Lakes are within a few miles of the road and have plowed parking areas adjacent to trails that allow anglers to walk, ski, snowshoe or snowmachine. Be aware that these trails are not groomed. The weather conditions, as well as the activities of previous users, will dictate the trail conditions. For more information on these lakes, including more specific directions and bathymetric maps, please visit the Alaska Lake Database.

A current Alaska sport fishing license must be in your possession when fishing these stocked lakes. In addition, a Recreational Access Permit (RAP) issued by U.S. Army Garrison Alaska is required for all individuals age 16 and older on all lands of U.S. Army Garrison Alaska including the DTA lakes. Obtaining a RAP is easy - just go online to https://usartrak.isportsman.net/ and register. Although the RAP is currently free, there will be $10 fee to obtain a RAP later this year (please contact U.S. Army Garrison Alaska about this fee implementation). You must also check into the specific training area(s) you will be recreating on prior to going as the area may be closed to recreation while the Army conducts training exercises.

A brief summary of the Prince William Sound Shrimp Management Plan

By Jay Baumer & Brittany Blain-Roth

One of Alaska’s greatest treasures are found at the bottom of the ocean. Shellfish are one of the delicacies that many cherish from Alaska’s marine waters each year. Managing Alaska’s great resources is never an easy feat, but management staff from the Division of Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries work together to ensure that resources are managed sustainably. In Prince William Sound (PWS) one of the most prized shellfish is the Spot Shrimp (Pandalus platyceros).

PWS shrimp have been harvested by subsistence, sport, and commercial users for decades. The commercial fishery was open back to the 1960s before closing in 1992. In 1999, as PWS shrimp stocks began to recover, the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) determined that while there was not enough surplus to prosecute a commercial fishery, a noncommercial (sport and subsistence) fishery, based on historical harvest levels, was warranted. In 2009, with surveys showing a continued increase in PWS shrimp populations, the BOF established a management plan allocating the harvestable surplus of these delicious spot shrimp between commercial and noncommercial user groups.

Each year the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates the Total Allowable Harvest (TAH) in pounds of shrimp. The TAH is the total amount of shrimp that can be sustainably harvested each year. If the TAH exceeds 110,000 lbs., a commercial fishery can be prosecuted and the TAH is then allocated between the commercial and noncommercial fisheries; the commercial fishery is allocated 40% of the TAH, and the noncommercial fisheries are allocated 60%. Fisheries are managed to reach but not exceed their Guideline Harvest Level (GHL) using the management tools and resources available for each fishery. Since 2016, the management tool used by noncommercial managers has been the reduction of the number of pots used by an individual vessel, to stay within the GHL. This reduction is a result of an analysis of catch per unit effort from the previous year and effort predictions examining recent seasons' effort. As an example, in 2021 the number of pots noncommercial users could use was reduced from five pots to two pots via an emergency order and approximately 83% of the available GHL was harvested. The 2022 pot limit for the noncommercial users has not been released yet but will likely be adjusted based on the updated TAH and harvest information from the previous season. To participate in the noncommercial fishery each user must get a permit which will be available online prior to the start of the season which is on April 15.

If you participate in the PWS shrimp fisheries and want to get involved in the regulatory process, there is a great opportunity this month! PWS shrimp management will be discussed at the Cook Inlet, Kodiak, Westward, Arctic Shellfish and Shellfish General Provisions, and Prince William Sound Shrimp Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) meeting at the Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage from March 26-April 2, 2022. You can participate in person or listen online. The agenda, proposals, and staff comments are available online and you can submit comments. Check out the BOF website for more details about the meeting.

Tied up in knots

Common fishing knots used by anglers include the Improved Clinch knot, the Palomar knot, the Double-Uni knot and the Surgeon’s knot. The Improved Clinch knot and the Palomar knot are used to tie line to a hook, swivel, lure or fly. And the Double-Uni and the Surgeon’s knot are used to connect two different types of fishing line.

Improved Clinch knot

The Improved Clinch knot is a very common fishing knot. This knot is easy to tie and is most often used to connect fishing line to a hook, swivel, lure or fly. This knot is best used when working with monofilament or fluorocarbon lines.

Palomar knot

The Palomar knot is an easy knot to tie and can be used when working with braided line, monofilament or fluorocarbon lines.

Double Uni knot

The Double Uni knot is used when connecting two different pieces of fishing lines with equal or unequal diameters. This knot can be used to connect various types of fishing lines including braided line, monofilament or fluorocarbon lines.

Surgeon's knot

The Surgeon’s knot is a strong knot that is easy to tie. This knot is used when connecting two different types of fishing line with equal or unequal diameters. Watch the YouTube video on how to tie these knots.

Egg Loop knot

The Egg Loop knot is a knot used to secure bait to the shank of the hook, rather than having to pierce the bait with the point of the hook. The Egg Loop knot is used extensively by many salmon anglers who use cured salmon roe as bait. This knot takes some time to master, but is an extremely effective knot to use when making your own leaders. Watch the YouTube video on how to tie this knot.

How To Find Employment Opportunities with ADF&G

Interested in working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game? Our people make all the difference in the management and continued sustainability of Alaska's fish and wildlife resources. ADF&G employees are a part of a large and diverse family of professionals who are respected around the world. ADF&G's status as an excellent fisheries and wildlife management agency is ensured year after year, because of our staff.

Job opportunities include:

For more information on job opportunities with ADF&G, please visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game section in Workplace Alaska.

Field to Plate - Recipe of the month

Recipe of the Month – Wild Alaska Sole Parmesan Sandwich and Seafood Pallela.

Try this great recipe for Wild Alaska Sole Parmesan Sandwich from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Or, try this great recipe for Seafood Pallela from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions about the Reel Times newsletter, please contact Ryan Ragan at ryan.ragan@alaska.gov