WALK THE VOTE – About a dozen Sitkans walk from the O'Connell Bridge to Harrigan Centennial Hall this afternoon to encourage people to vote in the general election. Early voting in Sitka started Monday. Voting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through November 2 in Room 3 at Centennial Hall, with access through doors that remain open to the outside. Items on the ballot include the presidential election, U.S. and state House and Senate seats, two ballot measures and the retention of state judges. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Record-Sized Rockfish May Also be the Oldest
- Details
- Category: Local News
- Created on Tuesday, 25 June 2013 13:25
By TOM HESSE
Sentinel Staff Writer
A record-breaking rockfish was hauled in near Sitka last week.
Henry Liebman reeled in the 39.08-pound shortraker late last week, breaking the old record of 38.69 pounds for a shortraker caught on sportfishing gear.
The age of the fish hasn’t yet been determined, but that too might be a record, a fishery expert said.
Liebman, an insurance adjustor who works in Seattle, said he frequently visits Sitka to charter fish, so he knew that he had a large fish on when the shortraker struck.
“I knew it was abnormally big (but I) didn’t know it was a record until on the way back we looked in the Alaska guide book that was on the boat,” Liebman said.
A fishery biologist said this shortraker may have been patrolling Sitka’s coast since the time of Alexander Baranov.
Troy Tidingco, Sitka area manager for the state Department of Fish and Game, certified Liebman’s catch, and said this fish might be in the neighborhood of 200 years old.
“The rougheye is the oldest-aged fish at 205,” Tydingco said. He said the longevity record for shortrakers, which are often confused with rougheyes, is 175 years. But that record fish, he said “was quite a bit smaller than the one Henry caught.”
“That fish was 32 and a half inches long, where Henry’s was almost 41 inches, so his could be substantially older.”
Samples of the fish have been sent to a lab in Juneau where the actual age of Liebman’s fish will be determined.
Rockfish live at depths that range between 84 feet all the way down to almost 4,000 feet. Liebman said he was fishing at a depth of around 900 feet, 10 miles out when his giant shortraker took his bait.
The fish went back to Washington with Liebman, who plans to have it mounted.
He also took home a big fish story that he said he’s already been “getting a lot of mileage” out of.
August 5, 2020
A Note To Our Readers
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Alaska COVID-19
At a Glance
(updated 10-23-20)
By Sentinel Staff
The state Department of Health and Social Services has posted the following update on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of 11:20 a.m. Friday.
New cases as of Thursday: 239
Total statewide – 12,118
Total (cumulative) deaths – 68
Active cases in Sitka – 10 (7 resident; 3 non-resident) *
Recovered cases in Sitka – 62 (49 resident; 13 non-resident) *
Hospitalized in Sitka – 1
The state says the cumulative number of cases hospitalized is 385.
To visit the Alaska DHSS Corona Response dashboard website click here.
* These numbers reflect State of Alaska data. Local cases may not immediately appear on DHSS site, or are reported on patient’s town of residence rather than Sitka’s statistics.
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20 YEARS AGO
October 2000
Sitka Sportsman’s Association Alaska Day Biathlon was held at the Robert LaGuire indoor shooting range. In the individual men’s division, Mike Fink took first with a time of 22:48; Kristian Pickerell took second with 27:14; and Clay Thomas was third in 27:29. Best men’s shooter was Dave Garland with five hits prone and three hits standing.
50 YEARS AGO
October 1970
Sitka’s increasingly famous New Archangel Dancers will perform for Alaska Day. … Dancers are Stella Conway, Ernestine Massey, Jim Lang, Jan Turner, Patsy DuBrock, Karen Grussendorf, Kathy Trani, Sandy Harang, Lorelie Jensen, Nancy Andersen, Mary Lou McIntyre, Jane Valente, Betty Howey and Suzette Taylor.
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