Brian Styke, Master of the 334-foot Bering Sea factory trawler Arctic Storm, says that WESMAR''s powerful HD850 sonar has "the ability to find the fish other sonars miss.”
“Using the HD850 I have the power to reach farther and with the HD850’s ability to distinguish these targets at long ranges we have the value of locating much more dense schools at greater distances, often missed by other sonars, which are looking closer in. The targets are also easier to chase with the WESMAR. We are looking for schools of larger, more valuable fish. They are often harder to see because they are down low and tight to the bottom.” This ability nets more profitable fish.
Captain Styke fishes in all types of weather. “When the weather is rough the electronically stabilized HD850 soundome holds a sonar picture when others won’t. With other sonars, when the boat plunges up and down, it changes the tilt angle and step-ladders the bottom, distorting and confusing what you are seeing. With the WESMAR HD850 and its precisely stabilized soundbeam, this is all smoothed out. “
With 38 years in the fishing industry - 32 as Captain and 20 years as the Master of the Arctic Storm - Captain Styke is more than capable of evaluating the WESMAR HD850 system. As for working in violent seas, he qualifies there as well. “My windows are 46 feet above the waterline and sometimes we are looking up at the waves."
With the Pollock B season underway in Alaska, Captain Styke reports he uses the WESMAR HD850 sonar exclusively. “The HD850 is one of our main fishing tools. On our most recent trip we were out 11 days and brought in 1,450t. That was a good trip.”
“The HD850 has a lot of power, more than any other sonar. We can look ahead and pick up the smaller signs at a greater distance. It also has active soundome stabilization, which is working well. I use the new HD850 exclusively now.”
The Arctic Storm fishes the Bering Sea pollock and Pacific whiting for both A and B seasons as a catcher/processor/freezer. It fills in with yellowfin sole in the winter. In the spring the vessel makes a Washington–Oregon trip as a mothership processing whiting from the delivery boats.
When asked if the HD850 has saved the vessel money in fuel and/or made them more efficient, Captain Styke said: “From an efficiency standpoint, the quicker you locate a catch, the sooner you can reduce your speed. This is one of the critical roles of the sonar.
“When we get a full bag, we bring the doors to the stern then idle around for a while, using less fuel. It’s called shortwiring. This happens when we catch fish faster than the plant can process it, and we have to wait for the plant to catch up with us.” (So in essence the faster they find the fish the less fuel they burn.)
Captain Styke says WESMAR and Dennis Soderberg (WESMAR’s Vice President of the Electronics Division) have been very supportive. “I appreciate that WESMAR has listened over the years to what the fishermen have to say about what they need.”
