Bristol Bay 2025: Captain Steve and Crew Set Sail

Captain Steve Kurian is officially back in Bristol Bay. After months of preparation and anticipation, he’s made the journey from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, to the fishing grounds of Alaska’s most iconic salmon run. It took three plane rides to get from his home to the banks of the Naknek River—where his fishing vessel, the F/V Ava Jane, waits for summer.

Once reunited with the boat, the crew got to work. Fuel lines checked, nets repaired, food packed—including pounds of smoked and canned Wild for Salmon sockeye. After days of prepping gear and stocking supplies, they finally pushed off and began their 2025 season on the water. 

This marks Captain Steve’s 24th year commercial fishing for sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay. The Ava Jane is once again in good hands with returning deckhands Zach and Layton onboard. They’re joined this season by two new faces: Elijah and Hunter—both hardworking, determined, and experienced on the water.

Together, this crew will spend the next 40 days living entirely aboard the Ava Jane—eating, sleeping, and working shoulder-to-shoulder in one of the most intense, rewarding fisheries on Earth. The bay’s wild rhythms will dictate everything: when they sleep, when they eat, when they fish.

“We’re just along for the ride,” Steve likes to say. “The salmon set the pace. We just do our best to keep up.”

According to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, 51 million sockeye salmon are expected to return to Bristol Bay this summer. Harvest numbers are then set by biologists—who not only monitor the run in real-time, but also set the harvest guidelines that protect the long-term health of the fishery. Their job is to make sure enough salmon escape the nets and make it upstream to spawn.

That balance is the reason Bristol Bay is still thriving. It’s also why we’re so proud to bring this fish to you. Every fillet you get from Wild for Salmon is traceable back to this fishery, this boat, and this hard-working crew.

We’ll be sharing updates throughout the season—photos, stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into life on the Ava Jane. You’ll meet the crew, see the wild country they call home each summer, and get a deeper understanding of what it takes to bring wild sockeye from Bristol Bay to your plate.  

Stay tuned, stay wild, and thank you for supporting fishermen who do things the right way.

Meet the 2025 Crew of the F/V Ava Jane