| For many fishermen, fishing in Alaska means one | | | | am told that once they go over seventy five to |
| thing....Halibut.I love Halibut.Especially steamed and | | | | eighty pounds they are not quite good to eat.The |
| grilled, with a tasty baked potato and an ice cold | | | | fishing is by no means easy today, and we have to |
| beverage!As far as fishing for Halibut, well, that is a | | | | work to catch our fish. It seems we are always just |
| different story, mainly because I had never done | | | | missing the optimum tides and reaching our new |
| it.Now, most people I had talked to that had | | | | fishing spots either at full flood or completely void of |
| ventured out to sea to catch Halibut, have likened | | | | current.Still, we all catch some twenty pounders and |
| the experience to reeling in a "barn door" from the | | | | add ling cod, rockfish,dog shark, and some silvers to |
| ocean floor, which doesn't exactly conjour up | | | | our Alaskan sampler plate.The belt and the shotgun |
| thoughts of epic battles with leaping Marlin. For me, I | | | | remain unused.For those of you unfamiliar with Halibut |
| somehow had the vision of wrestling with an | | | | fishing, you are probably scratching your head |
| oversized mattress up a narrow flight of stairs.A lot | | | | wondering "what the heck does a shotgun have to |
| of colorful language and struggling.With their sizes | | | | do with Halibut fishing?"Although, Halibut don't put up |
| ranging anywhere from fifteen pound "chickens" to | | | | much of a fight when first rousted from their couch |
| four hundred pound--or better-- behemoths, the | | | | potato existence,when they are tossed into a boat |
| "door" selection was more varied than the | | | | things change.Suddenly, when brought aboard a boat |
| homebuilding section at the Home Depot.Still, Greg | | | | after being hoisted from the sea--usually by gaff-- |
| and I were in Alaska, and to pass up a Halibut trip | | | | the Halibut begin to thrash and kick about, as if |
| out of the self-proclaimed Halibut capital of the world- | | | | someone has stole their Cheetoh bag, or the remote |
| Homer-- would be like traveling to China and not | | | | control has dropped to the floor.NOW, there is |
| seeing the great wall.Our trip was booked well in | | | | reason to fight!!With the smaller fish it usually is not a |
| advance, back in June, and was set up with Captain | | | | problem, but after the Halibut reaches about one |
| Scott.I know what your thinking, and NO he did not | | | | hundred pounds, the thrashing and flopping has been |
| have a first mate named Spock,Kirk or Zulu!!When | | | | known to break legs,knock people down and wreak |
| we arrived at the docks, I was somewhat | | | | general havoc and chaos aboard a boat. Thus, the |
| disappointed to find that our thirty foot, twin dieseled | | | | handy shotgun, usually a .410 or a .22 caliber rifle, is |
| cabin cruiser was not named the ss Enterprise, and | | | | used to put an early end to the thrashing.Preferably |
| that the "Mako" was the boats given name. This | | | | in the water.Of course, there have been some on |
| would certainly mess up my plans to spend the day | | | | board shootings that have taken place, which as a |
| asking for Captain Scott to "give us more power | | | | general rule have a tendancy to cause more damage |
| Scotty".Probably just as well.When it comes to ocean | | | | to the boat then harm to the Halibut.Things get |
| fishing-- size matters, and for my taste--smaller is | | | | pretty slow for awhile and it looks like it will be a |
| better.I know, go figure, but if I have a choice | | | | pretty slim day. Captain Scott is getting a little |
| between fishing on a cattle boat or something like | | | | frustrated and tired of re-baiting and untangling |
| the "Mako"--which basically holds six fishermen-- I'll | | | | crossed lines and begins to look like a guy who is |
| take the smaller boat every time. Unless of course | | | | thinking of football plays. Finally, I hook and land a |
| we are heading hundreds of miles out to sea and | | | | thirty five pound fish that at least puts a small bend |
| harpooning Sperm whales, in which case give me the | | | | in the re-bar rod. Then after a few more small fish |
| Queen Mary every time.It is early morning, and | | | | caught by Greg, I hook into a fish that actually |
| Captain Scott arrives at the boat toteing various | | | | makes a small run and feels much bigger. I keep |
| boxes of herring for bait. If he'd brought crackers | | | | reeling and pulling up as sweat begins to |
| and some sour cream I might have sampled the bait | | | | spew.Definite barn door.One of the gals asks if I |
| myself just to get the day started right.We met our | | | | need the "belt" and not knowing whether I have a |
| other fellow fishermen, and women for the day. A | | | | tire or a big fish I say "not yet." I'm getting a little |
| couple from Ohio who have fished with Captain | | | | tired, but still the fish is making some progress as he |
| Scott before, and some acquaintences of his from | | | | goes into door mode. We see the fish coming to the |
| Fairbanks. They have come to the coast to get out | | | | surface and he is much bigger than all the other fish |
| of the smoke and fires that are burning in the interior. | | | | we have been catching. Everybody gets pretty |
| They have also fished with the good Captain before. | | | | excited and the usual helpful instructions of "easy |
| This is a good sign, since I always figure that "guides | | | | now", "get him over here" , "don't lose 'em", and |
| from hell" don't get much repeat business!!It doesn't | | | | "maybe that mattress will fit if you stand it on end" |
| take long before we are out of the harbor and on | | | | are shouted about the boat.Thanks for the |
| our way.The weather forecast is for a beautiful day | | | | advice.Captain Scott tells me to hang on a second |
| and it is starting out that way. Captain Scott pulls out | | | | and he goes to fetch the shotgun--hmmm must be |
| his Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby ticket book and | | | | close to one hundred pounds. Either that, or he has |
| gets us all entered into the five month contest that | | | | taken a supreme dislike to me.One shot and the fish |
| gives out some healthy cash prizes. He doesn't | | | | is properly assassinated and ready to be gaffed and |
| exactly threaten to throw us overboard if we don't | | | | hoisted onto the boat.Whew.Turns out the fish is |
| enter, but one does not want to upset the Captain | | | | only seventy two pounds--but that is enough for me, |
| so early.Especially when he has a shotgun over in the | | | | I can't imagine what a three hundred pound fish |
| corner.We travel about an hour out of Homer. The | | | | would feel like. I'm pretty sure if I hooked a fish that |
| ride and scenery is of course spectacular. Captain | | | | big it would probably out live me, because halfway |
| Scott gives us some history and geography lessons | | | | through the battle I would croak and be tossed into |
| on the Kachemak bay area as well as talking about | | | | the ocean to make room for the fish.I just can't |
| how the fishing has been going, telling us how many | | | | imagine what a 450 pound fish--the Alaskan state |
| years he has been fishing for Halibut and some other | | | | record-- would feel like, I'm just glad it wasn't me |
| interesting Homeresque tid bits.Things like: he is | | | | that had to haul it in.Our day is quickly coming to an |
| coaching his son in football, (which he says is the last | | | | end, and Captain Scott starts talking about a quick |
| thing he ever expected to be doing);how he moved | | | | trip to the "7-11" to pick up a few more chickens. I |
| here over twenty years ago from California, and | | | | look around and see nothing but water so I am a bit |
| talking about people and places around Homer which | | | | perplexed--but when he motors into a well known |
| brings a touch of personalization that makes you feel | | | | area that is fully stocked with twenty pound fish and |
| like he knows every citizen in Alaska. This of course | | | | cattle boats, I know what he means. We get there, |
| is a stark contrast to "Oscar"- the Silver fishing guide | | | | drop our lines into the water, spend a quick five or |
| from hell- and helps to restore my faith in guides.At | | | | ten minutes in a fast fury catching four or five more |
| least so far.Halibut fishing in these waters is all about | | | | chickens, and it is time to head for the barn.We have |
| tides and currents, and today is supposed to be | | | | our meat.The ride back to Homer has us all basking in |
| some of the most radical tides of the | | | | the late afternoon sunshine, discussing -yet again- the |
| season.Figures!!Scott pulls out our rods, which basically | | | | art of tipping your fishing guide, and how best to |
| feel like pieces of re-bar, and have stout reels that | | | | transport our bounty back to our homes.We offload |
| have... like eight-thousand pound test on them with | | | | at the docks, and are told that the "buttwhackers" |
| thin rope for leaders.We're not fishing for Grayling | | | | will be by shortly to grab our fish and turn them into |
| anymore!!The first spot is a bust, and I begin to fear | | | | filet-o-fish. Just in case you are wondering, The |
| the "good weather-bad fishing" jinx that so often | | | | Buttwhackers are the fellas who "whack,stack and |
| happens in the fishing world.The next spot I hook | | | | sack" your fish so all you have to do is stand there |
| what appears to be a small Halibut, but lose the small | | | | and look like the great |
| "cabinet" door, somewhere between the bottom and | | | | fish slayer that you are, while the fishing Paparazzi |
| the surface. Losing my first fish is what happened | | | | snap off memories of your adventure. |
| while Silver fishing, so I get a little worried I might | | | | The boys make it look easy as they "ginsu" their |
| have a tough day at sea. Not to worry though, | | | | way through over three hundred pounds of fish in |
| because at our next stop a couple of us hook up | | | | about the time it takes me to clean a half dozen |
| and land some small twenty pound "chickens" that | | | | trout.Then it is off to Coal Point Seafoods for flash |
| help us to get the skunk off the boat.Captain Scott | | | | freezing and packing for the flight back home. While |
| pulls out the "marlin" belt now that he is feeling more | | | | the fish are being packed we have no choice but to |
| confident that we are going to find fish. Just in case | | | | head to the legendary Salty Dawg Saloon, to toast |
| we hook into one of those three hundred pound | | | | our trip and read the thousands of "dollar bill" |
| derby fish.Halibut, are just about one of the goofiest | | | | messages and names that are tacked up on the |
| looking fish you will find. Luckily,having a five year old | | | | walls. The "dawg", was one of the first buildings built |
| daughter that plays with playdough all the time, | | | | in Homer-back in 1897- and has survived many |
| makes it look fairly normal to me. Now I realize she is | | | | changes, moves and different owners to now serve |
| one of the youngest Halibut sculptors around, and | | | | as one of Homers modern day landmarks.The fish |
| the flattened "patty" like fish with eyes both on one | | | | packers at Coal Point have got it down to a science |
| side makes perfect sense to me. You kind of get | | | | and our fish are cut, packed and frozen with enough |
| the feeling that these fish are like sea dwelling couch | | | | dry ice to make it home.Yes, it is time to head home. |
| potatoes, laying on the bottom of the ocean, not | | | | Eleven different types of fish, one hundred pounds |
| willing to get off their "butts" growing large in one | | | | of fillets, and a lfetime of memories from only one |
| direction.( Kinda makes me wonder what future | | | | weeks worth of fishing.A.J. KlottAuthor, writer of |
| x-box players will "evolve" into??) It looks like if you | | | | fishing humor, and "fly tack" peddler. A.J. writes about |
| glued two fish together on their flat sides, you might | | | | the people, characters, and modern day events that |
| have a fish that looked somewhat whole and | | | | surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in |
| normal.Nonetheless, they sure are tasty, although I | | | | December of 2005. |