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