| July 22, 2007 - A day of Hali-butt kicking! |
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If you missed my entrance into Homer then here's another shot:
Since entering the state of Alaska I have refrained from all touristy type activities. I
simply detest such experiences, especially when I'm in scenic and recreational areas. The
commercialism clashes with the natural environment, and when you add some goofy tourists into
the mix, it's an experience I'd rather pass on altogether. However, I really wanted to
toss a fishing line while in AK but did not want to get on a chartered boat full of demanding
yappy tourists since I probably would have swan dived for shore when I reached my Ridiculous
Question Limit (aka “RQL”) like I did at Denali a few days ago when I overheard the “Do moose
lay eggs?” question). Thankfully, I was able to network with some of the Homer locals
and I caught the inside scoop on a Halibut fishing opportunity. There was a 5 man group
of AK residents who were coming down from Anchorage not to tourist fish but to make their annual
“meat run” (stock their freezers for winter). I nearly passed out when I was able to get
on a 33 year experienced captain's boat with them!!
The guys aboard were just wonderful to be around for the day. They never once tried to throw me
overboard or use me as bait, and they were good sports about my four episodes of puking. The pros
believed my “natural chum” could have been responsible for enticing the fish since every occurrence came
once we stopped moving. Literally, we'd stop, cast over, and while it was traveling the 150' to the
ocean floor, I'd yack. By the time the captain handed me another paper towel my pole would be
bouncing (like a squid's front tire for you moto riders) and then reeling would commence. Never once
did I consider this as an option:
Let me also say that since I arrived AK on a motorcycle, I did not have the typical fishing gear one would
wear for a day of fishing at sea in 50 degree weather. I only had my motorcycle gear. When I
boarded the boat I explained my attire to my fellow fishermen that should we encounter any combat or impact
fishing that I would be prepared! On the way out to the fishing hot spot the boys and Cap'n Galen
were telling fish stories... well, actually I'm not quite sure what they were saying since I wasn't awake yet:
On the way out to find the fish:
Once I was awake, I noticed the captain's cockpit looked very familiar to my bike's... GPS, radar
(ok, for fish not cops), radio, etc. We both agreed our dependency on electronics is nothing short of sad!
I didn't get very many photos while we were on the boat since I stayed very involved with some aspect of
the Cast-Yack-Reel cycle, but I did get a few. Here are 2 of pros at work:
...and one of an area we stopped (no, you can't see the yacking):
These guys were serious fishermen w/vast AK fishing experience together. One of the guys scored
a 220lb Halibut last year and another landed a 300 pounder the year before. (I simply can't fathom
having a fish on the end of the line that weighs twice as much as me!).
The area was simply breathtaking with mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, and islands in full view. The
sea life was extraordinary w/a plethora of birds, the Puffins being my favorite. I saw several sea
lions as well as an Orca whale. It was jolting to look behind me and see a black fin to say the
least. I was so mesmerize by it as well as exhausted from the “Hali-butt” kicking that was going
on that I couldn't get to my camera.
Yes, success abound on-board the boat named “Predator”. During the full day's excursion we caught
and released probably 12-15 fish weighing 15-25lbs since we were hoping the trophy sized ones would land
by day's end. The captain assured us we'd have no problem going back to the dock with our Halibut
limit (2 per person). No one but me thought it was odd to toss a perfectly good 20lb fish back into
the water (one that had just worn me out getting onto the boat no less!).
On our way back to dock...
...and the deboarding of our fish once we arrived:
Here they are for their pre-filleting pose: (they marked the tails to determine who caught what, but I was
so happy to have two I didn't care which two!):
While they were filleting my fish, I was asked if I wanted to overnight ship my meat and given a price
sheet of applicable charges involved:
Once I learned that Halibut sells commercially for $5.14/lb and retail upwards of $16/lb (um, did I
just catch $600 worth of fish??), it made more sense why someone would want to stock their freezer.
I decided that my 40+ lbs of fish would be going back on the Strom (my motorcycle) with me to the
Homer Hostel where I'd share it with all the guests. Thankfully, both of my side saddlebags
were empty so I stuffed the fish there for the 5 mile ride. Suffice to say, we had a grand
grill of fresh Halibut that I throughly enjoyed eating and sharing with fellow travelers! (Thanks,
Will & Laden, for cooking!)
AGirl
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Today's Halibut fishing experience can be summarized very simply as: CAST-YACK-REEL-Repeat! It
was my first time Halibut fishing.. and my first time with motion sickness!
The only, um, catch, was that I meet them at the dock ready to go at 6:15am. Anyone who knows
me is laughing (Webmaster note: 
... there were fish to be caught!!
My fellow fishermen told me at the dock catching a Halibut felt like “reeling in a barn door” and, geez,
was that analogy ever accurate! These fish didn't fight per se, but given their shape and that they
come from the bottom, it felt like I was trying to reel in my motorcycle from the ocean floor.
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