The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Both pleasure and pain accompany halibut fishing. When the fish are biting, little can match the excitement of hooking one since an angler never knows what's on the other end of the line-dinner or something less desirable like a skate or an Irish Lord, a member of the sculpin family. However, jigging in 200 feet of water with a two-pound lead weight while fighting the tides requires stamina and strength.

On July 9, we met at Captain Daniel Donich's boat, Optimist, in the Homer, Alaska, harbor at 7:00 a.m. and headed for the kelp beds. On our way out, we saw numerous otters. Some had pups on their chests as they floated on their backs. Others rafted together in congregations, feeding or simply hanging out in the waves.

While we boated to a known halibut fishing hole, the deck hand, Julie, assembled poles and baited the halibut hooks. We used round-shaped hooks, which are made so that the point is angled back toward the shank to form a sort of "circle." This style is favored by many halibut fishermen because the hook not only minimizes hook swallowing but actually sets itself when it circles the jaw bone of a fish.

Our captain explained that once in that position, it is very difficult for a fish to 'shake' itself loose from the hook. To get to this point, the fish first inhales or sucks in the bait and then turns. With that turn, the angle of the line steers the hook into the corner of the mouth. The actual hooking occurs when the point of the circle hook catches on the flesh on the inside of the fish's jaw and with increasing pull, penetrates the flesh and 'snaps' around the jawbone. With the hook lodged in the corner of the mouth, the line is kept away from the toothy part, thereby increasing the chances of landing a fish before it cuts through the leader. Another advantage of the circle hook is that fish are very seldom deep-hooked, making release of unwanted fish easier and less harmful to the fish.

Although this was our third time fishing with Captain Daniel, he had to retrain us not to jerk the hook when feeling a bite. As walleye fishermen, our desire to set the hook was strong and almost instinctive-a hard habit to break! However, when using circle hooks, jerking will yank the hook right out of the fish's mouth. Rather, Daniel demonstrated how to reel down on the fish and then pull up, allowing steady pressure to build. "This pressure will set the hook naturally," he stated.

These hooks were then baited with herring, salmon heads, and a chunk of octopus tentacle or a piece of fillet. Halibut love herring, so it's one of the most popular baits.

Julie also prepared a chum bag, a mesh bag that contained salmon, old bait, and cod remnants from cleaning our fish from the previous day. She pounded the mixture with a bat to create an oozing, juicy mass. Because most Alaska halibut are caught at anchor, chum helps to create a strong scent trail that attracts the fish.

At the first fishing hole, we anchored in 100 feet of water. Daniel prefers to fish in 100-200 foot depths, where he claims there's more action, although on average the fish are smaller. Smaller halibut are called "chickens" because of their size, yet they are better eating than the heavier and larger "barn doors."

To get our lines to the ocean bottom, we used 16-24 ounce rectangular lead weights.

The idea is to keep the bait just above the bottom since with both eyes on the top of its head, a halibut can only see what's above it. Every 30 seconds or so, we would pull on the rod to lift the weight before letting it fall back onto the ocean floor. Halibut are attracted by scent, sound, and sight, so bouncing the bait sends the scent and vibrations out in all directions, indicating there is food nearby.

The first thing we caught was a large skate, which are known for swimming around good halibut areas. A skate has a flattened body with broad pectoral fins which resemble wings. Skates also have thick, fleshy tails with sharp thorns running along their middle and up their backs. This makes them tricky to handle. When being reeled in, skate curl themselves up, making it feel like hauling in Goliath!

We also caught several Irish Lords, which we dubbed 'hag fish' since they are quite unattractive with their stocky, armored heads equipped with sharp spines to help ward off would-be predators. Basically, they are a big mouth with a tail attached. Their bodies bear distinct mottled patterns which provide camouflage as they lie in wait for unsuspecting prey. After siting a couple of whales in the area, we moved to another fishing hole.

As our third spot for the day, Daniel selected a location near Seldovia since the wind was blowing, waves were swelling, and the tide was beginning to rip. Here, we were able to secure some protection from Kachemak Bay. He explained that this spot also offers a 200–220 foot shelf where halibut like to hang out.

Because of the increased depth, we used two-three pound lead weights.

After dropping our lines into the water, finding bottom and then rhythmically lifting the rod to pull it a few feet up before gently dropping it back down again gave us a workout. However, the real work begins with a fish on. The motion of pulling the rod up smoothly, then winding the reel while lowering the tip back down is a grueling drill: Pull, lower, reel, repeat. Pull, lower, reel, repeat. Pull, lower, reel, repeat. Two hundred feet down, remember?

Even while wearing a fish fighting belt at the waist, the strain and repetition are still hard on the shoulders and back. The fighting belt is used to secure the base of the rod and to spread the load or weight across the thighs. This gives the angler a mechanical advantage when lifting a heavy load. Unlike many other fish in the ocean, halibut are pulled to the surface, rather than fighting and wearing them down. The halibut's flat body and size make dragging them to the surface quite the workout. Add that to battling the tides!

Once at the surface, Captain Daniel gaffed the fish and brought it onboard. Having pulled that weight repeatedly and then bringing up a 32-pound halibut from two hundred feet, I was completely worn out!

After catching our limits, we were rewarded with a delicious dinner on Thursday night. Perhaps the tastiest part of a halibut are its cheeks. These large medallions of tender white fish have the texture, firmness, flake, and flavor of crab. Served with freshly squeezed lemon and melted butter, they are a delightful delicacy.

We returned home to Montana after sightseeing in and around Anchorage, visiting sites at Girdwood, Cooper Landing, Talkeetna, Wasilla, and Palmer. Unfortunately, rainy weather prevented hikes to Winner Creek Falls or Russian River Falls.