Totally Tech World Blogs

I’ve fished since I was ten and love the sport. But now I have to adjust my thoughts a bit on size. What was once a normal size fish, say around 8 to 10 inches, has now become the bait. : )

Our whole family went fishing on a 4 day charter, out of Valdez, AK. Most charters are one

-day affairs, so the boats tear out as fast as possible and you have a few hours to fish. The five of us spent four days immersed in a great Alaska adventure.

The weather was sunny and the water was flat, which is rare in Valdez. We left around noon and went over to a glacier to net some ice for the hold. The guys hauled in plenty to keep our fish cold.

Next we warmed up our arms and poles with a little salmon fishing. The pinks (Humpbacks) were schooling along the shore and we each caught a few just for the fun of it.

The shrimp pots needed checking and baiting so that was next on our agenda. I thought this was great fun. We lifted the pots from the ocean floor with a winch. There were shrimp in the pots along with fish heads and a can of cat food. Who would have thought shrimp liked cat food. Ok, the cat food is used because it is smelly enough to attract the shrimp. So each pot got a new can and the heads from the salmon then was lowered back into the ocean.

Evening was setting in so we pulled into a calm bay and cooked dinner, fresh shrimp, of course. A Sea Lion decided to visit, swimming around the boat looking for a handout. As I climbed into my sleeping bag, listening to the water lap at the boat I couldn’t help wondering what the next day would bring.

The sun was shining and the water calm as we headed out into the open Pacific, ready for some Halibut fishing. Our son in law hooked the first big fish. It was a big one, twisting and turning and fighting all the way. We couldn’t help laughing when he pulled in a huge Skate (part of the Ray family) after a long fight. The next fish on was a Halibut. We caught enough to fill the hold that day and our freezers and then some.

People tell us that this was a trip of a lifetime. They have been fishing many times and not caught fish like we did that day. We caught Halibut, Ling Cod, Black Bass and Yellow Eye (Red Snapper). We had to buy another chest freezer. It took us 6 hours to clean and package our catch but it was worth it.

Would I go again? Absolutely. By the way we watched a pod of whales, saw sea otters, bald eagles, artic terns and puffins. I think it was a trip of a lifetime.