Showing posts with label Halibut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halibut. Show all posts

Monday, June 20, 2011

Fathers' Day Fishing - June 19th Halibut Trip

We made way towards the Island of Montague and dropped the anchor in a spot I have yet to fish this year.  Once again the current was extremely strong making it hard to keep the 3lb weight to the bottom.  The jigs were definitely the choice of the halibut this morning, landing the two biggest fish on the boat.  The bite was constant but we weren't getting much size to our halibut, averaging 15lbs - 20lbs.  At about 12:30 we pulled anchor to a spot that I have done well in the past but received only one bite and landed one fish.  They say never to leave fish to find fish, I agree but the gamble can sometimes be worth it.  August 21, 2009  I left an area that I was catching fish in to run 8 miles in the complete opposite direction from home.  It was late in the day and I was only 6 fish shy of a limit.  Within an hour of dropping the anchor we caught a 305lbs and a 168lbs halibut.  You can see why this is a difficult call at times. 


At 3pm we pulled anchor and ran 20 min to a spot that was sure to hold some fish.  Within an hour we landed 47 halibut.  It was chaos on the deck but everyone was having a great time.  The deckhands really worked for their money running around the boat enough times to equal the distance of a marathon.  All in all a great day with great weather.  The rain never showed and the sea state was flat calm with no wind.  Can't complain ... this has been a great spring. 

Bobby Mitchell & Son Luke
Happy Fathers' Day

Our next trip is this Thursday, See you there...FISH ON!!!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Big Fish Make Women Happy - June 18th Halibut Trip

Angela and Uncle
A slow start this morning for the Sea Quest.  Our first drop was in 60' of water with a large flood tide starting late this morning.  It was tough to keep the weights on the bottom but as the tide slowed down we hooked two 45lbs halibut on the Jigs.  At 12pm we made our second move to a rock pile 4 miles off shore in search of some larger halibut.  It was a slow pick at the fish but we managed to put a few nice ones in the box.  The two salmon carcass rigs off the stern both had two big take downs, but each fish stubbornly shook free.  It's always frustrating losing big fish but the challenge is what makes this sport so much fun. 

By 3pm we made our last move to the flats, the Spiny Dogfish were thick but after an hour they thinned out and we caught the boat's limit of halibut.  All together a great day of fishing on a glassy ocean.  The small craft advisory issued by NOAA was called off by morning.  It looks like variable 10kt winds all week, lots of rain but that won't stop us from having a great day. 

I look forward to tomorrow's trip, I'll see you in the morning. FISH ON!!!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Fishing with the "Mushing Mortician" - June 14th Halibut Trip


The grey skies lifted as we approached our first fishing destination.  Weather was calm with little wind out of the SW.  The morning started off great with the first two fish landed on a jig weighing in at around 75lbs,   As the tide continued to pick up we were able catch 6 more fish all over 50lbs.  After the tide change we were forced to relocate to an area that looked promising for some larger fish.  We sat and soaked but weren't able to stir up any more big ones on the ebb tide.  At about 3pm we dropped anchor on a shelf in 180' of water and proceeded to limit the boat out in an hour and 15min.  It was a great day fishing with my friends from Janssen funeral home and the wagoners and friends from Wasilla.  We still have room Fri-Sat-Sun! FISH ON!!!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Limit the Boat in Less than 90 Minutes! - June 10th Halibut Trip

Keoni Tamayo - Deck Hand Extraordinaire
Today was by far the best day we've had on the ocean. The water was glass like with no ground swell.  A perfect day for even those who are allergic to the motion of the ocean.  With a full boat we headed out, once again, to the Island of Montague.  We dropped anchor at 9:45am and sat at our first spot hoping for some larger halibut.  The tide, however, was not in our favor with very little water moving.  The halibut bite did not turn on for us but were able to pull up about 9 Yellow eye rockfish at our first spot.  After an hour we pulled anchor and made way towards our new destination at a bit shallower area with more current.  Although a slow pick, we were able to pull a few nice fish off this spot; the largest weighing in around 90lbs.  After a two hour soak, we decided it was time to fill the boat at a spot with a larger density of fish.  After an 11 mile cruise we dropped down around 180ft and limited the boat in less than an hour and a half.   We had a great group of people who were enthusiastic about fishing and made my day.  Our next trip will be this Sunday as we still have a few seats, though they are filling up quick so make your reservation soon. Fish On!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

#145lb Halibut - June 9th Halibut Trip

The fishing is definitely picking-up in Seward.  Everyday the bite seems to be getting better and better.  The weather has been great with blue skies and little wind making for a very enjoyable day on the gulf.  We decided to make the run to the Island of Montague; a long run but worthy ride.  While doing the fishing speech we immediately hooked a halibut setting the tone for the rest of the day.  There seemed to be a fish on every two minutes.  It was a mixed bag of different sizes varying from 15lbs to 145lbs.   Overall it was a great day and everyone went home with quite a bit of fish.  We also had the leading daily derby winner weighing in at 145lbs; big enough to win that lucky fisherman a free fishing charter.  Looking forward to another day on the water with variable 10kt of wind and 4' seas...should be nice, we left them biting...FISH ON!!!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Bait of Choice - June 5th Halibut Trip

 There has been a significant amount of water moving this week with the new tide cycle.  The crew and I had picked up a bunch of King Salmon carcasses for bait this week on the Kasilof River.  The Kings seemed to be the bait of choice for this trip.  We landed two fish over #100lbs and 5 other fish over #50lbs all on the carcasses.  We fished the incoming tide that started at about 9:50am, a perfect tide that funnels all the scent down a small passage in 70' of water.  The Halibut started showing up after the first hour and our second chum bomb.  It was a slow bite as usual at a hog spot, but to pull a few nice fish of a hole is well worth the wait.  The jigs however did not fire for us, which is very unusual for this specific area.  After a few hours at our first spot we pulled anchor and moved three miles off shore to a spot with a heavier concentration of halibut.  The wind was blowing a steady 15 knots out of the SW by 3:00pm and we drug anchor on the initial drop.  After reseting the anchor we were able to hold right above a school of halibut ranging #15lbs - #35lbs.  After a few hours, the boat was limited with 54 halibut and a variety of species of rockfish.  Another great day of fishing in the Gulf of Alaska.

There are a few seats available this Thursday, June 9th and Friday June 10th!!
To make a reservation call (907)224-BOOK or click. See you all out there, FISH ON!!!