| The recognized tug, tug, then a strong pull begins | | | | deter the stout built 6' 1", 30 year old as muscle |
| the underwater rodeo. The heavy one pound lead | | | | warred with muscle until the cry was heard from |
| nose on a split tail white scampi bounces off the | | | | the skipper on the flying deck, "my God the boy |
| ocean floor actually calling the halibut to the lure. | | | | has hooked a keeper!" The fish looked slightly |
| At 200 foot deep the ocean is totally dark. But a | | | | greenish brown and appeared to be gliding at an |
| white lure seems to be the best color for halibut. | | | | angle towards the boat but 6 to 8 feet under the |
| A 20-pound "chicken" halibut fights likes a | | | | surface. At 3 feet from the surface the addled |
| 60-pound salmon. The huge flat surface is added | | | | fish saw the boat, bright sunshine and an excited |
| resistance teamed with muscle for a fish that is | | | | angler all at once and did an about face heading |
| determined to stay on the bottom. The normal is | | | | back to the bottom. The Penn reel screamed as |
| three trips to the surface and two trips back to | | | | every bearing surface and brake rebelled as the 5 |
| the bottom before you can land a 40-50 pound | | | | foot behemoth slipped out of sight. That foray |
| halibut. | | | | had taken 20 minutes, Dan called for help. 6' 4" |
| Just as the halibut nears the surface where a net | | | | brother Paul with arms as big as a man's thighs |
| or gaff awaits, all that muscle turns the fish | | | | said "let me have that!" |
| toward the bottom and the line screams off the | | | | In the April Alaska cool, beads of sweat poured |
| reel. The Alaska halibut will not stop until it reaches | | | | down Paul's face, the yank, yank, yank, reel up |
| the bottom again. Now you know what you have | | | | and scream down had taken its toll. Weakly he |
| and you pray your equipment stays together. | | | | said "I'm gonna need a break!" Dan grabbed the |
| Captain Jerry threw out the "pick" on the lee side | | | | short stubby "U" shaped pole and began to reel. |
| of a spit in 150 foot of water. The tide was just | | | | Paul had lasted exactly twenty minutes only to |
| beginning to come in, the "Dancer" was bobbing as | | | | have a brief glimpse of a shadowed recluse |
| the tide began to race back in. With 18-foot tides, | | | | before the line screamed and the halibut returned |
| a lot of water is displaced every 12 hours. The | | | | to the deep. |
| sandy bottom was ideal for halibut to wait for the | | | | The fishing pole had fibers that were releasing |
| tide to bring in the next meal. The sound of the | | | | long ways on the rod, the famous reel was |
| anchor hitting the bottom had rang the dinner bell. | | | | making a strange squeaking sound as it reeled up |
| The 55-foot cabin cruiser had pulled the slack out | | | | and a disturbing grinding sound as the break |
| of the anchor chain and lined out facing into the | | | | squealed off line. The halibut was coming up but |
| incoming tide. | | | | Dan gave out in 10 minutes. Paul grabbed the rod |
| Dan dropped his one-pound lead nose white | | | | and manhandled the rod, fish and reel. 10 minutes |
| scampi lure over the side and waited for the reel | | | | later he hollered "it should have been to the top |
| to unspool. The heavy foot long plastic lure hit the | | | | by now, what is happening?" The brake on the |
| bottom with a thump. The slack was taken out | | | | reel had completely failed and as the line was |
| of the spider wire line so the lure could be | | | | reeled in the fish took back at its' leisure. Dan |
| bounced on the bottom to create an underwater | | | | took the next watch. Within 5 minutes Dan yelled, |
| thump that seems to lure halibut from hundreds | | | | "I see color!" Captain Jerry was standing on the |
| of yards away. Alaska halibut fishing had always | | | | bow with a 22 rifle. Just as the halibut broke the |
| been a dream, too far away to even imagine. | | | | surface Captain Jerry fired and dispatched the |
| From the day of decision it had been over 11 | | | | 124-pound giant halibut. |
| months of planning, preparing and dreaming for | | | | Alaska allows the dispatching of large halibut on |
| this day of fishing for halibut off Prince of Wales | | | | the surface due to the tremendous power a |
| Island. A minute had passed then 5 minutes; Dan | | | | halibut has after coming on board. These fish |
| was thinking "the bite" hadn't started yet. Then it | | | | have been known to break the fisherman's arms |
| happened. Small yank, yank then he set the hook. | | | | and legs contributing to several deaths by the |
| Dan had caught several "chickens" so he knew it | | | | flailing powerful tails. |
| was a halibut. Suddenly the short stubby deep-sea | | | | Alaska halibut fishing doesn't get any better. From |
| pole formed a "U" and Dan began to lift the rod | | | | a "chicken" to a keeper the thrill is always the |
| and reel down. The familiar yank, yank, yank as | | | | same. It always starts with the same question |
| the fish refused to leave the bottom did not | | | | "Have I hooked the bottom? |