Lewis Wickline

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For many fishermen, fishing in Alaska means one thing….Halibut.

I love Halibut.

Especially steamed and grilled, with a tasty baked potato and an ice cold beverage!

As far as fishing for Halibut, well, that is a different story, mainly because I had never done it.

Now, most people I had talked to that had ventured out to sea to catch Halibut, have likened the experience to reeling in a “barn door” from the ocean floor, which doesn’t exactly conjour up thoughts of epic battles with leaping Marlin. For me, I somehow had the vision of wrestling with an oversized mattress up a narrow flight of stairs.

A lot of colorful language and struggling.

With their sizes ranging anywhere from fifteen pound “chickens” to four hundred pound–or better– behemoths, the “door” selection was more varied than the homebuilding section at the Home Depot.

Still, Greg and I were in Alaska, and to pass up a Halibut trip out of the self-proclaimed Halibut capital of the world- Homer– would be like traveling to China and not seeing the great wall.

Our trip was booked well in advance, back in June, and was set up with Captain Scott.

I know what your thinking, and NO he did not have a first mate named Spock,Kirk or Zulu!!

When we arrived at the docks, I was somewhat disappointed to find that our thirty foot, twin dieseled cabin cruiser was not named the ss Enterprise, and that the “Mako” was the boats given name. This would certainly mess up my plans to spend the day asking for Captain Scott to “give us more power Scotty”.

Probably just as well.

When it comes to ocean fishing– size matters, and for my taste–smaller is better.

I know, go figure, but if I have a choice between fishing on a cattle boat or something like the “Mako“–which basically holds six fishermen– I’ll take the smaller boat every time. Unless of course we are heading hundreds of miles out to sea and harpooning Sperm whales, in which case give me the Queen Mary every time.

It is early morning, and Captain Scott arrives at the boat toteing various boxes of herring for bait. If he’d brought crackers and some sour cream I might have sampled the bait myself just to get the day started right.

We met our other fellow fishermen, and women for the day. A couple from Ohio who have fished with Captain Scott before, and some acquaintences of his from Fairbanks. They have come to the coast to get out of the smoke and fires that are burning in the interior. They have also fished with the good Captain before. This is a good sign, since I always figure that “guides from hell” don’t get much repeat business!!

It doesn’t take long before we are out of the harbor and on our way.

The weather forecast is for a beautiful day and it is starting out that way. Captain Scott pulls out his Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby ticket book and gets us all entered into the five month contest that gives out some healthy cash prizes. He doesn’t exactly threaten to throw us overboard if we don’t enter, but one does not want to upset the Captain so early.

Especially when he has a shotgun over in the corner.

We travel about an hour out of Homer. The ride and scenery is of course spectacular. Captain Scott gives us some history and geography lessons on the Kachemak bay area as well as talking about how the fishing has been going, telling us how many years he has been fishing for Halibut and some other interesting Homeresque tid bits.Things like: he is coaching his son in football, (which he says is the last thing he ever expected to be doing);how he moved here over twenty years ago from California, and talking about people and places around Homer which brings a touch of personalization that makes you feel like he knows every citizen in Alaska. This of course is a stark contrast to “Oscar”- the Silver fishing guide from hell- and helps to restore my faith in guides.

At least so far.

Halibut fishing in these waters is all about tides and currents, and today is supposed to be some of the most radical tides of the season.

Figures!!

Scott pulls out our rods, which basically feel like pieces of re-bar, and have stout reels that have… like eight-thousand pound test on them with thin rope for leaders.

We’re not fishing for Grayling anymore!!

The first spot is a bust, and I begin to fear the “good weather-bad fishing” jinx that so often happens in the fishing world.

The next spot I hook what appears to be a small Halibut, but lose the small “cabinet” door, somewhere between the bottom and the surface. Losing my first fish is what happened while Silver fishing, so I get a little worried I might have a tough day at sea. Not to worry though, because at our next stop a couple of us hook up and land some small twenty pound “chickens” that help us to get the skunk off the boat.

Captain Scott pulls out the “marlin” belt now that he is feeling more confident that we are going to find fish. Just in case we hook into one of those three hundred pound derby fish.

Halibut, are just about one of the goofiest looking fish you will find. Luckily,having a five year old daughter that plays with playdough all the time, makes it look fairly normal to me. Now I realize she is one of the youngest Halibut sculptors around, and the flattened “patty” like fish with eyes both on one side makes perfect sense to me. You kind of get the feeling that these fish are like sea dwelling couch potatoes, laying on the bottom of the ocean, not willing to get off their “butts” growing large in one direction.( Kinda makes me wonder what future x-box players will “evolve” into??) It looks like if you glued two fish together on their flat sides, you might have a fish that looked somewhat whole and normal.

Nonetheless, they sure are tasty, although I am told that once they go over seventy five to eighty pounds they are not quite good to eat.

The fishing is by no means easy today, and we have to work to catch our fish. It seems we are always just missing the optimum tides and reaching our new fishing spots either at full flood or completely void of current.

Still, we all catch some twenty pounders and add ling cod, rockfish,dog shark, and some silvers to our Alaskan sampler plate.

The belt and the shotgun remain unused.

For those of you unfamiliar with Halibut fishing, you are probably scratching your head wondering “what the heck does a shotgun have to do with Halibut fishing?”

Although, Halibut don’t put up much of a fight when first rousted from their couch potato existence,when they are tossed into a boat things change.

Suddenly, when brought aboard a boat after being hoisted from the sea–usually by gaff– the Halibut begin to thrash and kick about, as if someone has stole their Cheetoh bag, or the remote control has dropped to the floor.

NOW, there is reason to fight!!

With the smaller fish it usually is not a problem, but after the Halibut reaches about one hundred pounds, the thrashing and flopping has been known to break legs,knock people down and wreak general havoc and chaos aboard a boat. Thus, the handy shotgun, usually a .410 or a .22 caliber rifle, is used to put an early end to the thrashing.

Preferably in the water.

Of course, there have been some on board shootings that have taken place, which as a general rule have a tendancy to cause more damage to the boat then harm to the Halibut.

Things get pretty slow for awhile and it looks like it will be a pretty slim day. Captain Scott is getting a little frustrated and tired of re-baiting and untangling crossed lines and begins to look like a guy who is thinking of football plays. Finally, I hook and land a thirty five pound fish that at least puts a small bend in the re-bar rod. Then after a few more small fish caught by Greg, I hook into a fish that actually makes a small run and feels much bigger. I keep reeling and pulling up as sweat begins to spew.

Definite barn door.

One of the gals asks if I need the “belt” and not knowing whether I have a tire or a big fish I say “not yet.” I’m getting a little tired, but still the fish is making some progress as he goes into door mode. We see the fish coming to the surface and he is much bigger than all the other fish we have been catching. Everybody gets pretty excited and the usual helpful instructions of “easy now”, “get him over here” , “don’t lose ‘em”, and “maybe that mattress will fit if you stand it on end” are shouted about the boat.

Thanks for the advice.

Captain Scott tells me to hang on a second and he goes to fetch the shotgun–hmmm must be close to one hundred pounds. Either that, or he has taken a supreme dislike to me.

One shot and the fish is properly assassinated and ready to be gaffed and hoisted onto the boat.

Whew.

Turns out the fish is only seventy two pounds–but that is enough for me, I can’t imagine what a three hundred pound fish would feel like. I’m pretty sure if I hooked a fish that big it would probably out live me, because halfway through the battle I would croak and be tossed into the ocean to make room for the fish.

I just can’t imagine what a 450 pound fish–the Alaskan state record– would feel like, I’m just glad it wasn’t me that had to haul it in.

Our day is quickly coming to an end, and Captain Scott starts talking about a quick trip to the “7-11″ to pick up a few more chickens. I look around and see nothing but water so I am a bit perplexed–but when he motors into a well known area that is fully stocked with twenty pound fish and cattle boats, I know what he means. We get there, drop our lines into the water, spend a quick five or ten minutes in a fast fury catching four or five more chickens, and it is time to head for the barn.

We have our meat.

The ride back to Homer has us all basking in the late afternoon sunshine, discussing -yet again- the art of tipping your fishing guide, and how best to transport our bounty back to our homes.

We offload at the docks, and are told that the “buttwhackers” will be by shortly to grab our fish and turn them into filet-o-fish. Just in case you are wondering, The Buttwhackers are the fellas who “whack,stack and sack” your fish so all you have to do is stand there and look like the great

fish slayer that you are, while the fishing Paparazzi snap off memories of your adventure.

The boys make it look easy as they “ginsu” their way through over three hundred pounds of fish in about the time it takes me to clean a half dozen trout.

Then it is off to Coal Point Seafoods for flash freezing and packing for the flight back home. While the fish are being packed we have no choice but to head to the legendary Salty Dawg Saloon, to toast our trip and read the thousands of “dollar bill” messages and names that are tacked up on the walls. The “dawg”, was one of the first buildings built in Homer-back in 1897- and has survived many changes, moves and different owners to now serve as one of Homers modern day landmarks.

The fish packers at Coal Point have got it down to a science and our fish are cut, packed and frozen with enough dry ice to make it home.

Yes, it is time to head home. Eleven different types of fish, one hundred pounds of fillets, and a lfetime of memories from only one weeks worth of fishing.

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Close your eyes. Remember the heart thumping music from the movie Jaws that was speeding up as the famous Great White shark proceeded to attack his next victim? What about the three genetically engineered Mako sharks of Deep Blue Sea, which became not only bigger and meaner but also smarter, thanks to science and technology? Finally, did you ever considered the possibility of being forgotten in shark infested waters during the diving experience of a lifetime? These movies all have something in common. They all depicted sharks as cold blooded killers feeding on humans as their favorite targets. Does it reflect reality or are these movies mostly based on Hollywood’s favorite shark tales? Let’s see…

First of all, if you watch these movies, the first thing that you will notice is the fact that humans are these sharks’ favorite targets. Well, facts tell us a different story. You see, while many shark species tend to attack their preys from underneath or from behind, most human victims are wearing wet suits, which confuse them as they make them look like seals and sea lions. These preys are leading their menu list as they are full of tasty blubber, which is more attractive to sharks than bony humans.

Second, not all sharks are considered dangerous to humans. In fact, 80% of the 350 known shark species represent no danger to humans. They are either too small, live in deep waters, their natural habitat will make it unlikely to come in contact with humans or simply that plankton is their main food source.

Third, most sharks that are likely to attack humans, on purpose are either fighting for the same prey such as it is the case with spear fishing divers, they protect their territory or they are simply defending themselves.

Fourth, most shark attack victims will do something to attract sharks such as swimming with an open wound, a woman will swim while having her period, they will wear jewelry, wear lively colors, feed sharks some chum or live baits, etc.

Fifth, most human victims of shark attacks are usually injured or dead as sharks prefer easy preys during events such as shipwrecks. A good example of such shark attacks are the days that followed the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in July 1945. There were about two dozens of shark attack victims, of which most were dead, injured or isolated.

Sixth, the size and strength of the Great White shark in Jaws and of the Mako sharks in Deep Blue Sea were representing the exceptions to the rule, not the average type of these species. In fact, the hosts of the show Myth Busters, which is on Discovery Channel, have proven that such strength and speed is not only unlikely but also nearly impossible to achieve, even according to the size of these specimens.

Seventh, size does not mean that the bigger sharks are, the most dangerous they are to humans. In fact, the two largest shark species that swim in our oceans are plankton eaters, which mean that humans are not even close to make their menu list. This is why; divers and scientists sometimes go for a swim in their company. These two shark species are known as the Whale shark and the Basking shark.

Eight, small sharks such as the lantern shark, are just simply too small to be of any threat to humans. These predators have other food sources to focus on. The type that is small enough for them to ingest.

Ninth, while the bull shark and the tiger shark are amongst the top three sharks species that are mostly involved in unprovoked shark attacks on humans, none of them prefer humans to seals of fish. In fact, the type of shark attacks they usually tend to perform are called: “Hit and Run” as they tend to confuse them with their favorite preys.

Tenth, sharks usually attack for a reason. They are either: hungry, defending themselves or their territory. They may be cold blooded, but they do not kill for revenge or for pleasure. Only humans do that and call it a sporting event.

As you can see, I do not say that sharks are not responsible for unprovoked shark attacks on humans. I simply provide you with some factual information, giving you the opportunity to realize what part of Hollywood movies are actually based on reality rather than shark tales.

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The Protea Banks are an impressive series of reefs located approximately 8 kilometres off the shore at Margate, on the Kawazulu Natal Coast in South Africa. Widely recognised as one of the worlds best dive sites, the Protea Banks is more commonly known for its well deserved reputation for shark encounters in their natural habitat.

What makes the scuba diving at the Protea Banks so special, is the opportunity to encounter a whole range of large pelagics such as the numerous Manta Rays and Spotted Eagle Rays, as well the wide range of reef fish which also frequent the area. However, what the Protea Banks really delivers on is sharks, and lots of them. A huge variety of sharks can be sighted here including Bull Sharks (Zambesi), Tiger sharks, Ragged Tooth sharks, Black Tip sharks, Mako sharks and even the off Great White shark can be sighted here at the Protea Banks.

There is seasonality to the occurrences of specific shark species at the Protea Banks, and so if you are hoping to encounter a particular species, it is worthwhile researching these patterns in advance, to maximise your chance of an encounter. For those scuba divers wanting to dive with the areas famous ragged tooth sharks, or “raggies,” then it would be best to consider visiting the Protea Banks during the August and September months, when the ragged tooth sharks visit the area as a part of their breeding cycle. For divers seeking an encounter with the Bull sharks, then you would need to look at diving around November time, when the Bull sharks follow the game fish into the Protea Banks.

The diving at the Protea Banks tends to be split between the Northern and Southern Pinnacles. During the cooler winter months, the majority of the diving takes place at the Northern Pinnacles, where large congregations of ragged tooth sharks can be found on a regular basis. For the rest of the year, the diving tends to be focussed around the Southern Pinnacles, were Bull sharks, Hammerheads and Tigers are often sighted.

It would be impossible to discuss the scuba diving at the Protea Banks without mentioning the Sardine Run, an annual phenomenon which is unique to South Africa. Each year, during the months of June and July, vast shoals of sardines pass through the region, attracting huge numbers of whales, dolphins and sharks who visit to feast on the sardines.

The water temperature at the Protea Banks ranges from around 19 degrees Celsius in the cooler winter months, up to around 24 degrees Celsius in the summer period. The water visibility in the area can vary massively depending on the conditions and the time of year and can be anything between 5 to 40 metres.

Overall, the diving at the Protea Banks can only be described as exceptional, however it should be stressed that there are strong currents in the area, and it is only for experienced scuba divers only.

For fans of shark diving however, the Protea Banks is a genuinely unique dive site, and undoubtedly, it is well worth the long journey to this stunning part of South Africa.

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When I was a young boy in Santa Cruz, California I used to help my Grandfather in the fields by his home. This was not his land but back in those days it was not unusual to barter with the neighbors to work it for them so he could grow the vegetables that he loved. He would then share them with the neighbor for payment. He grew corn, beans, peas, zucchini, cucumbers and garlic. And nobody could grow bigger dahlias than my Grandfather.

As I worked along side him he used to love to tell this story of a man named Giuseppe (Joe) and his wife who moved to a new farm with their three sons. They were settling into the new community when a nearby farmer told Joe that there was gold in the dirt of his new property. Joe took that statement as that there was actual gold in the land. He thought to himself “I have three healthy sons, I’ll tell them about it”. Indeed he told his sons that there was gold to be found in their new property. Needless to say his sons actually took charge of their personal enterprise right on their own land. They had visions of what they would do when they found gold. Each son had a different vision. For as young as they were, they set up quite a professional approach in the digging for gold.

They began in one corner with a certain width and kept going until they got to the end. Once they got to the property line they would start another swath and go back the other direction. They began to realize that digging for gold was fun! This procedure went on for about six months and they still weren’t through going through the whole property.

Meanwhile Joe thought he would plant some crops in the area where the dirt had been turned thoroughly. He planted corn, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. His sons continued to dig through the soil, determined to find gold. As more dirt was available, Joe planted more crops. An interesting point here is that Joe had never farmed before but it had always been a dream of his to do so.

As each different crop became ready to be harvested Joe started to realize that there was more than he and his family could ever eat. One of Joe’s neighbors suggested that he set up a vegetable stand. Joe and his wife did that very thing. They called it Joe and Family Vegetables. Joe even had to leave some crops on the ground because he had more than enough to meet the demands at the vegetable stand.

What were Joe’s sons doing in the meantime? They were still working the land even after they had finished the entire parcel. They started once again in the original corner, working in the leftover plant material while they were still on their quest to find gold.

This process went on for years and Joe and his wife became quite wealthy from their little vegetable stand. They were even able to send their sons off to college simply because they wanted to find gold.

Remember at the beginning of the story when Joe was told by his new neighbor that there was gold in the land? Well, the truth is, Joe’s understanding of the English language was less than perfect. His new neighbor friend actually told him that his land had rich soil. So you can see where the concept of gold came in.

Did Joe’s sons become slaves to the digging? No, they were inspired because they had visions of what money could do for them and did not focus on the money itself.

Is there a way we can take this story to a higher level? Yes, the Universe provides us opportunity and sometimes dangles the carrot to inspire us. In essence, Joe’s sons were inspired with the possibility of finding gold in the soil. Some of you I’m sure will draw your own meaning, but here is one to consider. Go out and pretend that there is gold in all your challenges and setbacks so that you can be inspired to motivate yourself to allow the Universe to provide all that you need and then some. The Universe will never give up on you, if you never give up on yourself.

© Tony Masiello 2006

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