Kayak is the vessel of choice though I will fish anytime, anywhere for anything! Logs of every time I go out and fish in the Great state of Alaska!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
My Son's 2015 Highlights
I need to update these blogs some more but here's a quick easy way. I did compile my ten year old son's highlight reel where the last video were taken in November...Man I am lazy....
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Ship Creek Kings July 5
So I came back early to avoid the madhouse drive. Also I had to get back to watch the Women's World Cup Soccer. USA vs Japan! Go...uh...GO...uh..Soccer? I usually like to root for the underdogs. In this case it USA is ranked higher but Japan is the defending champion. Hmmm... Well I can't lose so I'll just watch and hope there are some great plays and I don't curse the officiating. But I digress. All that doesn't mean I can't go fish!
Hit the water around 11am. Tide was already falling. Use roe under a bobber and managed two fish. Both would be considered jacks here. But on the other hand, they are both definitely chinooks. So I have to count it. I would draw the line at going to the local lakes that stock kings but they rarely get over 10 inches long. These were nice chunky fish, smaller than even my June king.
Still, these are legit ocean going fish so ok, if I counted my June king, these will count too! But I'll still continue to try and catch a good one. I think next year my goal will have to include a weight or size threshold. Maybe 10 pounds and 24 inches or something like that. Still, the point isn't that you catch big fish from kayaks, but that these kayaks put you in a position to catch a king salmon EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR...in ALASKA!!!! INSANE!!!!
Hit the water around 11am. Tide was already falling. Use roe under a bobber and managed two fish. Both would be considered jacks here. But on the other hand, they are both definitely chinooks. So I have to count it. I would draw the line at going to the local lakes that stock kings but they rarely get over 10 inches long. These were nice chunky fish, smaller than even my June king.
Still, these are legit ocean going fish so ok, if I counted my June king, these will count too! But I'll still continue to try and catch a good one. I think next year my goal will have to include a weight or size threshold. Maybe 10 pounds and 24 inches or something like that. Still, the point isn't that you catch big fish from kayaks, but that these kayaks put you in a position to catch a king salmon EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR...in ALASKA!!!! INSANE!!!!
Pollock Fishing with Ryu - Homer, AK July 12
So Saturday I fished Whiskey Gulch with my son. I managed to boat 2 halibut that might total 20 pounds. Nice healthy fish. He had a couple of strikes that burned drag off for a few seconds but still didn't manage to hook the fish. Not sure what he is doing wrong. It all looks ok. Hmmm....
So I promised him that if we didn't hook any halibut, we would go "Catching" instead of fishing. I hate doing it because I think it resets the patience clock a little bit, but I can remember when i was his age, loving to fish the tiny sculpins we had in the ditch behind our house.
So we head to the Homer spit on Sunday where I knew he could catch a bunch of pollock. The pollock were there and the fishing easy. Used artificial at first and caught a bunch. Last 30 minutes I stick him over to bait and it was non-stop.
So a few observations:
1) A kid doesn't care anywhere near what an adult does in terms of species for the fight. There is great truth to the saying "The tug is the drug". For him, its all about getting the strikes.
2) The pollock turned out to be awesome because on this day, by himself handled well over 25 fis. I helped with what seemed like almost as many and by the end of the day, he was getting 90% of the fish off the hook, baited and back down fishing.
3) These pollock around the spit are usually infested with round worms. And normally you can just tell they are generally in bad shape with the sores and open wounds. These fish looked amazingly clean and my dad loves pollock and cod so I kept the bunch you see at the end. When I filleted them, they were amazingly clean. maybe a couple of worms here and there but easily seen and not very many at all. Fish looked really clean. I did pull up a few that had some isopod alien looking thing attached to them. I love marine biology but even I let out a squeal when I flipped the fish over and saw them. They were like an inch long and looked like one of these but with hair or spines...I didn't touch them to find out.
So I promised him that if we didn't hook any halibut, we would go "Catching" instead of fishing. I hate doing it because I think it resets the patience clock a little bit, but I can remember when i was his age, loving to fish the tiny sculpins we had in the ditch behind our house.
So we head to the Homer spit on Sunday where I knew he could catch a bunch of pollock. The pollock were there and the fishing easy. Used artificial at first and caught a bunch. Last 30 minutes I stick him over to bait and it was non-stop.
So a few observations:
1) A kid doesn't care anywhere near what an adult does in terms of species for the fight. There is great truth to the saying "The tug is the drug". For him, its all about getting the strikes.
2) The pollock turned out to be awesome because on this day, by himself handled well over 25 fis. I helped with what seemed like almost as many and by the end of the day, he was getting 90% of the fish off the hook, baited and back down fishing.
3) These pollock around the spit are usually infested with round worms. And normally you can just tell they are generally in bad shape with the sores and open wounds. These fish looked amazingly clean and my dad loves pollock and cod so I kept the bunch you see at the end. When I filleted them, they were amazingly clean. maybe a couple of worms here and there but easily seen and not very many at all. Fish looked really clean. I did pull up a few that had some isopod alien looking thing attached to them. I love marine biology but even I let out a squeal when I flipped the fish over and saw them. They were like an inch long and looked like one of these but with hair or spines...I didn't touch them to find out.
July 4th Halibut Whiskey Gulch
So I try my luck. Raining and 5knt winds but very comfortable. Much more so than the blazing sun from yesterday.
Hit 35 ft of water and start fishing. The bite was definitely on. Boated 8 or 9 fish in less than 2 hours. The problem was they were all in the 15 to 25 range with a couple of 5 pounders mixed in. Determined to bring back of at least a pair of forties I keep pitching them back with the bite being on.
Then all of the sudden I'm caught in 15knt winds and super steep wind waves. Nothing crazy but it would have been if it had gotten any worse.
Being a few miles offshore, I decide to high tail it back to the launch. Fortunately for me I ran into two fish on the way back. The only bummer....I swear the instant I cut the second fishes gills, the wind stopped and it completely flattened out. I could have, should have fished kings but I was drenched. I wonder where the heck I'm going to catch a July King.
At any rate, ended the day a little perturbed at Mother Nature despite two fish that should total close to 45 pounds but if I'm partially bumming about today, then I'm spoiled rotten. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!
Hit 35 ft of water and start fishing. The bite was definitely on. Boated 8 or 9 fish in less than 2 hours. The problem was they were all in the 15 to 25 range with a couple of 5 pounders mixed in. Determined to bring back of at least a pair of forties I keep pitching them back with the bite being on.
Then all of the sudden I'm caught in 15knt winds and super steep wind waves. Nothing crazy but it would have been if it had gotten any worse.
Being a few miles offshore, I decide to high tail it back to the launch. Fortunately for me I ran into two fish on the way back. The only bummer....I swear the instant I cut the second fishes gills, the wind stopped and it completely flattened out. I could have, should have fished kings but I was drenched. I wonder where the heck I'm going to catch a July King.
At any rate, ended the day a little perturbed at Mother Nature despite two fish that should total close to 45 pounds but if I'm partially bumming about today, then I'm spoiled rotten. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!
Ship Creek King June 30
Ok, I even hate posting this. But it is what it is. Been desperate for my June king and I spent most of june chasing halibut with guests and my kid.
So I did what any desperate kayaker would do. I fished the "ditch" other wise known as Ship Creek in Downtown Anchorage. Tried it two evenings with no results. Then last night I ran into a local legend Yogee who used to post a lot on Alaska Outdoor Journal. He showed me the spot and set up.
Launched at 6am, into the office at 8:30am.
Notice I said I landed a CHinook for the tenth consecutive month. Not sure most folks in Alaska would call it a king. Its a pretty big Jack or a super tiny king. Nice Chunky fish though. Genetic analysis would confirm though that it is a Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, which as a simpleton, roughly translates into King salmon! Might try later this evening to make feel a little better about a better sized one since I have a proxy.
So I did what any desperate kayaker would do. I fished the "ditch" other wise known as Ship Creek in Downtown Anchorage. Tried it two evenings with no results. Then last night I ran into a local legend Yogee who used to post a lot on Alaska Outdoor Journal. He showed me the spot and set up.
Launched at 6am, into the office at 8:30am.
Notice I said I landed a CHinook for the tenth consecutive month. Not sure most folks in Alaska would call it a king. Its a pretty big Jack or a super tiny king. Nice Chunky fish though. Genetic analysis would confirm though that it is a Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, which as a simpleton, roughly translates into King salmon! Might try later this evening to make feel a little better about a better sized one since I have a proxy.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Homer Juevenile Black Cod - June 19
Tried homer. No kings. One 2 pound halibut I released. BUT at the end of the day, I found something even better!!!!!
It's rare but I found a school of juvenile black cod!!!! Yah baby!!!! I've never had the little ones but people tell me they are as good as the big ones...especially smoked.
Managed 24 of them before I ran out of bait. We will see but if they are as good, this is s huge score. Caught 20ft down in 100 ft of water.
It's rare but I found a school of juvenile black cod!!!! Yah baby!!!! I've never had the little ones but people tell me they are as good as the big ones...especially smoked.
Managed 24 of them before I ran out of bait. We will see but if they are as good, this is s huge score. Caught 20ft down in 100 ft of water.
June 18 -22 Halibut
MAK and Akfishripper made some awesome fish and chips plus onion rings!!! Thanks!!!!
Took Nick from southern CA out today. Less than 8 hours after landing in ANC, he is hooked up!!! Between us, I bet we landed 15 halibut. But none bigger than 20lbs. Argh. At one point we were 4.5 miles off shore and 11 miles from the launch. Way too far! Got carried away trying to get him on fish. I'm a terrible guide.
I broke off the biggest fish of the day. Idiot. I had a backlash that pinched the line. Broke 50lvs braid 10ft from the pole tip. Argh!!! Unforgivable !!
I also hooked a red on my trailing red bare hook. Lost it at the yak. Hmmm.
Took Nick from southern CA out today. Less than 8 hours after landing in ANC, he is hooked up!!! Between us, I bet we landed 15 halibut. But none bigger than 20lbs. Argh. At one point we were 4.5 miles off shore and 11 miles from the launch. Way too far! Got carried away trying to get him on fish. I'm a terrible guide.
I broke off the biggest fish of the day. Idiot. I had a backlash that pinched the line. Broke 50lvs braid 10ft from the pole tip. Argh!!! Unforgivable !!
I also hooked a red on my trailing red bare hook. Lost it at the yak. Hmmm.
Rainbow Trout with Ryu June 13
Friday was my birthday so I took the day off and drove down to Kenai with the kids who had just gotten back from Japan. Interestingly enough, my son had gone semi deep drop fishing (250 ft or so with smaller electric reels) with the ex-father in law and was ranting and raving about fishing as soon as he got back, so of course we had to fish.
He's been out in the ocean before but its been over a year so first we had to hit a lake. A colleague of mine has a summer home in North Kenai so we stayed there.
Rainbows to 20 + inches and one fish after the other. A really great time. Its ultra cool having a son so excited about fishing. It's even better when he wants to try a Barbie rod since I had caught fish with it. Right after one of the rainbows jumps into the kayak, he immediately relates it to the video where a silver jumped in my kayak. SUPER good feeling to have your son proudly compare his catch to mine and recall it the way he did.
Video for the day. At nearly 4 minutes its double the length I normally try to keep it. But this video is frankly more for him than the public. I had a BLAST!!!! Thanks Ryu, my best buddy and fishing partner!!!!!! I had one of the best birthdays ever!!!!!
He's been out in the ocean before but its been over a year so first we had to hit a lake. A colleague of mine has a summer home in North Kenai so we stayed there.
Rainbows to 20 + inches and one fish after the other. A really great time. Its ultra cool having a son so excited about fishing. It's even better when he wants to try a Barbie rod since I had caught fish with it. Right after one of the rainbows jumps into the kayak, he immediately relates it to the video where a silver jumped in my kayak. SUPER good feeling to have your son proudly compare his catch to mine and recall it the way he did.
Video for the day. At nearly 4 minutes its double the length I normally try to keep it. But this video is frankly more for him than the public. I had a BLAST!!!! Thanks Ryu, my best buddy and fishing partner!!!!!! I had one of the best birthdays ever!!!!!
June 6 & 7 Whiskey Gulch Halibut
Too tired... 90 minutes sleep since Saturday at 3am....
Halibut was good. Saturday afternoon was windy and choppy. Saturday night flat calm. Sunday morning sort of calm.
Saturday maybe 5 or 6 landed. Kept two in the 25 to 30 pound range.
Sunday, Kept a 15 pounder then a 49" (56.5lbs on chart).
Here's my 49" fish...
Forgot harpoon shaft. Finally tried a Shark hook due to circumstances totally within my control...actually lucky I had it...
I HATE SHARK HOOKS. I am going to persistently and loudly MOCK anyone who thinks a shark hook is better than harpoon except in a specialized circumstance...whatever that might be. Now a flying gaff with retainer like I saw Rawkfish use is a different story.
4 halibut over the weekend. One at 15lbs, two at 25 to 30lbs. one at 57lbs. Not a bad weekend!
First still is sat fish. Second is Sunday.
Did get one take down that was "King-esque" but didn't connect. ARGH!!! But who can complain!
Halibut was good. Saturday afternoon was windy and choppy. Saturday night flat calm. Sunday morning sort of calm.
Saturday maybe 5 or 6 landed. Kept two in the 25 to 30 pound range.
Sunday, Kept a 15 pounder then a 49" (56.5lbs on chart).
Here's my 49" fish...
Forgot harpoon shaft. Finally tried a Shark hook due to circumstances totally within my control...actually lucky I had it...
I HATE SHARK HOOKS. I am going to persistently and loudly MOCK anyone who thinks a shark hook is better than harpoon except in a specialized circumstance...whatever that might be. Now a flying gaff with retainer like I saw Rawkfish use is a different story.
4 halibut over the weekend. One at 15lbs, two at 25 to 30lbs. one at 57lbs. Not a bad weekend!
First still is sat fish. Second is Sunday.
Did get one take down that was "King-esque" but didn't connect. ARGH!!! But who can complain!
Older posts - May 31 N WKA 2015 Yak Classic
May 31
2015 NWKA Yak Classic
First of all, I want to thank every one that came out. Great to see new faces!
I think we had a dozen folks, maybe a couple more. There were other folks that were surfcasting that had kayaks. Not sure if they would have entered fish or not. So Andy and I have made all three. Mike made the last two. Everyone else was new. So its great to see new people all the time. But I hope I'm not scaring away the other folks who have come out in the past.
The weather in terms of the water could have been better. We had calm seas mixed with 3 ft chop on day one. Day two was forecasted to be light and variable winds. Turned into at least 15knts with 6 foot or better rollers coming through when you got off shore.
We had one incident where a Pro Angler capsized on Day 1. Thanks to the guys who went out and helped him out. I heard he filled with water do to an unsecured hatch? Maybe some one could relay the story a little. It might be embarrassing but its important to learn from mistakes. How ridiculous would it be if someone got hurt next year doing the same thing?
There was talk about having another get together. Let's start another thread and do it up! I had a great time!!!
Oh. The results. Here are the fish entered. A bunch more were caught but there were a lot of little chickens in the area.
Kardinal_84: 47"
kardinal_84: 44"
McLucky: 39.5"
Kardinal_84 38"
Kardinal_84 38" (not duplicate)
RDRASH 36"
AKFishRipper 32"
Memkis 32"
Memkis 30"
Nick 29"
2015 NWKA Yak Classic
First of all, I want to thank every one that came out. Great to see new faces!
I think we had a dozen folks, maybe a couple more. There were other folks that were surfcasting that had kayaks. Not sure if they would have entered fish or not. So Andy and I have made all three. Mike made the last two. Everyone else was new. So its great to see new people all the time. But I hope I'm not scaring away the other folks who have come out in the past.
The weather in terms of the water could have been better. We had calm seas mixed with 3 ft chop on day one. Day two was forecasted to be light and variable winds. Turned into at least 15knts with 6 foot or better rollers coming through when you got off shore.
We had one incident where a Pro Angler capsized on Day 1. Thanks to the guys who went out and helped him out. I heard he filled with water do to an unsecured hatch? Maybe some one could relay the story a little. It might be embarrassing but its important to learn from mistakes. How ridiculous would it be if someone got hurt next year doing the same thing?
There was talk about having another get together. Let's start another thread and do it up! I had a great time!!!
Oh. The results. Here are the fish entered. A bunch more were caught but there were a lot of little chickens in the area.
Kardinal_84: 47"
kardinal_84: 44"
McLucky: 39.5"
Kardinal_84 38"
Kardinal_84 38" (not duplicate)
RDRASH 36"
AKFishRipper 32"
Memkis 32"
Memkis 30"
Nick 29"
Monday, September 21, 2015
Review of Truth Sg Reel (Formerly known as Release Reels)
(Image from TruthReels.com)
Truth SG reel Review
I won a Release Sg (recently renamed to Truth Reels) reel in a fishing tournament two years ago. It sat for a while unused as my Avet Sx reels were my primary go to reels at the time. Tp be honest, I thought the Release/Truth reel seemed a little too light to really hold up to the rigors of the typical fishing I do. 25 pounds of Drag on this small lightweight reel?? Please...no chance, right?
Well I am happy to report that it is now my primary reel of choice for everything from 5 pound pink salmon to 100 pound or larger halibut. I load it with 50 lbs braid and out of a kayak, I believe I can land any sportfish on the planet that hits my line. The smooth drag combined with the lever drag should allow me to tighten up and get towed all day long by any huge fish.
The initial reel “feel” is a bit misleading as it doesn’t come out of the box or repair facility as smooth as one might expect. But after some reading, they do tell you in advance that it comes this way and with a short break in period, it is as smooth as any reel I have tried.
Current specs on the reel are:
SPECIFICATIONS
• WEIGHT: 13.2 OZ
• GEAR RATIO: 6:1
• 34” PER CRANK
• MAX DRAG: STRIKE 18#, Full 25#
• CAPACITY: MONO 20# 275 YDS
• CAPACITY: BRAID 50# 375 YDS
• CERAMIC SPOOL BEARINGS
• CARBON DRAG WASHER
They have a limited life time warranty which I got to test. I absolutely abuse my gear more than I should. I love my Avet reels but after a while, even several nights of continued saltwater exposure they tend to seize up. The Release/Truth reels were MUCH more tolerant. Yet, after several years of heavy use and frankly abuse, there came a time where I had to send the reels in for repair and maintenance. They have a standard $25 fee to cover shipping and handling as well as the repairs. It was 100% my fault for the damage I had caused, yet they only charged me an extra $25 and I got back a reel that was as good as new. Given the components they replaced, I thought it was a SUPER good deal.
The bottom line, ever since I started using my Release/Truth Sg reels I have yet to use my Avet reels. I highly recommend these reels! Quality appears to be very high and their service was outstanding.
Here's one of my better videos showing the truth reels coming through for me. First place AND Second Place fish at 2015 Alaska Yak Classic!!
I have the clicker on at all times because I can't afford a backlash on the water, and it makes for better video in my opinion when you can clearly tell when the fish is taking out line.
Here's one of my better videos showing the truth reels coming through for me. First place AND Second Place fish at 2015 Alaska Yak Classic!!
I have the clicker on at all times because I can't afford a backlash on the water, and it makes for better video in my opinion when you can clearly tell when the fish is taking out line.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Greek or is it Italian Halibut Entree and Spread
Is it Greek or is it Italian? I have no clue.
So a week ago, I try some halibut in parchment paper. Turned out really good so I thought I'd share...and I am bored...
I think this parchment paper method has some real potential. Keeps fish moist. Is super easy and super fast. Even though you serve it in burnt paper, for some silly reason, people think it is fancy. lol.
So the entree first. I took the left overs and mixed with mayo and it made some great halibut spread. So I have that project after the entree.
Sorry, I don't use recipes, I don't measure. Therefore I have zero recipes and no names. lol.
This is as close as I can come for this attempt:
Ingredients
Halibut
Roasted Garlic in oil
Artichoke hearts
Chopped green and kalamata olives
Spinach
Lime
Olive oil
Butter
Salt & pepper
I got the roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, olives at the groceries antipasto bar.
Season halibut lightly with salt and pepper. You can almost eliminate this step depending on how salty your other stuff is.
Chop up the garlic, artichoke hearts, and olives.
Take halibut and top with the chopped up condiments.
Sauté spinach in butter and place on top of condiments
Place lime slices on top.
drizzle olive oil over the top.
Wrap in parchement paper
400 deg for 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.
So I decided to try and make some spread I could share at the office. Food is one the ultimatum motivators and favor generators at the work place. LOL.
Once again, antipasto from the grocery store. This time Olives, roasted garlic, artichoke hurts, roasted tomatoes, and capers.
Chop it up. This time I am going to marinate in a ziplock bag. Added olive oil to help distribute the flavors better. In the refrigerator overnight.
I plan to bake it in the same method as above using parchment paper. I'll try some as is but plan to make the rest into spread. I know it can be good since I made something similar with the entree left overs. Will report results.
I don't se any reason it wouldn't work for salmon. Any additional ideas????
So a week ago, I try some halibut in parchment paper. Turned out really good so I thought I'd share...and I am bored...
I think this parchment paper method has some real potential. Keeps fish moist. Is super easy and super fast. Even though you serve it in burnt paper, for some silly reason, people think it is fancy. lol.
So the entree first. I took the left overs and mixed with mayo and it made some great halibut spread. So I have that project after the entree.
Sorry, I don't use recipes, I don't measure. Therefore I have zero recipes and no names. lol.
This is as close as I can come for this attempt:
Ingredients
Halibut
Roasted Garlic in oil
Artichoke hearts
Chopped green and kalamata olives
Spinach
Lime
Olive oil
Butter
Salt & pepper
I got the roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, olives at the groceries antipasto bar.
Season halibut lightly with salt and pepper. You can almost eliminate this step depending on how salty your other stuff is.
Chop up the garlic, artichoke hearts, and olives.
Take halibut and top with the chopped up condiments.
Sauté spinach in butter and place on top of condiments
Place lime slices on top.
drizzle olive oil over the top.
Wrap in parchement paper
400 deg for 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.
So I decided to try and make some spread I could share at the office. Food is one the ultimatum motivators and favor generators at the work place. LOL.
Once again, antipasto from the grocery store. This time Olives, roasted garlic, artichoke hurts, roasted tomatoes, and capers.
Chop it up. This time I am going to marinate in a ziplock bag. Added olive oil to help distribute the flavors better. In the refrigerator overnight.
I plan to bake it in the same method as above using parchment paper. I'll try some as is but plan to make the rest into spread. I know it can be good since I made something similar with the entree left overs. Will report results.
I don't se any reason it wouldn't work for salmon. Any additional ideas????
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
A Tragic Alaskan Love Story - Kardinal & Barbie
My name is Rudy. Many of you know me as KardinaL_84 on the forums. I have a confession to make. I type this sitting in a small room with all of the lights shut off. Depressed beyond belief, I agonize over what should have been heaven on earth this weekend. Instead of heaven, I ended up in hell. Fortunately during Alaska Summers, the small room isn’t dark and dreary with the long daylight hours...but my soul is.
I’ve heard “it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” I used to think, “Well duh!.” But today I type with a heavy heart reconsidering that and now I know why its actually a well known statement. I am starting to think the pain is too much to go through something like this again.
So here’s my story…details the best I remember. 99% non-fiction...well let's say most, at least 51%...
ACT I: In the beginning...
So the story really starts a few weeks ago. reading through one of my kayak forms, I see that they have a “Barbie rod classic.” Ahhh...Barbie. I had sort of met her once through people who knew her ex, “Snoopy”, the namesake of the Snoopy Rod Classic in Western Washington. I recall walking by her thinking “Wow...she is PURDY!” Then I swore I heard her say in a slightly drunken but sexy voice “That Ken is so passe.” “YES he is! But I’m NOT!” I thought in my head...
Years go by, and as I was walking through a sporting good store here in town...THERE SHE WAS!. Hot dang!!!!! I stand next to her sneaking glances hoping nobody would notice. It’d be SUPER embarrassing if any of my friends knew I was trying to make a really bold move.
I reach out and touch her. I swear, though my memory is hazy, I hear “Hey! Mr Fisherman! Long time no see! Take me fishing!”
Are you kidding?!?!?! Heck ya!!!! Quickly go through the formalities, a little embarrassed to be seen with such a beautiful item...at least I thought so. The cashier looks at me like I am nuts as I walk out with her in my arm. I can’t wait to take her home and “unwrap” her!!!!!. I fumble around. Dang this is harder than taking a bra off a gal for the first time! They sure make these dang outer packaging hard to remove. I slowly examine her and say out loud “Sweetie, I have to change your line out to 20lbs powerpro. Its ok, its allowed by the rules at some of the better known tournament hangouts.”
I usually don’t take strangers out fishing. especially ones I want to impress. Fishing is always fun. But catching is never guaranteed. My kids are overseas in Japan. My girlfriend takes off to New York on one days notice saying something like I’ll be back in 5 weeks. Last time that 5 weeks turned into 5 months. Haven’t gotten a call from her in over a week. Hmmmm...something not right. Too bad for her, she should know that "Hard times and idle hands are the devil's workshop…."
C’mon Babe..errr Barbie! Let’s go fish!!!
Act II - Prepare to fish!!!!
It’s Saturday of Memorial weekend. I’m so excited I can’t sleep Friday night and I drive down to Whiskey Gulch getting there at about 4am. Sleep a few hours and it’s time to hit the water!!!!
Barbie is looking F-I-N-E, FINE!!!!. She feels SO good to the touch. Not like any of the others I take fishing with me. That shine, light weight. The perfect feel in my hands. She has that sort of inexpensive but super HOT look. At $14.99 not only is she a hoot to fish with, she is WAY cheaper of a date than my other fav gal, Avet.
Unlike with Avet, I know fishing with Barbie, I am at a major disadvantage...or so I thought. I didn’t want to stress her with a flasher so she gets paired with a 2oz sinker and green label herring.
Being Memorial Weekend, the boats are out in force. You can see they are hooking up pretty consistently. I fish with Barbie, but maneuver around with Barbie tucked under my arm hoping nobody notices her. I know these fisherman can be cruel. They’d laugh at me for fishing with her, but as soon as they saw what she can do. If they knew what she has on the INSIDE as well as the ultra hot exterior...they’d try to steal her away in a heart beat.
So I slowly let line out. Barbie is a little shorter than my type. I typically like them about 6ft. Barbie was only 30 inches. A serious disadvantage.
Oh, wait. No wonder I am still single. Where are my manners?? I haven’t yet introduced you to Barbie. So here she is. Tell me you don’t have some immature thoughts of just grabbing her while fishing! I think I am in LOVE!!!
ACT III - The Courtship, Marriage, and Honeymoon.
Finally the fishing!!!! Never having tried without a flasher, I really didn’t know what to expect. But in less than an hour, I am hooked up to my first king thanks to Barbie!!! Ya baby!!!!!!
Barbie has the perfect balance of flex and backbone. You don’t expect much drag but her voice gives me goose bumps when the fish is peeling out line! Such a turn on!!!!
Next I manage a tiny halibut I release. Hmm. Barbie might be able to handle this fishing. I thought maybe a king was possible but halibut?
But before we can find out, Barbie is putting the hurt to her second king!! SEXY!!! Maybe I shouldn’t be talking about things like this without really knowing for sure. But am I the only one that just gets TURNED ON when Barbie, Avet and the like start singing as the fish starts peeling away! HEAVEN!!!!!
Two kings and a halibut for Barbie in the first few hours! I am in LOVE!!!! But it’s rainy and I had driven all night without sleep. I am tired. It’s been a great day! “Hey Barbie, let’s go in.” I swear she is a pretty and fun gal with a fish on, but just then I swear, I swear I saw images of Lucifer behind her eyes. She glares and just continues to fish. Moments later.. FISH ON!!! I wasn’t looking at her, but I hear “I told ya so…”
This time its a ten pound halibut. Wow. Great battle. All I could think of was “What are we going to do with a twenty pounder?!?!?!
But Barbie isn’t done. As we finally head in, she scores her third king!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! One of my best King days ever and all with Barbie!!!!!
I take her to Kenai to meet my parents. Give her a nice clean shower. Replace line since I had broken off once on the bottom. But 3 for 3 on Kings. 2 for 2 on halibut. THAT is what you call the perfect companion.
In my dreams, I marry her. Heck ya!!! Where are you going to find a gal that can go 5 for 5 on kings and butts her very first time out on a kayak?!?!?! Who I ask? Give me a name! A perfect 5 for 5? Definitely a keeper!!!!
So as usual, though a little embarrassing, I did take some gopro footage. I know the average attention span for viewers is under two minutes, but because I want to really show off Barbie and how she handled these fish, I have a little longer segment for each.
ACT IV : Tragedy & Heartbreak
Day two starts early. The last time I glanced at the clock last night, it was midnight. I wanted to get up early but Barbie, err, my new wife had just worn me out. I am on the water after lunch and the water is much flatter! Excitement slowly bleeds out into desperation as hours pass without as much as a strike from an Irish Lord.
Is it just me or does it happen to others (though maybe not this quickly) where that euphoric feeling of love seems to dissipate immediately following marriage?!?!?! No? ok, at any rate….
After 5 hours on the water and minimal sleep, I am beat. No mas. “Barbie, let’s head in!” I say. “What you are giving up?” she says with a glare that I can only describe as chilling. "We haven't even gotten a decent strike!" she cries out almost audibly.
Out in front of the parking lot, a powerboat hooks up. Then another! I don’t even recall how it happened but I swear Barbie just started fishing virtually by herself! Just as we hear the boat ahead say “it’s a dandy halibut!” Barbie bends over and starts to sing! Yah baby!!!! After a great battle up comes a ten pound halibut. I am starting to think these ten pounders are about the upper limit for Barbie.
Then a few moments later she is hooked up again!!!! It’s another king! Technical difficulties (i.e. I pushed the wrong button) and I don’t get the footage. Barbie is a little bit “Hollywood” and she was NOT happy that I missed the shot.
The furor over missing “the glamour video” was to portend the beginning of the end of what seemed like the perfect partnership.
I've been tagged out on salmon since last weeks Anchor point Derby so I say “let’s try and get our second halibut.” Right in front of the launch the rod doubles over and it’s game on!!! This is a bigger fish. Halibut for sure.
This fish, will likely be forever the “Lucifer” to me. First I glanced to make sure the video is on after fighting it for a bit after the last episode with a missed shot. I notice the battery is on one bar. Dang it! I turn it off knowing this battle is going to go one for a while longer and I needed to get the kill shot. In retrospect, it was stupid. Nobody would ever believe a non continuous video of what would end up being a monster of a fish.
This fish, will likely be forever the “Lucifer” to me. First I glanced to make sure the video is on after fighting it for a bit after the last episode with a missed shot. I notice the battery is on one bar. Dang it! I turn it off knowing this battle is going to go one for a while longer and I needed to get the kill shot. In retrospect, it was stupid. Nobody would ever believe a non continuous video of what would end up being a monster of a fish.
Maybe after 10 minutes, I see color. 20 or 25 pound maybe??? as I peer into the water. The shape just keeps getting bigger and bigger. My initial reaction was “It’s bigger than my Kodiak 105 lbs halibut!!!!!” Ok, maybe I was excited. But it was at least 75 pounds. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????
I slowly work it within harpoon range and I hit it. I can feel the harpoon go all the way through. Game over for the fish...uhh...so I thought. The fish takes the A0 buoy down for about 30 seconds. Then it pops up, I start reeling to get the buoy and the fish decides to take off. It is just ripping out drag. YEEHAW!!!! That buoy will slow it down!
I glance over my shoulder and I see the buoy just floating there. I look at my reel as line peels off. I glance back at the still buoy. “Oh Oh...this isn’t good.” Better look one more time. Yup. Buoy is not going anywhere. And a few seconds later I am spooled and the fish is gone!
“what happened” plus a few expletives later, I am just crushed. To go from 100% elation thinking you had accomplished something maybe no one else had ever accomplished and lost it do to PURE stupidity. I seriously am ill thinking about it.
I can still hear Barbie just screaming at me.
“I saw you post on the forums that you have NEVER lost a halibut with a harpoon.”
“I did all the hard work and got the fish to the kayak only for you to screw it up!”
“No wonder why everyone I know refers to you behind your back as the “Effin Rudy”.
“LOSER!”
Then the words that made me consider giving up fishing….”I WANT A DIVORCE!”
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And a quickly as I was on top of the world...I found myself in fishing hell.
Sorry for the mild profanity in the video...I guess you can say it on tv and it’s a thing of beauty to hear Barbie sing. Had to keep it unedited at that point.
Epilogue
So what went wrong? I can’t say for sure but I think this is what happened. After playing with the harpoon, I was thinking my new golf club handle shaft was too light for good penetration. So I grab my commercial harpoon and put the tip on...uh...TRIED to put the tip on.
EFFIN WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT OVER!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn’t fit on to the harpoon shaft!
I grab my golf club and it barely fits over the very tip of the shaft. So when I pushed the harpoon tip with a little force, it wedged onto the shaft. I bet I pulled the harpoon head part way back into the fish and it finally separated when the flesh caught the edges. The buoy was down for thirty seconds. It must have ripped it open during that time. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I didn’t check it as I thought they were all standard size and I am sure I have bought Danielson ones before. I almost want to check and see if they switched sizes.
So I am crushed. Brief flashes of “I am done with this fishing thing!” entered my mind but quickly dissipated.
Barbie is gone, the divorce was painful but that’s ok. She was getting a little tired and weary after delivering 4 kings and three chickens PLUS battling a monster halibut. Anti-reverse was half shot. She was already rusting after two days. Two days of a wicked good time, but by the end of Sunday, she was definitely a lot worse for wear.
One of the commenters on facebook suggested that the reason I lost the fish was the Big halibut are all female so a majority would probably prefer getting caught by Ken.. rather than Barbie. Hmmm...Can’t say I have ever seen a Ken rod. But like Barbie said “He is so Passe” I may go look for a Snoopy rod to entice the big butts!!!!
I still feel ill. But I also should point out that I am absolutely disgusted with hitting the big halibut with a harpoon and due to my failure likely wasted a very nice fish. I’m sure folks have shot a halibut off the leader or done other crazy thing. But really, had I known this was going to be the outcome, I’d rather NOT have hooked it.
So what does this episode definitively prove? Conventional wisdom is WRONG! It is better to NOT have loved at all than to have loved and lost...This feeling sucks!!!!
So what does this episode definitively prove? Conventional wisdom is WRONG! It is better to NOT have loved at all than to have loved and lost...This feeling sucks!!!!
Ok...enough...I gotta go throw up…..
Then I'm going fishing!!!!! Who is in!!!!
Then I'm going fishing!!!!! Who is in!!!!
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