Fishing Frenzy in Seward
Playing hooky from work this week we took our house guests to Seward, Alaska, for three days of sight seeing, fishing and eating!! Emphasis on eating. We were greeted by the sun on the day we arrived, and found out that this was the first day of sunshine since the 4th of July weekend! Apparently the weather had been cloudy, rainy, foggy, windy and cold during most of July bringing havoc to the charter fishing business with high seas and miserable conditions. Not so for our visit! We were greeted with beautiful sun, warm temperatures, calm seas and endless vistas of beautiful scenery. We were charged and ready to go!
First on the agenda was to eat lunch; lots of halibut, chips, and shrimp were consumed. Then, we had to plan dinner. Since we ate lunch downtown, we decided to eat dinner along the waterfront near the docks after we toured the Alaska Sea Life Center. I learn something new each time I visit this attraction, and I especially enjoy watching marine mammals, sea birds, and fish swim in the giant acquariums. The wall displays are interactive and fun for all ages and are updated and changed periodically so that nothing becomes old and boring. Very well done!
Dinner consisted of more halibut, shrimp and, of course, salmon fresh from the sea. We ate so much that our stomachs were groaning, but that didn’t stop us from sharing a desert! Then, after dinner what did we do? We went shopping for food to bring on board the boat the next day. Early to bed, because we had a 4:30 AM wake up call for our charter fishing combo in the morning. It was our desire to catch halibut and silver salmon on the same trip, and we were able to book a charter that offered this package.
After a tasty breakfast (more food) we picked up boxed lunches to add to the cooler that was already packed with chips, drinks, candy, and bananas ready for snacking on the boat. Underway by 7:00 AM we watched the sun rise from behind the snow capped peaks that surround Resurrection Bay and gently flood the landscape with warmth and light. Of course, we had to snack during the two and a half hour ride to the halibut grounds. When the captain spotted our bananas he had a heart attack, (not really) apparently it is bad luck to bring a banana on board a fishing boat. We proved we were fishing cheechakos without question.
Within two hours of fishing most everyone on board caught their limit of two halibut, except me. I was having phenomenal bad luck. In the beginning I caught almost the first halibut on the boat only to have the deck hand release it because it was too small. Later, everyone was advised to keep fish much, much smaller than mine. I was disappointed, but hoped I’d get bigger fish! Then as the tide changed, the lines from several youth on the opposite side of the boat drifted underneath and tangled around mine. Not once, but several times. Each time it took quite awhile before the deck hand could untangle the matted web of lines, tackle and bait. You’d think I would have learned and changed positions, but my green inexperience kept me rooted faithfully to my post.
Finally, the sharks arrived. Each time I’d get my line set inches from the bottom I would get a strike, set the hook and pull up a shark! I held the boat record for landing shark that day with a total of eight! We did not keep the shark they were unhooked and thrown back, and I was beginning to suspect that I was catching the same one over and over. Enough whining, I think I was the recipient of the banana fishing hex and had no one to blame but myself.
As the sun toasted our faces and arms, the captain announced that it was time to change locations. Thus began a whirlwind, madcap, expedition to the second phase of our combo trip; catching beautiful fresh silver salmon. As soon we arrived we dropped bait and each person was instructed to call out “fish on” as soon as they set the hook. The object was to have a deck hand with a net ready to land the fish as soon as it surfaced. Shouts of “fish on” rang out in unison from every end of the boat for over an hour and a half, keeping the deck hands racing from side to side, stem to stern, round and round until the limit of three silvers per person was reached! What a fun, wild, crazy time we had.
And during this madcap fishing frenzy we managed to eat our box lunches because, what else, we were hungry! Soon we were covered in fish scales, slime, mayonnaise, and residue from potato chips, sunburned, laughing, happy and full. It was a memorable day. We arrived back at the boat harbor after 6:00 PM just in time for (guess what?) dinner, where we consumed more halibut, salmon and shrimp until we were so lethargic from the effects of the sun, tired from hauling in fish, and drowsy from overeating that we barely made it to bed before falling asleep.
Three pounds heavier, we arrived home the next day and filled the freezer with our bounty from the sea. As our guests prepared to fly home, a box of fish packed in dry ice was added to their luggage, and we sent them away with our wish that the memories that wonderful trip to Seward be with them always.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist
