Halibut Fishing in Seward
by The Alaska Life
Most Alaskans are familiar with travelling large distances to recreate in different regions of this land that is over a half-million square miles. Our trip to go halibut fishing in Seward was no exception. When you're traveling from the Mat-Su Valley, like we were, I know it's not that far, but doing the trip in just over 24 hours with a pit-stop in Soldotna made it seem that way!
We met our crew down at the docks with
Rod 'n Real charters at 6:30 AM and after a safety briefing, fishing license check, and a few other formalities, we were on our way. I will say that when halibut fishing in Seward, it is typical to take quite a lengthy boat ride out toward Montague Island, and that's where we were headed as we made our way out of the harbor. Alaskan weather is unpredictable and unforgiving—today was no different. We found ourselves hammering our way toward our destination in an aluminum paint-shaker named "Four Aces."
When you book a halibut charter in Alaska, it's likely you're in store for quite the adventure. When halibut fishing in Alaska's waters you're bound to see a ton of sea creatures. We saw orcas, puffins, seals, and a few sea lions just on the trip out! Being close to such amazing creatures was really a treat, especially for someone who grew up in Interior Alaska.
Arriving at the captain's pre-determined location, we almost instantly put fish on the deck. We managed quite well despite the sizable rollers making it more difficult to move around the deck. We learned something new about our daughter on this trip as well ... she gets sea-sick. On the flip-side, our son was all smiles and loving the experience! He even helped mom reel up a halibut and felt like part of the catch!
For a spell, the wind died down, the swells waned, and the sun made an appearance, which illuminated the beautiful scenery along the way.
Nicole caught a halibut that would put almost 50 pounds of fillets in the freezer!
More large swells met us on the ride back to the harbor but we still saw humpback whales, more puffins, and even passed a sea lion rookery. We were able to see many of these huge ocean mammals sparring, swimming around, but mostly snoozing, much like our worn-out children!
Back at the docks in Seward, we filleted our catch, grabbed some food, and headed back toward home. It's a special thing to live in Alaska where you can travel to a place, have an experience which encapsulates ocean fishing, wildlife viewing, and a gorgeous drive, while still being able to return to your bed in just over a day. Gotta love 'The Alaska Life'!
The Alaska Life Places page for
Rod 'n' Real Charters. Contact Rod 'n' Real charters
HERE and also follow them on
their Facebook page!
https://www.thealaskalife.com/blog/alaskan-rockfish-fishing-shinies-and-stickies/
