My brother-in-law is up in Alaska for a week, and we took him out halibut fishing. Saturday morning was too windy to get out and fish, but we made it out on Sunday. We launched the boat at the Deep Creek tractor launch, near Ninilchik, Alaska. There is no dock, and due to the very high tidal action, a conventional boat launch would be impractical. Instead, they use monsterous 4WD log skidders to drag your boat & trailer into the water.
We fished about 9 miles from the launch, in about 80 feet of water. We used 16/0 circle hooks with herring chunks, and 16 oz jigs with 8" Power Grubs. As usaul, when given the choice between bait and Power Grubs, the halibut hit the jigs. We caught all but 3 or 4 fish on the jigs. I recently discovered that Berkely is no longer making the 8" Power Grub, so I don't know what I will swtich to when my supply runs out.
I really enjoy taking first-timers out on the boat. I love seeing their excitement, and it reminds me of what I take for granted. Before coming to Alaska, the largest fish my brother-in-law caught was a 4-pound Northern Pike in Minnesota. I was really happy that he ended up with the largest fish of the day, a 90-pound halibut. He was pretty excited. Here are a few pictures from our trip:
Fighting a 40-pounder...
Harpooning the 90-pounder...
90-pounder on the deck...
Brother-in-Law with his 90-pounder...
A 50-pounder...
A group shot of the day's fish. We ended up with a 90, a 50, a pair of 35-40's, and the rest were over 20 pounds. In all, we brought back 106 bags of vacuum packed fillets. What a day!
Memorial Weekend Halibut Trip 
