WILD BLOG: Checking in from the Alaska halibut grounds ...
POSTED May 5, 2009 / 12:40 p.m.

Two trips into the 2009 Alaska halibut season and the Adventuress with Capt. Andy has been the hot boat.

The weather has been near-perfect, with calm seas and no wind, although not as much current as we'd prefer. As is normal early in the season, not many halibut have moved in yet from deeper water, but we are getting an excellent grade of fish.

We caught the first 100-plus-pounder of the season out of Seward on May 3, along with a 50 and a few smaller halibut. Teresa, a local customer from Seward, reeled in the first 100-pounder! The day before, May 2, during the first trip of the season, Lee, a customer from Minnesota celebrating his 27th birthday, caught his first-ever halibut, which weighed 80 pounds.

A picture of the 80-pounder is attached (check out the snow on the mountains in the background). 

It's still early for consistent limits of halibut, but we have been returning with several fish, including some big ones, as well as limits of rockfish and tons of Pacific cod.

Herring soaked in Pautzke Nectar has been hot so far. Some of our other tricks have yet to produce as well, but it's still very early in the season.

We did Coast Guard drills today and passed the inspection for the Adventuress, allowing us to now run up to 14 passengers on it, although that is the 10-pack boat. Next week the 18-person Huntress, which we only run as a 12-pack, goes in the water and I'll switch over to it while Capt. Eric will run the Adventuress.

Capt. Lance, also from Oregon, arrives later this week and will be deckhanding for the first half of the season before running one of the 6-packs.

-Capt. Andy Martin