Luke's Alaska Fishing Cruise Adventure

Coming from the Midwest, I didn’t have a great deal of experience with deep sea fishing as I boarded the Sikumi. I wasn’t going to let my inexperience deter me, however, from trying to land a big one. The Sikumi is equipped with all the fishing equipment you would expect a fishing boat in Alaska to have.

An impressive collection of rods and tackle hang from the ceiling on the top deck. I noticed these within minutes of boarding the boat and was quite excited to take a few casts. A few of the other passengers were experiencing similar itches, so in the early afternoon of the second day the Captain positioned us over one of his favorite Halibut spots. After helping me set my bait and giving me a crash course on catching Halibut I was off. Within in minutes I had my first bite. It was a little frustrating being outwitted by a fish, but I knew a little patience would go a long way.

Sure enough, after a couple more casts I hauled in my first Halibut. The ugly sucker fought me all the way into the boat, but with the help of the Captain and his net I was able to get him aboard. Inspired by my catch, I was quickly baiting another hook and casting again. We kept the Captain and our deckhand quite busy over the next few hours, snagging and hauling fish after fish, until we had each filled our daily limits.

I was pretty sure I had experienced the climax of my fishing experience as I pulled my last Halibut from the water, but boy was I wrong. After filleting our catch, the Chef started on Halibut tacos, which we enjoyed for dinner. There is something uniquely rewarding about eating fish that you pulled from the water just hours earlier. The day ended with a full stomach and a better understanding for the die-hard fishermen’s motivation.

From Rod to Plate. The dish above is made from a fresh Silver Salmon cooked by the Chef just hours after a guest caught it.

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