Into The Great Land

Ran out to the bar  (17 miles) and dropped in 175 feet of water.  We had 7 ft. confused* and building seas, a 30 mph wind, rain and 37 degree weather.  The current was so strong that we were fishing 7 pound weights (that’s POUNDS, not ounces) and were barely holding the bottom. We were dragging the anchor due to poor conditions and had to run the motors to stay in place.  the confused seas soon had the the boat rolling in a sort of corkscrew fashion, with a yaw and an extra lurch added here and there just to throw you off balance and make you ill.

This is what they call “Real Halibut Fishing”, which, like most things called “real”, means it kind of sucked.   The opportunity  there is to enjoy the power and majesty of nature, rather than the fishing per se.  This is easier if you can keep your breakfast on the inside of you.

We stuck it out for 3 hours until the tide change, for a grand total of one halibut for 15 pounds.  Tucking our tails firmly between our legs,we carefully picked our way through the wacky seas* back to near shore and anchored up in a little cove in 30 ft of water.  This covelet protected us from the seas, if not the wind, and the comfort level went way up.  Unfortunately the 5 fathom line is not the best place to fish big halibut.

‘We were quite happy to take smaller halibut for a limit. (2 fish each for 5 anglers) I got the biggest, at 40 pounds and also a 20#.  At least I’m on the board this year.  Another nice thing is that these were fat, healthy fish that will be excellent to eat.

There was a certain amount of drama when we weren’t sure the tractor launch facility could retrieve us, bu the seas flattened some and we got on shore.  We returned to the lodge, I made fresh halibut enchiladas, and everyone has a new war story to tell.

*Definition of confused seas:

Confused Seas

These are among the worst conditions, and don’t necessarily have to involve large waves to be dangerous or make life at sea miserable. Confused sea conditions are best avoided since there is no getting around them and nothing one can do to make things better. Confused sea conditions occur as a result of major shifts in wind direction that occur quickly. This causes waves coming from differing directions, resulting in waves that are irregular and unpredictable.

They are mostly an oceanic phenomenon but do occur on large lakes or very large bays during or after thunderstorms, but will die down quickly on smaller bodies of water. But on oceans, confused seas can last for days after major fronts or hurricanes. Even large thunderstorms can have a significant affect on the ocean. Like throwing a rock in a pond, a storm or front can send out waves in different directions from the winds that caused them previously. The waves come together and make the surface very bumpy.