The weather forecast for the weekend was terrific, so I decided to make a concerted effort to catch a halibut. I wasn't picky, even a small halibut would do.
This trip was different from most of my trips so far because usually I go to a certain location, and then take a hike, or set pots, or do something there. This trip was all about bottom fishing.
The sea conditions were such that it was easy to find a spot and then just drift on that spot for a long time. Usually there is enough wind and/or tide to push you along and you can't just drop a line and stay on the bottom. There wasn't a breath of wind during most of the weekend.
I tried many different places over the weekend, but alas, I was unsuccessful. Since I don't have pictures of fish to show you, I'll just show some photos of the very calm seas that I experienced just about everywhere I went.
The US Navy was conducting sub testing in Behm Canal this weekend, so I had to call the SeaFac Control on VHF channel 12 every time I wanted to move from one location to another.
These photos are from a spot I fished that is in Western Behm Canal, out in front of Naha Bay. I've caught halibut there in the past, but not today.
I stayed on this spot for several hours, drifting along slowly, and then resetting my position to stay on my spot. I did manage to lose an expensive rig by hanging up on the bottom. That's part of fishing, you lose gear from time to time.
As it got closer to evening I eventually started thinking about where I would spend the night. It's unusual for me to head out without a definite plan, but this weekend I did just that. There were several possibilities for a landing spot for the night, but in the end I opted for Traitors Cove, Marguerite Bay. I went in there intending to anchor out, but there was room at the dock so I ended up tying up there for the night. The 47' Bayliner "Selah" was the only boat at the dock.
The guys on the Selah came out to help catch my lines as I pulled in which is always appreciated, especially when I am alone. They had several adults, kids, and dogs so we had a nice visit on the dock. It helps that I always have a pocketful of dog treats.
In the evening after dinner, I went up to the landing and flew the drone. I only crashed it once this time and there was no apparent damage to the drone. This drone occasionally just gets a mind of its own and flies off just ignoring any commands from the controller. I think it's just because it is a relatively cheap drone, as drones go. Maybe eventually I will be able to afford a higher quality drone.
In the morning I pulled out early as the crew of the Selah was still asleep. I went across Behm Canal to the entrance near Port Stewart and tried again to catch a halibut. Conditions were still dead calm and there was almost no drift, so it was easy to stay on the bottom.
At the end I moved over to Vallenor Bay and drifted there for a few hours. I also had dinner there.
Eventually I faced the fact that I wasn't getting a halibut this weekend, so I pulled the gear and headed in, arriving at my slip a little after 7 PM.
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