The weather forecast was excellent for the weekend, so I decided to try again for a halibut.
My friend had told me about a couple of spots in Carroll Inlet where he had caught halibut before so I decided to head that way and give them a try.
The water conditions were absolutely flat, perfect for drift fishing.
I saw these boats near shore. I can't quite figure out what's going on here. It looks like a couple of boats are either totally or partially grounded, and the other two are just anchored together very close to shore.
I fished and fished at both of the spots I was told about, as well as a couple of other spots, but was once again foiled in my attempts to catch a halibut. I decided to head in for the night and try again tomorrow.
I went to Shelter Cove USFS dock for the night. It's a peaceful spot and there was no one else around.
The next day, Sunday, I decided to take a little side trip before starting to fish again. The Swan Lake hydroelectric plant is just about 5 miles further north in Carroll Inlet and I had not been there in many years, so I went up there and took some photos.
The facility is operated by SEAPA, Southeast Alaska Power Authority. The dam itself is not visible from the water, but there is a dock and some buildings there. I don't know if people live there permanently or just commute back and forth from Ketchikan. There are a couple of buildings that look like permanent residences. I did not see any humanoids around, but then again, it was early on a Sunday morning.
The power lines from the facility cross over Carroll Inlet right there and then travel through the woods up the West side of Carroll Inlet. I assume that they eventually make their way to the Beaver Falls power plant in George Inlet which is operated by Ketchikan Public Utilities.
I tried fishing some more in a few spots, but eventually the wind came up and I could not stay on the bottom without anchoring. I have a special anchor with 600' of line that I use specifically for anchoring in deep water for halibut fishing, but it is not on a winch and so pulling it is difficult. I don't like to do that when I am alone.
I went into a small unnamed cove just north of Osten Island and hung out on a mooring buoy for a couple of hours. Then I motored south and went into Ice House Cove and tied to the mooring buoy there until about 5:30 PM when I headed for Bar Harbor.
I got into the slip at 7 PM logging about 71 nm in yet another unsuccessful attempt to catch just one small halibut. I'm getting discouraged.
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