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July 18th Combo Trip- BIG KING!!!

Today’s trip was a full day combo trip, targeting halibut and salmon.  The first spot we fished was a small bump on the outside of some major underwater structure.  I have done well catching halibut in the 40-80lb range and some big ling cod as well.  We arrived in the middle of slack tide and the fishing was a bit slow.  We did however land nine average size halibut but still could not get any big fish to bite.  We pulled anchor and traveled out to a spot with a faster bite.  We pulled up some solid 15-30lb halibut and caught a 50 pounder on a piece of cut herring.
“bigger in person” ( :
For salmon we travelled 33 miles back towards the Cape and fished for silvers for a few hours.  We had expected a faster bite but the salmon weren’t as thick as previous days.  The wind was blowing pretty good by 3pm causing the boat to drag anchor and hold on top of the fish.  We pulled anchor and started drifting over the same grounds and immediatly hooked up with a giant king salmon.  The fish pulled so hard I was sure the line was about to snap.  It was a very intense fight especially when the fish ran under the boat in the last attemp to shake the hook.  When we landed the beast everyone was screaming with joy but mostly relief.  Within minutes the silver fishing picked up and we were able to land over 38 silvers.  A 30lb king is not a fish you see hanging at the dock everyday, they are usually under 20 lbs.  We had a great time and the weather held up long enough for us to get a great day of fishing in.  The wind that was expected to pick up steadily during the afternoon remained mostly off shore.
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Monday, July 18, 2011 July 17th Combo Trip- Little Girl Big Fish

We had an awesome trip today, we went back to the spot where we had numerous big fish bites the day before.  The fish were a little less hook shy today, an eight year old girl landed landed a fish over 100lbs.  She yelled, “fish on” and as I looked down the rail, the little girl’s rod was about to break in half while line was screaming out of the reel.  With a little help from myself and grandpa, we managed to land her fish which was by far twice her size.  We landed a few fish in the 50-75lb range on the jigs and salmon carcasses.  We fished the hog spot until 2pm, then slid out on the shelf to fill the boat.  It only took 45 min to land a boat limit of halibut.

We travelled back towards Cape Resurrection to try our hand at some silvers.  We had pure craziness on the back deck as we netted salmon after salmon.  The boat was covered in blood and a smile on everyone’s face.  Definitely a successful day on the water.  We had a great time and look forward to fishing with you all again.  Thanks for coming out…FISH ON!!!

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Sunday, July 17, 2011 July 16th Halibut & Salmon Trip- Fishing with the Bayers

7/16/2011

Sea Quest had an exclusive charter today, Bob and his family from Anchorage came down for a full day Halibut and Salmon combo trip.  We wanted to try our hand at some big fish so we soaked near Elrington Island for a few hours.  It was slow at first but we were constantly getting big takedowns on the salmon carcasses.  We changed out the salmon heads for fresh ones every 10-15 minutes and as soon as they would hit the bottom, a fish would grab but seemed to miss the hook every time.  It was a very frustrating morning because we knew the fish were down there but we could not get a good hook set in them.  We ended up with 9 good fish out of that first spot.  We later moved off shore to limit the boat out on some medium sized halibut.  Within an hour the boat was limited with 44 halibut so it was then time to pursue some silvers.  We arrived and the weather was a bit windy when trying to set our anchor in a particular spot.  We drug anchor the first attempt but reset right on top of a school of salmon.  We dropped lines and immediately “fish on,” the next hour and a half was madness, with salmon hitting the deck non-stop.

Bob and his family have been fishing with me since 2006 and they are always a blast to have on the boat.  They were also the first charter to clean the whole inside of the boat on the way in…Thanks guys!  FISH ON!!!

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Friday, July 15, 2011 July 14th Combo Trip- Great day out west!

The weather forcaste this morning was looking a bit nasty so we travelled through the islands out west to avoid the wind and waves.  I wanted to try something new so we dropped anchor on a spot I’ve never fished before.  The bite was hot from the moment the baits hit the bottom, and we continued to pull halibut out one at a time for the next three hours.  We had a great average, landing halibut between 15lb-50lbs.  By 1:30pm we had limited the boat with halibut, so we moved onto the next species.  We traveled back into Resurrection bay to try for a bay limit of Silver salmon (6 per person)  We anchored on the inside of Cheval Island and once again the rods were hot with Silvers all over the boat.  We fished hard for an hour and a half until the 90th salmon hit the deck.

Another successful day for the Sea Quest, Thanks for coming out guys.  We are gearing up for a busy week and we still have a few slots open for combo trips this sunday and monday. FISH ON!!!

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Wednesday, July 13, 2011 July 12 Halibut Trip- “Sharks Everywhere”

Today was our first straight halibut trip in a while so we were excited to soak some big baits.  The previous night we loaded up on salmon carcasses and prepared for a full day of halibut fishing.  The first spot we tried was giant rock pile off shore that we usually have good luck at.  As we came up on the spot the sounder had fish all over it.  The black bass in this area can get really thick on a slack tide making it impossible for the halibut to get to the bait.  We sat for a bit catching black bass and a few Yellow Eye rock fish, hoping that when the tide picked up it would wash the school of bass out in the current.  We decided that it wasn’t going to happen so we picked up anchor and tried a spot in a little deeper water just a few miles away.  As soon as we hit bottom we hooked up with 75lb halibut on the jig but as the fish came up, he made one last attempt to run and rubbed on the swim step snapping off.  Shortly after, the dogfish (sand shark) moved in one by one tangling us up and stealing our bait.  I know there was some nice halibut down there but competition between the dogfish and the halibut was one sided.  We were not ready to give up yet so we traveled seven more miles hoping to steer clear of the savage dogfish bite.  As soon as the lines got down we were swarmed again, but did manage to land two nice halibut.  A tough day so far for the Sea Quest, but we powered through it pulled anchor again and moved to another spot, “they say 4th times a charm”.  We managed to catch a limit of halibut within 1 1/2 hours.  I looked over to Howard’s rod and it looked like it was about to snap in half.  He battled his halibut for about ten minutes in 240′ of water.  When the fish came up I was surprised to see a 75lb halibut just sitting on the surface.  This particular spot has been known to have a few big ones roll through every once in a while.  We pulled it off with a limit of butts and a box full of Black Bass.
It turned out to be a great day and everyone was thrilled once we started catching halibut.  The weather was a bit windy throughout the day, blowing a steady 10-15kt out of the SW.  4′ ground swell with a little chop made for an uncomfortable sit; but by the end of the day the wind layed down and it was flat again.
WE HAVE A FULL DAY COMBO TOMORROW WITH SEATS THAT NEED FILLING.  COME ON DOWN TO SEWARD WHILE THE WEATHERS NICE AND THE FISH ARE BITING.
FISH ON!!!
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Sunday, July 10, 2011 July 11th Halibut & Salmon Trip- Silvers Are In!!!

We had an exclusive charter rented out by Midas of Anchorage.  28 guys with coolers packed with little food and lots of beer came out to do some serious combo fishing.  We started the day off by limiting the boat with 54 halibut by 11:30 this morning.  The bite was great with not a single shark caught…a plus for those of us that have to deal with line frays and tangles due to the dogfish.  We traveled back towards Cape Resurrection to find some Silver Salmon.  We dropped the anchor instead of drifting to try to school the fish up under the boat.  After chumming for about 5 minutes the salmon showed up, and they were hungry.  To say the salmon are “in” would be an understatement.  The salmon fishing in Seward over the past two years has been tough and to have limited the boat would have be a hard task to complete.  This year however has been great, the salmon not only showed up early in large numbers, they are very ferocious as well.  On every halibut/salmon combo this year we have managed to limit the boat out, even with groups of 34 on exclusive charters.  A big relief for us Seward captains.  Hopefully they stick around long enough for the Salmon Derby, which in years past seems to be the time the salmon start dwindeling down.

After the salmon slaughter we did a little touring through the bay.  The weather was again flat calm with little wind coming out of the SW.  The calm weather might be another culprit of why the salmon fishing is so great.  It seems they scatter when the weather gets nasty.  I look forward to tomorrows trip, we have 16 fisherman coming out on a full day halibut trip.  We have tons of salmon carcasses from todays trip that will make some valuable free bait for tomorrow.  Some big halibut hit the dock this week, with one weighing in at 300lbs and another just under 290lbs.  Weather should be great lets hope there are still a few big ones biting.  FISH ON!!!

WE STILL HAVE ROOM FOR TOMORROWS TRIP!!! CALL THE OFFICE @ (907)224-BOOK
OR SHOW UP AT OUR DOCKSIDE OFFICE AT 6:30 READY TO FISH.

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Sunday, July 10, 2011 July 9th Combo-

Today’s trip was a light load for the Sea Quest, with only 14 fisherman.  The morning halibut bite was great all morning and we limited on halibut by 10:30am.  The next target species on the list was Ling Cod, So we drifted some twin-tail jigs and were able to catch some really nice ling cod.  We had five fish on at all times, and the majority weighing around 30+ pounds,  The silvers however were not as easy to find.  We tried three spots picking up a few salmon at each.  We made a final move to an area that produced two days ago prior, and within 10 minutes we had already landed 10 fish.  The bite remained constant until we threw our 42nd silver in the box.  Another 3 species grand slam for the Sea Quest.  The fishing and the weather have been phenomenal this summer, and the fishing season is in full force.  Thanks again for coming out guys, what a catch!!! See you next time. FISH ON!!!

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Friday, July 8, 2011 July 7th Halibut Trip- A TRIP TO REMEMBER

Today the Sea Quest had her first straight halibut trip in a week.  We were excited to soak some salmon heads and see if anyone was home.  The first fish to hit the deck set the bar pretty high at 113 lbs.  The jigs were hot this morning and we landed another three fish around 100lbs.  By afternoon the jig bite died off and we started getting take-downs on the salmon carcasses.  Mary, from Santa Rosa, CA, was the first to land a hog on a salmon head and it was only her second time fishing ever.  Seven people on the boat set personal records for the largest fish they have ever caught.  By the end of the day the fish were still biting but the size remained consistent at about 25lbs.  We pulled the anchor at 16:30 with nine fish over 50lbs.  A great day for the Sea Quest and even better day for our clients.  Unfortunately quite a few fishermen felt allergic to the motion of the ocean but the energy on deck seemed to keep their minds off the seasickness and let them focus on railing monster halibut.  What a day guys – Keoni and I had a great time and we’re looking forward to fishing with you all again next year.

 

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July 5th Combo Trip- GRAND SLAM!

We had perfect weather conditions and a group of people determined to fill the boat up with fish.  The first species we targeted was Halibut.  Everyone was enthusiastic about keeping their first two Halibut so we were able to limit the boat out by 11:00am.  Afterwards we drove over to Montague Island to drift for some Ling Cod.  The Ling Cod fishing was incredible, we had 26 Ling Cod in the boat by 2:00pm.  The day was going exactly to plan, we had limits of two species way before schedule.  After the massacre of Ling Cod it was time to target some Silver Salmon.  We started making way towards home to hit some of the usual silver spots.  We landed 6 at our first spot, but there was a plague of Pacific Cod that we couldn’t seem to keep off the hook.  After a few drifts we made way to a popular spot that usually produces, and sure enough we limited on Silvers in an hour and a half.  A great finish to a great day.  It’s not every day that a boat with 26 passengers can limit out on three different species of fish.  A big pat on the back for all of us.  GREAT DAY GUYS!!!!LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN….FISH ON!

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Monday, July 4, 2011 July 3rd Combo Trip- Mass Slaughter

Another great day of weather and fishing for the M/V Sea Quest.  With 22 clients on board we left the dock and steered towards a popular salmon spot not to catch a limit but to catch enough for Halibut bait.  It only took 15 minutes before we had 16 Pink and Silver Salmon in the boat.  We then travelled another hour to one of our favorite spots for big Halibut right at the start of a large incoming tide.  The first fish to hit the deck was a Halibut weighing over 100lbs.  The fishing was a bit slow, as it usually is while fishing for large fish but we were pulling them in fast enough to keep us from moving.  By 1pm we had 2 fish over 100lbs and a few in the 50lb – 80lb range.   The boat still needed 22 fish for a limit of Halibut so we slid off shore out of the rockpiles and onto the flats.  As soon as we dropped anchor we immediatly were catching fish, ranging from 15lbs- 25lbs which are nice fish for a clean up spot.  Within 45min the boat was limited out on Halibut so we tried a few drifts of Point Elrington to see if we could hook up on any nice Ling Cod.  We only had enough time for 2 drifts but were able to catch 4 lings, unfortunatey only 1 was a legal Ling.  5 big Yellow Eye rockfish were also caught on the drift.  Later we moved to the salmon grounds in search of some Coho Salmon.  Within 10 minutes of mooching, the salmon bite was ferocious however the ratio of Pinks to Coho was 4/1.  By 6pm we had landed 55 Silvers and made our way back to the barn.  Killer day of fishing, great weather once again…and fun people made this trip a blast.
Thanks for coming out guys, the crew had a great day I’ll see you again soon. Fish On!
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Friday, July 1, 2011 June 30th – Last day of the derby

Today was our first combination trip of the 2011 season,.  Our first target species was halibut, so we travelled out to Montague Island to see if we could get the derby winner to bite.  It was a slow sit for the first
2 hours, but we were able to catch a handful of giant Ling Cod.  After the tide switched and the outgoing current started picking up, the Halibut finally started biting.   A jig on the bow hooked up with an 80 pounder and started screamed line to the bottom repeatedly for 15 minutes.  Shortly after, 6 more fish over 50lbs were landed on jigs and plug cut herring.  The Halibut bite was short and sweet, so we switched over to Salmon gear and caught about 7 Silver Salmon on the Halibut grounds.  We were half way fishing with a limit of Halibut so we travelled to the flats.  Within twenty-five minutes we completed our limit of halibut so we focused on salmon. It was late in the day at this point and we didn’t have much time to prospect for Salmon.  We baited hooks and within 10 minutes we had already landed 7 Salmon.  By 6:30pm we had boated thirty-five Silver Salmon.  Not too bad for the first combination charter of the year!  Overall, we had a great day and our group was a blast to fish with.  Looking forward to tomorrow’s trip with the Elmendorf Exclusive as well as the long awaited opportunity to keep the Ling Cod we have been throwing back all season.  FISH ON!!!
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011 June 26th Halibut trip- BIG FISH!!!

The sky was gray and weather was calling for 20kt of wind from the East.  As we approached Cape Resurrection the weather seemed to be in our favor.  The seas were a bit confused but the wind was only blowing about 9kt in the easterly direction.  As we approached Bainbridge Passage the wind kicked up a bit, but we kept on.  We approached the Island of Montague and the winds seemed to lay down and seas were calm.  We fished in 90′ of water in a spot that I’ve done especially well in the past.  Within 30 minutes of dropping the anchor we starting getting take downs on the jigs.  As the day progressed the fish kept coming, and not only was the bite increasing; so was the size of the fish.  The largest fish weighing in at #111lbs decided to bite Mariam’s half chunk of herring just about pulling her over the side as she yelled “fish on.”  Two other fish in the same size range were caught off the stern by Scott and his wife both on light tackle.  It was a killer day on the water and the fish just kept biting.  By 1pm we had already caught 52 halibut, releasing most of the small and keeping an assortment of 50lb- 100lb fish.  Everyone on the boat was ecstatic as fish were being railed constantly and gun smoke fillled the air.  The weather became increasingly windy and rough as the day went on but the killer fishing kept everyone’s attention solely on the fish.  The crew decided that it would be a good day to hang some fish at the dock so our fisherman could show off their prizes.  What a fantastic day. The fishing is picking up and the season is about to go into full swing… Perfect timing!!

Thanks everyone for coming out, we had a great time fishing with you and hope that you will all be back with us soon.  FISH ON!!!

Mariam rubbing the belly of her monster for good luck