Alaska Adventure

Paid to Fish!!!!!!

Mendenhall Glacier 

May-Sept 2012.

I took a job in southeast Alaska running a sport-fishing boat this summer out of Auke Bay (near Juneau).  I was a captain & fishing guide out of Shelter Island, taking a total of 288 fishermen & women to have the Alaska experience (4 at a time).  This was an adventure I have always dreamed of…on a remote, Alaskan island working for a fishing lodge.  The lodge is off-grid. Everything is run by a generator or by propane. The only way in or out of the island is by boat. The lodge has a fleet of 7 boats, four main fishing boats, a landing craft, a work boat (to do fuel and propane runs in town) and one back-up boat. We would pick guests up at the airport then take them to Shelter Island via our boats.

In Every Color

Water Taxi to our Boats

Auke Bay

Deep Fried Rockfish

My boat named Ho’Okipa (means hospitality in Hawaiian) is a 2010 North River cabin cruiser. It is a 20-minute ride from Auke Bay to our mooring buoys in front of the lodge.  The landing-craft would take guests ashore to the lodge where they would enjoy the next 5 days of fishing and gourmet meals.  On staff we had two chefs, four captain/guides, and two lodge assistants who operate the landing craft and workboats.

Catch of the Day

The fishing was abundant, the weather cold, rainy wet and set inclement records this summer!  My wardrobe consisted of 5 layers of clothing, long johns, raingear and Xtratuff boots.  I did get a handful of sporadic sunny days while I was there, but only one day of short sleeves!

Yes, it's Real!

Jumbo Shrimp

My daily schedule was up at 5:00am, fishing until 4:30pm, processing fish until 6:30pm, dinner, and bed very soon after. I had one day off every 11 days.  I learned a lot about stamina, Alaska fishing conditions, rough seas, seasick guests, and catching a lot of fish.

Sablefish "Black Cod"

The fishing was amazing! Fishing for black cod (sablefish) down 2,000 feet, we used electric reels.  Salmon, (King, Silver, Chum, Sockeye, Pink), Pacific Halibut, Rockfish, Crabbing and Shrimping were also a part of the experience. Thank goodness for pot pullers, as the shrimp were down 350+ feet! 

I feel truly blessed to have experienced Humpback whales bubble-feeding on the surface with as many as 15 at once, some breaching – almost a daily experience on our way to the fishing grounds.  Orca sightings, Dall’s porpoises, seals, and otters were occasional sightings and quite amazing as well.