Alaskan Sea Monsters

After a relatively slow morning of fishing for silver salmon last week, Capt. Tom Ohaus, co-owner of Angling Unlimited in Sitka, Alaska, suggested we go hunting for “sea monsters.” That was precisely what I wanted to hear—I’d come on my second trip to Sitka determined to spend more time pursuing the region’s famous and freakishly large bottom-dwelling behemoths: halibut, lingcod and rockfish.

To accomplish this, I brought along one of Okuma’s new Nomad C703-MH-H three-piece travel rods, matched with Okuma’s Makaira 10 two-speed reel. Spooled with 65 pound test braided line, this seven foot conventional outfit was light enough to be fun when bouncing eight to 12 ounce lures, and sensitive enough to feel bites in 200 to 400 feet of water. It also offered plenty of backbone to muscle up those sea monsters, but most importantly, this rig fit inside my large duffle bag.

 The primary lesson from fishing with Ohaus? Shut up and listen—you’re never too old to l earn new tricks. For example, Ohaus instructed me to move my plastic-tailed lure with small “snappy” movements of the rod tip, rather than the exaggerated sweeps of the rod I’m accustomed to. The idea, he said, was to keep the large grub on or near the bottom while providing it with a little movement and tail action to attract the attention of nearby predators.

We focused on moderate depths and halibut ranging from 20 pound “chickens” to low triple-digit models, allowing me to experiment with my “light” tackle jigging technique. A short 80 pound leader tied directly to the braided main-line provided the best feel, while allowing the deckhand to safely leader large fish. My favorite rig was a 12 ounce leadhead with a giant Kalin’s curly tailed plastic grub. To add scent and improve my hook-up ratio, I added a strip of salmon belly and a second trailing hook, attached by a short leader to the jig head.

This outfit proved deadly effective. Ohaus explained that the movement of the jig often creates more interest — and bites — than static dead baits. He added that he likes to have one angler jigging because he feels the motion helps attract fish to the other baits, as well. When a fish takes the jig, just wind down, load up the rod, and set the hook sharply. Once the fish is hooked and on the way up, reel in with steady rod pressure rather than a typical wind-and-pump action. With that heavy leadhead, dropping the rod tip even slightly can cause the lure to dislodge from the fish’s jaw. You want to learn more about fishing in Sitka for Alaskan sea monsters? Contact Ohaus at www.anglingunlimited.com.