ATHIC 2011

[StinkyMatt]

Holy Crap!

Where did you charter that boat?

That captain sure worked for his money.

[Iceman]

[kobra]

Congratulations Adi. Now that's a pair of butts!

[RK]

HOLY SHIT ADI wheres my halibut croissant..........

[Hunter (The 80's Man)]

Nice set!

[blackcloud9]

Wow nice work Adi!

[sharonkayak]

WOW!!

nice pair!!!

Well deserved!!!

you are on a role!!

[GBF]

Very nice going sir!!

GBF

[Billy V]

- Way to go!

[lamb]

Thank you gang!

I guess I’ve got enough of a compensation, I better put a descent report up. And I do have a pretty cool story to tell.

Every year I look forward to ATHIC. Happening on Saturday following the Thanksgiving, it’s just a perfect time to enjoy dedicated day of halibut fishing, something we almost never exclusively do. Mike started it years ago as $$ between friends, and I think the tournament managed to keep that same relaxed, yet competitive vibe. We just got older, we don’t give each other chit like we used to on the boards . It’s great to be seeing the same faces every year. I was bummed that some folks I was looking forward to see couldn’t make it this year. For me, ATHIC has always been an event that kind of closes and rounds up every fishing season. ATHIC wraps up every year. I’ve placed 4th twice on past ATHICs. Last time it happened, it was one year before 4th place was put in the money.

We have been fortunate to be able to get out and fish more often than we usually do lately. That gave us a chance to map out and connect with The Browns. We were feeling good about the tournament, but for one reason or another, we kept failing to register. We left it on calling it the last minute, entering the day of.

Friday we pre-fished, but never really seriously for halibut. Brad’s uncle was with us, we had a great time. We were coddin’, and it was slow, it took as a while to get some dinners. So we ended up doing only a few drifts while filleting rockfish for no halibut.

Then a big downer – Brad was not feeling well, and it was getting worse as the day went on. He called me late Friday saying he is down, no go. I didn’t like the idea of fishing halibut tournament solo, but I just couldn’t suppress that weird drive I had. I figured this late the night before, I could only call Jasmin to join me… But then I quickly remembered that I’ve fished with him for way too long NOT to know he’s an opinionated sob… He’d drive me nuts the whole day with his great ideas on where to fish, “where they actually are”. I’ve dealt with beavers solo on a kayak, I knew it would be harder on a bigger boat, but I figured I’ll manage solo.

The parade to the purple is always how it starts… Good thing no “situations” this year.



I ran into a nice school of deans bubbling on the surface - figured it was as good of a place to start as any. Busted out sabiki and made 2 nice horsie deans. Kayaker in me, couldn’t help it - pinned one on. Ten minutes into the drift – bendo! Mid-twenties on the deck shortly thereafter. SWEET – I had a contender on board, and the day has just started.

Worked for about an hour, not much happening there, so picked up and moved to another place I had more confidence in. I wanted to be there for the tip of the high. I kept getting raked baits, so I kept working it patiently. Got one short, and then landed 12# fish; called it in. Nothing happening there for a while, so I stared schmoozing on the boat, looking at my fish…



Mid 20ies, nice fish and all, but I just knew it wasn’t going to be big enough for a win. The wind picked up after 11 to make drifts perfect, so I moved way up the beach and set up with renewed aspirations.

And then momma signed in. She started peeling the drag right after the hook up with rod in the holder. She had me worried I got a shark or something. When I turned her, it started to feel more like what I was hoping for. At the color, all I see is that she is much bigger than the bigger one I got on ice. You know what was going through my mind – don’t f’up Adi… I reeled her up on the plane a foot or so below the surface. Leaning over the side of the boat, I reached with the gaff, lined it up right under her belly. I pulled back to stick ‘er, but the friggen’ end of the gaff behind my elbow hits the trolling rod holder that’s sticking over the side, stopping the gaff ½” under and away from her… Ugh… Luckily, I didn’t spoke her. I stick her nicely on the 2nd try. I put my rod down, unlock the spool – she was calm as a lamb, all good. I lifted her over the rail, and she started going apeshit…

She was violently trashing for what it seemed like eternity. I am leaning on her and pressing against the inside side hatch the whole time. The tail is banging, beating the crap out of me, the head is swinging up and down close to my face. I keep having her hanging on the gaff, but her weight is causing her belly to rip more and more… To top it all off, she starts throwing up some green shit - I guess digested gut contents, or maybe I messed something up in her stomach as I gaffed her, I don’t know… Green shit spraying all over, I got it all over my sunglasses, the whole boat is turning friggen’ green. Holly commotion, talking about the bomb exploding on the deck



One pissed off 30+ halibut that did not seem to like me at all. I was confused – I really liked her a lot!

She finally calms down… I try to slide her into the hatch but she is too wide to fit, and at that point I know this happy ending was still in the making. And she goes off on another raging session. This time I have the hatch to put over her, to at least get a better grip. She finally calms down… and I push her down on ice. GAME OVER!



All pumped up in excitement, I started laughing like crazy. It took me a while to put myself together.

Funny thing – I am still on the same drift, and as I am talking on a phone with Brad to give him great news of an upgrade, the other rod bends down. Got him up quickly and I took some video - I was doing some scientific research on halibut behavior: how they take getting their head up above the surface, you know, silly stuff like that… I released a nice hali, I’d call it mid teens.



Ended up pretty much chilling for hours, waiting for the weigh in. Trying to collect myself after a major rush and thrill… Posting braggy FB status updates:

“nothin’ like a herd o’ halilamb on the deck in halibut tournament…. and be entered in all JPs….”

Baaaaaah



Thanks Mike and family, thanks to all that helped.

Thanks Frank for picking out my prettiest pictures…

Thanks to my buddy Jasmin for taking wonderful photos...



Thanks to all that played this year. Hope to see you all next November.

Tight lines, baaaah.

[GregAndrew]

Now that is a report!! Congrats again. I'd be your gaff Ho any day.

[cioppino]

We fished this tourny last year and had a blast. My boat ho totally flaked so I missed it this year. Way to go on a solo mission and get it done.

Congratulations!!!

[StinkyMatt]

Excellent post, a fun read.


I'm gonna start prefishing for next year tommorrow!

[roby]

Great write-up!!!!

Damn nice halis you got right there.

[rastrev]

Congrats Adi! Lots of good eating. Baaahhhh!