141 Pound Halibut

We went out on a four day fishing trip aboard the Fishnut II. Left Everett Thursday morning with JR Rogers, Jean, and I. We the had boat loaded with gear, clothes, coolers, etc. Instead of going to the motel first to get the gear off, we would fish with the coolers on the back deck. I figured we had a better chance of getting a fish if the deck was stacked against us. JR sets up a big chunk of Humboldt squid steak from Mexico on a pair of big hooks and put a giant hootchie over it. He starts to go down while I was rigging the other two rods. My wife asks him if she can fish that side of the boat as her shoulder was hurting. He says sure and hands her the rod. She drops to the bottom and tap, tap, bang! Fish on on the third tap. You should have seen the look on JRs face. We were fishing 180 feet deep.

Not bad, 1/2 way to the state record!!

You sure don't hear of fish that big anymore... Well at least I don't.....

Keith

Nice.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I hope your wife reeled it up.

Jerry, She reeled it up this year. her arm was in good enough shape to do it. It was a line stripper!

W0W! Incredible fish!

Saw you at the dock filleting it... Super nice fish! You know Fishnut plans ahead, the guy had a folding table on his boat to fillet the monster... THAT is planning ahead.

We got blanked for 2 days of effort, but it's inspiring to see a monster like that!

I guess the card table was a good idea this year! Nice work there guys !

Hear that Jerry...his wife reeled it up

IrishRogue
I saw the nice write-up on your company in yesterday's paper (and todays).
I hope the game sells well! It sounds like you've been working hard.

Robbo,
To bring you up to speed, about her reeling it up, was that last year she got a 163 pounder out in the straits. Our PSA Sno-King Chapter has a biggest fish contest for fish caught in Washington or boated to and back from Washington. Twelve big trophies, Top three for Kings, Halibut, lings, and coho. I had my 132 last year and was in the lead when she woould have bumped me out with a 163. But unfortunately, she injured her shoulder and could not bring it up. I had to bring it up. Since I made the contest and the rules, the person hooking the fish had to be the one that fought it. This rule has cost several trophies for several people including myself on a 50 pound king I handed off. Since we have changed it to any member in good standing can assist.

Long story short I had to disqualify her and I won the trophy. I tried to step down and give her my spot. This would not have cost anyone else their place but me. We had one member throw a fit and had to leave it as the rules stood. Talk about feeling like crap about it.

So this year her shoulder still hurt but she was able to bring it in. But this year she could have had help.

I had one member email me telling us how they each had 30 minutes each on the fish. They were exstatic. Man were they mad when they found out their 90+ pound halibut was disqualified. I also had to disqualify a couple of friends 150 halibut one year. So that is where it came from.

I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall on Saturday when your show was on. I bet I got roasted. I know Robbie and Tom would not have held back on me!

This was one of the toughest fighting fish we have ever had. It would not lay over to harpoon and I had to take a shot with it straight up and down. Remember that this is all barbless. Her 163 pounder, last year, came up and when we got it to lay over to harpoon it shot under the boat and thrashed. It had both hooks straight down its throat before. It was hanging again and the lower hook came out and the front hook was barely in its lower lip. We had one shot to harpoon it.

I couldn't wait for it to spit the hooks. I had to harpoon it straight up and down thrashing. Its muscles held the shaft in it and I finally got it back out.

Robbo said that because I handed off a 95lber up in Craig last summer to a guy from Georgia.

I just gotta respond as I did on the other big Halibut post.

Dang!!! I've fished Alaska about 30 times for Halibut and the biggest I've ever gotten was 83 pounds. But that 141 sure puts me in my place!

Dandy for sure,

fop

Washington state is pretty under-rated for its fisheries. We have 40-50 pound kings here too. You just have to work for them-and then get lucky.
;-)

MERCY!

You boys are gonna burn that quota in the blink of an eye if you keep this up!

Way to go Jean on reeling that big one in this year. J.R. you are a true gentleman. Ron, you guys rock! No fishing for me because of two cracked ribs. Sure hate to be missing out on the action.

I'll have to remember that one. "Can I fish that side of the boat, 'cause I'm ....."

The only thing she was missing was the pink rainsuit.

Awesome fish!

and I thought Bucket was the only Proxy Fisherman on this board

I find that the best part of catching halibut is the bite, hookset and the first head shakes. Then eating them.