Cod Frenzy, Coast Guard & The One That Got Away! Alaskan Halibut Fishing - Juneau, Alaska! JULY 2022

[@AnAlaskaHomestead]

Being retired army we always talk smack about other branches and Coast Guard was on the bottom of the totem pole. Then I moved up here and have new found appreciation for them and the role they provide. Nice job on the chicken and the cod.

[@CaptainZac]

Hi An Alaska Homestead thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut footage! Haha yes indeed I know there is a big rivalry among the service branches (I'm an Air Force brat myself!) but couldn't agree more that the Coast Guard plays a vital role up here in Alaska and does great work out there on the water! Thanks for your service by the way! All the best and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@nigelkavanagh2048]

Great job skipper! Lucky charm Mary works every time. 👌🍀👍

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Nigel thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! Haha you are spot on in terms of the lucky charm! This past weekend she caught an awesome 60-70 pound halibut so I'm right back to my usual role landing fish after the halibut queen catches them! haha Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@philipmccumbee3624]

Great fishing. I noticed you didn’t let the Queen steal the show. Tight lines to both of you.

[@CaptainZac]

Haha hi Philip thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! So true that for once she didn't steal the show... of course this weekend she caught another big 60-70 pound halibut - so here we go again!!! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@pascalb1974]

great footage!!!USCG are amazing and do an amazing job!!!!!!respect.....

[@CaptainZac]

Hi pascalb1974 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut action! Yes indeed I totally agree - the USCG does an amazing job out there on the water! Much respect! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@a.wo.ladventuresalaska9132]

Y’all are awesome! What fun!! Professional and happy!

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Captain Pete many thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut action! I appreciate the kind words and hope all is well on your end! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@kevinschacher2097]

My Alaska halibut trip got cancelled this year, so I’m living vicariously through your videos. Keep them coming!!

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Kevin thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! I'm sorry to hear that your AK trip got cancelled this year - bummer! I'm glad to hear that these videos are helping you enjoy Alaskan adventure vicariously until your next visit up here! Will you be fishing in Southeast Alaska or somewhere up in the mainland? Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@kevinschacher2097]

@@CaptainZac we usually go to Valdez

[@CaptainZac]

@@kevinschacher2097 Awesome - hopefully you'll get to go halibut fishing next year! I hear there are some pretty big halibut caught on the charters out of Valdez.

[@kevinschacher2097]

@@CaptainZac the last time I got to go was 2019, pre pandemic. I caught a 99.4 lb halibut, what a blast. I also caught a yellow eye rockfish which was a bucket list fish for me, a very fun trip!

[@CaptainZac]

@@kevinschacher2097 That's awesome! A great trip plus I'm sure a freezer full of fillets to share with friends and family!

[@NRALifer1]

Buddy, another Great Vid! Nice to see the CG! Had an air unit where I stationed in Savannah @ HAAF. Seemed like they had to work in the absolute worst weather, Much Respect for those Folks!

[@CaptainZac]

Hi NRALifer1 thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! Yes indeed - the USCG does an amazing job out on the water. Tons of respect for those folks! Thanks for your service while stationed at HAAF as well! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@outfishing8499]

sitting at the poor man's float in petersburg right now watching, fishing is slow, but we aren't fishing super deep, good times!!

[@CaptainZac]

Hi out fishing thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! I really like that area - I've spent tons of time over the years around Petersburg's North Harbor. I put my boat there when we visit from Juneau and I love catching herring from either off the dock or from the boat just beyond the dock! I hope the fishing improves for you - the cohos should be available trolling in the salt and generally the halibut fishing improves as the summer goes on. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@markmaccani9411]

Great job there Zac and Mary on another outing. Heading back to Sitka the beginning of September. There has been some talk about running up to Juneau for a day or two to take in some of the sights there. Good luck on your future trips.

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Mark thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! I appreciate the kind words. Early Sep should be a great time to catch cohos in the streams on spinning or fly gear! That would be cool if you could swing a visit to Juneau - perhaps our paths will cross! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@PeelingLine]

Those cod are awesome. Great catches the chicken too. 👍

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Peeling Line thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! I appreciate the positive comment - these big cod were a nice bonus while halibut fishing! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@pascualperez6692]

Great Video Capt Zac really nice cod to go with those halibut . Shot out to the coastguard they did a great job of finding some friends of mine that where in big trouble . Out on the water . Keep those videos coming can’t wait to get back out that way .

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Pascual thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! Yes indeed - big shout out to the Coast Guard for the great work they do every day! I'm glad your friends were ok! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@waikarimoana]

Wow, what a day fishing Captain Zac, fishing is excellent and a few beauties landed too.Do you ever cold or hot smoke fish at all Captain.We do most of out Trout cold smoked and it is like Salmon, tight lines and thumbs up from Down Under,, Tony.

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Tony thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! I appreciate the kind words! Yes I do hot smoke a lot of salmon here in Alaska. I've never tried to cold smoke salmon myself but I've tasted cold smoked salmon and it is very tasty. I bet cold smoked trout is delicious! I'd love to try some if I make it to New Zealand someday! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@waikarimoana]

@@CaptainZac New Zealand Trout that are in deep water lakes are as good as Salmon and very nice and tasty cold smoked, we will try them one day Captain Zac, tight lines.

[@CaptainZac]

@@waikarimoana Sounds awesome!!!

[@visty_tv9102]

Hello Captain Zac just wanted to say love your videos me and my dad and grandpa are going to uculet for halibut and salmon and I have been watching for about a month

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Visty_fn thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! Wow sounds like you've got a fun trip ahead - good luck halibut and salmon fishing down in Uculet! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@andrewhardcastle7982]

Thanks for making this video I sure miss AK already down here in BC.

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Andrew thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut action! Hopefully you'll find some good cod and halibut fishing down in your neck of the woods in BC! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@davehconner]

Thanks for the video

[@CaptainZac]

Hi David thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! Tight lines! Captain Zac

[@gregfl2001]

Nice work as always!

[@CaptainZac]

Hi gregfl2001 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@kwzook]

Fun video! I never hear of people in Homer fishing in deep holes, though I wonder about it. We certainly have some depth in Kachemak Bay, over 500 feet in some places. What attracts you to a deep spot?

[@CaptainZac]

Hey Kim thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! I tend to think of deep spots in a few ways - steep ledges with shelves (which we were fishing this day), deep mounds surrounded by even deeper water and deep holes which are often pretty flat/muddy bottoms. I drift or backtroll across all of these types of spots so I can quickly determine whether there is a "hot bite" or not. Generally speaking, in Southeast AK the halibut tend to relate to deeper spots earlier in the year and move shallower throughout the summer (following the salmon, feeding on dungies, etc.). Sometimes I'll fish the shallow areas of a spot and then work down into deeper water. Large halibut often rise up from the deeper water to feed in shallow water based on forage availability, tide cycle, etc., so covering a variety of depth ranges can be helpful in locating nice size fish. Does this make sense? Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@kwzook]

@@CaptainZac Thanks for the tips! I'll look for spots to try around here. I have become more confident in fishing "new" areas, generally anchoring and using a chum bag. A few days ago the wind kept us from going where we wanted to go, so I chose a protected place that I had been thinking should be a good spot. It took some time, but we came away with 2 chicken halis and a nice Pacific cod :)

[@stevencarlson1615]

Nice fishing trip! Love catching both species of fish! Why your thought about brineing bait a injecting bat with sent we all ways inject our bait but I have been seeing a lot more people brineing there bait now? What’s the pros and cons of this?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Steven thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! Brining baits makes them firmer and can add a hint of color to them - I most often use this for salmon trolling but will sometimes take those leftover herring and put them in the mix for halibut. There are other techniques to hold the herring on the hook as well such as magic thread. The only con of brining would the the extra time, cost and mess involved. Halibut are very scent-oriented so adding or injecting scents does tend to increase the attractiveness of the offering. In my experience, I rarely believe that the scent was the only reason I caught a halibut - it is more likely some combination of tons of variables (spot, tide, available forage, scent on your bait, scent on nearby baits, jigging action, angler experience setting the hook correctly, etc.) that led to a successful catch. That said, using additional scent does increase these variables in your favor thus is generally a worthwhile endeavor! I have some spots where I can catch them w/o any extra scent and others where I'll be more focused on setting up a nice scent trail (using extra scent on baits, chum bag, etc.). Tight lines! Captain Zac

[@jago76]

Another great day Alaskan fishing. So do you eat fish every day?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Brian thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut action! Haha I do eat fish a lot - maybe not every day but definitely multiple times a week! I've got a near-endless supply of halibut, salmon, cod, rockfish and crab! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@johnrosen7983]

That’s literally where my friends and I lose fish is the switch because they are too timid to galf and that small amount of pressure release let’s them loose

[@CaptainZac]

Hi John thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! Yes indeed - that "handoff" right near the boat is the biggest risk for losing a fish. The best time to seal the deal with the gaff or harpoon is the instant the fish approaches and then breaks the water. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@danblas5466]

Hey Zac, what length and rod power you use for hali/ling? Keep up the great and inspiring vids

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Dan thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! I use a 6' Penn Carnage III jigging spinning rod with a Penn Slammer IV 8500 spinning reel spooled with 80lb PowerPro braid. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@achildress1868]

Love your videos! What pound test line are you using with your spinning rods?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi A Childress thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod footage! We are using 80lb test PowerPro (braid) on our spinning rods. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@fishduckdog]

Thanks for sharing! Nice fish! How do you like that Penn High Speed (HS) spinning reel? 8500HS? Any advantages to that reel, over the Penn standard 8500?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Charles thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! I do like the Penn Slammer Series - I've found the 8500 to be great for halibut jigging. The high speed Slammer III 8500 model will reel more line per crank and will have slightly more resistance on the crank. The pro is that you can quickly retrieve the jig from very deep (hundreds of feet) and the con is the extra force required to turn the crank. I also have Slammer IV 8500 standard (not high speed) and really like that performance as well - so the high speed option is by no means a "must have." The high speed version may have slightly more line capacity as well, but I'd have to double check that. Tight lines! Captain Zac

[@fishduckdog]

@@CaptainZac thanks for explaining 🙏! Keep up the great work!

[@parkerschroeder6431]

Hey Zac, I live in Juneau, noticed your herring are dyed blue, can I ask what you do to your herring? Do you salt and food dye?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Parker thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this fishing action! Yes I do brine my salmon trolling herring and sometimes I'll use those leftover herring for bottom fishing as well. I use a liquid brine (bottles of this blue brine can be bought at Sportsmans or Western Auto). I like to take a ziploc bag and put a few trays of frozen herring in, then I add the brine. I keep this bag in a cooler while fishing and then I keep that bag in the freezer when I'm off the water. I find that the brine firms the herring and gives it a vibrant color. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@DrCrabnetter]

Zac, how are you rigging up the Gopros in your under water videos?

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Rich thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! Long story short - trial and error! I use a spreader bar, zip ties and then hope for the best. Sometimes the results turn out pitch black depending on conditions and other times the footage ends up being clear or clear enough to use. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@johnbolton9957]

Mmmmmmmyum. Fish and chips time

[@CaptainZac]

Hi John thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this cod and halibut footage! Yes indeed - cod make DELICIOUS fish and chips!!! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

[@randymutch5791]

do you have a halibut size limit up there our size limit on vancouver island is 133 cm. so hopefuly we let all the females go

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Randy - the regs differ based on self-guided vs. guided. Self-guided sport fishing anglers can keep 2 halibut per person per day any size. Guided sport fishing regs are as follows: • One fish daily bag limit: Charter vessel anglers may catch and retain one halibut per day. • Reverse slot limit: Retained halibut must be less than or equal to 40 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches in length. This reverse slot limit allows anglers to keep halibut less than approximately 29 pounds and greater than 276 pounds, round weight. Tight lines! Captain Zac

[@scotthall9525]

I was surprised by how little meat you got from those huge cod. Seemed like after fileting and trimming the filets looked very thin not nearly as much meat after all was done. Maybe it was just a camera thing and there was more meat then it looked like

[@CaptainZac]

Hi Scott thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! Cod have huge thick ribs so that section of the fillet is lost. However, the "loins" (above the ribs) on these fillets were super thick - those are the pieces of cod traditionally used for fish and chips! Tight lines! Captain Zac