As in all ocean fishing, part of the thrill is in not knowing what you might catch. We catch halibut every day, sometimes huge, sometimes smaller, but its always a mystery waiting to happen. There are the occasional surprises: salmon, rockfish, octopus, cod, sharks, wolf eels, skates (ugh!) but always halibut. When you're fishing for halibut in Homer its nice to know that even a small one is 15 lbs. or better, and the big ones.... Unbelievable!

It's also a sport where the novice and the veteran are on a fairly equal footing, once you get your bait in the right place, the halibut decides who's going to be the lucky one today. One day it's the Ernest Hemingway wannabe, the next day, the little kid next to him or his mom. Some folks come to fill the freezer, others for that wonderful jolt when the pole tip dips for the first time, others just to get out of town and into the wide blue expanse of the ocean and the beauty of the unspoiled islands and bays of the real Alaska.

Have you ever caught fish so big that the captain had to shoot it to protect his passengers? Its a regular event fishing out of Homer. These fish are powerful and really can raise a ruckus. But on the plate there isn't a more delicate flavored fish in the world, and if you're half lucky, you won't be buying any fish from the market for many, many days. On an average day with North Country you actually get your fish for less than buying it! What a deal!