Capturing a hefty halibut on a dinky rod from an ocean-going kayak isn't easy work — nor necessarily safe when waves pick up, something Kathleen Reeves discovered during last week's second-annual Barbie Rod Derby at Whiskey Gulch last week.
"It really tests your skills (as an angler and kayaker)," said Reeves of Soldotna. How big a halibut can you bring up with a Barbie rod?
"I had one on that I'm sure was 30-plus pounds," she said. "I'm pretty inexperienced, and I made the mistake of going for the net, and he was too big for a net. Once he saw it, he made a nosedive and snapped the line."
That ensured 11-year-old Ryu Tsukada earned a victory with his 45-pound flatfish, keeping the title in the family —father Rudy won last year.
While not huge, the winner is still about a quarter the size of the flatfish currently leading the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby, caught from a big ocean-going vessel, with a captain and crew available to help.
By contrast, the Barbie Rod Derby is a tiny affair. Some two dozen Alaska sea kayakers showed up. Surf up to 5 feet kept some on shore, but those who made it out used kiddie rods without modification, except for respooling heavier-test line.
A handful of anglers worldwide challenge themselves using the small rods to catch an array of sometimes-sizeable species — tuna, bass, redfish, black drum, catfish, even sharks.
"It's an absolute blast," Reeves said. "I'm an avid fisherperson, just love to fish. But I didn't realize there was this group of people out there until I started this year.
"It kind of takes fishing to the next level. You don't have to see if there's room on a charter, and you don't have to pay $300 for a day of fishing."
Instead, many use 12-foot-long, 85-pound sit-on-top Hobie Outback kayaks that Reeves described as "really, really stable." Nonetheless, she takes care to wear a drysuit, carry a marine radio and make sure she doesn't have to paddle against the strong Cook Inlet tide.
She's learned that the best way to deal with big halibut is using a harpoon attached to a buoy. After 10 minutes or so of working against the buoy, the fish isn't quite so powerful and can be landed.
"If you're smart and don't go out in rough weather it can be a real blast," Reeves said.
Record derby pink salmon landed
Pink salmon nearly hefty enough to be mistaken for silvers were yanked out of Valdez Arm on Saturday in the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. Christian Wingert's winning fish shattered the 8-pound mark for the first time in the tournament's eight-year history.
A young Fairbanks angler, Wingert wasn't planning on fishing, but fellow anglers offered Wingert and his brother the use of a fishing pole at Allison Point, so he gave it a shot and ended up pulling in the 8.08-pound winner.
The biggest fish in derby history also gave Wingert victory in the 8-to-10-year-old division and a longboard skateboard prize. Austin Evans of Tulsa, Oklahoma, landed a 7.9-pound pink to win the 11-to-13 age division. Oceana Holt's 7.12-pounder won the 14-to-16 age division. Hometown angler Caleb Horschel captured the 5-to-7 age division with a 7.64-pound pink.
The derby weigh-in station gave away 300 free T-shirts to kids ages 5 to 16 who wet a line.