Another bucket item crossed off the list! Dave and I “reel-ized” we couldn’t spend all this time in Homer, nicknamed the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World, and not take the kids…halibut fishing. So we chartered a boat and hopped on!

Ok, so anyone with kids knows it takes a whole lot more planning than that. After studying every inch of the family calendar, stalking the weather report for weeks, and researching a dozen different charter companies, I finally committed and hoped for the best. Further preparations were made as inventory was taken to ensure everyone had deck boots, wind/water resistant jackets, gloves, hats, sunglasses, and anything else you can think of. Leaving nothing to chance, I pre-medicated everyone the night before with a dose of Dramamine and then an additional dose the morning of. Finally, we packed a cooler full of sandwiches, drinks, and every snack imaginable. (I’m pretty sure we could have survived on a stranded island at least a week and not gone hungry.)

We woke to sunny, clear skies with a forecasted high of 57 degrees. Despite being Saturday and relatively busy on the Spit, Dave quickly located a convenient parking spot near the harbor and pulled in. Gear in hand, we headed down Ramp 3 and climbed aboard Spirit, a 65 ft. vessel donned with a slew of fishing poles, each prepared with 80 lb. line and 3 lb. sinkers, secured along the metal railings. After introductions and some mandatory paperwork, we found our way to the galley, took our seats, and eagerly awaited departure. Within minutes the captain was at the helm, skillfully navigating us out of the busy harbor and into the choppy waters of the Cook Inlet.

The two-hour crossing to prime halibut fishing was anything but boring. White-capped, glistening mountains, with their snow lines rising higher with each warm day, framed our views to the left. To the right, the Kenai Peninsula proved almost just as scenic with its jagged cliffs and miles of evergreen shoreline. And playfully poking their heads out from beneath the waters, looking ever so adorable? Sea otters, pups and all! The kids and I decided that out of all animals, sea otters always look like they are living their best life, floating on their backs, hanging out with their friends, and snacking all the day long! Unfortunately, not everyone enjoyed the ride as much as we did. The sounds of retching echoed through the cabin as a few unlucky souls battled (and lost) against every boat riders arch nemesis …motion sickness!

As we neared our destination, the rumbling of the engine died down to a quiet purr and then nothing at all. With the captain’s order to, “Drop anchor,” Spirit came to a halt, except for her swaying with the waves, and we were finally ready for some fishing!

For the next three hours, everyone aboard (except those suffering from sea sickness) casted and reeled to their hearts content. One after another, halibut after halibut was pulled out of the cold, Alaskan waters, tagged, and tossed into a gray plastic tub. Amongst our family, Sam made the first catch (with help from Dad), followed by Anna, then Ben. As the hours passed and the crew made ready to go underway, Abigail felt a tug on her line and quickly wrestled up her first catch.

Our ending tallies were as follows:

• SAM – 1 (along with one that got away as he tried to reel it in)
• BEN – 2 (2nd biggest fish of the day)
• ANNA – 2 (boasting the biggest catch of the day)
• ABBY – 1 (final fish of the day)
• DAD – 0 (unless you count all the help he gave to Sam)
• MOM – 0 (but not for lack of trying, or lack of bites)

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With a full day’s haul, we hung up our fishing poles as the boat began to speed back towards Homer. Clipping along at speeds of up to 18 knots, we watched in awe as Patrick, one of the deckhands, methodically filleted each fish, swaying with the bouncing of the boat, and never once making a faulty slice.

We ended up with at least 25 lbs. of halibut filets! With no room in our freezer, we gave most of it away to neighbors, but don’t worry, we ate our fair share! At Patrick’s recommendation, we dropped off our freshly caught fish with AK Fryers, where they fried up over 4lbs. into breaded, flaky goodness! We all ate our weight in fish that evening! As the kids gloated and gleamed over their catches and the fun from the day, it became clear that the charter had been money well spent! Another adventure added to the “Cunningham-Crew-Must-Do” list!