After our amazing Seward halibut fishing experience, we drove to Homer. There we met a friend's sister and her family. We arrived late, stayed in their RV "guest room," and had to get up at 5 AM.

On Sunday, August 31, we headed to the Homer marina. We saw boats used by the captains in the television reality show we watch, The Deadliest Catch. After finding the correct dock in a maze of docks, we met Captain Brandon on his boat, The Spartacus. The weather was not as nice as the previous day. The water was choppier, and the gray skies rainy on and off.

We were once again fishing with our new Oklahoma friends. Brandon left the marina, and drove us out into open sea. Our goal today was solely halibut. 

Brandon told us he had a spot. Captains jealously guard the locations of their hunting grounds. 

In the Gulf of Alaska on this gloomy day, we had very little company. Brandon found his spot, dropped anchor, and baited hooks. Almost immediately, the halibut were biting.

The limit is one halibut under 27 inches, and one over. Two fish per person, but they had to be the correct, legal size. One of our Oklahoma friends was a bit competitive. He participated in many bass fishing tournaments. Leonard and I caught our limit. Then we hit a doldrums. Time dragged on. I was tired. Lack of sleep, and the lingering effects of the cold-flu-mushroom fever were kicking me hard. But I didn't want to be the one to ask to return to the harbor.

Our Captain was easy-going. He would stay as late as he needed to make his guests successful. We caught cod for bait. Brandon used the tails on the halibut hooks. He said halibut love cod tails. That seemed odd to me, but he knew fishing. Soon, the halibut were biting again.

The Oklahoma boys caught a huge halibut. Then another. The limit reached, we headed back to Homer.

It was so late by the time we got to the marina, we didn't have time to visit with our friend's sister. We drove straight to the fish processor, then back to our cabin. I slept great that night.

On Monday, September 1st, we realized the lake - bear experience wasn't going to happen. The weather wasn't cooperating. We were offered an alternate float plane trip. This was our last day, and we hadn't been on a float plane, so we said yes.

Alaska West Air took us a short jog to a river. Josh was our guide for more silver salmon fishing. This was the first time we needed mosquito netting, to keep little buggies off our faces. Just gnats, but so annoying.

A nice couple from Arkansas were celebrating their 36th anniversary. I was glad to meet another avid woman fisherperson. Leonard and I didn't catch our limit, but really, how many fish did we need? Our new friends did better. Then it started to rain, and the float plane picked us up. 

Our Alaska fishing adventure was finished. All that remained was to get all that frozen fish home. In the morning, we packed and headed to the Kenai airport. The long journey home was exhausting, but we eventually arrived at our Colorado home.

Our once-in-a-lifetime trip was not enough. We hope to return. After our whirlwind touring and fishing extravaganza, we can go at a slower pace. But I will want one thing: another trip on the open sea to catch halibut.

​The Alaska adventure inspired ideas for book three in the Tapestry Tales YA science fiction series, written with co-author Merida Bass under the pen name Ann Belice, coming in 2026. Books one and two are available now in e-book and paperback. Audiobooks are currently in production!
Broken Strands: book two
​​Frayed Dreams: book one

The third book in my Rose Creek Mystery series set in Oklahoma releases December 1st. You can catch up on books one and two:
The Body in the Cattails
The Body in the Cornfield