Sunday night is Halloween! Kodiak fishermen shared some of their real life scary stories with Fish Radio.
- In 1989 I was out on the Marmot W out towards Portlock and it was the middle of the night. We were hauling gear at about 2 or 3 in the morning, and we wanted to let the gear soak. While I was napping I had a dream – I was in a bar and encountered an attractive woman and she turned into a sea hag. I ended up with my foot on her face and I was pulling her on both ears and they were stretching in my hands all the way past my head, and she was cackling at me. I woke up from that dream and a short time later I sunk my boat in the same place.
- We were offloaded and we went back out late at night. We were hauling gear and the next thing, I looked up and a pot broke over the starboard side and I thought, either run for cover or grab onto the pot – and I did the old death grip on the pot, and a wave broke over and hit my shoulder and I just held on for dear life. I looked around and there were my friends – they were like bowling pins on the deck. I told my skipper, that’s enough, time to head in.
- I had a great guy working for me and I wake up with his nose about three inches from my face yelling at the top of his lungs that we’re sinking! We’re sinking! I looked out the window and everything was great and I realized the guy was asleep. He did it to me three times. That was scary!
- I flipped my skiff over on Alitak beach and it landed right on top of me. I was trapped underneath it for at least a minute. I was angled from bow to stern and I managed to slip through even though the boat was bouncing around a lot.
- I had a line slip around my neck one time as we were throwing the gear overboard. That was scary. I was quicker than the line, but I lost my hat. It took my hat instead of my head so I was pretty lucky on that one.
Here’s what scares other Kodiak fishermen: People dying — Low prices — Being impaled by multiple halibut hooks and being dragged under the sea and dying — Not being able to swim — Don’t crash — Death to farmed fish — Not making any money.
AK Fish Radio wishes everyone a safe and happy Halloween.
