Postcard Notes from Alaska The Land of Butterfish

After attending the Alaska Reel Adventures “Salmon Bake” event in Honolulu, all my wife Florence could talk about was the butterfish. Sablefish, known in Hawai‘i markets as butterfish or black cod, are not actually cod. They range from Alaska to as far south as California and Japan, living at depths of 500 to 3,000 feet, which makes them hard for anglers to reach.

Since they live in the deep water, electric reels are a must. Two circle hooks with cut bait are dropped to the bottom using a 4-lb. lead weight. It takes about 10 minutes or so for your baits to reach the bottom. Take up the slack and watch for the tell tell nibble. When the rod