Sarah Palin's Alaska (2010) s01e02 Episode Script
Just for the Halibut
Sarah:Alaska I love this state like I love my family.
[ laughter .]
This summer, we're setting aside time To spend with family and friends doing what we love to do, And that's exploring alaska This is so worth it.
How come we can ever be satisfied With tranquility and serenity? We're going to homer, the halibut capital of the world.
We get to help the commercial fishermen Harvest that species and bring it to market.
Bristol, here's a lesson for you.
There's plenty of fish in the sea.
The last couple years have been pretty challenging for bristol.
I thought it would be really good For her to get away from it all.
I'm done doing this.
We're not gonna stop until you get one.
Mom, take your prom hair back home.
[ laughter .]
Don't retreat.
Just reload.
[ gunshot .]
you need a place to be your sanctuary follow me there come on, follow me there where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives won't you follow me there? won't you follow me there? where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives a place where faith can find hope that will never die follow me there come on, follow me there Captions by vitac Captions paid for by discovery communications For the most part, It doesn't get dark in the summer in alaska.
So my day starts usually at 4:00 a.
M.
Because a lot of my professional work is on east coast time.
I usually am up answering e-mails And getting some updates on what's going on in the world So that I can be ready For interviews and for some commentary.
Man: Come on, girls.
Together: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.
Sarah: The best way to start your day Is to be sweaty and a little bit hurting.
Up and hold.
Hold.
Together: 7, 6, 5.
Sarah: I grew up very active and always competing.
Whether it was on the basketball court Or just around the house with my siblings, It was always a fun competition.
And that's the way I'm raising my kids.
Thank you, guys.
See you later.
[ eagle calls .]
Today, todd and bristol and I Headed out to our local shooting range, grouse ridge.
We wanted to shoot some clay pigeons And remind bristol what it's like to pull the trigger.
I love being out here.
A couple of my girlfriends threw me my baby shower Right here in this shooting range, my first baby shower.
And I love to share that story 'cause it gets the liberals all wee-weed up.
You ready? Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Whoa.
Nice shot.
Yeah.
The last couple years Have been pretty challenging for bristol Because so often what it is that she does Ends up in the tabloids Because of someone that she had been associated with.
So todd and I really want to get her away from all of that And to refocus on what truly matters in her life, And I hope she gets that.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
You missed it.
Dang it.
Now I'd better practice the bird Yep.
Before I give you the bird.
Pull.
[ laughs .]
what? Hold on.
Todd, do you hear me yell "pull"? It broke in the machine.
I don't believe you.
I think you're messing with me.
Oops.
Pull.
[ laughs .]
What? You just missed it.
I thought it was a mosquito.
One more bird.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
[ laughs .]
How about you shoot a couple? Bristol: Yeah, dad.
Shoot some.
You shoot some.
I'm gonna yell "pull" if you don't.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Dang.
Dad, get prepared.
I'm ready.
He's so ready, he didn't even have to yell "pull.
" Bristol? Ready? Dad, is it gonna hurt? No, it's not gonna hurt.
Not at all.
Don't put your finger on there yet.
Sarah: I think that bristol has been able to observe What todd and I have gone through with our names, too, Being drug through tabloids.
She's left-handed.
Most presidents have been left-handed.
Mom, I'm trying to do this.
I think that she is taking some lessons from us And applying those, And that's how she gets through some of the challenges That are thrown at her.
Ready for the rabbit? Okay.
[ gunshot .]
What do you see when you look down there? And quit laughing.
I'm not even looking for it.
I'm just scared for the kickback.
Pull.
Way too soon.
Okay! I'm done doing this.
You'll get one.
We're not gonna stop until you get one.
Sarah: You're closing your eyes and guessing.
Mom! Okay! Take your prom hair back home.
[ laughs .]
Pull.
That was close.
How do I line up these dots, though? You don't worry about that.
Mom just told me to.
That's how I do it.
See, we're not very good teachers.
Oh, my arm.
You're not allowed to complain.
Bristol: Pull.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Pull.
I can't tell where it's going.
Yeah, I know.
[ mockingly .]
yeah, I know.
Don't retreat.
Just reload.
Okay.
Remember, lead it.
Shoot to where it's going, not to where it's been.
Here comes a bird, okay? Okay, pull.
[ all cheering .]
I finally got one.
You listened to your mother, and it works.
See? Doesn't that feel good? Yeah.
Cool.
Great job, bristol.
Sarah: I am very fortunate That my immediate family lives right here in alaska, Very close to todd and me, And then todd's immediate family, too, Living so close to him.
How's the trigger doing? Doing good.
Well, thanks for watching him for a couple days.
So we made a pit stop at todd's parents' house So they could spend a few days with trig While we venture south for a fishing trip.
You guys have fun.
We'll keep him under control.
Bye-bye.
Sarah: Bristol, you can grab that bag.
I think karen's bag's a hundred pounds.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarah: We're taking our road trip, And that really is our favorite thing to do, Is hop in a vehicle and take a road trip Somewhere around alaska.
Our family commercial-fishes for salmon, But we've never gone after halibut, So we're gonna give that a try.
We jumped into the RV, deciding to head to homer To meet a captain of a commercial halibut fishing boat.
Alaska contributes 60% Of the U.
S.
Domestic supply of all seafood, And halibut is a big chunk of that.
This is the most beautiful drive in the world On a sunny day, isn't it? Todd: It's nice.
We're going to homer.
D'oh! And homer is the halibut capital or the world.
So we're heading down there just for the halibut.
See, now, alaskans know that joke.
I don't know if other people will.
I appreciated that bristol was game To come down to homer with us and commercial-fish with us.
I thought it would be really good For bristol to get away from it all, For her to get to clear her head and concentrate just on family.
Baba.
Baba.
Baba.
Sarah: All the things on the periphery That at the end of the day really don't mean anything Things in the tabloids, Things that people make up and want to assume About her or our family I knew it would be good for her to get away from all that.
And what better way than out the middle of nowhere On some fishing grounds Where she would get to sweat and work hard? Hi.
Hi.
[ laughter .]
The road trip allows Each one of their personalities to come to the surface.
It's fun to watch.
Baba.
Say it right there.
Bristol she's the old soul of the family.
She has always been The nurturing one and the organized one.
I think in some ways, she's a lot like me.
Willow: Mom, am I getting a car? Bristol pretty much got a new car.
Jetta, jetta, jetta.
With her own money, willow.
No, she didn't.
No.
You guys bought the jetta.
She turned 16 and drove it.
Willow well, she's going through a little bit Of a lazy stage right now.
She'd much rather just kind of kick back.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
She's very, very good with tripp, though.
Willow is a great helper for bristol.
Ew, you popped it.
Piper: That was huge.
You popped it.
Baba.
Sarah: Piper is awesome.
She has just been by my side from the day that she was born.
She's growing up too quickly, though.
Already at 9 years old, You know, you can see a little bit of that annoyance, That attitude that starts hi And I don't want to lose her innocence and her sweetness.
She's just an awesome, awesome kid.
Bristol: Do you think we look anything alike? Even her teeth are like twice the size of my teeth.
I got buckteeth.
You have no chin.
I have nw chin.
You have big jady eyes.
I have pretty almond eyes.
You have big bushy eyebrows.
[ laughs .]
Yeah, right.
I just got them waxed.
That's enough about the physical attributes.
That's enough of that conversation.
A mother/daughter day commercial fishing.
When the fish come and they land and they're flopping, You need to bop them right between the eyes.
Sarah: Real hard, go.
Bristol: Do I have to go in there? Yeah, step in there.
You hit it.
Well, you're over there.
Sarah: Todd and I are taking the family To homer, the halibut capital of the world.
Don't you dare.
They're videotaping this.
Go away, willow! Stop it, piper.
Don't kick me! Mom, look at her.
Knock it off.
Look at her.
Mom, look what piper's doing.
Ow! Ow! Sarah: Piper, that's enough.
We are just the average american family on a road trip, Where the kids are in the back, And they're getting on each other's nerves.
Mom, tell her to stop.
You know, I'm just trying to keep everybody calm While I'm still doing some of my work that I need to do.
Willow, go somewhere else.
Piper: Ow! That's enough.
Don't look at me.
Hush, you guys.
Here's the beach, girls.
So, here we are in the homer spit.
That is the end of the road.
The spit is a barrier, really.
And along the spit, there are a lot of little shops And a lot of charter-boat operators.
It's a nice hometown feeling as you walk up and down the spit.
Sarah: This is a cute town.
Todd: I'm surprised so many people are down here.
Me too.
What's going on? Willow: Dad, are we staying out here in front of everyone? Yes, ma'am.
Good luck, mom.
We're gonna have a blast.
Sarah: After five hours cooped up in the motor home, The family and I headed out to meet the boat captain Who will be taking us commercial halibut fishing.
Going out in public places, It's a joy because I do love meeting new people.
How are you? Hey.
How are ya? A little bit of a challenge, though, To get from point "a" to point "b.
" Hello.
Hello.
Sarah palin? Holy smokes.
Can I get a picture? You have eagle eyes.
[ horn honking .]
I'm with you.
This fame, if you will, Has made it more difficult on bristol, She trying to work out issues So that she can be a great parent.
She's got her hands full.
Well, we're almost there.
Hi, there.
How are you? Tim hamilton from homer, alaska.
Oh, nice to meet you.
Can we take a picture? I want a picture of me and you.
I'm getting ready to pose with him, put my arm around him.
He's like, "can I get the picture with todd, please?" I don't know if this has ever happened before.
I'm excited.
This is todd.
He's the iron dog.
The iron dog race Is 2,000 miles across alaska on a snow machine, And todd's the 4-time champ.
Okay.
This is a good new thing, then.
This is a first? This is homer for you.
And then I thought that's the highlight of my night.
That's really nice.
Willow: This is so embarrassing.
What is? You.
What did I do? I'm wearing army sunglasses.
Want to get on my shoulders? Sarah: Hey, todd.
Are these army sunglasses the only ones I brought? I think so.
Uh-oh.
I walk like a dog, huh, bristol? Willow, don't be self-conscious.
I love you.
Oh, wait.
He has a booger.
He has a booger.
Come here.
Wait.
He's got a big booger.
No, come here.
Let me get your booger.
Look, here's a bug.
Oh, gosh.
All right.
Good.
Got it.
Todd: Bristol and sarah were looking forward To seeing how the commercial end of halibut is done.
And so we went down to meet the boat captain and the crew.
Pat: Well, look who's here.
Welcome.
Hey, todd.
My pleasure.
Pat.
Pat, good to meet you.
My wife, barbara.
Barbara, good to see you.
This one's tripp.
Hi, sarah.
How are you? So nice to see you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to see you.
And welcome aboard.
Come aboard if you like.
Sure.
Man, I want to shake your hand again.
Iron dog champ I wanted to meet him, man.
So, the plan is for bristol to come out fishing with us.
Cool.
So, what's a good day? What's a good load? Oh, you know, if you get 4,000 or 5,000 pounds, For us, that's pretty good.
Between $5.
50 and $6 a pound.
That's amazing.
Wow.
That's a very good price.
Well, no wonder pay what we pay In the grocery store for it.
Sarah: We hooked up with a really great captain, pat, And his wife, barb, on their boat, called the bear.
Pat: I'm not leaving on a Friday, So we're gonna take off without you and meet you on the grounds.
Is that every halibut fisherman or just you? Pretty much.
Nobody leaves on a Friday.
Yeah, there's a lot of little superstitions like that.
I'll teach you a lot of them as we go along.
Typical fisherman with their superstitions.
Todd's got some, too.
There's some things he doesn't want To talk about when he's out fishing 'cause it would perhaps bring some bad luck.
Pat said, "oh, can't make an exception for you I have to leave on a Thursday night," And we could just skiff ourselves out there the next day And find them on the fishing grounds on that Friday.
Barbara: And also, I have to tell you That the flowers on the table are for you, But he said that we cannot leave them on the boat.
Pat: Green plants draw you to land.
Oh.
All right.
There's a million of those things.
Oh, thank you so much.
Oh, I just love them.
[ smooches .]
what a nice touch.
Thank you.
All right, see you tomorrow.
Thank you.
I love this contrast Of the beautiful flowers and the fish heads.
Look at this fishermen's memorial, Where the guys who have been lost at sea.
Sarah: When we go to a coastal community, todd and I We make it a point to go visit the fishermen's memorials, And homer has a beautiful memorial To those who have been lost at sea.
It touches our heart Because we, too, have lost friends and even family members In commercial fishing accidents.
"the sea tells a story.
It tells of the life it brings and the lives it claims.
" That's pretty beautiful.
A memorial like that It's a bit of the sobering reminder of, again, That mother nature wins.
[ sizzling .]
Want hot dog or sausage, todd? Trig: Mama.
What, baby? He'll eat anything.
Todd: Good boy.
He'll eat anything.
Sarah: That's kind of bizarre to be a grandparent at this age.
Todd and I look at each other, and we think, "okay, now, when tripp starts talking, What's he gonna call us is he gonna call me grandma?" I don't know if I'm used to that.
But, again, having said that, Wouldn't trade this child and this situation For anything in the world.
Todd: We have to get an early start tomorrow.
Sarah: How early? 5:30.
Oh, I love 5:30.
When I'm done with this, we're all gonna go to bed.
Really? Todd, your lesson is that today Is the first day of the rest of your life.
Willow's is the sun will come out tomorrow.
She's not worried about anything in life.
Bristol, here is the lesson for you to think about tonight.
There's plenty of fish in the sea.
Okay, I'm gonna jump over here.
Man: Ooh, yeah.
Sarah: I was proud of bristol.
She got that billy club, And she started stunning those fish.
This one's scaring me.
Just go.
Because captain pat and the bear had left the day prior, Bristol and I hitched a ride on another boat To go find pat and the bear out on his fishing grounds For a mother/daughter day commercial fishing.
Do you want to wave to the bear? I look forward, too, to bristol being able to be out there And to kind of get back to some of that sweat-of-the-brow, Blue-collar, tough work that she is really used to doing.
Bristol: That's a big boat.
Look at all those wires and stuff.
Pat: Welcome, ladies.
Hello.
Bristol's ready to work.
Okay, so we're just climbing up and over? Climb on.
We're used to fishing the different salmon, But this will be the first time we get to participate In the halibut commercial-fishing industry.
Pat: Hey, lookit there.
There's a pink hat.
I love my hat.
How are you? It was such an honor to be on the bear.
Welcome.
Yep.
Pat he had already set a line, And lots of hooks had already been baited.
So we were gonna head out to the grounds Where that line already was set.
It's a lot like we do in dillingham.
Different species we're catching, of course White meat, halibut, instead of salmon.
But instead of using nets, We're using hooks, so that's the main difference.
You always hook it through the corner.
Then, like, this here you bury that.
You want to try it? Oh, sure.
Always go through the skin side.
Skin side.
There you go.
All the way through.
There you go.
We're putting herring and some strips of salmon Out on these hooks, And then we'll lay them on the bottom of the water And hope that the halibut take the bait.
How big are these fish? Well, they can be anywhere from 20 to 200.
So on each set, how many do you catch? Sometimes you can set one and not catch any.
Or sometimes you can set one and catch 1,000 pounds.
So one of the things that's very important That you could help us with Is when the fish come and they land on the deck And they're flopping, You need to bop them right between the eyes And knock them out, Because if they don't get knocked out, Then they flap on the deck, And they start damaging the texture of their meat.
So you want to knock them right out, And then we just stick a knife in their gills and let them bleed.
And then that helps the blood draw out of their tissue So they're a nice white-fleshed meat, Like you know halibut are.
Yeah, definitely.
So, we'll get ready, And I'll put my rain gear on, and we'll give it a go.
Okay.
So we'll put you on just behind This little bulkhead, sarah, right there.
Bristol, you can stand right there.
Okay.
That's your little night stick.
Hit it as hard as you can the first time.
You can be really aggressive, bristol.
Bristol: Oh, I'm nervous now.
Don't mess around.
Right.
Sarah: Each halibut can weigh hundreds of pounds And be worth thousands of dollars When brought to the market, So it's crucial to stun them right away So that they don't bruise their own meat or one of us.
There's the buoy.
Throw it like this, kind of like this, Only like this, like "deadliest catch," right? Sure.
Ready? Perfect.
She got it.
Captain pat set a line that was many, many fathoms long, Lots of hooks already baited, And already set on the ocean floor.
You don't physically pull in, Like we do in commercial fishing, A net or pull in a cork or a lead line.
Hydraulics are pulling in this line That's got attached to it many, many hooks.
There's polly, by golly.
So once this knot comes loose, We're gonna start to see hooks.
And these guys will switch places.
And one guy will start pulling the gear.
Pat, are these lines sitting on the bottom? They don't float? Nope.
They're right on the bottom.
And we were crossing our fingers, though, For finding that species that we were there to catch The halibut.
Away we go.
There's a starfish.
Oh, it's really pretty.
Bristol: Holy cow.
I thought starfish only had like five legs.
That's what they call a sun star.
That's really pretty.
It lost a leg and regenerated one there.
Sick.
See where he had the bait underneath him There in the center? He's holding on to the bait.
Sarah: That one sucked up the bait, bristol.
It was on that hook.
Thousands and thousands of these little legs.
That's disgusting.
Oh, it's amazing.
Man: Come on, flatfish.
Come on.
There's something down there, something big down there.
Come on, now.
Come on.
There's a flatfish.
There he is.
Okay, here comes a fish.
Okay, bristol.
Here comes a fish.
Your billy club's right there, bree.
M, no talking.
Okay, bristol.
Here comes a fish.
[ laughs .]
Watch it.
There's a fish.
Oh, my god.
Come on.
Get him on here.
There you go.
Get it, bristol.
Your turn.
Sarah: Real hard, go.
Do I have to go in there? Yeah, step in there.
You hit it.
Well, you're over there.
Holy geez.
They're huge fish.
They're strong fish.
You have to stun it.
Otherwise, it's gonna flop around and bruise its own meat.
It's also dangerous enough Where it could slap somebody around And really injure a person.
It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.
Man: Pat, show her how to bleed him now.
Okay, you better bleed him fast.
Got to cut their gill plate.
Big fish.
Big fish.
Pat: He's still flopping.
Pat: Starboard side.
Right there.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my gosh! Sarah: Oh, my gosh! You can't pick it up by yourself With that gaff, can you, with that hook? Oh, no, we stop, and we get everybody here, And sometimes it's the three of us to do it.
I've seen those pictures, though, Where they're flopping around And they're trying to kick somebody overboard.
That's what scares me.
Okay, get ready this time, bristol.
I'm one step behind.
Let me see the club.
You look crazy.
Well, you're not quick enough.
Well, he was in my way.
Do you want me to hit his knee? Here comes one, bree.
Now hit it this time.
Stunning the halibut may seem a bit harsh to some, But it's the safest and most humane way To harvest these massive fish.
Okay.
Here comes a fish.
You gonna hit it, or am I? Yeah.
Sarah: Oh, golly.
Help.
You want me to help you? Quick, before it starts flopping.
Pat: Come on, sarah.
Attagirl.
Now we've got Okay, I'm gonna jump over here.
There you go.
There you go.
Watch out so it doesn't flip us over.
Bristol: Where do I hit it? Right there.
Okay, you better bleed him fast before they This one's scaring me! Just go.
Rest in peace.
Bristol: One of my jobs was to smack the halibut, to knock him out.
It felt awesome getting some aggression out.
These are the weirdest-looking fish I've ever seen.
I know.
That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen Of any animal in my life.
How much would this one weigh, pat? He's about 40 pounds.
Just think, bristol a 500-pounder.
Halibut there he is, right there.
Ooh, yeah! Okay.
Here we go.
Sarah: I was proud of bristol.
She got that billy club, and she started stunning those fish.
I was looking at her out of the corner of my eye, thinking, I wonder what she's picturing As she's making her mark there on those fish.
Ooh.
Something heavy.
Oh, look at that skate.
That's the good stuff.
Oh, here comes one, bree.
Out of the way, girl.
Hold on.
You're leaning over the boat, and if that fish decides Because it's almost as big as you are If it decides that, no, it's gonna fight you until the end, You're gonna go over before it comes up and over.
Good job, guys.
I love it.
I wasn't gonna hesitate, either, Especially when the fish were piling up And they're slapping around.
They could do some damage here.
We need to calm these boys down real quick.
Ugh! Sheesh! That hurts like crap! Especially after I got slapped across the thigh by one of them, I realized, yeah, they could hurt you.
I don't want to hit the rest of that meat.
Then you throw them up on top of the deck, A little bit higher surface, and you gut them right there.
So you guys gut the fish out here And bring it to the processor already pretty cleaned up.
Oh, yeah.
Come right in here, you split it between the fins.
And you have to come underneath this sideRight like that.
Take a look in here.
This is his heart.
That'll beat for a while.
The heart's beating, bristol.
Let me see it.
Check this out.
Give it to me.
Check it out.
That is disgusting.
How does this work? Bristol: The fisherman gave us the hearts to the fish, And you could squeeze the heart, and it would beat faster.
That's disgusting.
Okay, this is the weirdest thing I've ever held.
Too weird.
Down they go.
Okay.
Down they go.
After it's gutted, you throw it down in the hole, And from there, it's gonna be on ice.
You get it to market as quickly as possible.
He's still flopping.
Pbht! I think bristol and I Make a good team out there on the water.
Big fish.
Oh, watch out, please.
And she and I together not only did we have a great time, But I think we accomplished a lot together, too.
Man: You're gonna scoop it the gut of the halibut.
Oh, in the gut.
And I'm jamming it in there? Mm-hmm.
A lot of times, we'll break a chunk of ice off.
One more, you'll be good.
Okay, and then we're gonna take him, And I've got ice on the bottom of that bin.
Okay.
I'm going up.
You're out of here? Okay.
Good.
Oh, come on.
Bristol can come down.
Okay, bristol, you can go down.
Yeah, I'm not going down there.
That was nice and claustrophobic.
Ugh! Bristol: It was nice to get out here And just be out on the water with my mom, Seeing her work hard.
Work ethic is, like, the biggest life lesson, And it'll outline your kids' future.
We had a good time.
Pat: Starboard side.
Right there.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarah: Wow.
That's a big whale.
It really is nice to get outdoors And get away from those things That are kind of on the periphery of our lives, That seem to consume us.
Wow.
Oh.
Having bristol by my side today Was one of those mother/daughter moments we'll always remember.
It gives us a greater appreciation For what it is that we're doing out here.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Huge! Huge! All the way out of the water.
So, bristol and I, After a long day commercial fishing and a successful day, We headed back to shore.
We had to get back to the kids and pat He was gonna lay some more lines, And we would meet him the next morning at the docks.
All right, well, then, we'll see you in the morning.
We'll see you at the auction block, right? Pat: Pleasure.
Thank you, guys, so much.
Thank you.
Thanks.
All right, see you in the morning.
Watch out.
Watch out.
Sarah: Most every alaskan kid Has worked on a slime line at some time.
You look better with fish slime on you.
Professional fish petter.
A fish petter.
Pet that fish.
Ready? Todd: How's it going? Eric: Good.
Todd.
Hi, I'm Eric.
Hi Eric I'm gonna be your guide today.
Super.
Sarah: While we wait for captain pat to return with the halibut, Todd and I decided to spend some rare alone time together.
If you want to get away from it all in homer, A good way to do that is to hop in a sea kayak.
We're heading out to otter cove to see some sea life.
Captain america there he goes.
He's gonna forge some new waterway.
Whoa.
There you go.
Whoa.
It's very tippy.
Don't tell me that, todd! Stay in shallow water.
doo doo-doo doo-doo Eric, you look like jesus.
We're in good hands.
Man, I've heard that before.
This is beautiful.
You see a dead tree that's white? Sarah: Oh, I see it above.
Straight up, there's the eagle.
See an eagle, todd? There's an eagle.
This is beautiful.
Okay, these little fish are just killing me.
This is great.
[ gasps .]
sea otter.
Look at that.
Look at the sea otter.
Something you'll find out about otters Is they'll end up rolling.
They just do it really slowly, But they do it to trap air bubbles in their fur.
And that's one of the reasons it helps them float.
What a cool granola life you got going.
Geez.
I'm jealous.
Todd: It's time to go.
Let's go.
Got it.
Chop, chop.
Would you like to race? You're going the wrong way.
You got to go that way.
Sarah: I think, if anything, What todd and I have gone through the last couple years Has brought us closer together.
Want me to tow you? He's my helpmate.
He's the most common-sense adviser I could ever ask for.
Here, hold my hand.
I'll tow you.
If somebody paid me 200 bucks to tip you over Well, you can always walk along the shoreline if you're really tired.
Are you tired? No.
Are you? No.
You sweating yet? [ both coughing .]
How come we can't ever just be satisfied With tranquility and serenity? Why do we got to compete? Todd: You're gonna fall.
Don't fall.
Don't tip over.
Don't make me nervous! Screw the finesse.
I just got to win.
[ laughs .]
Hold on.
You would think that most people Could just accept the serenity and the tranquility That it offered, but not todd and me.
At the end there, oh, we had to race To see who could make it home before the other.
'course, he won.
Yesterday, we learned how to catch halibut.
Now we're gonna help process the fish Once the fishermen get it back to homer.
We headed to the auction block, Which is the name of a processing plant there.
Hey, how are you? Hi, I'm jessica.
Jessica, nice to meet you.
How long have you lived here and done this? Going on 17 years.
My goodness.
We have the service of off-loading the boats.
We also process the fish.
The boat comes in.
We see that that's our fish down there on the bear.
Come up just a little bit.
All right.
That's good.
The brailer transports our fish onto the dock, Where a crew of processors They're ready to accept those fish.
Bristol: That's a huge fish.
So, this one okay.
Give us a guess, colin.
Okay, he's guessing 86 pounds.
That's a good guess.
Oh, man! 87.
You're good, kid.
You're good.
That's really good.
We can join you on the line, right? Yeah, put them on.
Some of those fish look familiar from yesterday.
This is what my job is every day.
I put my hand through here, pull out the ice like this, And I push it down, and then I put like this and like that.
And then I grab it, and I throw it on the scale.
Professional fish petter.
A fish petter.
All right, maybe I can handle that.
How do you get your hand in there? Oh, okay.
Bristol: How do you do it? You're just digging your hand in there and getting the ice out So that they're not buying ice.
We take the ice out of the fish, And we take the slime off the fish.
It's called a slime line, and most every alaskan kid Has worked on a slime line at some time.
Here.
You take that one.
We hate to slow you guys down.
That's all right.
All right.
That's all right.
The smell? No, I love the smell! Yeah! It smells like work.
It smells like fish money.
You guys are lucky.
You have these physical jobs, though.
You're working all day long, huh? Yep.
Petting fish.
Petting fish, yeah.
Good job, bree.
How do your hands stay warm? Are you guys wearing liners? Yeah, we are.
We're wearing liners.
You need a liner? No, that's all right.
We're tough.
It would kill a lesser man.
Brr.
Dang.
Man, I think we're screwing up their system here, bristol.
Okay! We're trying! All right, here we go.
Pet that fish.
Hey, all I want to get paid in is a couple of halibut cheeks.
I'll cook them.
You'll love them.
When we see a dimple in the sand at a low tide like this, We know that there's a clam underneath.
Look at this huge one.
Wow! Todd: That's huge.
That'll be delicious.
So, bristol and I headed to the auction block, Which is the name of a processing plant Where the halibut is processed and finally sold on the market.
Hi, guys.
How are you? So, essentially, from here, We move the fish into the hopper.
You line them up to the guillotine here.
Whoo-ee! Okay? [ laughs .]
You got to try the guillotine.
Keep your hands back here, okay? Bristol: It's definitely gratifying just seeing the process Of the halibut going from the ocean To the boat to the process plant.
It's hard work.
It's gonna drop the blade right down.
Perfect.
And then it moves down the line.
Look at all that meat.
Oh, my gosh.
That's great.
That's beautiful.
This is the one that was, what, 87 pounds, he said? I think he guessed right.
Yeah, he was like 1 pound shy.
We got to watch the experts fillet the fish.
It's an art form, and they are good at what they're doing.
They're making sure that it's a clean cut And we're not wasting any of the meat on the halibut.
Wow.
And that's fresh.
Look at that color.
There you go.
That's it.
Geez.
It's tougher than it looks.
She's all out of breath.
Can we photoshop this To make it look really, really smooth at the end? With the other one? Yeah.
Can we dump that one in? There you go.
Look at that.
There you go.
That is perfect.
With our help, Captain pat caught over 12,000 pounds of halibut, Worth nearly $75,000.
From there, the fish are boxed up And ready to be shipped to market Usually seattle, california, anchorage restaurants.
Jessica: We're gonna have the ladies Hose down their rain gear out here.
Yeah, we don't need to be sprayed for a spray tan, do we? This is what we do in alaska.
It's the equivalent to a spray tan.
Jessica wrapped it up for us.
They put it on ice, and they sent us on our way With our own fish to able to cook Over the campfire later on that night.
So, weekend coming on, Lots of people pouring into homer.
We decided, you know, Let's go a little bit further out in the boonies And have an even more peaceful time.
We'll head down to deep creek 'cause we wanted to do some clam-digging.
Okay, does anybody else want a bucket? We grew up doing this with our mom and dad.
So my brother, chuck, and his kids joined us.
The only thing missing would be bristol and willow, But tripp wasn't feeling too hot, So willow was gonna go help her out.
We're finding little dimples in the sand.
There's one, daddy.
There's a big dimple.
And when we see a dimple in the sand at a low tide like this, We know that there's a clam underneath that dimple.
It's burying itself underneath.
So we dig a quick hole with a shovel.
Then with our hands, we're digging out the sand Before too much water gets in there.
Look at this huge one.
Wow! Todd: That's huge, pipe.
That'll be delicious.
What a great way to end Another wonderful family adventure in alaska.
We've worked up an appetite the last couple of days Fishing halibut and digging for clams.
And now we're gonna cook it all up.
That looks pretty good.
Big difference When it's your own hands that caught the thing.
What's your recipe, todd? Just whatever's on the table.
And bristol has a really good recipe Using mayonnaise and sour cream and chips.
Oh, yeah.
It's gonna be amazing.
It's gonna be incredible.
And I had my own little recipe going.
Beer-battered halibut.
Again, we had to have a competition.
Who cooked it the best? I think I'll keep mine separate from yours.
Exactly.
Sarah: Todd and I have been competing all day long.
You can't win another one.
You like what I just cooked? Yeah, but you're the second one.
I'm only in second place? Who's winning? Todd.
Todd! There's something about todd With this magical touch on things Where, yep, he usually wins the competition.
[ indistinct conversations .]
It's really good.
I have to admit it.
Todd's recipe won.
What's new? Todd: How is it? Bristol: It's good.
It's really good.
I'm a good cook.
I did well.
I did well.
This trip is exactly what bristol needed.
It allowed her to get away from it all, Spend the day outdoors with her family, And get back to doing what matters most in life.
I knew it would be good for her, And she knew it would be good, too.
Doesn't food just taste better this way? Yeah, it's delicious.
This is the best way in the world to enjoy a meal.
It is from the waters to the boat to the processors.
To my mouth.
[ laughing .]
to your mouth.
Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" This is all diva all the time.
Yeah, baby! Yeah! Stop right there.
This anchor line's too damn short.
This is track's one chance to prove That he's ready to be the next great palin fisherman.
You were the captain that day, right? Are you going back to the other boat?
[ laughter .]
This summer, we're setting aside time To spend with family and friends doing what we love to do, And that's exploring alaska This is so worth it.
How come we can ever be satisfied With tranquility and serenity? We're going to homer, the halibut capital of the world.
We get to help the commercial fishermen Harvest that species and bring it to market.
Bristol, here's a lesson for you.
There's plenty of fish in the sea.
The last couple years have been pretty challenging for bristol.
I thought it would be really good For her to get away from it all.
I'm done doing this.
We're not gonna stop until you get one.
Mom, take your prom hair back home.
[ laughter .]
Don't retreat.
Just reload.
[ gunshot .]
you need a place to be your sanctuary follow me there come on, follow me there where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives won't you follow me there? won't you follow me there? where love, like a river, flows peace like you've never known and joy never-ending lives a place where faith can find hope that will never die follow me there come on, follow me there Captions by vitac Captions paid for by discovery communications For the most part, It doesn't get dark in the summer in alaska.
So my day starts usually at 4:00 a.
M.
Because a lot of my professional work is on east coast time.
I usually am up answering e-mails And getting some updates on what's going on in the world So that I can be ready For interviews and for some commentary.
Man: Come on, girls.
Together: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.
Sarah: The best way to start your day Is to be sweaty and a little bit hurting.
Up and hold.
Hold.
Together: 7, 6, 5.
Sarah: I grew up very active and always competing.
Whether it was on the basketball court Or just around the house with my siblings, It was always a fun competition.
And that's the way I'm raising my kids.
Thank you, guys.
See you later.
[ eagle calls .]
Today, todd and bristol and I Headed out to our local shooting range, grouse ridge.
We wanted to shoot some clay pigeons And remind bristol what it's like to pull the trigger.
I love being out here.
A couple of my girlfriends threw me my baby shower Right here in this shooting range, my first baby shower.
And I love to share that story 'cause it gets the liberals all wee-weed up.
You ready? Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Whoa.
Nice shot.
Yeah.
The last couple years Have been pretty challenging for bristol Because so often what it is that she does Ends up in the tabloids Because of someone that she had been associated with.
So todd and I really want to get her away from all of that And to refocus on what truly matters in her life, And I hope she gets that.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
You missed it.
Dang it.
Now I'd better practice the bird Yep.
Before I give you the bird.
Pull.
[ laughs .]
what? Hold on.
Todd, do you hear me yell "pull"? It broke in the machine.
I don't believe you.
I think you're messing with me.
Oops.
Pull.
[ laughs .]
What? You just missed it.
I thought it was a mosquito.
One more bird.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
[ laughs .]
How about you shoot a couple? Bristol: Yeah, dad.
Shoot some.
You shoot some.
I'm gonna yell "pull" if you don't.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Dang.
Dad, get prepared.
I'm ready.
He's so ready, he didn't even have to yell "pull.
" Bristol? Ready? Dad, is it gonna hurt? No, it's not gonna hurt.
Not at all.
Don't put your finger on there yet.
Sarah: I think that bristol has been able to observe What todd and I have gone through with our names, too, Being drug through tabloids.
She's left-handed.
Most presidents have been left-handed.
Mom, I'm trying to do this.
I think that she is taking some lessons from us And applying those, And that's how she gets through some of the challenges That are thrown at her.
Ready for the rabbit? Okay.
[ gunshot .]
What do you see when you look down there? And quit laughing.
I'm not even looking for it.
I'm just scared for the kickback.
Pull.
Way too soon.
Okay! I'm done doing this.
You'll get one.
We're not gonna stop until you get one.
Sarah: You're closing your eyes and guessing.
Mom! Okay! Take your prom hair back home.
[ laughs .]
Pull.
That was close.
How do I line up these dots, though? You don't worry about that.
Mom just told me to.
That's how I do it.
See, we're not very good teachers.
Oh, my arm.
You're not allowed to complain.
Bristol: Pull.
Pull.
[ gunshot .]
Pull.
I can't tell where it's going.
Yeah, I know.
[ mockingly .]
yeah, I know.
Don't retreat.
Just reload.
Okay.
Remember, lead it.
Shoot to where it's going, not to where it's been.
Here comes a bird, okay? Okay, pull.
[ all cheering .]
I finally got one.
You listened to your mother, and it works.
See? Doesn't that feel good? Yeah.
Cool.
Great job, bristol.
Sarah: I am very fortunate That my immediate family lives right here in alaska, Very close to todd and me, And then todd's immediate family, too, Living so close to him.
How's the trigger doing? Doing good.
Well, thanks for watching him for a couple days.
So we made a pit stop at todd's parents' house So they could spend a few days with trig While we venture south for a fishing trip.
You guys have fun.
We'll keep him under control.
Bye-bye.
Sarah: Bristol, you can grab that bag.
I think karen's bag's a hundred pounds.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarah: We're taking our road trip, And that really is our favorite thing to do, Is hop in a vehicle and take a road trip Somewhere around alaska.
Our family commercial-fishes for salmon, But we've never gone after halibut, So we're gonna give that a try.
We jumped into the RV, deciding to head to homer To meet a captain of a commercial halibut fishing boat.
Alaska contributes 60% Of the U.
S.
Domestic supply of all seafood, And halibut is a big chunk of that.
This is the most beautiful drive in the world On a sunny day, isn't it? Todd: It's nice.
We're going to homer.
D'oh! And homer is the halibut capital or the world.
So we're heading down there just for the halibut.
See, now, alaskans know that joke.
I don't know if other people will.
I appreciated that bristol was game To come down to homer with us and commercial-fish with us.
I thought it would be really good For bristol to get away from it all, For her to get to clear her head and concentrate just on family.
Baba.
Baba.
Baba.
Sarah: All the things on the periphery That at the end of the day really don't mean anything Things in the tabloids, Things that people make up and want to assume About her or our family I knew it would be good for her to get away from all that.
And what better way than out the middle of nowhere On some fishing grounds Where she would get to sweat and work hard? Hi.
Hi.
[ laughter .]
The road trip allows Each one of their personalities to come to the surface.
It's fun to watch.
Baba.
Say it right there.
Bristol she's the old soul of the family.
She has always been The nurturing one and the organized one.
I think in some ways, she's a lot like me.
Willow: Mom, am I getting a car? Bristol pretty much got a new car.
Jetta, jetta, jetta.
With her own money, willow.
No, she didn't.
No.
You guys bought the jetta.
She turned 16 and drove it.
Willow well, she's going through a little bit Of a lazy stage right now.
She'd much rather just kind of kick back.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
Don't smile.
She's very, very good with tripp, though.
Willow is a great helper for bristol.
Ew, you popped it.
Piper: That was huge.
You popped it.
Baba.
Sarah: Piper is awesome.
She has just been by my side from the day that she was born.
She's growing up too quickly, though.
Already at 9 years old, You know, you can see a little bit of that annoyance, That attitude that starts hi And I don't want to lose her innocence and her sweetness.
She's just an awesome, awesome kid.
Bristol: Do you think we look anything alike? Even her teeth are like twice the size of my teeth.
I got buckteeth.
You have no chin.
I have nw chin.
You have big jady eyes.
I have pretty almond eyes.
You have big bushy eyebrows.
[ laughs .]
Yeah, right.
I just got them waxed.
That's enough about the physical attributes.
That's enough of that conversation.
A mother/daughter day commercial fishing.
When the fish come and they land and they're flopping, You need to bop them right between the eyes.
Sarah: Real hard, go.
Bristol: Do I have to go in there? Yeah, step in there.
You hit it.
Well, you're over there.
Sarah: Todd and I are taking the family To homer, the halibut capital of the world.
Don't you dare.
They're videotaping this.
Go away, willow! Stop it, piper.
Don't kick me! Mom, look at her.
Knock it off.
Look at her.
Mom, look what piper's doing.
Ow! Ow! Sarah: Piper, that's enough.
We are just the average american family on a road trip, Where the kids are in the back, And they're getting on each other's nerves.
Mom, tell her to stop.
You know, I'm just trying to keep everybody calm While I'm still doing some of my work that I need to do.
Willow, go somewhere else.
Piper: Ow! That's enough.
Don't look at me.
Hush, you guys.
Here's the beach, girls.
So, here we are in the homer spit.
That is the end of the road.
The spit is a barrier, really.
And along the spit, there are a lot of little shops And a lot of charter-boat operators.
It's a nice hometown feeling as you walk up and down the spit.
Sarah: This is a cute town.
Todd: I'm surprised so many people are down here.
Me too.
What's going on? Willow: Dad, are we staying out here in front of everyone? Yes, ma'am.
Good luck, mom.
We're gonna have a blast.
Sarah: After five hours cooped up in the motor home, The family and I headed out to meet the boat captain Who will be taking us commercial halibut fishing.
Going out in public places, It's a joy because I do love meeting new people.
How are you? Hey.
How are ya? A little bit of a challenge, though, To get from point "a" to point "b.
" Hello.
Hello.
Sarah palin? Holy smokes.
Can I get a picture? You have eagle eyes.
[ horn honking .]
I'm with you.
This fame, if you will, Has made it more difficult on bristol, She trying to work out issues So that she can be a great parent.
She's got her hands full.
Well, we're almost there.
Hi, there.
How are you? Tim hamilton from homer, alaska.
Oh, nice to meet you.
Can we take a picture? I want a picture of me and you.
I'm getting ready to pose with him, put my arm around him.
He's like, "can I get the picture with todd, please?" I don't know if this has ever happened before.
I'm excited.
This is todd.
He's the iron dog.
The iron dog race Is 2,000 miles across alaska on a snow machine, And todd's the 4-time champ.
Okay.
This is a good new thing, then.
This is a first? This is homer for you.
And then I thought that's the highlight of my night.
That's really nice.
Willow: This is so embarrassing.
What is? You.
What did I do? I'm wearing army sunglasses.
Want to get on my shoulders? Sarah: Hey, todd.
Are these army sunglasses the only ones I brought? I think so.
Uh-oh.
I walk like a dog, huh, bristol? Willow, don't be self-conscious.
I love you.
Oh, wait.
He has a booger.
He has a booger.
Come here.
Wait.
He's got a big booger.
No, come here.
Let me get your booger.
Look, here's a bug.
Oh, gosh.
All right.
Good.
Got it.
Todd: Bristol and sarah were looking forward To seeing how the commercial end of halibut is done.
And so we went down to meet the boat captain and the crew.
Pat: Well, look who's here.
Welcome.
Hey, todd.
My pleasure.
Pat.
Pat, good to meet you.
My wife, barbara.
Barbara, good to see you.
This one's tripp.
Hi, sarah.
How are you? So nice to see you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to see you.
And welcome aboard.
Come aboard if you like.
Sure.
Man, I want to shake your hand again.
Iron dog champ I wanted to meet him, man.
So, the plan is for bristol to come out fishing with us.
Cool.
So, what's a good day? What's a good load? Oh, you know, if you get 4,000 or 5,000 pounds, For us, that's pretty good.
Between $5.
50 and $6 a pound.
That's amazing.
Wow.
That's a very good price.
Well, no wonder pay what we pay In the grocery store for it.
Sarah: We hooked up with a really great captain, pat, And his wife, barb, on their boat, called the bear.
Pat: I'm not leaving on a Friday, So we're gonna take off without you and meet you on the grounds.
Is that every halibut fisherman or just you? Pretty much.
Nobody leaves on a Friday.
Yeah, there's a lot of little superstitions like that.
I'll teach you a lot of them as we go along.
Typical fisherman with their superstitions.
Todd's got some, too.
There's some things he doesn't want To talk about when he's out fishing 'cause it would perhaps bring some bad luck.
Pat said, "oh, can't make an exception for you I have to leave on a Thursday night," And we could just skiff ourselves out there the next day And find them on the fishing grounds on that Friday.
Barbara: And also, I have to tell you That the flowers on the table are for you, But he said that we cannot leave them on the boat.
Pat: Green plants draw you to land.
Oh.
All right.
There's a million of those things.
Oh, thank you so much.
Oh, I just love them.
[ smooches .]
what a nice touch.
Thank you.
All right, see you tomorrow.
Thank you.
I love this contrast Of the beautiful flowers and the fish heads.
Look at this fishermen's memorial, Where the guys who have been lost at sea.
Sarah: When we go to a coastal community, todd and I We make it a point to go visit the fishermen's memorials, And homer has a beautiful memorial To those who have been lost at sea.
It touches our heart Because we, too, have lost friends and even family members In commercial fishing accidents.
"the sea tells a story.
It tells of the life it brings and the lives it claims.
" That's pretty beautiful.
A memorial like that It's a bit of the sobering reminder of, again, That mother nature wins.
[ sizzling .]
Want hot dog or sausage, todd? Trig: Mama.
What, baby? He'll eat anything.
Todd: Good boy.
He'll eat anything.
Sarah: That's kind of bizarre to be a grandparent at this age.
Todd and I look at each other, and we think, "okay, now, when tripp starts talking, What's he gonna call us is he gonna call me grandma?" I don't know if I'm used to that.
But, again, having said that, Wouldn't trade this child and this situation For anything in the world.
Todd: We have to get an early start tomorrow.
Sarah: How early? 5:30.
Oh, I love 5:30.
When I'm done with this, we're all gonna go to bed.
Really? Todd, your lesson is that today Is the first day of the rest of your life.
Willow's is the sun will come out tomorrow.
She's not worried about anything in life.
Bristol, here is the lesson for you to think about tonight.
There's plenty of fish in the sea.
Okay, I'm gonna jump over here.
Man: Ooh, yeah.
Sarah: I was proud of bristol.
She got that billy club, And she started stunning those fish.
This one's scaring me.
Just go.
Because captain pat and the bear had left the day prior, Bristol and I hitched a ride on another boat To go find pat and the bear out on his fishing grounds For a mother/daughter day commercial fishing.
Do you want to wave to the bear? I look forward, too, to bristol being able to be out there And to kind of get back to some of that sweat-of-the-brow, Blue-collar, tough work that she is really used to doing.
Bristol: That's a big boat.
Look at all those wires and stuff.
Pat: Welcome, ladies.
Hello.
Bristol's ready to work.
Okay, so we're just climbing up and over? Climb on.
We're used to fishing the different salmon, But this will be the first time we get to participate In the halibut commercial-fishing industry.
Pat: Hey, lookit there.
There's a pink hat.
I love my hat.
How are you? It was such an honor to be on the bear.
Welcome.
Yep.
Pat he had already set a line, And lots of hooks had already been baited.
So we were gonna head out to the grounds Where that line already was set.
It's a lot like we do in dillingham.
Different species we're catching, of course White meat, halibut, instead of salmon.
But instead of using nets, We're using hooks, so that's the main difference.
You always hook it through the corner.
Then, like, this here you bury that.
You want to try it? Oh, sure.
Always go through the skin side.
Skin side.
There you go.
All the way through.
There you go.
We're putting herring and some strips of salmon Out on these hooks, And then we'll lay them on the bottom of the water And hope that the halibut take the bait.
How big are these fish? Well, they can be anywhere from 20 to 200.
So on each set, how many do you catch? Sometimes you can set one and not catch any.
Or sometimes you can set one and catch 1,000 pounds.
So one of the things that's very important That you could help us with Is when the fish come and they land on the deck And they're flopping, You need to bop them right between the eyes And knock them out, Because if they don't get knocked out, Then they flap on the deck, And they start damaging the texture of their meat.
So you want to knock them right out, And then we just stick a knife in their gills and let them bleed.
And then that helps the blood draw out of their tissue So they're a nice white-fleshed meat, Like you know halibut are.
Yeah, definitely.
So, we'll get ready, And I'll put my rain gear on, and we'll give it a go.
Okay.
So we'll put you on just behind This little bulkhead, sarah, right there.
Bristol, you can stand right there.
Okay.
That's your little night stick.
Hit it as hard as you can the first time.
You can be really aggressive, bristol.
Bristol: Oh, I'm nervous now.
Don't mess around.
Right.
Sarah: Each halibut can weigh hundreds of pounds And be worth thousands of dollars When brought to the market, So it's crucial to stun them right away So that they don't bruise their own meat or one of us.
There's the buoy.
Throw it like this, kind of like this, Only like this, like "deadliest catch," right? Sure.
Ready? Perfect.
She got it.
Captain pat set a line that was many, many fathoms long, Lots of hooks already baited, And already set on the ocean floor.
You don't physically pull in, Like we do in commercial fishing, A net or pull in a cork or a lead line.
Hydraulics are pulling in this line That's got attached to it many, many hooks.
There's polly, by golly.
So once this knot comes loose, We're gonna start to see hooks.
And these guys will switch places.
And one guy will start pulling the gear.
Pat, are these lines sitting on the bottom? They don't float? Nope.
They're right on the bottom.
And we were crossing our fingers, though, For finding that species that we were there to catch The halibut.
Away we go.
There's a starfish.
Oh, it's really pretty.
Bristol: Holy cow.
I thought starfish only had like five legs.
That's what they call a sun star.
That's really pretty.
It lost a leg and regenerated one there.
Sick.
See where he had the bait underneath him There in the center? He's holding on to the bait.
Sarah: That one sucked up the bait, bristol.
It was on that hook.
Thousands and thousands of these little legs.
That's disgusting.
Oh, it's amazing.
Man: Come on, flatfish.
Come on.
There's something down there, something big down there.
Come on, now.
Come on.
There's a flatfish.
There he is.
Okay, here comes a fish.
Okay, bristol.
Here comes a fish.
Your billy club's right there, bree.
M, no talking.
Okay, bristol.
Here comes a fish.
[ laughs .]
Watch it.
There's a fish.
Oh, my god.
Come on.
Get him on here.
There you go.
Get it, bristol.
Your turn.
Sarah: Real hard, go.
Do I have to go in there? Yeah, step in there.
You hit it.
Well, you're over there.
Holy geez.
They're huge fish.
They're strong fish.
You have to stun it.
Otherwise, it's gonna flop around and bruise its own meat.
It's also dangerous enough Where it could slap somebody around And really injure a person.
It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.
Man: Pat, show her how to bleed him now.
Okay, you better bleed him fast.
Got to cut their gill plate.
Big fish.
Big fish.
Pat: He's still flopping.
Pat: Starboard side.
Right there.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my gosh! Sarah: Oh, my gosh! You can't pick it up by yourself With that gaff, can you, with that hook? Oh, no, we stop, and we get everybody here, And sometimes it's the three of us to do it.
I've seen those pictures, though, Where they're flopping around And they're trying to kick somebody overboard.
That's what scares me.
Okay, get ready this time, bristol.
I'm one step behind.
Let me see the club.
You look crazy.
Well, you're not quick enough.
Well, he was in my way.
Do you want me to hit his knee? Here comes one, bree.
Now hit it this time.
Stunning the halibut may seem a bit harsh to some, But it's the safest and most humane way To harvest these massive fish.
Okay.
Here comes a fish.
You gonna hit it, or am I? Yeah.
Sarah: Oh, golly.
Help.
You want me to help you? Quick, before it starts flopping.
Pat: Come on, sarah.
Attagirl.
Now we've got Okay, I'm gonna jump over here.
There you go.
There you go.
Watch out so it doesn't flip us over.
Bristol: Where do I hit it? Right there.
Okay, you better bleed him fast before they This one's scaring me! Just go.
Rest in peace.
Bristol: One of my jobs was to smack the halibut, to knock him out.
It felt awesome getting some aggression out.
These are the weirdest-looking fish I've ever seen.
I know.
That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen Of any animal in my life.
How much would this one weigh, pat? He's about 40 pounds.
Just think, bristol a 500-pounder.
Halibut there he is, right there.
Ooh, yeah! Okay.
Here we go.
Sarah: I was proud of bristol.
She got that billy club, and she started stunning those fish.
I was looking at her out of the corner of my eye, thinking, I wonder what she's picturing As she's making her mark there on those fish.
Ooh.
Something heavy.
Oh, look at that skate.
That's the good stuff.
Oh, here comes one, bree.
Out of the way, girl.
Hold on.
You're leaning over the boat, and if that fish decides Because it's almost as big as you are If it decides that, no, it's gonna fight you until the end, You're gonna go over before it comes up and over.
Good job, guys.
I love it.
I wasn't gonna hesitate, either, Especially when the fish were piling up And they're slapping around.
They could do some damage here.
We need to calm these boys down real quick.
Ugh! Sheesh! That hurts like crap! Especially after I got slapped across the thigh by one of them, I realized, yeah, they could hurt you.
I don't want to hit the rest of that meat.
Then you throw them up on top of the deck, A little bit higher surface, and you gut them right there.
So you guys gut the fish out here And bring it to the processor already pretty cleaned up.
Oh, yeah.
Come right in here, you split it between the fins.
And you have to come underneath this sideRight like that.
Take a look in here.
This is his heart.
That'll beat for a while.
The heart's beating, bristol.
Let me see it.
Check this out.
Give it to me.
Check it out.
That is disgusting.
How does this work? Bristol: The fisherman gave us the hearts to the fish, And you could squeeze the heart, and it would beat faster.
That's disgusting.
Okay, this is the weirdest thing I've ever held.
Too weird.
Down they go.
Okay.
Down they go.
After it's gutted, you throw it down in the hole, And from there, it's gonna be on ice.
You get it to market as quickly as possible.
He's still flopping.
Pbht! I think bristol and I Make a good team out there on the water.
Big fish.
Oh, watch out, please.
And she and I together not only did we have a great time, But I think we accomplished a lot together, too.
Man: You're gonna scoop it the gut of the halibut.
Oh, in the gut.
And I'm jamming it in there? Mm-hmm.
A lot of times, we'll break a chunk of ice off.
One more, you'll be good.
Okay, and then we're gonna take him, And I've got ice on the bottom of that bin.
Okay.
I'm going up.
You're out of here? Okay.
Good.
Oh, come on.
Bristol can come down.
Okay, bristol, you can go down.
Yeah, I'm not going down there.
That was nice and claustrophobic.
Ugh! Bristol: It was nice to get out here And just be out on the water with my mom, Seeing her work hard.
Work ethic is, like, the biggest life lesson, And it'll outline your kids' future.
We had a good time.
Pat: Starboard side.
Right there.
Oh, my gosh.
Sarah: Wow.
That's a big whale.
It really is nice to get outdoors And get away from those things That are kind of on the periphery of our lives, That seem to consume us.
Wow.
Oh.
Having bristol by my side today Was one of those mother/daughter moments we'll always remember.
It gives us a greater appreciation For what it is that we're doing out here.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Huge! Huge! All the way out of the water.
So, bristol and I, After a long day commercial fishing and a successful day, We headed back to shore.
We had to get back to the kids and pat He was gonna lay some more lines, And we would meet him the next morning at the docks.
All right, well, then, we'll see you in the morning.
We'll see you at the auction block, right? Pat: Pleasure.
Thank you, guys, so much.
Thank you.
Thanks.
All right, see you in the morning.
Watch out.
Watch out.
Sarah: Most every alaskan kid Has worked on a slime line at some time.
You look better with fish slime on you.
Professional fish petter.
A fish petter.
Pet that fish.
Ready? Todd: How's it going? Eric: Good.
Todd.
Hi, I'm Eric.
Hi Eric I'm gonna be your guide today.
Super.
Sarah: While we wait for captain pat to return with the halibut, Todd and I decided to spend some rare alone time together.
If you want to get away from it all in homer, A good way to do that is to hop in a sea kayak.
We're heading out to otter cove to see some sea life.
Captain america there he goes.
He's gonna forge some new waterway.
Whoa.
There you go.
Whoa.
It's very tippy.
Don't tell me that, todd! Stay in shallow water.
doo doo-doo doo-doo Eric, you look like jesus.
We're in good hands.
Man, I've heard that before.
This is beautiful.
You see a dead tree that's white? Sarah: Oh, I see it above.
Straight up, there's the eagle.
See an eagle, todd? There's an eagle.
This is beautiful.
Okay, these little fish are just killing me.
This is great.
[ gasps .]
sea otter.
Look at that.
Look at the sea otter.
Something you'll find out about otters Is they'll end up rolling.
They just do it really slowly, But they do it to trap air bubbles in their fur.
And that's one of the reasons it helps them float.
What a cool granola life you got going.
Geez.
I'm jealous.
Todd: It's time to go.
Let's go.
Got it.
Chop, chop.
Would you like to race? You're going the wrong way.
You got to go that way.
Sarah: I think, if anything, What todd and I have gone through the last couple years Has brought us closer together.
Want me to tow you? He's my helpmate.
He's the most common-sense adviser I could ever ask for.
Here, hold my hand.
I'll tow you.
If somebody paid me 200 bucks to tip you over Well, you can always walk along the shoreline if you're really tired.
Are you tired? No.
Are you? No.
You sweating yet? [ both coughing .]
How come we can't ever just be satisfied With tranquility and serenity? Why do we got to compete? Todd: You're gonna fall.
Don't fall.
Don't tip over.
Don't make me nervous! Screw the finesse.
I just got to win.
[ laughs .]
Hold on.
You would think that most people Could just accept the serenity and the tranquility That it offered, but not todd and me.
At the end there, oh, we had to race To see who could make it home before the other.
'course, he won.
Yesterday, we learned how to catch halibut.
Now we're gonna help process the fish Once the fishermen get it back to homer.
We headed to the auction block, Which is the name of a processing plant there.
Hey, how are you? Hi, I'm jessica.
Jessica, nice to meet you.
How long have you lived here and done this? Going on 17 years.
My goodness.
We have the service of off-loading the boats.
We also process the fish.
The boat comes in.
We see that that's our fish down there on the bear.
Come up just a little bit.
All right.
That's good.
The brailer transports our fish onto the dock, Where a crew of processors They're ready to accept those fish.
Bristol: That's a huge fish.
So, this one okay.
Give us a guess, colin.
Okay, he's guessing 86 pounds.
That's a good guess.
Oh, man! 87.
You're good, kid.
You're good.
That's really good.
We can join you on the line, right? Yeah, put them on.
Some of those fish look familiar from yesterday.
This is what my job is every day.
I put my hand through here, pull out the ice like this, And I push it down, and then I put like this and like that.
And then I grab it, and I throw it on the scale.
Professional fish petter.
A fish petter.
All right, maybe I can handle that.
How do you get your hand in there? Oh, okay.
Bristol: How do you do it? You're just digging your hand in there and getting the ice out So that they're not buying ice.
We take the ice out of the fish, And we take the slime off the fish.
It's called a slime line, and most every alaskan kid Has worked on a slime line at some time.
Here.
You take that one.
We hate to slow you guys down.
That's all right.
All right.
That's all right.
The smell? No, I love the smell! Yeah! It smells like work.
It smells like fish money.
You guys are lucky.
You have these physical jobs, though.
You're working all day long, huh? Yep.
Petting fish.
Petting fish, yeah.
Good job, bree.
How do your hands stay warm? Are you guys wearing liners? Yeah, we are.
We're wearing liners.
You need a liner? No, that's all right.
We're tough.
It would kill a lesser man.
Brr.
Dang.
Man, I think we're screwing up their system here, bristol.
Okay! We're trying! All right, here we go.
Pet that fish.
Hey, all I want to get paid in is a couple of halibut cheeks.
I'll cook them.
You'll love them.
When we see a dimple in the sand at a low tide like this, We know that there's a clam underneath.
Look at this huge one.
Wow! Todd: That's huge.
That'll be delicious.
So, bristol and I headed to the auction block, Which is the name of a processing plant Where the halibut is processed and finally sold on the market.
Hi, guys.
How are you? So, essentially, from here, We move the fish into the hopper.
You line them up to the guillotine here.
Whoo-ee! Okay? [ laughs .]
You got to try the guillotine.
Keep your hands back here, okay? Bristol: It's definitely gratifying just seeing the process Of the halibut going from the ocean To the boat to the process plant.
It's hard work.
It's gonna drop the blade right down.
Perfect.
And then it moves down the line.
Look at all that meat.
Oh, my gosh.
That's great.
That's beautiful.
This is the one that was, what, 87 pounds, he said? I think he guessed right.
Yeah, he was like 1 pound shy.
We got to watch the experts fillet the fish.
It's an art form, and they are good at what they're doing.
They're making sure that it's a clean cut And we're not wasting any of the meat on the halibut.
Wow.
And that's fresh.
Look at that color.
There you go.
That's it.
Geez.
It's tougher than it looks.
She's all out of breath.
Can we photoshop this To make it look really, really smooth at the end? With the other one? Yeah.
Can we dump that one in? There you go.
Look at that.
There you go.
That is perfect.
With our help, Captain pat caught over 12,000 pounds of halibut, Worth nearly $75,000.
From there, the fish are boxed up And ready to be shipped to market Usually seattle, california, anchorage restaurants.
Jessica: We're gonna have the ladies Hose down their rain gear out here.
Yeah, we don't need to be sprayed for a spray tan, do we? This is what we do in alaska.
It's the equivalent to a spray tan.
Jessica wrapped it up for us.
They put it on ice, and they sent us on our way With our own fish to able to cook Over the campfire later on that night.
So, weekend coming on, Lots of people pouring into homer.
We decided, you know, Let's go a little bit further out in the boonies And have an even more peaceful time.
We'll head down to deep creek 'cause we wanted to do some clam-digging.
Okay, does anybody else want a bucket? We grew up doing this with our mom and dad.
So my brother, chuck, and his kids joined us.
The only thing missing would be bristol and willow, But tripp wasn't feeling too hot, So willow was gonna go help her out.
We're finding little dimples in the sand.
There's one, daddy.
There's a big dimple.
And when we see a dimple in the sand at a low tide like this, We know that there's a clam underneath that dimple.
It's burying itself underneath.
So we dig a quick hole with a shovel.
Then with our hands, we're digging out the sand Before too much water gets in there.
Look at this huge one.
Wow! Todd: That's huge, pipe.
That'll be delicious.
What a great way to end Another wonderful family adventure in alaska.
We've worked up an appetite the last couple of days Fishing halibut and digging for clams.
And now we're gonna cook it all up.
That looks pretty good.
Big difference When it's your own hands that caught the thing.
What's your recipe, todd? Just whatever's on the table.
And bristol has a really good recipe Using mayonnaise and sour cream and chips.
Oh, yeah.
It's gonna be amazing.
It's gonna be incredible.
And I had my own little recipe going.
Beer-battered halibut.
Again, we had to have a competition.
Who cooked it the best? I think I'll keep mine separate from yours.
Exactly.
Sarah: Todd and I have been competing all day long.
You can't win another one.
You like what I just cooked? Yeah, but you're the second one.
I'm only in second place? Who's winning? Todd.
Todd! There's something about todd With this magical touch on things Where, yep, he usually wins the competition.
[ indistinct conversations .]
It's really good.
I have to admit it.
Todd's recipe won.
What's new? Todd: How is it? Bristol: It's good.
It's really good.
I'm a good cook.
I did well.
I did well.
This trip is exactly what bristol needed.
It allowed her to get away from it all, Spend the day outdoors with her family, And get back to doing what matters most in life.
I knew it would be good for her, And she knew it would be good, too.
Doesn't food just taste better this way? Yeah, it's delicious.
This is the best way in the world to enjoy a meal.
It is from the waters to the boat to the processors.
To my mouth.
[ laughing .]
to your mouth.
Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" This is all diva all the time.
Yeah, baby! Yeah! Stop right there.
This anchor line's too damn short.
This is track's one chance to prove That he's ready to be the next great palin fisherman.
You were the captain that day, right? Are you going back to the other boat?