Travel

Extreme Kayaking for Huge Sharks, Halibut and More

Joel Abrahamsson rumbles with monster fish like a Greenland shark and halibut from his kayak.

By Christopher Balogh

Updated: September 11, 2014

Joel Abrahamsson hails from Sweden and fishes the waters of Norway, Nepal — anywhere that has extreme, freezing conditions. But that doesn’t bother him, he’s out for the game and the thrill of catching big fish in his kayak. He describes himself as a “fish bum dreaming of catching big fish in cold waters, living off the grid and chasing dreams instead of papers.” He recently made one of his dreams come true with his 1,247-pound Greenland shark, which was caught less than a mile offshore from the Norwegian island of Andörja — all in his kayak. You can follow him at his **Jackson Kayak Team **or his Facebook page Jerry Onmalm, Norrkoping.

Joel caught this monster halibut in Söröya, Norway.

This look is normal for spring conditions in Norway.

Joel says, “gaffing the halibut is where the real battle begins.”

Joel used a pike rod and earned 30 halibut bites in a winter’s day.

Joel says, “a wolffish can bite your fingers off and close its jaws like a pitbull.”

Stålet, which is a mark off Söröya, can be a bit too unsheltered for winter kayak fishing.

Joel battling yet another halibut in winter.

Halibut are strong fighters, both under the surface and over it. Releasing them unharmed is the hardest part.

Joel with a nice-sized winter halibut on light gear.

A big halibut haul on a day intended for cod.

Pike are taken off the Scandinavia coast as well as in lakes. Nocturnal pike are a favorite for Joel.

A normal summer cod that ate a pilk.

A view of rough seas in north Norway during winter.

Söröya Gjestestue is a place where Joel tries to spend every moment.

Joel lure fishing for brackish pike in Karlskrona, Sweden.

A 136-pound halibut is hard to get on top of the kayak.

Joel in another battle royale with a huge halibut.

Joel with a dinner-sized halibut along with a background of blue, Norwegian skies. LASSE_SELBERG

One of Joel’s fishing partners and a 55-inch halibut balancing on a Cuda 14-foot.

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Skrei cod caught on the outer reefs of the Norwegian island Söröya.

A small mahseer caught from the icy, cold river Kali on the border to Nepal.

More: Fishing Travel, game fish, halibut fishing, Kayak fishing, shark fishing, Species

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