Sarah Palin's Alaska (2010) s01e03 Episode Script
Salmon Run
The palin family comes to dillingham, And we are here to fish in bristol bay.
Here we go! This is the most fish I've ever seen.
Now that my son track is safely back from iraq, He's taking over the family fishing business.
Track has a good shot at making some money.
They just need to do what I want them to do.
With just a couple of weeks left in the season, This is track's one chance to prove to todd and me That he's ready to accept the responsibility Of being the next great palin fisherman.
Stop right there.
This anchor line's too damn short.
It seems like I got some big shoes to fill.
You were the captain that day, right? You going back to the other boat? 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 Bristol bay it's a very special place For todd and for me and for our family.
We've been fishing in these waters Since even before we were married.
It's home of the world's single largest salmon run On the planet.
It's so special to us That our first daughter was named after bristol bay.
Lena, I'll bake some cakes tonight for willow's birthday.
Oh.
Okay.
Did you go run this morning, sarah? Yeah.
Each year for the salmon-fishing season, The whole family headquarters out of todd's mom's house.
Time to read a book? This high chair has been through each kid, I think, starting with all the grandkids.
And now a great-great-grandkid.
Hi! I'm gonna bug you till you say hi.
Oh, no.
Right here.
Uh-oh.
Where's the bird going? This year, we have five generations in the house, From todd's grandmother lena, a yupik eskimo, All the way down to my daughter bristol's son, tripp.
I think he's hungry.
What you want, baby? Oh.
Let's have a banana.
Bristol couldn't come over this season, So to kind of give her a little bit of a break And for our own enjoyment, We brought her baby, tripp, over with us.
You can't bug them.
Sorry.
You can't bug them.
You're gonna take a happy nap.
This is where we warm up and where we get dry clothes And warm food and get ready to get back out on the water When it's time.
So, we don't have any good nets Laying around down by the boats, do we? I have no idea.
I've been fishing for many years Every season in bristol bay.
There's a lot of money at stake.
The price is getting close to $1 a pound, And so track has a good shot At making some money catching some fish.
Stop right there.
We're gonna change out this anchor line Because this anchor line's too damn short.
As far as I know, my dad's one of the best fishermen around.
The only thing I can really do is take what he's taught me And, you know, try to meet those standards.
As far as commercial fishing goes, It seems like I got some big shoes to fill.
Fishing our site, and then when I get all loaded up And caught up on that boat, we'll head down.
Mom! What, honey? Am I going fishing tomorrow? Yeah-h-h.
promise? I promise, but make sure dad promises.
Okay, todd.
So, what are we waiting on? We just need to get going.
Did you see we have the boat sitting on the tire? Why are we doing this? I just noticed it.
It wasn't like that earlier.
Crap.
Track and his crew wrecked todd's trailer last night, But didn't bother to fix it.
Now we're stuck with it.
So, yeah.
This is a bummer.
No other trailer in town? I'm sure there's a trailer in town.
It's just a lack of maintenance.
I wonder how they made it here like that last night.
Well, I would hope that the boys didn't drive it If it was gonna do any more damage.
Track has yet to learn that being a captain Means that every piece of equipment he uses Is now his responsibility.
If he breaks it, he's got to fix it.
What's the goal, though, If there's not a tire to change it with? No, if I can get some clearance on the tire without rubbing.
Then we'll go with three tires.
So, we'll go down and see if the boys are catching any fish And catch up with them.
Ready to go fishing? I'm ready to go fishing.
All right, let's roll.
It's lovely! Todd has the number-one site in this area.
It's probably the most productive site Because nobody's to the north of you.
The fish hit your net before they hit anybody else's net.
So track has worked very, very hard And proved to todd that he deserves to fish The number-one site.
Slow down.
Okay.
Hop in, track.
We're gonna haul the net up off the beach in the mud.
We'll let the tide turn.
Kaleb, just disconnect the net up there And drag it up to the beach.
Yeah.
There are basically two kinds of commercial fisheries In bristol bay.
You've got your setnetters and you have your drifters.
And todd and I set the net.
That's literally setting a net from the shore to your skiff.
You are hoping for a school of fish to run into your net, Get themselves caught by the gills.
They can't get out.
We get to haul in that load.
Where's the fish? When the fish aren't hitting, it's an easy environment For people's nerves to start getting frayed.
Do you want to flip a coin? You want to go fix the trailer? Flip a coin? You want to go fix the trailer? Sure.
Let todd fix the trailer.
I don't know.
He's the only one who knows how to do it.
You were the captain that day, right? I think kaleb was.
Final responsibility falls on you.
You're in charge of that pull.
What are you eating, dad? You're eating m&m's.
I'm eating fruit.
Put it like that.
A lot of the time, my dad and I don't agree On how everything should be run.
My dad doesn't baby me at all or any of us.
He's pretty blunt.
Low water's about 3:30 by the book.
So we'll go and pick the net, see if we're catching anything.
If we're not catching fish, You guys go in for dinner and take a break.
I need 723 pounds today.
Then I have piece of mind.
Since the fishing window in bristol bay is so short And track will only be getting $1 per pound, He needs to catch at least 3,000 pounds a day In order to stay above water.
How much fish do we have in here? 800 pounds.
800 pounds? It's almost a brailer full.
It's not 800.
700? We got insulation in all of them.
We made the boxes smaller now.
Great.
600? About 500.
500? Yeah.
800's your average.
Should we go pick? Let's go pick.
Let's go get some.
All right, let's go.
I just need piece of mind.
Todd and I have had seasons Where we've relied on the fish moneys to pay our bills, So I know how hard it is for track When the fish aren't hitting.
She's lookg a little bare.
Where's the fish? Oh, there's one at the end, kaleb.
There's always that one at the end.
There's always the one.
It's been kind of slow today.
All right, let's roll.
Hop in, track.
A big part of being a fisherman Is knowing when to cut bait and run.
Unfortunately, not a lot of fish to celebrate, but next time.
We'll get them next time.
There's always next time.
get them next time.
This is really good for todd and track's relationship.
You know, I think it's kind of tough for a dad And a kid who's growing up to be a man and to work together.
But todd still wants to be able to teach track, And track's at that age where he's like, "let me kind of try to do this on my own, And let me prove to you that I know what I'm doing.
" Good job, baby.
Willow, would you like fish-head stew with your birthday dinner? I'm trying to cut this.
Martha stewart juniors.
Ew! Hey, do you like eating the fish, too? Mmm.
Trig does that.
getting to see little matthew It give me a lot of hope And something to look forward to with trig.
Hey, how'd you do? Not as good as you guys.
You guys are 'em.
How do you know what we got? We're tied.
There's competition amongst fishermen.
And it's all healthy fun.
We all wish each other the best, But we have to have a little competitive spice Throughout the summer.
You're such a sandbagger.
What'd you get? I don't know.
I lost my pink slip.
I wish.
I think I got 1,300 for today.
Oh, you still got your net out? Yeah.
You just told me you got 57.
Hey! Hey! We must have run into todd in '93, Literally ran into his net, cut it with the prop.
I'm hungry.
We pulled up, and he's not mad, anything, Just typical todd, just a grin on his face.
And so that's how I actually first met todd.
It's willow's birthday.
We'll have a birthday party on the fourth of July.
You're sure there's three eggs in there, piper? Yeah, you can even see the yolk.
And how many eggs? How many does one more! Read the directions.
"three eggs.
" Okay.
Here.
It's in spanish.
No, it's not three egg whites.
Oh, it's both.
You're right.
Yay! Where's your bike? Ha-koo! Todd is, like, mr.
Mom because he loves kids.
That was one of the things that attracted me to him.
We both knew that we wanted a big family.
Ready? Whoa! Trig was born with down syndrome.
There's some struggles and challenges, But he is such a joy in our life.
He helps us really focus in on the heart of a family.
Yay! We both pitch in And do whatever needs to be done To raise this family and run a household.
I feel like I found the perfect person for me, And I was lucky to have found him at such a young age.
This is beautiful.
Good-sized fish.
Okay.
So, we're gonna bring these over here.
We are so fortunate to have todd's grandmother, lena, A native eskimo, with us.
She's showing us how to process the fish properly So that we can fill our freezers to the brim.
Willow, would you like fish-head stew with your birthday dinner? I'm trying to cut this.
Okay.
She's concentrating.
She can't answer.
Geez! Ooh, and it's beautiful and red.
Ew! What do you think other kids are doing For their sweet 16 birthday, willow? Don't want to know.
you don't want to know? Me and my cousin alex we had to fillet fish, And we had to cut them open and gut them, So there was blood everywhere.
We were all covered in blood and slime.
None of my friends do this.
I'm doing a sloppy job.
What about us? How's our job doing? What seems to be the problem there, alex? It's our first time doing this.
Okay.
Besides that? You're getting better.
getting better.
You need about 200 more fish, and you'll get it.
Grabbing the guts out is my favorite part.
Where's its stomach? I want to see what it's been eating.
When we're gonna can it, we take this bone off.
It thrills my heart to see my little great-grandchildren Prepare food the native way.
And I'm so fortunate that I'm able to pass that on to them.
Do you feel the bones, alex? Yeah.
Okay.
Good.
It's kind of a masterpiece, isn't it? It all tastes the same.
The teenage years are not easy years.
Any parent will tell you.
I'd rather she be doing this than texting her buddies, Thinking she needs to be all dolled up And going out and partying or anything else.
I'd rather she be here kind of out in the woods in alaska, Picking fish and processing a resource With her great-grandma.
Who did that? Me.
Good job, girls.
Martha stewart juniors.
There you go.
Yeah.
There's matthew.
Hi, matthew! Matthew, this is your cousin piper.
getting to meet our little cousin there Kind of gives me maybe a look at 10 years from now trig.
Do you want to shake her hand? Whenever we come to dillingham, I love to connect with the whole palin side of the family.
So while the boys are out fishing, Piper, todd's sister kristene, and I We're gonna catch a quick flight downriver To visit todd's cousin ina at the village of ekuk.
We live in the most extraordinary state.
It's so enormous.
When you're flying over, then you get a greater appreciation For how majestic alaska really is.
People love to get up there, look down, And appreciate all of alaska from the sky.
Sweet! Whoo-hoo! We lucked out with weather again.
Hey, sarah.
You look beautiful! Oh! Good to see you.
Ina, like todd, is yupik eskimo And runs a fish camp at ekuk every summer.
It's been a few years since I was last able to visit ekuk, So I'm really excited to see this beautiful native village And ina's family again.
Our spot is right down here, right on the beach.
Do you have all your kids with you? All my kids are here.
This is johnna.
Nice to see you.
This is my jillian.
Hi, jillian.
Nice to see you.
My two girls.
And this is my oldest daughter, ani.
Hi! I haven't seen you since you were a little girl.
Usually, a fish camp is shared by a lot of family members Coming together to process fish for the winter The traditional way.
And then wintertime comes and the fish camp is abandoned And people move to a more urban setting.
We cut little notches in the top of fish So they can tie from the strings.
So you tie one strip on each.
How long are they gonna be hanging? It just depends on the weather and, like, the wind and stuff.
Go ahead, pipe.
Do what she did and tie them through that notch That they made with their ulu.
And then when you're out here iphones, internet? Um, no what you got? They just got internet out here last year.
And then cellphones just started working out here last year, too.
Does it feel good to sort of be unplugged, though? Yeah.
I love it.
I love it.
And just connect to family and to nature and to work? And are you doing laundry by hand? This year, we just got washers and dryers put in.
Do we use these? Uh-huh.
Every family comes out and does strips.
I think I'm the best fish filleter In the whole third grade.
This is my smokehouse.
Wow! Here's a fire.
What I will do I don't like the flames to go onto my fish.
Okay.
So you see how it makes the smoke go.
Perfect.
Smoked fish is one of the most tasty way of enjoying your fish.
In fact, if you come over to my house, I guarantee you, Your hors d'oeuvre will be some dish made out of smoked salmon.
I know everything is in tight spaces at fish camp.
Yeah.
It is.
That keeps a family close, doesn't it? That's so good for these kids.
Our kids I have all my kids all summer long, And I love it.
People are surprised.
They think we have such a huge family.
It's only five kids.
It doesn't seem that big to us.
The number of kids I wanted was five, But the last was a surprise.
You got lucky.
Twins.
I'm jealous.
Oh, my gosh.
So, piper, one of the twins how's he doing? He's awesome! He's in the house, and you can go see him.
I want to see him.
Piper, he has down syndrome.
Just like your little baby.
Just like trigby.
Did you know he was gonna be born with down's? No.
Wow.
So, for you, it was just fine not knowing, then? Because, for me, I knew, so I had all those months to prepare.
It was still tough to prepare for.
Right.
But then it was a blessing, of course.
Matthew has down syndrome, But he teaches our whole family about patience, About a love that is so deep.
And there's matthew! Hi, matthew! Come here.
Oh, he likes airplanes.
Oh, let'go look at the airplane, matthew.
Let's go look at the airplane.
Oh! Matthew, this is your cousin piper.
Yeah! Say hi to piper.
Do you want to shake her hand? Yeah! That's nice, matthew.
yeah.
Well, getting to meet our little cousin there, Matthew, ina's son, You know, it kind of gives me Maybe a look at 10 years from now trig.
And he's a beautiful child.
Maybe you can come over to dillingham, okay? And you could bring your sisters and your brother And you can come play with us over at your auntie's house.
House? And all the kids would come with you, So you wouldn't be lonely.
He is a welcomed and loved child.
And I sure hope that I can look forward to that in trig's life, That people will embrace him And treat him just like one of the other kids And expect work out of him.
Good.
Hey, do you like eating the fish, too? Do you like fish? Yeah! It's good.
Yeah, it's really good.
That's good! And your mom and your sisters Eat the fish.
Mm-hmm.
Yum.
Mmm.
Trig does that.
Does he get to go flying with you, john paul? Oh, yeah.
He loves it.
Yeah, they like airplanes big-time.
When we found out that trig Would be born with down syndrome, and I said, "well, wow! What do we anticipate? "what are our goals for this child, trig? And what will he be able to do?" And the first thing todd told me was, "he's gonna come flying with me, and he's gonna love it.
" Oh! Sweet love.
Thank you.
He gave sarah a kiss.
So, getting to see little matthew It gives me a lot of hope And something to look forward to with trig.
All right.
Now the kids got to get back to work.
I know.
Thank you so much.
You guys are awesome.
It's an amazing family that you have.
You're doing so well.
Goodbye.
Today it just really reminded me how important family is And making sure that we're all supporting one another.
We circle the wagons when you have to.
I wish he could.
She wants matthew to come.
Being able to take a little stock in my own family And realize how fortunate I am To get to share all this with family And pass on these traditions It just makes me realize how blessed we are.
So, you guys catching any fish? Todd comes and takes over the boat.
No, no! Track, disconnect the net right there.
It annoys track a little bit.
So, yeah, we got a mess here.
Well, what do those boys expect Somebody else is gonna pick it up for them? We're reaching the point in the fishing season When the boys are nearing the end of the salmon run.
They've been fishing around the clock, And you can tell it's wearing on them Because they've started to neglect Some of their other responsibilities.
So, once we get this shop Kind of halfway cleaned up, sarah, We'll go through these nets and pick out the best one.
And then we need to tell those boys, todd, They have to clean this up Instead of you having to come out here.
Perfect timing for track to take over the operation.
But with that captain duty comes a lot of responsibility.
And the number-one responsibility Is making sure that your gear is ready to go.
These boys, you know nobody's gonna wake them up.
They got to get their butts up out of bed.
They can't miss a tide.
They can't go high and dry, Or they're gonna miss out on thousands of dollars.
Piper, you're just in time.
Hey! Sweep real quick, piper.
As a new captain, you have to keep pushing yourself.
If track wants to make a lot of money this summer, He's got to get out onto the fishing grounds first.
Good job, pipe.
Piper, look.
Run downstairs and wake up the boys.
They stayed out all night fishing.
They're in that tv room.
Tell them they have to get up now or dad's gonna be ticked Because he's down there getting equipment for the guys now.
track.
Jake.
Track.
You guys are leaving in like a half an hour, And breakfast is ready.
Wake up.
It's very important to remember That the more successful fisherman Is gonna be the harder-working fisherman.
The harder you work, the more money you're gonna make, The more fish you're gonna be able to pick.
That, again, is a life lesson That so many should and could be learning.
Track.
Track.
Whoa! It's time for breakfast.
Okay.
We'll go up there soon.
Okay.
Did they grumble, or did they say, "sure, we're up"? They said, "ohh, we'll be up in a minute.
" Nice day.
We got a king uphere, dude.
'cause we set the net over that little creek.
Yeah.
Well, it's like, why go way up in the high water When there's nothing way up there? No creek, no channel, no fish.
The last summer I was here, I was 16.
So this is, like, the first year that I'm running it by myself.
I compete with my dad when it comes to fishing Because he's had some pretty big numbers over the years.
And it would be nice to show him something pretty equal to that, Just so he knows that we're doing all right.
One of those days no fish, I guess.
Beauty.
Oh! Oh! Ohh! Gone.
There's a lot of reasons why I like to fish, But the biggest reason's the money and the tradition.
The one that got away.
There's always one.
It's kind of frustrating to go out and there's no fish.
Trig, look.
Do you want food? Food? He wants something.
Look.
Look, it's right here.
Look.
Mmm.
Mmm.
Yay! That's some good bananas, huh? Track.
Hey, what's up? You catching any fish? So-so.
Do you have that cellphone on you? Yeah, but it's not good.
We're heading down to the beach.
And so, what time is it now? Being back in dillingham this summer's been strange to me Because I'm not in charge of my site.
Hello, track.
And with track being here You know, they've pretty much taken control of that site.
So I'm still getting used to the fact of not being out there.
Okay.
We're gonna take off from here in about five minutes, So we'll meet you down there in about 15 minutes, okay? Sounds good.
4-6.
Piper, you ready for a boat ride? Yeah.
I'll drive.
No, I'm driving.
I'm driving.
I'm driving.
I'm driving.
Scoot over.
Excuse me? Yeah, I've had a dozen gnats stuck to my lips.
I think they like my carmex.
Pipe, there is a lake around these parts, And it's one of only two lakes in the entire world That have a population of seal.
Ask me anything.
I'm the cliff clavin of alaska.
Do you know who cliff clavin is? No.
Never mind, then.
A little bit more fish.
Because of the high tide.
Yeah, dude, we're still getting a few hits, though.
Okay, straighten it out.
Straighten it out.
Two hands.
Okay.
It's straight.
Watching my son run my site is a little awkward.
I've been over here a couple times, helping him set up, Making sure that he's got everything he needs To have a successful season.
He and kaleb they understand what I want them to do.
And they just need to do what I want them to do.
So, I'm gonna fish with track? Sure.
Okay.
Days on end.
Okay, come on, piper.
Like, just push it out.
There you go.
This is this is all diva, all the time.
One more.
Get it.
Get it, pipe.
Just give it a shake.
Shake it.
There you go.
Keep scrubbing.
Do you need another brush? What? Do you need another brush? You grab a brush.
Dude.
He's hung up right there.
Here.
How skinny is he feeling? Loading up.
High and dry means that as the tide goes out, Track's net could be stuck in mud, and that's a huge problem.
Disconnect the float line from the anchor line, And then chuck the anchor out here.
Then bring the anchor back? Yeah, by hand.
When todd comes and takes over the boat, It annoys track a little bit.
No, no! Track, disconnect the net right there.
I mean, they have pretty similar personalities, So they kind of butt heads a little bit.
Some day, track and I will hopefully be able to pass todd.
It's kind of one of those goals.
You want to be the best, especially if you're taught by the best.
You guys gonna go drift? Are you going back to the other boat? Well, see, the tide was going out, And you don't want to go high and dry on the beach With your net out with fish.
So there's an easy way, and there's a hard way.
My dad's paranoid.
If he sees something going on That wasn't his way or the way he taught us, Then he's gonna come try to correct us.
Okay, you got to get that upper anchor ready, track.
Just came and took charge, I guess.
With this torch being passed on to track, I'm sure what's going through track's mind is, He wants to prove to his dad That he, too, deserves this opportunity To fish the number-one site.
He wants to show his dad, "I know what I'm doing.
"I'm gonna work as hard as you do, dad.
"have faith in me, and maybe I can be honored With having the site in my own name someday.
" 48, 49 Sweet 16.
A party like this, with all the family being there together It means a lot to us.
Willow! Isha, who's babysitting the babies? Well, why don't you holler for alex and willow to come help me? Alex! Willow! I mean holler for them outside.
It's fourth of July, And tonight we get to have our daughter's sweet 16th birthday, Together with these 5 generations.
Can you count to 16, isha? 1, 2, 17, 1, 22, 48, 49.
Hi, mother.
Piper, you're just in time to help with streamers.
Oh! Come on! Help me.
I'll pass.
Hot.
Hot.
Oh, goody.
Oh, goody.
Here.
Take another one.
Smells heavenly.
Do you know what you're doing? Of course I do.
Did you cook that? Yeah.
Did you really? yes.
That's right on.
You did good.
Todd and I have grown up together Teenage kids coming together, falling in love, Getting married, having five kids, Lots of ups and downs in our life.
Tragedies and triumphs.
And he's been by my side through it all.
You know, could never have done any of this without him.
Can I have your attention? Our precious father, We have come together as a family and friends And visitors, lord And a happy birthday to my great-granddaughter.
We pray that you continue to keep her well and happy, lord.
I don't like birthdays, personally.
I just I don't like attention on me.
And we pray for the fishermen Will be catching a lot of fish, lord.
We ask this in your precious name.
Amen.
Amen.
Right on.
Thank you, mom.
Okay, willow.
We'll light the candles first.
We'll sing "happy birthday" then.
We don't want the kids to be so materialistically spoiled, But we want them spoiled In terms of knowing what family, love, And camaraderie and teamwork is all about.
So a party like this, with all the family being there together And celebrating her birthday it means a lot to us.
Blow them out.
Blow them out.
Yay! Happy birthday, baby.
Okay.
Who wants salmon? Me! Yay! Salmon's on the stove, guys.
Next to blanche, you're the best chef here.
Yeah, right.
Oh, and juju.
And kristene.
And kristene.
And sarah.
And sarah.
Happy birthday, darling.
What I got for my birthday is some clothes, some money.
But I really wanted a truck, And I don't know why my parents didn't get it for me 'cause I'm a really good kid.
I'm not doing it, piper.
Hi, trig! Here.
You ruined my cake, piper! Do you really want to do this? Yeah.
I'm ready.
Okay.
And, then, you know, We'll get you guys home, but it may be a while, So I don't want no whiners.
We are always optimistic That finally we're gonna start hitting some fish.
Even though it's fourth of July, Steve becker, one of our great buddies, And willow are heading out to bristol bay.
Todd is going out and fishing, too.
Becker, tell her to hurry up.
Hurry up! I'm with becker.
I know.
He's trying to be polite.
We're waiting for you! And don't let her whine.
Don't let them say they want to come in.
There's no whining on my boat.
No whining.
Make them stay out all night, becker.
Okay.
We may go down to the beach and do fireworks.
You can meet us there if you have fuel.
Okay.
Okay.
Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey! All right, got some fish.
Good! Looking good! Looking real good.
Ready? Yep.
Big king.
Big king.
Cash money.
Like a $5 bill sitting in there.
This time, we had about 3,000 pounds in the net.
So, 3,000 pounds that's a good day.
Are we gonna catch fish? Whoo! Yeah, baby! Yeah! Yeah! Oh, boy! That's a lot of fish.
That's a lot of fish.
Oh, boy! You better be ready to pick, willow! Brad.
That's not very good, brad.
Look at that.
Our net is sunk.
I can't remember the last time I had a sunk net.
That's not good.
Oh, my god.
This is so hard.
Look at that.
Our net is sunk.
I can't remember the last time I had a sunk net.
In a way, that's good.
You're gonna see here in a minute That that's not good.
our net is sunk, man.
This net's just smoking from one end to the other.
You got some clothes? Yeah.
Put them away so they stay dry, 'cause we are gonna be sweating little piggies here in a minute.
come on.
This is so hard, I can't do it.
You know, when you pull up to a net that's full of fish I mean, that's what brings me back every year.
You know, it's just that's the fun of it.
Oh, man.
Unbelievable.
And it's not about the money.
It's really not about the money.
It's just catching fish.
Love it.
Here we go.
Here we go.
I got to love it.
Look at this.
Holy crap.
Look at that.
We're gonna come on the mother lode.
Okay! There's some fishies.
Oh, my god.
Look at this monster.
Okay.
Fish for everybody.
This is the most fish I've ever seen.
That's a huge sockeye.
Pull that one straight through.
Grab him.
Grab right there on top of his head.
Now pull.
Pull it through.
I know most teenage girls Don't want to get all squishy and slimy on their sweet 16, But I guess I'm not a regular teenage girl.
Look at these beautiful fish.
Have you ever caught this many fish on your dad's boat? No, I don't think so.
You don't think so.
So what I'm thinking is What you're really trying to tell me is, I've got a better boat.
I guess you do, huh? I'm thinking I can catch more fish than your daddy.
You sort of look like your mom did The first time I ever met her, 18 years ago.
I don't remember which one was cuter, though.
Uh, me.
No, it was definitely me.
My mom's been fishing for a long time on bristol bay, And I guess there's a part of me that wants to be like her.
I love throwing fish and hitting willow in the head.
stop! It's the funnest thing to do out here.
All right.
All right, good job.
Mom, don't forget this stuff in the back.
It won't blow out.
Yeah, it will.
It won't.
Track promised piper that they would do fireworks.
He let other guys go out on the boat, And he sacrificed a lot of money because that peak finally hit.
Whoa! Ah! Track, take it! Just hold it, bro.
Have you ever done a really wild, fun fourth of July? Usually, everybody comes out, But fishing and tired or something weird.
Everybody's out fishing A typical palin fourth of July, wouldn't you say, track? We don't usually do a whole lot on the fourth.
At least we're all in the same area.
"at least we're all in the same area.
" That's true.
It's cool.
You know, he's my firstborn, so he has my heart.
He always has.
I'll never forget the summer track was 2 months old.
I brought my mom over to babysit track, And it just killed me to have to leave my newborn baby While I was out on the water for days on end, But now 21 yrs later, It amazes me to see this man take over the fishing operation.
It makes me very, very proud of my son To know that he has learned a lot from his dad.
So we're really proud to have learned That our son was ready to captain the site and take over, And it's a family tradition.
And someday I anticipate That piper's gonna be able to take it over from track.
Oh, my gosh! That's cool.
Did you see the pretty lights? That's fireworks! Fireworks! Wow! What do you think? lookit.
Lookit! Lookit! Lookit! You're missing it.
I'm very blessed to get to be a part of this lifestyle.
You know, it's all about family for us, And it's all about teaching kids strong work ethic And being together and being productive And passing on from generation to generation A really great tradition.
Wouldn't trade an experience like this For anything in the world.
Pretty! Is that pretty? Here.
Happy birthday, willow! Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" You got your trigger finger warmed up? The upbringing that I've had in alaska hunting and fishing I've grown up doing this.
there you go.
There you go, baby.
Oh, my gosh! Forget it.
Wolf tracks right here.
That's a pretty big wolf.
That's as big as my hand.
Big enough to take you down.
You missed, dad.
You shot above it.
I owe sarah $5.
Glad to get to know you again.
Just like old times.
Here we go! This is the most fish I've ever seen.
Now that my son track is safely back from iraq, He's taking over the family fishing business.
Track has a good shot at making some money.
They just need to do what I want them to do.
With just a couple of weeks left in the season, This is track's one chance to prove to todd and me That he's ready to accept the responsibility Of being the next great palin fisherman.
Stop right there.
This anchor line's too damn short.
It seems like I got some big shoes to fill.
You were the captain that day, right? You going back to the other boat? 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 Bristol bay it's a very special place For todd and for me and for our family.
We've been fishing in these waters Since even before we were married.
It's home of the world's single largest salmon run On the planet.
It's so special to us That our first daughter was named after bristol bay.
Lena, I'll bake some cakes tonight for willow's birthday.
Oh.
Okay.
Did you go run this morning, sarah? Yeah.
Each year for the salmon-fishing season, The whole family headquarters out of todd's mom's house.
Time to read a book? This high chair has been through each kid, I think, starting with all the grandkids.
And now a great-great-grandkid.
Hi! I'm gonna bug you till you say hi.
Oh, no.
Right here.
Uh-oh.
Where's the bird going? This year, we have five generations in the house, From todd's grandmother lena, a yupik eskimo, All the way down to my daughter bristol's son, tripp.
I think he's hungry.
What you want, baby? Oh.
Let's have a banana.
Bristol couldn't come over this season, So to kind of give her a little bit of a break And for our own enjoyment, We brought her baby, tripp, over with us.
You can't bug them.
Sorry.
You can't bug them.
You're gonna take a happy nap.
This is where we warm up and where we get dry clothes And warm food and get ready to get back out on the water When it's time.
So, we don't have any good nets Laying around down by the boats, do we? I have no idea.
I've been fishing for many years Every season in bristol bay.
There's a lot of money at stake.
The price is getting close to $1 a pound, And so track has a good shot At making some money catching some fish.
Stop right there.
We're gonna change out this anchor line Because this anchor line's too damn short.
As far as I know, my dad's one of the best fishermen around.
The only thing I can really do is take what he's taught me And, you know, try to meet those standards.
As far as commercial fishing goes, It seems like I got some big shoes to fill.
Fishing our site, and then when I get all loaded up And caught up on that boat, we'll head down.
Mom! What, honey? Am I going fishing tomorrow? Yeah-h-h.
promise? I promise, but make sure dad promises.
Okay, todd.
So, what are we waiting on? We just need to get going.
Did you see we have the boat sitting on the tire? Why are we doing this? I just noticed it.
It wasn't like that earlier.
Crap.
Track and his crew wrecked todd's trailer last night, But didn't bother to fix it.
Now we're stuck with it.
So, yeah.
This is a bummer.
No other trailer in town? I'm sure there's a trailer in town.
It's just a lack of maintenance.
I wonder how they made it here like that last night.
Well, I would hope that the boys didn't drive it If it was gonna do any more damage.
Track has yet to learn that being a captain Means that every piece of equipment he uses Is now his responsibility.
If he breaks it, he's got to fix it.
What's the goal, though, If there's not a tire to change it with? No, if I can get some clearance on the tire without rubbing.
Then we'll go with three tires.
So, we'll go down and see if the boys are catching any fish And catch up with them.
Ready to go fishing? I'm ready to go fishing.
All right, let's roll.
It's lovely! Todd has the number-one site in this area.
It's probably the most productive site Because nobody's to the north of you.
The fish hit your net before they hit anybody else's net.
So track has worked very, very hard And proved to todd that he deserves to fish The number-one site.
Slow down.
Okay.
Hop in, track.
We're gonna haul the net up off the beach in the mud.
We'll let the tide turn.
Kaleb, just disconnect the net up there And drag it up to the beach.
Yeah.
There are basically two kinds of commercial fisheries In bristol bay.
You've got your setnetters and you have your drifters.
And todd and I set the net.
That's literally setting a net from the shore to your skiff.
You are hoping for a school of fish to run into your net, Get themselves caught by the gills.
They can't get out.
We get to haul in that load.
Where's the fish? When the fish aren't hitting, it's an easy environment For people's nerves to start getting frayed.
Do you want to flip a coin? You want to go fix the trailer? Flip a coin? You want to go fix the trailer? Sure.
Let todd fix the trailer.
I don't know.
He's the only one who knows how to do it.
You were the captain that day, right? I think kaleb was.
Final responsibility falls on you.
You're in charge of that pull.
What are you eating, dad? You're eating m&m's.
I'm eating fruit.
Put it like that.
A lot of the time, my dad and I don't agree On how everything should be run.
My dad doesn't baby me at all or any of us.
He's pretty blunt.
Low water's about 3:30 by the book.
So we'll go and pick the net, see if we're catching anything.
If we're not catching fish, You guys go in for dinner and take a break.
I need 723 pounds today.
Then I have piece of mind.
Since the fishing window in bristol bay is so short And track will only be getting $1 per pound, He needs to catch at least 3,000 pounds a day In order to stay above water.
How much fish do we have in here? 800 pounds.
800 pounds? It's almost a brailer full.
It's not 800.
700? We got insulation in all of them.
We made the boxes smaller now.
Great.
600? About 500.
500? Yeah.
800's your average.
Should we go pick? Let's go pick.
Let's go get some.
All right, let's go.
I just need piece of mind.
Todd and I have had seasons Where we've relied on the fish moneys to pay our bills, So I know how hard it is for track When the fish aren't hitting.
She's lookg a little bare.
Where's the fish? Oh, there's one at the end, kaleb.
There's always that one at the end.
There's always the one.
It's been kind of slow today.
All right, let's roll.
Hop in, track.
A big part of being a fisherman Is knowing when to cut bait and run.
Unfortunately, not a lot of fish to celebrate, but next time.
We'll get them next time.
There's always next time.
get them next time.
This is really good for todd and track's relationship.
You know, I think it's kind of tough for a dad And a kid who's growing up to be a man and to work together.
But todd still wants to be able to teach track, And track's at that age where he's like, "let me kind of try to do this on my own, And let me prove to you that I know what I'm doing.
" Good job, baby.
Willow, would you like fish-head stew with your birthday dinner? I'm trying to cut this.
Martha stewart juniors.
Ew! Hey, do you like eating the fish, too? Mmm.
Trig does that.
getting to see little matthew It give me a lot of hope And something to look forward to with trig.
Hey, how'd you do? Not as good as you guys.
You guys are 'em.
How do you know what we got? We're tied.
There's competition amongst fishermen.
And it's all healthy fun.
We all wish each other the best, But we have to have a little competitive spice Throughout the summer.
You're such a sandbagger.
What'd you get? I don't know.
I lost my pink slip.
I wish.
I think I got 1,300 for today.
Oh, you still got your net out? Yeah.
You just told me you got 57.
Hey! Hey! We must have run into todd in '93, Literally ran into his net, cut it with the prop.
I'm hungry.
We pulled up, and he's not mad, anything, Just typical todd, just a grin on his face.
And so that's how I actually first met todd.
It's willow's birthday.
We'll have a birthday party on the fourth of July.
You're sure there's three eggs in there, piper? Yeah, you can even see the yolk.
And how many eggs? How many does one more! Read the directions.
"three eggs.
" Okay.
Here.
It's in spanish.
No, it's not three egg whites.
Oh, it's both.
You're right.
Yay! Where's your bike? Ha-koo! Todd is, like, mr.
Mom because he loves kids.
That was one of the things that attracted me to him.
We both knew that we wanted a big family.
Ready? Whoa! Trig was born with down syndrome.
There's some struggles and challenges, But he is such a joy in our life.
He helps us really focus in on the heart of a family.
Yay! We both pitch in And do whatever needs to be done To raise this family and run a household.
I feel like I found the perfect person for me, And I was lucky to have found him at such a young age.
This is beautiful.
Good-sized fish.
Okay.
So, we're gonna bring these over here.
We are so fortunate to have todd's grandmother, lena, A native eskimo, with us.
She's showing us how to process the fish properly So that we can fill our freezers to the brim.
Willow, would you like fish-head stew with your birthday dinner? I'm trying to cut this.
Okay.
She's concentrating.
She can't answer.
Geez! Ooh, and it's beautiful and red.
Ew! What do you think other kids are doing For their sweet 16 birthday, willow? Don't want to know.
you don't want to know? Me and my cousin alex we had to fillet fish, And we had to cut them open and gut them, So there was blood everywhere.
We were all covered in blood and slime.
None of my friends do this.
I'm doing a sloppy job.
What about us? How's our job doing? What seems to be the problem there, alex? It's our first time doing this.
Okay.
Besides that? You're getting better.
getting better.
You need about 200 more fish, and you'll get it.
Grabbing the guts out is my favorite part.
Where's its stomach? I want to see what it's been eating.
When we're gonna can it, we take this bone off.
It thrills my heart to see my little great-grandchildren Prepare food the native way.
And I'm so fortunate that I'm able to pass that on to them.
Do you feel the bones, alex? Yeah.
Okay.
Good.
It's kind of a masterpiece, isn't it? It all tastes the same.
The teenage years are not easy years.
Any parent will tell you.
I'd rather she be doing this than texting her buddies, Thinking she needs to be all dolled up And going out and partying or anything else.
I'd rather she be here kind of out in the woods in alaska, Picking fish and processing a resource With her great-grandma.
Who did that? Me.
Good job, girls.
Martha stewart juniors.
There you go.
Yeah.
There's matthew.
Hi, matthew! Matthew, this is your cousin piper.
getting to meet our little cousin there Kind of gives me maybe a look at 10 years from now trig.
Do you want to shake her hand? Whenever we come to dillingham, I love to connect with the whole palin side of the family.
So while the boys are out fishing, Piper, todd's sister kristene, and I We're gonna catch a quick flight downriver To visit todd's cousin ina at the village of ekuk.
We live in the most extraordinary state.
It's so enormous.
When you're flying over, then you get a greater appreciation For how majestic alaska really is.
People love to get up there, look down, And appreciate all of alaska from the sky.
Sweet! Whoo-hoo! We lucked out with weather again.
Hey, sarah.
You look beautiful! Oh! Good to see you.
Ina, like todd, is yupik eskimo And runs a fish camp at ekuk every summer.
It's been a few years since I was last able to visit ekuk, So I'm really excited to see this beautiful native village And ina's family again.
Our spot is right down here, right on the beach.
Do you have all your kids with you? All my kids are here.
This is johnna.
Nice to see you.
This is my jillian.
Hi, jillian.
Nice to see you.
My two girls.
And this is my oldest daughter, ani.
Hi! I haven't seen you since you were a little girl.
Usually, a fish camp is shared by a lot of family members Coming together to process fish for the winter The traditional way.
And then wintertime comes and the fish camp is abandoned And people move to a more urban setting.
We cut little notches in the top of fish So they can tie from the strings.
So you tie one strip on each.
How long are they gonna be hanging? It just depends on the weather and, like, the wind and stuff.
Go ahead, pipe.
Do what she did and tie them through that notch That they made with their ulu.
And then when you're out here iphones, internet? Um, no what you got? They just got internet out here last year.
And then cellphones just started working out here last year, too.
Does it feel good to sort of be unplugged, though? Yeah.
I love it.
I love it.
And just connect to family and to nature and to work? And are you doing laundry by hand? This year, we just got washers and dryers put in.
Do we use these? Uh-huh.
Every family comes out and does strips.
I think I'm the best fish filleter In the whole third grade.
This is my smokehouse.
Wow! Here's a fire.
What I will do I don't like the flames to go onto my fish.
Okay.
So you see how it makes the smoke go.
Perfect.
Smoked fish is one of the most tasty way of enjoying your fish.
In fact, if you come over to my house, I guarantee you, Your hors d'oeuvre will be some dish made out of smoked salmon.
I know everything is in tight spaces at fish camp.
Yeah.
It is.
That keeps a family close, doesn't it? That's so good for these kids.
Our kids I have all my kids all summer long, And I love it.
People are surprised.
They think we have such a huge family.
It's only five kids.
It doesn't seem that big to us.
The number of kids I wanted was five, But the last was a surprise.
You got lucky.
Twins.
I'm jealous.
Oh, my gosh.
So, piper, one of the twins how's he doing? He's awesome! He's in the house, and you can go see him.
I want to see him.
Piper, he has down syndrome.
Just like your little baby.
Just like trigby.
Did you know he was gonna be born with down's? No.
Wow.
So, for you, it was just fine not knowing, then? Because, for me, I knew, so I had all those months to prepare.
It was still tough to prepare for.
Right.
But then it was a blessing, of course.
Matthew has down syndrome, But he teaches our whole family about patience, About a love that is so deep.
And there's matthew! Hi, matthew! Come here.
Oh, he likes airplanes.
Oh, let'go look at the airplane, matthew.
Let's go look at the airplane.
Oh! Matthew, this is your cousin piper.
Yeah! Say hi to piper.
Do you want to shake her hand? Yeah! That's nice, matthew.
yeah.
Well, getting to meet our little cousin there, Matthew, ina's son, You know, it kind of gives me Maybe a look at 10 years from now trig.
And he's a beautiful child.
Maybe you can come over to dillingham, okay? And you could bring your sisters and your brother And you can come play with us over at your auntie's house.
House? And all the kids would come with you, So you wouldn't be lonely.
He is a welcomed and loved child.
And I sure hope that I can look forward to that in trig's life, That people will embrace him And treat him just like one of the other kids And expect work out of him.
Good.
Hey, do you like eating the fish, too? Do you like fish? Yeah! It's good.
Yeah, it's really good.
That's good! And your mom and your sisters Eat the fish.
Mm-hmm.
Yum.
Mmm.
Trig does that.
Does he get to go flying with you, john paul? Oh, yeah.
He loves it.
Yeah, they like airplanes big-time.
When we found out that trig Would be born with down syndrome, and I said, "well, wow! What do we anticipate? "what are our goals for this child, trig? And what will he be able to do?" And the first thing todd told me was, "he's gonna come flying with me, and he's gonna love it.
" Oh! Sweet love.
Thank you.
He gave sarah a kiss.
So, getting to see little matthew It gives me a lot of hope And something to look forward to with trig.
All right.
Now the kids got to get back to work.
I know.
Thank you so much.
You guys are awesome.
It's an amazing family that you have.
You're doing so well.
Goodbye.
Today it just really reminded me how important family is And making sure that we're all supporting one another.
We circle the wagons when you have to.
I wish he could.
She wants matthew to come.
Being able to take a little stock in my own family And realize how fortunate I am To get to share all this with family And pass on these traditions It just makes me realize how blessed we are.
So, you guys catching any fish? Todd comes and takes over the boat.
No, no! Track, disconnect the net right there.
It annoys track a little bit.
So, yeah, we got a mess here.
Well, what do those boys expect Somebody else is gonna pick it up for them? We're reaching the point in the fishing season When the boys are nearing the end of the salmon run.
They've been fishing around the clock, And you can tell it's wearing on them Because they've started to neglect Some of their other responsibilities.
So, once we get this shop Kind of halfway cleaned up, sarah, We'll go through these nets and pick out the best one.
And then we need to tell those boys, todd, They have to clean this up Instead of you having to come out here.
Perfect timing for track to take over the operation.
But with that captain duty comes a lot of responsibility.
And the number-one responsibility Is making sure that your gear is ready to go.
These boys, you know nobody's gonna wake them up.
They got to get their butts up out of bed.
They can't miss a tide.
They can't go high and dry, Or they're gonna miss out on thousands of dollars.
Piper, you're just in time.
Hey! Sweep real quick, piper.
As a new captain, you have to keep pushing yourself.
If track wants to make a lot of money this summer, He's got to get out onto the fishing grounds first.
Good job, pipe.
Piper, look.
Run downstairs and wake up the boys.
They stayed out all night fishing.
They're in that tv room.
Tell them they have to get up now or dad's gonna be ticked Because he's down there getting equipment for the guys now.
track.
Jake.
Track.
You guys are leaving in like a half an hour, And breakfast is ready.
Wake up.
It's very important to remember That the more successful fisherman Is gonna be the harder-working fisherman.
The harder you work, the more money you're gonna make, The more fish you're gonna be able to pick.
That, again, is a life lesson That so many should and could be learning.
Track.
Track.
Whoa! It's time for breakfast.
Okay.
We'll go up there soon.
Okay.
Did they grumble, or did they say, "sure, we're up"? They said, "ohh, we'll be up in a minute.
" Nice day.
We got a king uphere, dude.
'cause we set the net over that little creek.
Yeah.
Well, it's like, why go way up in the high water When there's nothing way up there? No creek, no channel, no fish.
The last summer I was here, I was 16.
So this is, like, the first year that I'm running it by myself.
I compete with my dad when it comes to fishing Because he's had some pretty big numbers over the years.
And it would be nice to show him something pretty equal to that, Just so he knows that we're doing all right.
One of those days no fish, I guess.
Beauty.
Oh! Oh! Ohh! Gone.
There's a lot of reasons why I like to fish, But the biggest reason's the money and the tradition.
The one that got away.
There's always one.
It's kind of frustrating to go out and there's no fish.
Trig, look.
Do you want food? Food? He wants something.
Look.
Look, it's right here.
Look.
Mmm.
Mmm.
Yay! That's some good bananas, huh? Track.
Hey, what's up? You catching any fish? So-so.
Do you have that cellphone on you? Yeah, but it's not good.
We're heading down to the beach.
And so, what time is it now? Being back in dillingham this summer's been strange to me Because I'm not in charge of my site.
Hello, track.
And with track being here You know, they've pretty much taken control of that site.
So I'm still getting used to the fact of not being out there.
Okay.
We're gonna take off from here in about five minutes, So we'll meet you down there in about 15 minutes, okay? Sounds good.
4-6.
Piper, you ready for a boat ride? Yeah.
I'll drive.
No, I'm driving.
I'm driving.
I'm driving.
I'm driving.
Scoot over.
Excuse me? Yeah, I've had a dozen gnats stuck to my lips.
I think they like my carmex.
Pipe, there is a lake around these parts, And it's one of only two lakes in the entire world That have a population of seal.
Ask me anything.
I'm the cliff clavin of alaska.
Do you know who cliff clavin is? No.
Never mind, then.
A little bit more fish.
Because of the high tide.
Yeah, dude, we're still getting a few hits, though.
Okay, straighten it out.
Straighten it out.
Two hands.
Okay.
It's straight.
Watching my son run my site is a little awkward.
I've been over here a couple times, helping him set up, Making sure that he's got everything he needs To have a successful season.
He and kaleb they understand what I want them to do.
And they just need to do what I want them to do.
So, I'm gonna fish with track? Sure.
Okay.
Days on end.
Okay, come on, piper.
Like, just push it out.
There you go.
This is this is all diva, all the time.
One more.
Get it.
Get it, pipe.
Just give it a shake.
Shake it.
There you go.
Keep scrubbing.
Do you need another brush? What? Do you need another brush? You grab a brush.
Dude.
He's hung up right there.
Here.
How skinny is he feeling? Loading up.
High and dry means that as the tide goes out, Track's net could be stuck in mud, and that's a huge problem.
Disconnect the float line from the anchor line, And then chuck the anchor out here.
Then bring the anchor back? Yeah, by hand.
When todd comes and takes over the boat, It annoys track a little bit.
No, no! Track, disconnect the net right there.
I mean, they have pretty similar personalities, So they kind of butt heads a little bit.
Some day, track and I will hopefully be able to pass todd.
It's kind of one of those goals.
You want to be the best, especially if you're taught by the best.
You guys gonna go drift? Are you going back to the other boat? Well, see, the tide was going out, And you don't want to go high and dry on the beach With your net out with fish.
So there's an easy way, and there's a hard way.
My dad's paranoid.
If he sees something going on That wasn't his way or the way he taught us, Then he's gonna come try to correct us.
Okay, you got to get that upper anchor ready, track.
Just came and took charge, I guess.
With this torch being passed on to track, I'm sure what's going through track's mind is, He wants to prove to his dad That he, too, deserves this opportunity To fish the number-one site.
He wants to show his dad, "I know what I'm doing.
"I'm gonna work as hard as you do, dad.
"have faith in me, and maybe I can be honored With having the site in my own name someday.
" 48, 49 Sweet 16.
A party like this, with all the family being there together It means a lot to us.
Willow! Isha, who's babysitting the babies? Well, why don't you holler for alex and willow to come help me? Alex! Willow! I mean holler for them outside.
It's fourth of July, And tonight we get to have our daughter's sweet 16th birthday, Together with these 5 generations.
Can you count to 16, isha? 1, 2, 17, 1, 22, 48, 49.
Hi, mother.
Piper, you're just in time to help with streamers.
Oh! Come on! Help me.
I'll pass.
Hot.
Hot.
Oh, goody.
Oh, goody.
Here.
Take another one.
Smells heavenly.
Do you know what you're doing? Of course I do.
Did you cook that? Yeah.
Did you really? yes.
That's right on.
You did good.
Todd and I have grown up together Teenage kids coming together, falling in love, Getting married, having five kids, Lots of ups and downs in our life.
Tragedies and triumphs.
And he's been by my side through it all.
You know, could never have done any of this without him.
Can I have your attention? Our precious father, We have come together as a family and friends And visitors, lord And a happy birthday to my great-granddaughter.
We pray that you continue to keep her well and happy, lord.
I don't like birthdays, personally.
I just I don't like attention on me.
And we pray for the fishermen Will be catching a lot of fish, lord.
We ask this in your precious name.
Amen.
Amen.
Right on.
Thank you, mom.
Okay, willow.
We'll light the candles first.
We'll sing "happy birthday" then.
We don't want the kids to be so materialistically spoiled, But we want them spoiled In terms of knowing what family, love, And camaraderie and teamwork is all about.
So a party like this, with all the family being there together And celebrating her birthday it means a lot to us.
Blow them out.
Blow them out.
Yay! Happy birthday, baby.
Okay.
Who wants salmon? Me! Yay! Salmon's on the stove, guys.
Next to blanche, you're the best chef here.
Yeah, right.
Oh, and juju.
And kristene.
And kristene.
And sarah.
And sarah.
Happy birthday, darling.
What I got for my birthday is some clothes, some money.
But I really wanted a truck, And I don't know why my parents didn't get it for me 'cause I'm a really good kid.
I'm not doing it, piper.
Hi, trig! Here.
You ruined my cake, piper! Do you really want to do this? Yeah.
I'm ready.
Okay.
And, then, you know, We'll get you guys home, but it may be a while, So I don't want no whiners.
We are always optimistic That finally we're gonna start hitting some fish.
Even though it's fourth of July, Steve becker, one of our great buddies, And willow are heading out to bristol bay.
Todd is going out and fishing, too.
Becker, tell her to hurry up.
Hurry up! I'm with becker.
I know.
He's trying to be polite.
We're waiting for you! And don't let her whine.
Don't let them say they want to come in.
There's no whining on my boat.
No whining.
Make them stay out all night, becker.
Okay.
We may go down to the beach and do fireworks.
You can meet us there if you have fuel.
Okay.
Okay.
Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey! All right, got some fish.
Good! Looking good! Looking real good.
Ready? Yep.
Big king.
Big king.
Cash money.
Like a $5 bill sitting in there.
This time, we had about 3,000 pounds in the net.
So, 3,000 pounds that's a good day.
Are we gonna catch fish? Whoo! Yeah, baby! Yeah! Yeah! Oh, boy! That's a lot of fish.
That's a lot of fish.
Oh, boy! You better be ready to pick, willow! Brad.
That's not very good, brad.
Look at that.
Our net is sunk.
I can't remember the last time I had a sunk net.
That's not good.
Oh, my god.
This is so hard.
Look at that.
Our net is sunk.
I can't remember the last time I had a sunk net.
In a way, that's good.
You're gonna see here in a minute That that's not good.
our net is sunk, man.
This net's just smoking from one end to the other.
You got some clothes? Yeah.
Put them away so they stay dry, 'cause we are gonna be sweating little piggies here in a minute.
come on.
This is so hard, I can't do it.
You know, when you pull up to a net that's full of fish I mean, that's what brings me back every year.
You know, it's just that's the fun of it.
Oh, man.
Unbelievable.
And it's not about the money.
It's really not about the money.
It's just catching fish.
Love it.
Here we go.
Here we go.
I got to love it.
Look at this.
Holy crap.
Look at that.
We're gonna come on the mother lode.
Okay! There's some fishies.
Oh, my god.
Look at this monster.
Okay.
Fish for everybody.
This is the most fish I've ever seen.
That's a huge sockeye.
Pull that one straight through.
Grab him.
Grab right there on top of his head.
Now pull.
Pull it through.
I know most teenage girls Don't want to get all squishy and slimy on their sweet 16, But I guess I'm not a regular teenage girl.
Look at these beautiful fish.
Have you ever caught this many fish on your dad's boat? No, I don't think so.
You don't think so.
So what I'm thinking is What you're really trying to tell me is, I've got a better boat.
I guess you do, huh? I'm thinking I can catch more fish than your daddy.
You sort of look like your mom did The first time I ever met her, 18 years ago.
I don't remember which one was cuter, though.
Uh, me.
No, it was definitely me.
My mom's been fishing for a long time on bristol bay, And I guess there's a part of me that wants to be like her.
I love throwing fish and hitting willow in the head.
stop! It's the funnest thing to do out here.
All right.
All right, good job.
Mom, don't forget this stuff in the back.
It won't blow out.
Yeah, it will.
It won't.
Track promised piper that they would do fireworks.
He let other guys go out on the boat, And he sacrificed a lot of money because that peak finally hit.
Whoa! Ah! Track, take it! Just hold it, bro.
Have you ever done a really wild, fun fourth of July? Usually, everybody comes out, But fishing and tired or something weird.
Everybody's out fishing A typical palin fourth of July, wouldn't you say, track? We don't usually do a whole lot on the fourth.
At least we're all in the same area.
"at least we're all in the same area.
" That's true.
It's cool.
You know, he's my firstborn, so he has my heart.
He always has.
I'll never forget the summer track was 2 months old.
I brought my mom over to babysit track, And it just killed me to have to leave my newborn baby While I was out on the water for days on end, But now 21 yrs later, It amazes me to see this man take over the fishing operation.
It makes me very, very proud of my son To know that he has learned a lot from his dad.
So we're really proud to have learned That our son was ready to captain the site and take over, And it's a family tradition.
And someday I anticipate That piper's gonna be able to take it over from track.
Oh, my gosh! That's cool.
Did you see the pretty lights? That's fireworks! Fireworks! Wow! What do you think? lookit.
Lookit! Lookit! Lookit! You're missing it.
I'm very blessed to get to be a part of this lifestyle.
You know, it's all about family for us, And it's all about teaching kids strong work ethic And being together and being productive And passing on from generation to generation A really great tradition.
Wouldn't trade an experience like this For anything in the world.
Pretty! Is that pretty? Here.
Happy birthday, willow! Next time on "sarah palin's alaska" You got your trigger finger warmed up? The upbringing that I've had in alaska hunting and fishing I've grown up doing this.
there you go.
There you go, baby.
Oh, my gosh! Forget it.
Wolf tracks right here.
That's a pretty big wolf.
That's as big as my hand.
Big enough to take you down.
You missed, dad.
You shot above it.
I owe sarah $5.
Glad to get to know you again.
Just like old times.