Former NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick Lands Massive 51-Pound Halibut on Alaska Fishing Trip

Recently, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick traded her helmet and racing suit for a fishing rod and windbreaker. During her trip to Alaska, she managed to reel in a 51-pound halibut among quite a few other fish.

The NASCAR legend took a few friends with her on her waterfront journey, and from the looks of the photos, the crew had a blast. Of course, Patrick posed with her massive catch and even shared a couple of snapshots from the battle. Though the weather was likely cloudy, chilly and a bit rainy, the group didn’t let this dampen their fun.

“Did you know halibut have eyes on both side at first but it moves to one side and swims on it’s side on the bottom of the ocean? Neither did I,” Danica Patrick wrote on Instagram. “Caught a 51 LB halibut! I got a special hat even – 50+ LB club.”

Following her catch, Patrick even helped with cleaning an processing the halibut meat.

This past Saturday, the NASCAR racer posted a few more pictures of the journey. And the first photo was a bit more… fintimate.

Apparently, on the vessel the group was fishing on, it’s a rule to kiss your first catch. So, after reeling in a sizeable fish, Patrick closed her eyes and planted one on the scaly suitor.

Also in the album, Danica Patrick tagged Trident Seafood, which probably either sponsored the trip or owned the boat that hosted the journey.

By the end of her fishing trip, it seems Patrick came home with plenty of good memories and, hopefully, good seafood.

Danica Patrick Shows a More Formal Side of Her Vacation

Along with her stay in Alaska, Danica Patrick also visited Napa Valley with her crew for a little sipping after their fishing. Not surprisingly, the group visited quite a few wineries and tested their palates on some top-notch bottles.

“My liver broke up with me after the last week,” Patrick captioned the post. “But, what a blast between Alaska and Napa!”

According to the NASCAR driver, she wanted to help others “fall in love” with Napa Valley like she had when she first discovered the magic of the destination.

“My dream (@somniumwine means dream in Latin) has always been to provide experiences in napa that help people fall in love with the valley as I did back in 2006,” she said. “The bottle has a red dot on the label, top of foil and cork, and on the back logo….. it indicates ‘you are here’. Be here now (Ram Dass). Be here with the people in front of you and give your full attention. I want the wine to facilitate connection…. and if you have a little too much, so be it.”