Most of us don't know much about the oceans that cover 71 percent of Earth, this planet we're temporarily calling home. To alleviate my own ignorance, which is as vast as an ocean, I'm boning up on the subject this winter.

If fishing is on your Alaska "to do" list, but you need a few tips, this is for you.

An easy way for a visitor to go fishing is with a guide. A good guide will furnish you with the proper tackle and bait and put you on fish, if possible. Most guides have boats, which give you the advantage of being able to fish more area and more effectively. Some fish the saltwater, where your prey might be salmon, halibut and other species.

While growing up near Washington’s Puget Sound, I ate many a Crab Louie.

Sometimes called Crab Louis, this fancy salad is usually made with Dungeness crab. Originating on the West Coast in the early 1900s, it’s also known as “King of Salads.”

In my family making Crab Louies was usually a do-it-yourself deal. Mom would put the nut crackers and salad makings on the table, and the fun would begin. Separating the crab from the shells took time, but the effort paid off when we dug into that delicious treat.

Ever since Nov. 25, when I suggested in this column that nonresidents ought have limits for how many salmon they can take Outside, the howling has been loud and mournful.

My idea was to use British Columbia's definition of "possession limit": "the number of fish of any species that an angler may have in his/her possession at any given time, except at place of ordinary residence." B.C.'s definition uses the all-inclusive "fish," which means all fish, including any that have been preserved. It's also illegal in B.C. to "field-can" any fish outside of a person's ordinary residence.