Hooking one of these flat-fighters can be as easy as locating a
shelf or bank or as tough as looking for the proverbial pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow. The most sure-fire way to score
and score "butt" good is to follow the "main
artery" north to British Columbia or Alaska, where the heart
of halibut fishing brings anglers from around the world.
During the winter and spring months, halibut orient themselves to
deep water, often exceeding 900-feet. In the summer they move
from deep water along the continental shelf to shallower banks,
depressions and inland waters in search of feed. You might simply
have to wait for an open season or good weather along the coast
to enjoy the fishery.
"If you don�t have any clue where to look for halibut,
look for any vertical relief," advises Bob Trumble, with the
International Pacific Halibut Commission. He also advises looking
for any sharp drop offs, edges, holes, gullies, pinnacles or
depressions on the bottom. Bait washes behind these areas and
halibut wait there for easy meals. Successful halibut hunters
also agree that halibut prefer gravel, cobble, sand or mud
bottoms. The back or "eyed" side of a halibut usually
matches the bottom because of their camouflaging ability. This
aids anglers in knowing what the bottom is like, which provides
clues for technique and bait choices.
Short of knowing where to go or following the fleet to known
halibut holes, the best way to find productive halibut haunts
lies within the borders of detailed nautical, bathymetric and
bottom contour charts. I look for any bank on the chart and
concentrate on water ranging from 200 to 600-feet deep. When
searching in places like the San Juan Islands, the 100 foot level
or less could produce in areas where masses of candlefish spawn.
Secret Harbor and the tiny cove inside Eagle Bluff are great
shallow areas to try. The flats just offshore from Burrows Island
also offer anglers fairly shallow angling options.
When purchasing charts, always try to get the most detailed chart
available; 1: to 40,000 is most common, but charts showing more
detail are preferred when available. After finding a likely spot,
from a chart or boat, a Loran C. or GPS coupled with a fish
finder is paramount to locating the spot or staying on it.
Bait
By far, most sport-caught halibut from Oregon to British Columbia
get fooled by herring behind a mooching sinker. This fact simply
illustrates how many halibut are taken "incidentally"
by salmon anglers.
Trumble describes halibut as "vacuum cleaner feeders."
Most agree, anything you put in front of halibut could entice a
strike. But not all baits are created equal � some out fish
others hands down. My first choice when bait fishing is a combo
of herring and halibut skin {the white side}. If the herring
falls off, the skin holds firm allowing halibut to eyeball more
than just bare hooks. When available, I also like using a small
piece of octopus, either with herring or sandwiched between my
herring/skin combo. Trumble says a lot of anglers successfully
use salmon gills.
In Alaska at least 95 percent of the anglers use a
herring/octopus combo. A similar proportion also makes up the
catch, says Alaskan Fish and Game biologist, Scott Meyer. Many
other baits including; salmon heads, {where legal} Pacific cod,
squid, sandlance, sablefish, turbot, crabs and clams also work
well. In Washington waters, anglers may use salmon, either whole
or in part. This little known fact could increase most angler�s
catch by simply sweetening the hook with salmon parts. One of my
favorites, is fresh guts. Believe me, when it comes to attracting
halibut to your bait, the old saying, "no guts no
glory" holds true.
Bait Rigs
Talk to a hundred halibut anglers and you�re likely to hear
about dozens of ways to send bait to the bottom. Since most sport
fishing for halibut occurs in 100 or more feet of water, you need
lots of lead to keep baits near the bottom. Factor in winds and
currents and the weight increases, sometimes unbearably so.
When using heavy monofillament, I like a sliding weight system
that allows the fish to mouth the bait without feeling the
weight. {see illustration}. This method works great, but relies
on smell instead of sight.
I prefer using Berkley 20 to 30-pound Fireline because it doesn�t
stretch, signals all bites, and cuts through the water with its
super-thin diameter which enables me to use half the weight of
comparable mono line. I attach a drop sinker tied on 30-inches of
12-pound test to a heavy-duty three-way swivel. A short 16-inch
piece of heavy 50-plus mono or wire leader tied to a 5/0 to 10/0
hook holds the bait away from the swivel and provides durability
against sharp teeth. This setup allows the bait to dangle above
the bottom which attracts halibut from a greater distance.
With either rig, the amount of weight could vary from a few
ounces to two pounds � any more than that and you�ll
just tire needlessly from cranking dead weight up and down all
day. Always use the least amount of weight possible to keep your
bait near the bottom.
Hooks
The old style J hooks work well, but commercial style circle
hooks work best. "I�ve used a lot of different hooks,
circle hooks really work if you don�t rush the fish,"
Trumble says. "Once you get a halibut on a circle hook, it�s
more likely you�ll land them."
But you must give the fish 15 or 20 seconds to allow the fish the
time to hook itself. Since the commercial fishers have gone to
circle hooks, their hooking rate soared by at least 50 percent,
Trumble reports. "Circle hooks are also ideal for catch and
release fishing," he suggests.
Lures
In many places, especially where dog fish are present, baits are
out of the question. Leadhead jigs, ranging in size from 6 to
16-ounces work best. The leadhead�s design allows the angler
to repeatedly "rap" the jig on the bottom, without much
fear of snagging. Add a rubber worm or a large rubber scampi to
increases the jig�s effectiveness. Thread a piece of
herring, octopus or halibut skin on the hook for smell and you�vecreated
one of the most effective lures available. When it comes to
color, several work, but nothing beats a fluorescent red tail
that imitates a crab or octopus.
Flat metal baitfish-imitating jigs like Pt.Wilson Darts,
Zzingers, Spinnows, and Luhr Jensen�s jumbo Crippled Herring
all work well. Pipe jigs, chrome diamond jigs and almost any
other jig will work � eventually.
Choosing Size & Color
Size depends on depth, current and wind. Try to use the lightest
jig that stays close to vertical and on the bottom. This allows
you to slowly and steadily yo-yo the jig up and down. An
occasional pause followed by reeling twenty feet, then
free-spooling to the bottom will draw strikes when nothing else
will.
Color depends on the angler and fish. Choose one, fish with it
and see if the fish respond. If not, change colors. My favorite
tried-and-true colors are: White, glow-in-the-dark, green, and
chrome. As for plastic worm and scampi colors, besides my
favorite fluorescent red, white, glow-in-the-dark, oil and root
beer all work well.
Rods & Reels
Use a short rod, usually six to eight-inches longer than your
height. A longer rod only increases the fish�s leverage
which undoubtedly will gouge your mid-section unnecessarily and
cause you to bend your back.
A fighting belt and lower back support belt will ensure you have
a more comfortable fight. Remember, halibut fishing can be hard
work, but it should never be back-breaking.
Halibut reels vary in size depending on the rod and line used.
Match the reel to the rod and its line rating. The reel should
handle at least 300 yards for those deep water situations and
long-running fish. The rod and reel should be big enough to
handle most situations, but small enough to remain comfortable in
case you have to hold it all day long. I use a Shimano 200 series
reel loaded with 300 yards of 20-pound Fireline. My rod of choice
for an all-day affair is a Berkley 7-foot muskie rod rated for 20
to 40-pound test line. This combo allows me to tackle most fish
to 150 pounds � anything heavier and I run for cover and the
closet for my "bigger rig!"
Handling Halibut
A halibut�s mass of muscle can injure or kill the
unprepared. I recall a buddy�s first introduction to a
halibut: he dropped a 40-pounder on the deck straight from the
sea without killing or subduing it first. As he bent down to try
and control the angry mass, the halibut�s tail slapped his
chest and face until he hosted two black eyes and a cracked rib!
Subduing a halibut, safety and proper care for the dinner table
go hand in hand. Do it right and you�ll have top-quality
fillets to eat. Do it wrong and you may need help feeding
yourself!
While many halibut hunters argue the virtues of a gun when
subduing halibut over 50-pounds, many others opt for a safer
harpoon or flying gaff. If you choose to shoot a halibut in the
head, you might destroy its cheeks, the best eating part of the
beast. And don�t forget, Canada frowns of the use of guns,
especially pistols.
Netting halibut under 50-pounds remains a practice, but only by
those who�ve never landed one before. Gaff or harpoon the
little guys, you�ll save yourself the cost of a net in most
cases.
Trumble offers this advise, "You want to keep the halibut�s
head under water. As soon as you bring the head out of the water,
they go crazy. I don�t bring any big fish on board, until it�s
dead."
When harpooning a halibut, aim for a solid area, behind the head
and ram all the way through with the harpoon. A line attached to
a "Scottsman" buoy can be thrown overboard if
necessary, just like having a trout on a bobber and worm. Wait
for the fish to tire and bleed, bring it alongside the boat, hog
tie it and cut the gill rakers. Bleeding the fish helps to kill
the beast along with providing bloodless meat. Once the halibut
is dead, put �em on ice if you can.
Filleting halibut yields a better product than steaking. If you
plan on freezing the fillets longer than two months, leave the
skin on and rinse the fish with saltwater before vacuum packing.
This method ensures top-quality meat for many months.