Halibut heaven

[Jan from Humboldt]

I was out pfarting around on the inshore stuff yesterday listening to the VHF while the guys with the bigger boats were slaughtering the the long fins. no I'm not running 35 miles out in a 150.

I finally connected with the pacific halibut yesterday, they are out in 200-225 feet of water, there's hard bottom out there according to the meter and it's loaded with krill right now.

The area there is also loaded with sole/flounder 12-18" fish, dabs and hake or if you prefer Pacific whiting (Tons of hake) and a craper load of pacifics.

At a conservitave estimate I caught at least 20 halibut out there yesterday, I doubled, yes I said doubled! 3 different times on Pacific halibut.

That's the good news, the bad news is the smallest was estimated at 25" and the largest was measured at 31.5 inches. (Size limit is 32)

I fall into halibut heaven and am catching them like friggin sand dabs and they are all shorties!

And I was catching them on a 60# three hook shrimp fly ganyon I tied up, yeah those shrimp flys I tie are great for short halibut.

Pacfic halibut are not hard to catch in general, that is unless you're looking for one over 32 inches.

The best part is, I was out fishing yesterday, the weather was beautiful, the boat ran perfect and I caught a boatload of fish and did take home some beautiful 18 to 20" sole/flounder to fillet for the table.

 

[Genelie]

well the bright side of your story is that you were out on a beautiful day, and were catching fish. Now the sad part for you is our halibut limit size is 22 inches

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

Butt!

So is ours for the California butts like these...

Your limit in the south is 5 @ 22" ours North of Pt. Conception is 3 @ 22" and they reach a maximum size of 70 pounds or so but are more common at 20-30 pounds.


However Pacific halibut like these...

Are the ones like you see taken out of Alaska and get super size like over 500 pounds.

One guy last year took one here that went 103 pounds and there have been quite a few in the 40 to 70 pound range, size limit 32 inches and bag limit one per day.

I'm not sure I wan't to tangle with a hundred pound butt in my 150 but I'm willing to go a few rounds with a 50-60 pounder.

Don't 'ya hate a know it all

 

[jergofish]

Jan, I want to know about your fishing style and rig. I want to fish halibut in SF bay but am not much of a bait fisherman. I try to adapt bait fishing techniques and tactics to fly fishing. Since most of the fishing for "butts" in the bay is in shallow water, 7-15 feet deep, the depth is not a problem. I can easily reach that depth with my LC 13 shooting head. I may have a problem drifting since the tide and wind may carry me across the bottom too quickly but I can always put out a mushroom anchor on a short leash as a drag anchor and slow myself down.

Do you bait the flies, how big are they, colors, do you jig with them, if vertical jigging, do you think horizontal jigging would work?

 

[Jan from Humboldt]

The Shrimp flys I tie are on a 11/0 Mustad EZ baiter long liners circle hook
I use a dab of glo in the dark flashabou, some crimped nylon fish hair (.0006 dia) and either dayglo pink or chartruce chenille, I use clear nailpolish as head cement since I get it for cheap at the doallar tree store.

Since you are fishing the bay and a lot shallower think weighted keel fly and take a good hard look at a fly pattern called "Nine Three" I's a nice sub for an anchovie. The Bonito and Baracuda in San Diego loved that pattern when I fly fished them there.

I was tipping my hooks with a small chunk of salmon skin for the scent.

Here are some good sites for halibut fishing info

http://baytubers.com/
Great pictures there too.

And

http://www.swimbait.com/techniques/index.html

The halibut up here really like swim baits btw in case the flys don't work.

Think dark purple,

 

[Genelie]

Nice links, and nope I don't hate ya yet but good info.