halibut opens may 2nd

S

starcrafttom

Active member
I just checked the tides for may second and they could not be better for halibut. From 6 am until noon there is less then .5 mph of current almost everywhere in the straits. Its a perfect tide for the opener. Whos going out?
 
I'll be out there however this year I'll be riding and not driving. Shrimping on Saturday as well.

The following week will be 4 days at Lapush. Halibut on Thursday and Saturday; Ling Cod and Seabass on all four days. Plus this year Kings are open off the coast as well.

May is my favorite fishing time of the year.
 
I will let you guys know how "small" my first halibut is this year.....In a month of so, I will have a 100 pounder at least up to the boat. You guys have any idea how hard they are to get in the boat? Shoot first and ask questions later so they say.....LOL.....Honestly though, I pretty much let all the big females go free as they are spawners.
 
depending on wifes work schedule(only gets it 7 days b4) we will be out in the am looking for some flat fish.
good luck out in la push the lings have slowed some but we have let a few nice butts go already. I am passing on the coast butt fishery this year in search of dialing in the spot shrimp. will give up some decent tides also for ma6 butts as we will be in the canal shrimping. good luck to everyone and hope to see some pictures of success.
 
ok. I need to spool up two new reels for halibuts. I like braided lines. started using it for trout in 96 and never looked back. In fact I have one reel with that line from 96 still on it and Its still good.

So whats your favorite line?? 100lb test? what brand?
 
Tuff line has served me well for Halibut and Sturgeon through the years. Its not as thick as braided line so you can get alot more on your reel and when you're fishing deep or behind the boat a thinner line has less surface area so it doesn't float. It has zero stretch so you get a good feel of the bottom when jigging and when you get a bite it telegraphs it to the pole fast. I have caught 75-80 lb. fish on 50 lb. test and feel confident you could haul in a much larger fish if played right. 100 lb. test is just a few bucks more and not that much thicker line.

Good luck fishing Tom, I'll call you when the Tuna are here
 
For several years I used Power Pro 80lb braided line on my reels. Last year I changed one over to 50lb and like that much better. The smaller diameter has significantly less drag in the water and the result is you can get by with less weight. To me this is more important than the security of a stronger line. Plus you have a chance to break the line (at the swivel) if the line is hung up on bottom. With 80 or 100lbs you have to get out the knife.

In my opinion you will be able to get by with using 1/3 less weight when compared to 80 or 100 for fishing typical halibut depths. You could try using 65lb but I wouldn't go any higher.
 
I have used power pro 80 pound for almost all my fishing the last 6-7 years and have no complaints. lighter may work but I buy in big bulk spools so swapping different pound test doesn't really work for us. as far as info for butt fishing salmon university is a good starting point. its a big area to fish and to cover in general. check out the university still have questions or need help report back.
 
I used Tuff line back in the 90's and it worked good, but I prefer 80 lb Power Pro now. Last 3 years in Kodiak we caught tons of flatties and it never failed us. It holds knots well if you double the line where you tie the knot.

Don't know if I'm going to bother this year. After having the native longliners rape the strait last year the week before our season started, I wonder if the same will happen this year. We fished 11 days and caught 2 fish. Everyone else reported the same. It was a horrible waste of time and gas. Hey, at least the weather was good!

Rick
 
i hear ya on the crappy season last year. I was rigging the boat so missed most of it but a few of my buddies really had a hard time out there. hope they don't do it again this year but we will see. We did released a few butts during bm season so there around. but If they long line em again before the opener it will be a tough sell to go out after em.
 
I don't have the time to go to la push or the gas money. Just cant bring my self to spend close to $500 for the ferry and the gas to go out there unless I spent two weeks. Even then I would rather go to canada if I'm going to spend that much.
 
We will be fishing out of Deep Creek, Cook Inlet in approx. 2 weeks. The halibut will cooperate I hope. Also plan on hooking up on a King Salmon or two. Hopefully the halibut will all be healthy and the kings plentiful this year.
As TR does we also let the over 100 lb. brood hens go. They are the ones making the babies.

I am towing a 22' C-Dory tomorrow up to Alaska from Seattle for a fellow C-Brat.

Life is good, particularly when it is fishing season.

Jack
 
Tom,
Thank you very much for the invite. My wife could not understand how we received it. We are in the Comfort Inn in Kirkland.
Anyway....we are committed to wife's cousin in Woodenville tonight. She (cousin)is in poor health and we need to do it.

Tomorrow I pick up a 22' C-Dory at the shrinkwrap place near Woodland Park Zoo and head north to Anchorage.

Thanks again for the invite, maybe next trip down from the north in October.

Jack
 
ok I will be at deception pass on Wednesday night with plans to fish on thursday and friday.

Susan wants me not be fishing alone. Who wants to join me on thursday?
 
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