Halibut
- Thread starter Mr. Fisherman
- Start date
Island Ranger
New member
Is this a C-Brat Halibut Adventure leaving May 6th out of Port Angeles in the making? (assuming opening day is May 6th again in 2005 for area 6).Two Lucky Fish would be up for that!
I have a lot to learn before than since I've never tried fishin for halibut...but at least it would fill some enjoyable hours this winter starting Wednesday when Blackmouth season ends..
I have a lot to learn before than since I've never tried fishin for halibut...but at least it would fill some enjoyable hours this winter starting Wednesday when Blackmouth season ends..
I'd like to hear from some anglers on their Halibut stories, good fishing spots, and general theories on how to catch the flat ones. I've got some charter experience but one thing that I know to be true is every fisherman has his or her own method. I'm more of a simple fisherman, like to put as little amount of money on the end of my line as possible. Hook, leader, and weight or just a jig works for me. Whats your favorite jig or artificial lure? What bait do you think works best? Whats that secret stuff you got in that bottle you put on your herring before it goes down? I wanna know!?!? Anyhow 2005 fishing season is here lets get this forum going.
Shaun
Seward, AK
Shaun
Seward, AK
As you said Shaun definitely time to get this one going. Season opens in Oregon 4/12 will be heading out of Newport to the infamous chicken ranch. We don’t catch the huge one’s down here but there is always a change to get some very nice buts. Think the biggest caught at Newport last year was something like 127 lbs.
The fishery is a bit different here than in Alaska but what we do is setup a slow drift across the area you want to fish and jig right off the bottom.
I use 225lb tuna cord leader rigged with a 16/0 circle hook and topped off with a green hoochie and a couple of green beads. Run the hook through the head a big herring or sardine then tie the body to the leader with a generous amount of stretchy thread. Weight used depends on conditions 24oz on a dead calm day 48oz or more only if I have to.
Have herd that octopus, shad, salmon tails or heads work well also but
I don’t think halibut are all that selective when feeding, bait does seem to be the preference over jigs around here.
Tried various flavors of goop but never noticed any difference in the catch. A good whiff of that stuff on a rough day will tickle my puking vain so to speak. I tend to only use it as a last resort or on calm days.
Tried various flavors of goop but never noticed any difference in the catch. A good whiff of that stuff on a rough day will tickle my puking vain so to speak. I tend to only use it as a last resort or on calm days.
Got lots of stories but what I love about the fishery is the adventure as much as the fishing. Fishing with friends 35 miles out in 450 to 700 feet of water bouncing 40oz of lead off the bottom. Never know what you will catch or what you will see, it’s just a fantastic experience and makes you sleep like a baby at night.
Good luck and good fishing I will be posting some pictures in the next couple of weeks of the opening week catch (at least I hope I will).
stevej
The fishery is a bit different here than in Alaska but what we do is setup a slow drift across the area you want to fish and jig right off the bottom.
I use 225lb tuna cord leader rigged with a 16/0 circle hook and topped off with a green hoochie and a couple of green beads. Run the hook through the head a big herring or sardine then tie the body to the leader with a generous amount of stretchy thread. Weight used depends on conditions 24oz on a dead calm day 48oz or more only if I have to.
Have herd that octopus, shad, salmon tails or heads work well also but
I don’t think halibut are all that selective when feeding, bait does seem to be the preference over jigs around here.
Tried various flavors of goop but never noticed any difference in the catch. A good whiff of that stuff on a rough day will tickle my puking vain so to speak. I tend to only use it as a last resort or on calm days.
Tried various flavors of goop but never noticed any difference in the catch. A good whiff of that stuff on a rough day will tickle my puking vain so to speak. I tend to only use it as a last resort or on calm days.
Got lots of stories but what I love about the fishery is the adventure as much as the fishing. Fishing with friends 35 miles out in 450 to 700 feet of water bouncing 40oz of lead off the bottom. Never know what you will catch or what you will see, it’s just a fantastic experience and makes you sleep like a baby at night.
Good luck and good fishing I will be posting some pictures in the next couple of weeks of the opening week catch (at least I hope I will).
stevej
Mr. Fisherman
New member
What is a Halibut?
Oh, I remember...
It is pretty much like Stevej said.
I am skipping the opener this year. Maybe I'll have time to put my new axel under my trailer.
The opener off the Oregon coast can be a rodeo for sure. Often in the early season we have to use up to 4 pounds of lead (yes, 64 Oz) to get to the bottom and keep your line in the same zip code. Nothing like hooking into a charter boat with 50 lines in the water... don;t ask me how I know this... :roll:
As far as I am concerned... I have tried just about everything you can possibly think of for Halibut down here, and I mean just about EVERYTHING. Time after time the results speak for themselves. Fresh Yaquina Bay Herring are the ticket. No question about it. I would suspect if you were able to catch fresh bait at your local area.... sardines, herring, shad, whatever it might be, your odds of having it eaten are very good. I have tried Salmon heads, squid, octopus, shad, smelt, Tuna parts, Sabel Fish bellies (which are also very good) and even Halibut parts. I have tried every scent I have and most of my friends too. I consistantly out fish them all with fresh caught local bait.
When I catch my fresh Herring in the bay I pit them in a bucket of water. After I am dome I place them on a rack that will let them drain and cover them with ice and a couple of handfuls of rock salt. Stack them nose to tail like cord wood and no more than 2 layers before adding a layer of ice and salt. The next morning this bait will be premium, hard and near froven. I put two of these on a 16/0 circle hook ( I use a no excuse Halibut Rig) more on that later... Then I use a lot of stretchy string to secure the bait. I hate 850 foot bait checks with a 4# sinker. I also have a glow hootchie above my circle hook (part of the rig).
Hey it works for me.
I hope this helps someone out...
Ray
Oh, I remember...
It is pretty much like Stevej said.
I am skipping the opener this year. Maybe I'll have time to put my new axel under my trailer.
The opener off the Oregon coast can be a rodeo for sure. Often in the early season we have to use up to 4 pounds of lead (yes, 64 Oz) to get to the bottom and keep your line in the same zip code. Nothing like hooking into a charter boat with 50 lines in the water... don;t ask me how I know this... :roll:
As far as I am concerned... I have tried just about everything you can possibly think of for Halibut down here, and I mean just about EVERYTHING. Time after time the results speak for themselves. Fresh Yaquina Bay Herring are the ticket. No question about it. I would suspect if you were able to catch fresh bait at your local area.... sardines, herring, shad, whatever it might be, your odds of having it eaten are very good. I have tried Salmon heads, squid, octopus, shad, smelt, Tuna parts, Sabel Fish bellies (which are also very good) and even Halibut parts. I have tried every scent I have and most of my friends too. I consistantly out fish them all with fresh caught local bait.
When I catch my fresh Herring in the bay I pit them in a bucket of water. After I am dome I place them on a rack that will let them drain and cover them with ice and a couple of handfuls of rock salt. Stack them nose to tail like cord wood and no more than 2 layers before adding a layer of ice and salt. The next morning this bait will be premium, hard and near froven. I put two of these on a 16/0 circle hook ( I use a no excuse Halibut Rig) more on that later... Then I use a lot of stretchy string to secure the bait. I hate 850 foot bait checks with a 4# sinker. I also have a glow hootchie above my circle hook (part of the rig).
Hey it works for me.
I hope this helps someone out...
Ray
Mr. Fisherman,
You must not have dogfish in Oregon? To fish 700 ft down with 64oz sinker to feed herring to dogfish does not sound like a lot of fun. I did that many years ago on a charterboat to Swiftsure bank. Since that experience, I have done all my halibut fishing in 120' to 180' with a 6-8 oz jig. Exploring for shallow water halibut holes can take some time but it is a lot more fun.
You must not have dogfish in Oregon? To fish 700 ft down with 64oz sinker to feed herring to dogfish does not sound like a lot of fun. I did that many years ago on a charterboat to Swiftsure bank. Since that experience, I have done all my halibut fishing in 120' to 180' with a 6-8 oz jig. Exploring for shallow water halibut holes can take some time but it is a lot more fun.
Ken fishing in June is usually pretty good you got salmon, halibut, and bottom fishing. You can jig for herring in the bay or crab if the weather is bad.
Dog fish are pretty rare out of newport only caught one that I recall in all of the times I have bottom fished out of there and that had to be 25 years ago.
stevej
Dog fish are pretty rare out of newport only caught one that I recall in all of the times I have bottom fished out of there and that had to be 25 years ago.
stevej
dogon dory
New member
Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author
Keep em coming....I love reading about fishing. I have always been an advocate of jigs and I usually do that w/o any bait at all. I normally fish 180' to 240' of water on a shelf where the depth changes rapidly from say 60-80 fathom to 30-40 fathom. I like holding the rod and especially setting the hook, the circle hook requires too much restraint for me. The only extra piece of hardware I use is a quick disconnect for quick lure changes. I prefer the drift but anchoring does allow lines to be straighter and for sitting it out for the long haul its the best approach IMO. My dog loves to go fishing, I can't keep her out of the truck when the boat is hitched up. I'm heading out tonight, good traveling and remember to keep the round(or flat) side down! 
Shaun
Shaun
Like the man said, ask 10 people how they do it and you'll get 10 different answers. If you read all the pages of this thread, you'll get a lot of interseting info from different regions. Donna and I usually anchor at one of our favorite holes...we especially like the base of a hill or in a valley...and jig. We've tried many different kinds of terminal gear, but I like the 16oz. jig with a glow in the dark skirt and a big chunk of herring on the hook. I also have had great luck with the B2 Squid. One of our pals rigs a whole herring with 2 Gamakatsu octopus hooks on a dropper/16oz ball rig. The darn things will eat almost anything. Salmon bellies are very popular here...put one on with your herring and it stays on the hook a long time...almost as good as octopus. A lot of folks say that the scent of salmon bellies really brings 'em in from afar. What the heck, it sure can't hurt.
We usually fish for halibut in 80-120' of water. No need to go deeper around here. We're going to try for kings tomorrow, but may stop for a while and see if we can get a but or two.
Rick
We usually fish for halibut in 80-120' of water. No need to go deeper around here. We're going to try for kings tomorrow, but may stop for a while and see if we can get a but or two.
Rick
Had a great halibut opener last week Thursday was a beautiful day with a very calm ocean. Left the docks at 5:50 AM arrived at the chicken ranch at 7:50 had the limit on the boat by 10:00 and back to the moorage at 12:30 (little problem with a loose fuel filter on the way back). Three nice fish at 40, 35 and 25 lbs for the day.
Friday was bit rougher on the ocean but still nice 5ft swell at 9 sec. with a 10kt wind. More fuel flow problems unrelated to the filter, not a showstopper but disconcerting to have the motor drop RPM suddenly. Pulled the cover checked the filter again but did not find a problem with anything. Have clear fuel line installed and could see that air was getting into the system. Couple of squeezes on the primer bulb to flush the air and we were back off and running. Looked to be a restricted pickup out of the tank and happened two more times on the way out. The primer bulb was being sucked down but would recover in a couple of seconds. No instances on the trip back just charging problems.
Fishing was slow 7 hours to get one halibut (25lb) and two nice sable
Worked on the fuel and charging problems Saturday but all in all great couple of days on the ocean. Will post some pic’s tonight of the catch
Couple of C-Dory’s sighted trailr sailor and a no name 22’ with gray accents on the far end of e dock
stevej
Friday was bit rougher on the ocean but still nice 5ft swell at 9 sec. with a 10kt wind. More fuel flow problems unrelated to the filter, not a showstopper but disconcerting to have the motor drop RPM suddenly. Pulled the cover checked the filter again but did not find a problem with anything. Have clear fuel line installed and could see that air was getting into the system. Couple of squeezes on the primer bulb to flush the air and we were back off and running. Looked to be a restricted pickup out of the tank and happened two more times on the way out. The primer bulb was being sucked down but would recover in a couple of seconds. No instances on the trip back just charging problems.
Fishing was slow 7 hours to get one halibut (25lb) and two nice sable
Worked on the fuel and charging problems Saturday but all in all great couple of days on the ocean. Will post some pic’s tonight of the catch
Couple of C-Dory’s sighted trailr sailor and a no name 22’ with gray accents on the far end of e dock
stevej
Mr. Fisherman
New member
Stevej, It was great to see you there. Sorry I didn't get a chance to stop by your camp. Being a deck hand kept me busy as all get out. Sure felt like work.
How did you like the bridge crew seranade?
Not much rest...
We fished hard as well and the average fish sure seemed to be smaller this year. Had to fish hard to limit the boat. Long days but Thursday and Friday were beautiful.
I caught my first shark on Friday, a 6 foot blue.
How did you like the bridge crew seranade?
Not much rest...
We fished hard as well and the average fish sure seemed to be smaller this year. Had to fish hard to limit the boat. Long days but Thursday and Friday were beautiful.
I caught my first shark on Friday, a 6 foot blue.
Ken most auto parts stores carry clear fuel line. The line I use is double walled with a nylon reinforcing mesh between the walls. Have the feed from the fuel flow sensor to the filter and the output of the filter to the main motor plumbed with it. It does yellow over time and gets a little stiff so should be replaced after about three years.
Been using the stuff for a number of years without problems and
specifically put it in for diagnostic and trouble shooting reasons, works like a charm.
stevej
Been using the stuff for a number of years without problems and
specifically put it in for diagnostic and trouble shooting reasons, works like a charm.
stevej
Hali nuts,
Just noticed on the Canadian Fishing Board that both Coyote and No Name are still empty -- a few at Constance Bank.
These are some of my favorite spots (yours too, Jon??), and the slabs usually show here before Hein Bank hali's come in.
Of course, the Canadian guys may be just like Port Angeles fishermen -- sometimes they sucker punch you. I usually fish Coyote a lot, and they should be in by now. Maybe Jon has some reports on the Rockpile...
Dusty (getting READY to fish)
Just noticed on the Canadian Fishing Board that both Coyote and No Name are still empty -- a few at Constance Bank.
These are some of my favorite spots (yours too, Jon??), and the slabs usually show here before Hein Bank hali's come in.
Of course, the Canadian guys may be just like Port Angeles fishermen -- sometimes they sucker punch you. I usually fish Coyote a lot, and they should be in by now. Maybe Jon has some reports on the Rockpile...
Dusty (getting READY to fish)
starcrafttom
Active member
I know that the owner of sea ramis fishing a halibut derby this weekend over in the b.c side of the straights. Maybe we will get a report after the weekend.
Jon - CLou
New member
Hi Dusty,
It's been about 3 years since I fished Coyote and the the Rock Pile I don't care for much unless I'm fishing for salmon. (good rips)
We usually hit the holes closer to P.A. and sometimes run down to Crescent Beach, Wiskey Creek, Freshwater Bay and out in front of the slide. Dusty, I know you've fished those places before.
It's been about 3 years since I fished Coyote and the the Rock Pile I don't care for much unless I'm fishing for salmon. (good rips)
We usually hit the holes closer to P.A. and sometimes run down to Crescent Beach, Wiskey Creek, Freshwater Bay and out in front of the slide. Dusty, I know you've fished those places before.