Best Bottom for Halibut?

[Highliner]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to identify some new halibut spots to try out and I'm wondering if there are any unwritten rules with regard to the type of bottom i should be searching for to find the big flatties.

I've identified a few spots that look promising to me but they are all different types of bottom (sand, mud, gravel, rocks). Do all of these produce equally well?

Any experience or insight appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[TheSookesOfHazzard]

I've heard the big guys can be found in rocky/bouldery areas like Race, as they may use the landscape as cover for ambushing. Anyways Race does produce some bigger fish, but I'm done with fishing rocky bottom and losing gear. Chickens seem to like sandy, gravel, or mud bottoms, and of course they like to hang near contour changes. I'm not 100% certain on this stuff but I'm catching 'em!

 

[profisher]

Lots of big halibut are caught in a lot less than 100 feet. Nearby rocky ground or bolders is a good thing for larger hali. It is almost always a food source that brings the big guys to the same spots every year. Often in shallow water it is dungeness crab as they go through their molt and the shells are soft that lures them there. I was told that a certain Sooke octopus diver discovered a spot while diving where octopus mate every year at the same time. The males die shortly after mating and the females die after their eggs hatch. All these dead or dying octopus attract large halibut into the area about the same time every year. Obviously being a diver he had an advantage...but that is why you should keep records of where, when and how.

 

[tubber]

On my one and only trip on a halibut boat we got our 32,000 lbs in water that was all less than 100'. The area had a mixture of bottom structures, but some of the bigger ones had the red rash cherry belly indicating a rocky bottom. At least that's what I remember the more experienced hands discussing as I wrestled 30-260 lb fish in the fish hold or stuck holes in my gloves and fingers baiting near the stern while they did the more enjoyable jobs on deck. ECQCI 1994.

 

[sammyslabber]

I caught one of my biggest halibut in 75 feet of water - as a matter of fact it was caught by trolling 2 large herring. The area was used for commercial crabbing,it had several things going for it - gravel/sand bottom - scent from crab traps - deeper water for migration...

 

[Kramer]

Biggest fish I ever caught was in 75' of water in a muddy/sandy bottom near a river delta trolling a large spoon fishing for springs in august. Bottom dropped off about 100 yards away and a good area loaded with baitfish, crab and salmon migrating through. That said, I've caught really nice fish in some pretty nasty/snaggy stuff. Fish where the fish are!

 

[wolf]

Best bottom where ever the fish are!!!! LOL LOL
they will be anywhere on any given day the trick is to find em when they are there and making them bite!!!!! to say exaclly where they are at all times, well thats the question no one can really answer. Ive gone to proven spots and nothing other times great its called FISHING for a reason.
They live and feed on rock,gravel.sand,mud shallow/deep so go fish and find them is the best advise there is no short cuts...... TIME on the water is your best friend.....

GOOD luck wolf

 

[Mike_R]

They're not always on the bottom either. I've had guests catch halibut while jigging for salmon at 40' in water that was 80' deep.

 

[fshnfnatic]

That's a fact,Mike R. When I commercial trolled off Uke,we'd get em half way up the gear sometimes,That being said,it
was almost allways the tide change when that occured.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Muddy I find has turbit and small halibut, no monsters. I'd go with sand/gravel over anything hands down. If it is rocky (pinnacle), look around the pinnacle and if it is sandy/gravel around it, that'd be dynamite.

 

[tofinofish]

Muddy I find has turbit and small halibut, no monsters. I'd go with sand/gravel over anything hands down. If it is rocky (pinnacle), look around the pinnacle and if it is sandy/gravel around it, that'd be dynamite.

I usually lean to this outline myself, though few Turbot in our area chickens seem to like the flats with S and G. Larger ones seem to show along structure or sharper contours.

 

[TelStar26]

How does one identify the bottom so well? Im guessing your charting software is more detailed than mine? lol

 

[Islandgirl]

The paper marine charts have the bottom listed.
You can also tell by the feel when you are jigging on it.

 

[TheSookesOfHazzard]

The paper marine charts have the bottom listed.
You can also tell by the feel when you are jigging on it.

Yup if you are jigging on rock not only is it a hard hit but it tends to kind of "bounce down;" there often isn't one clean bump if you're letting the swells do the work. Muddy bottom is grabby, your weight kind of pops out of it.

 

[sammyslabber]

Take a look at this weeks Hali Stud pics on the hali trip thread - notice it's big belly is red - either it has a bad case of acne or she's?been hanging around sharp rocks

 

[wildwest]

Just watched the Video I ordered from Norway.All of the footage I believe was around 50 feet.I didn't know those Hali's could turn in their body lenght and that fin behind the gillplate was used for a helper for thrust AND stood straight UP like a sail...unbelievable footage of a somewhat shy predator following ,circling,eyeballing the jig..and the take!

 

[Highliner]

Thanks for all the comments boys. I agree with you Wolf, it's time on the water that makes the difference. Still searching for my first butt in Haro Strait. No luck yesterday after trying a few different structures. I guess the only conclusion I can make is that I'm not spending enough time on the water. I'll try to sell that to my wife.

 

[kanuckle head]

From my understanding Flatties live mostly down deep, they venture to our lines depth only cuz to feed & procreate
I had luck near shelf's of a drop off 100-300+ft
But have hooked betta than class chickenz in mid depth waterz, hunting 4 Springs

Kh