Deep Dropping In The Straits

[Mako 22]

Yep, same way the fish eat them. Head aft.

 

[Mako 22]

Wondering if the rods with the angled butt ends are needed or if there is a heavy Hali rod out there that will do the trick?
Thanks

The system is a whole package: Heavy duty rod holders, stout reel, at least 80 pound braid, swivel tip on the rod.

I found out a long time ago that if a specialized "system rod" was required you are better off building it. Rod building is easy!

 

[outbeen]

I have fished a lot of the really deep structure off Nanaimo, looking for the elusive SoG halibut and have never got anything worthwhile.

 

[Mako 22]

I have fished a lot of the really deep structure off Nanaimo, looking for the elusive SoG halibut and have never got anything worthwhile.

I am thinking the same on this side of the border.

But years ago a 300 plus pounder was snagged in 400 feet. So maybe there are more. My choice is a 50 pounder, let the big breeders go. I would love to find an area in the depths where a 50 could be found often.

 

[adanac]

Yep, same way the fish eat them. Head first.

any experienced hali fisherman know this!

 

[Rain City]

any experienced hali fisherman know this!

I am not an experienced Hali fisherman. So this is a thing eh? Is there any science behind this or just from experience?

 

[adanac]

I am not an experienced Hali fisherman. So this is a thing eh? Is there any science behind this or just from experience?

most fish , not just hali will always prefer a head first bait, more streamline, gill plates dont flare that way. if you cut open hali/ling and they have rockfish in their stomachs they are almost 100 percent of the time heads first , spines lay flat that way. Fishing Hakai pass a few years back i caught a high 40's class lingcod that had a 10ish pound decomposing yelloweye wedged in its yap , took it down tail first! amazed it still went after my bait.
its not a deal breaker but all the old salts i learnt from all fish their herring this way

 

[Rain City]

most fish , not just hali will always prefer a head first bait, more streamline, gill plates dont flare that way. if you cut open hali/ling and they have rockfish in their stomachs they are almost 100 percent of the time heads first , spines lay flat that way. Fishing Hakai pass a few years back i caught a high 40's class lingcod that had a 10ish pound decomposing yelloweye wedged in its yap , took it down tail first! amazed it still went after my bait.
its not a deal breaker but all the old salts i learnt from all fish their herring this way

Yeah I just wondered about how realistic the movement would be. But I guess they eat floating heads so clearly that doesn't matter.

 

[CIVANO]

They are out there in the deep. Friends in Coos Bay fish to 800 ft often. Looking at the charts there is a lot of bottom that Halibut like on this side of the border in the deep. Perfect bottom for dragging big herring: Sandy/gravel with a few humps here and there.


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how do you rig this way? do you use a wire or needle to get the leader through the mouth and out the vent?

 

[outbeen]

any experienced hali fisherman know this!

my dad has done this with anchovies and herring for salmon and it worked

 

[Mako 22]

how do you rig this way? do you use a wire or needle to get the leader through the mouth and out the vent?

The little plastic pack on the lower right contains dental bands. I wrap one around the tail and leader to keep the tail straight.

Hooks are 16/0 circles.

Leaders are about 12 inches long, 150 pound mono. Loops are double crimped. I use a dropper rig with drops about 12 inches long, the dropper rig is 200 pound mono. A McMahon snap connects the rigged herring leader to the dropper. I carry pre rigged baits in a cooler, makes for fast bait changes. About 12 inches of 40 pound mono at the bottom with a snap to hook the sinker, this way if the sinker snags I can break off and not lose the whole rig.

 

[Mako 22]

my dad has done this with anchovies and herring for salmon and it worked

The guy that showed me this way to rig for halibut is a Commercial type, when he fishes 6 inch whole herring behind a flasher he rigs them the same way with a smaller circle hook. I sometimes use herring behind a flasher, but rigged head towards the flasher. When Chinook season arrives I will rig up some "backwards" 6 inch herring and see what happens.

 

[Dogbreath]

my dad has done this with anchovies and herring for salmon and it worked

There's an old style Salmon rig from California that I've seen used - a dead Anchovy rigged 'backward' and hanging down maybe 6' under a float and left to drift on the waves-it works; of course a centrepin rod/reel setup is perfect.

 

[adanac]

I have fished a lot of the really deep structure off Nanaimo, looking for the elusive SoG halibut and have never got anything worthwhile.

what was your main bycatch? mostly rockfish or any pacific cod/other species?

 

[Old Blue]

For rigging try this way as it works great for sturgeon....skip to a minute and 20 seconds or so

 

[Old Blue]

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

I guess.... but lets be honest halibut and Lingcod aren't that picky. I have hooked plenty without doing this fancy rigging.

 

[eriks]

what was your main bycatch? mostly rockfish or any pacific cod/other species?

I've deep dropped in the Straight (1000+') and the main catch for me was dogfish

 

[spoiler]

We did good on the sablefish using 8 “ glow power baits fishing down around 650 ft

what area were you getting Sablefish?

 

[adanac]

I guess.... but lets be honest halibut and Lingcod aren't that picky. I have hooked plenty without doing this fancy rigging

depends on your area , not everywhere has numbers that WCVI or HaidaGwaii have , and in those areas ( example , victoria halibut / gulf island lingcod) some guys fill the boat all season, while some guys are left scratching their heads at why they aren’t productive. any little bit helps in these areas