Finding halibut spots ... tips from the pros

[juandesooka]

How to avoid having your photo posted to the Hall of Shame -- find your own halibut spots!

]This thread is for the pros and highliners to throw a bone to the halibut newbies. Give a few tips on what you do to search out new spots. Help encourage newbies to find their own way. As opposed to ghosting you, stealing your spots, or anchoring right on top of you.

You can also post some etiquette suggestions and no-no's if you like.

 

[juandesooka]

Suggestions for the pros ... tips that may help:

-- before you go, what do you look for on the charts in trying to identify a new halibut spot? how does tide/current influence your choice?

-- once you're out there, what do you look for on your sounder? What are the telltales signs of a promising halibut spot?

-- when do you finally decide it is worth a go and throw out the pick? Do you drift it first, motoring up current and drifting over it?

-- how long do you give it at a new spot before you decide it is worthwhile or not? (stick and stay to make it pay ... but when do you pull the plug?

 

[tincan]

Being a Hali newby myself I'm liking this thread. I've caught a bunch up in the central coast but each time I was told where the chicken holes were so now that I'm back in Vancouver I've started to do a few recon missions myself.

Here is what i've done thus far. Feel free to shed some light given your experiences. I fish the gulf islands regularly and have heard that a few hali's are coming back into the straight of georgia in recent years. On the east side of Gabriola, Valdez, Galiano I've looked for structure on the sounder/charts a mile or two offshore where it shallows up to the 200-300 foot range. Trying to find a sandy bottom which on some sounders is marked with an "S". I've simply drifted on my few attempts with either a hali jig or a spreader bar with octopus/salmon bellies. I've put in an hour or so on 3 occassions with nary a bite thusfar. I haven't had great weather anytime so I wasn't keen to stick it out for several hours at a time or set the anchor. would appreciate any tips

 

[Poseidon]

Well Juandesooka I think your right in starting this forum, after all its always been a taboo subject for asking about how to catch the flatties in the recent past. All I can suggest is that patience is the key and to think that there is always the time when you just simply have to throw everything out the door. Here is an example: I went out jigging for cod in about 50 ft of water and ended up catching a 60lb hali, I was jigging a 2 oz perkins on a single action reel, only to feel the rod fold in half and have a screaming reel. I must admit that while fishing for hali's around Bella Bella, that I used this technique. Try it out some time, when your anchored up, and use that single action reel, its quite intense. But just like tincan, I try and go out to spots where no one even tries for these fish and it pays off. So its all about breaking the rules, and trying out new tactics.

I also know some guys who insist that hand lining is the only way to fish for hali's as that is when you really feel the fish bite.

 

[bananas]

You have to look at a chart for things like gravel beds,rock piles and conture changes. There are hundreds between oak bay and race rocks. The only way to know if there's halibut there is togo throw the anchore on one and fish it through both a flood and ebb tide, some will be better on the flood some better on a ebb, and to make it even more confusing some fish better on strong tides and some when the water is slower. I have found my spots by looking at a chart and spending my time and money to if there are fish there. If i wasn't guiding there are allkinds of spots i would try ,i mean thats the part thats rewarding for me,looking at spot and putting in my time andwhen it paysoff it feels like i've done something.

Wheni was a kid at pedder i used to grill Benny about his secrets and how to find spots ,he would look at me and say there every where just go throw your anchore out.I thought he was pulling my leg but now years later i know he's rite! While there are spots which are better i usualy get them whereever i throw the anchore maybe not hammer them everywhere but get fish. Have a look at all the so called highliners Foghorn, Wolfy,Optimist,Seaghost,desy and a few more and whats the common factor they are usualy nowhere near each other or for that matter near anybody and yet they all get fish almost daily .Just get out there find a spot all on your own and i bet you get fish. If there's 10boats all together your fighting for a few fish but if your by yourself andyou happen to land on some fish your going to hammer them.

 

[bigmeal]

Juandesooka, PM sent. Thanks for starting this topic, I hope more join in. Thanks Bananas I would definitely like to find my own spots as well and feel that same sense of accomplishment. It's kind of like catching salmon right in front of a crowd of boats who are getting skunked.

 

[wolf]

ITS a big ocean go find your own spots one of the reasons I dont post anything on here regarding halibut is people like to follow and it really pisses me off and many others no Trev too im tired of it. I was at one of the spots i like to fish the other day not 1 boat near for as far as I can see this boat makes a B line right to me from about 5 miles away....... and yep stops about 50 ft from my stern and starts drift fishing right fricken behind me..... I didnt say a word as I had clients on boaed just turned my back as I really wanted to tell him to F off. but couldnt.

As for finding spots just go fish them just like we do do you think Trev or myself or any other guide has gone and corked a spot from someone and then fished it NO we find them on our own. I just wish others would as well ive been saying this since ive been on this forum .....

wolf

 

[trophywife]

i am no pro and still learning as i think alot of us are... i will troll (not the internet) bottom, hopefully getting a couple,, mark the area and then anchor up.. so usually we get a couple chickens from the area and then fish for the bigger hali using spreader bar and skinless octopus for the bait, or bellies... good thread topic, good luck out there..

 

[Karma-Kazi]

I agree with Bannana's. Finding your own spots takes time and alot of patience. Using alot of scent on your bait also helps alot. Bumping your weights on the bottom also can bring them in.

-Steve

 

[Labman2]

Not aimed at any of the guides, I've been out of the inner harbour 6 times in the last 3 yrs., with 4 different guides. Last time out, there were 6 guide boats out, 4 of them were in sight of each other! Every time I have been out, we always ended up in the same general area as the last guide! I can get in real trouble here and say, I bet that all of them DIDN't find spots like the Prawn Hole or any of the other spots without talking between themselves!

 

[Optimist]

We would be crazy if we didn't admit to networking amongst ourselves ,but generally when you see a few guide boats in an area together ,fishing has been very good , a lot of these so called spots have been found long before many of us were guides,that said there are a few large handfuls each seasoned guide has found on there own ,the prawn hole or mud hole was found by a couple of guides and locals but people have branched out from that general area and found other successful spots ,like Trev said knowing what tides the halis bite on in areas makes up a large portion of your success, that said even a blind squirrel finds a nut,there are many great guides on the cost whom many i know and for the most part if someone was to approach them and ask for quality info i know most would not hesitate to give it.

 

[wolf]

You havent hired me yet labman as i am rarley near them LOL LOL.

 

[Bassblaster]

As a newbie to both the island and Hali fishing I can definitely appreciate threads like this. I have to admit that almost 100% of my saltwater fishing knowledge has come from this site or personal encounters with those on it. But I also agree that it is a very big ocean. It is the lazy people ghosting the guides that get a lot of us painted with a brush. Personally I'd rather take the time to actually learn something and then apply the information to become successful. Besides, who says that the guides have located the best spots? She's a big piece of unexplored water out there. Who knows when they will find the mother-load? Add to this the fact that the fish are not nailed to a spot in the water and, as pointed out by a previous poster, can be anywhere, and suddenly the EDGE that the guides have in KNOWING the best spots becomes a very small one.

I appreciate all of the information I have gathered on this site, and as I catch up on current posts I plan to start reading back posts. The information is probably all here, you just have to look for it. Thanks for making this thread Juan, and thanks to all of you who are willing to share your knowledge with those of us that are either new to the areas, or new to this type of fishing, regardless of what type of fishing that might be.

 

[Labman2]

You havent hired me yet labman as i am rarley near them LOL LOL.

Not yet, but I have to admit you toss a pretty mean frozen Octipus!!

 

[Poseidon]

Here is another tip F.Y.I , I've talked with some well known guides up north, and one did say to me that if you find an area that holds halibut, try and locate a rock on the flat and that is where you will find the big ones(100+ lbs). Also usually the smaller bait usually catches the big fish. But from my experience letting the big one go usually means a stronger healthier stock for the future. After all if we catch all the big ones then what is left for the future? If only the commercial longliners(Patterson Inc.) actually felt that way.

 

[Hindsight]

Guides and how we work together in Port Renfrew has a lasting impression on our clients. To share fishing info is part of my business.. Its not about me its about how my clients do and the rest of the clients out on the water. It really shows when you show up at the dock. Some clients want to look for large Chinook on the beach and others just want action. Its all about what they want...
Over the years of fishing in Port Renfrew, I know we have some of the best communication around for guides, its a pleasure to work with the guys in this area.. Port Renfrew is a small town and the guides help big time with local employment. I see guides helping the sporties in this area with spots and what to use and where to go, and vise versa. We all have our Halibut spots and its all about ethic's. Last year was really the first year that every boat was anchoring up all season long. I heard on the radio how are you doing oh a little slow, come take my anchor we are done.. If you ask me we are running one business in Renfrew and it great.. Thanks Guys.. our season is just around the corner...

 

[tincan]

Hourston, good to hear that the renfrew guides have made it work by keeping the lines of communication open. I'm not a fan of the super secretive guides that think they own their spots on the water. I know many guides and only a rare few have that attitude and it's laughable most of the time as they gained the majority of their fishing knowledge from others and now don't feel the need to reciprocate. I like the teacher/student attitude on the water myself. Don't need to spoon feed everyone else but a little direction here of there goes a long way and adds to the community feel on the water. Fishing is supposed to be fun and when it turns into a competitive battle out there we need to check ourselves. That said, I've always fished in relatively unpopulated areas so I can understand how frustrating it would get if it's a parking lot out there all the time.

 

[Optimist]

Poseidon,sounds like someone is filling your head with bs, almost every big hali i have caught or seen caught has had big food inside ,octupus beaks so big they can't pass it ,30lb plus salmon ,whole dog fish, big halis like the rocks hence where the octi live ,don't quit know what you mean about a flat rock ,and releasing a big fish is certainly your right and how you feel about it ,most people who eat alot of hali know the smaller fish are better eating but one shouldn't feel quilty about keeping a larger fish to keep the stocks healthy that horse ****,if you have ever seen what a dragger or large longline boat takes in oneday ,you letting that one fish go makes not one f...ing difference

 

[wolf]

Labman I know who you are now LOL LOL yes that was a funny day indeed .....

 

[trophywife]

Poseidon,sounds like someone is filling your head with bs, almost every big hali i have caught or seen caught has had big food inside ,octupus beaks so big they can't pass it ,30lb plus salmon ,whole dog fish, big halis like the rocks hence where the octi live ,don't quit know what you mean about a flat rock ,and releasing a big fish is certainly your right and how you feel about it ,most people who eat alot of hali know the smaller fish are better eating but one shouldn't feel quilty about keeping a larger fish to keep the stocks healthy that horse ****,if you have ever seen what a dragger or large longline boat takes in oneday ,you letting that one fish go makes not one f...ing difference

and thats from an optimist


big hali like big bait...


i think one ate my chummer last year, riggin pinks

nothing better than keeping a trophy or releasing one