Halibut harpoon placement

[ChoveyRoller]

This was my first year of Halibut fishing without a guide and its all starting to come together... learned how to anchor safely, learned lots of lessons good and bad, got a few fish nothing huge and got skunked lots too in the begining.

I have two questions for the vetrans out there.

1. This might be a dumb question, but are all halibut " guts" always on the same side of the fish (portside)when the young fish turns from a upright fish to a flat fish?

2. If you poon a huge one through the guts, will the harpoon head hold if it goes bonkers. The gut area seems pretty soft and mushy.
Would you still poon a monster in the guts, or in the meat on the other side of the fish.

Any advice is appreciated

Cheers

 

[wolf]

I always poon in the guts goes in and there is rib bones too goes in with ease a huge on you hit in the head sometimnes will not go thru and poof then its gone, also they have no torque in the gut area as theose sspots are the head and tail think of your self you can move your feet and head really but your mid section nope.
I persoanlly aim at the back edge of pectorial fin hit in there you always get the liver too and they bleed out too,

From your poon head have a small scotsman or even a boat bumper about 10 ft away then another 20 ft which you tie to the boatthats your shock absorber after you poon it let it bob out there till hes tired then do what you got to.

Hope this helps

Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[Aces]

I once harpooned a giant thru the guts - bleeding like crazy, left it on the scotchman and when it finally came to the surface i pulled on the rope and it was gone. We caught a smaller one later that was 139 lbs. I started going back thru the head and i havn't had a problem since but your tip has to be sharp!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Back of the head-- through the gill plate. Hammer the poon right through the gills and out the operculum on the other side. The fish will bleed out quickly. If you have a good SHARP harpoon, it will handle any halibut you are likely to get in BC waters. And it wont pull out.

I would never trust the soft guts to hold a biggie over 100.

The armament:

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[scott craven]

Man i dunno, we lost a big one a couple weeks back.
i shot the back of the head rather than the guts and it didn't go through.
I'm going for the gutsack from now on

 

[wolf]

I can tell you from experience the peetz poons are crap I switched to a double blade arrow head one and it never pulls thru.
The peetz one pitured above have had many pull right back out and lost fish . ill never use one again. never lost one since changing.
Do what you want its totally up to you if you look at my pics you will see all the poons right thru the guts in the 10 plus yrs of doing this never lost one and have got just a few over 100lbs.
There is no torque from a gut shot, a head big time there has been alot of hali lost beacuse of hitting them in the head, I bet you RS is still sick to this day of what happened. I know of one guy who has lost 3 big hali because he figured the "heat shot" was the best now its in the guts and he hasnt lost one

Notice this pic and you will see where the poon has hit just below the fin

Blood is trikling down on the one on the right
good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[SpringFever552]

by veteran do you mean Guides?...

I'm not a guide ,but have caught my fair share of halis, and have yet to harpoon one..largest being 134lbs[:0] while fishing for winter springs with light tackle,70s,60s,50s and lots in the 30-40range while targeting them(hali's), and all brought in/held to the boat with a gaff,then "swing away" by my fishing buddy at the time with the fish bat, never lost a hali this way "yet",it works for me....

 

[Tailspin]

I do the same as Wolf, Have yet to have one pull through! Keep in mind we do use smaller Scotchmans on the end of our poon lines.

know of guys who have had it rip out from head shots from large floats and or cleating it off.



www.tailspincharters.com

 

[Cuba Libre]

quote:The peetz one pitured above have had many pull right back out and lost fish

Nope-- not even close. Its a Goeson harpoon. Custom made with much heavier stainless shaft, and a much heavier hardwood handle. The head is better tapered than the Peetz and needle sharp and is flared at the back end so that it cant come out. I have driven it with one hand right through the gills of a 100 lber. The fabricator had to use two hands , however, to drive the poon right through my 250lb in this picture, but he had no problem doing so. We never bother with scotsmen floats, so there is extra strain on the fishes head when she goes bananas.... but never any problem with losing one. But you are right Wolf-- its whatever a guy is comfortable with and trusts to do the job. My experience makes me look at things differently than you!!

(edit) Damn-- cant get the pic to attach...

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Rum Buddies]

if you go to winter harbour where 100lbers come in on the daily - NOBODY shoots the guts or uses little scotsmens. Hit right through the shoulder on the opposite side of the guts and you will never, ever, eeeeever lose one. There is no more wasted meat then if you put a gaff through a chicken.

The fact that you need a shock absorber to hit the guts means its a bad spot to aim for - IMO.

Different strokes and all that though...

http://www.fishingvancouverisland.org

 

[wolf]

No we use a scotsman to let it tire out thats all even when i used to hit them in the head, also remeber we are anchored when I drift fish I dont use a poon i use a shark attatched to the scotsman slam it in the yap up between the eyes and let her go you let it tire out then bring it on the boat.

Remeber the movie JAWS same thing.

Im trying to save all meat possable if you want to slam it into the shoulder and wreck meat what do I care its not my fish but I want to get as much meat as possable and so do my clients.Just like when I hunt moose or deer ill hit them in the lungs everytime and stay away from all the good meat, and the ocaasional "head shot" LOL

MY bad CL thought it was a peetz anything is better than those things Sorry.

Ive been hali fishing many, many many years and have made mistakes too just trying to avoid new people making the same ones but chose any method you like.


Good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[ChoveyRoller]

Right on! Thanks everyone for their valuable opinions. I do appreciate! Sounds like its to each their own. Hopefully I get to poon one on Monday.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

I always go for a gutshot, I also learned the hard way to keep the tip sharp incase you miss the guts and hit a hard spot. Ive lost a few and will not make those mistakes again. If you do harpoon it in a bad spot, gaff it and get it in the tub right away (if safe to do so). I also do not use a scotsman. Right away after harpooning it, I keep its head above water, tie it off and bleed it out beside the boat.

Fill the dam tub!

 

[Tailspin]

I have only used the float a few times, most often on fish over 100 lbs. More of a backup to not loose your poon head. If you keep there head above water and splash all aboard it's more fun. I poon them and then slip a tagline through the gills, bonk em good, tie am off to the cleat, blead em in the water and board them at the end of the day. Keep in mind some off the currents we fish in, this works for us where we fish.

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[brycemcl]

if you have a peetz harpoon..... cut the O-ring off it swells after time and will hold the tip on

 

[Little Hawk]

Wonder-f'ing-full!

I got me a brand new Peetz harpoon that ain't seen the water yet and IT'S CRAP?

Looks like me's gonna' be sharpening the point more and loosing the 'O'-ring.

Oh well, I can always use it to jab my net-guy if he fu#ks-up!

Harpoon a seal maybe...

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Dave S]

quote:Originally posted by Little Hawk

Wonder-f'ing-full!

Oh well, I can always use it to jab my net-guy if he fu#ks-up!

Harpoon a seal maybe...

Leave the seals alone!

 

[Karma-Kazi]

I harpoon in the guts near the pectoral fin. only problems ive had is hitting the spine on time and I dident go all the way thru so i had to force the poon the rest of the way thru. I also had a buddy go thru the head and gills. I still picture it in my mind. 50 pound hali tail dancing next to the boat and "POP" there comes the harpoon head back out and almost hit me in the face. Gills arnt a strong part of a fish. Flesh is!

Oh and i use vasiline on the shaft to keep it slippery! Works the best![]

-Steve

 

[Bogman]

At the Self guided Lodge that I run on the Charlottes I always tell my guests to aim for the little fin behind the head (either side). That is Bullseye, never had a problem hitting them there. We have SEVERAL over a hundred every year. Loose the o-ring from the shaft and just hold the rope against the handle ,it will work better.



"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[lordofthesprings]

so i read all this still cant decide what kind of harpoon head is the best the Arrrowhead shape or the tube/needle shape anymore info? weve been using the tube/needle one but have had a few mishaps thinking about trying the arrowhead style?