Leader and hooks for halibut rig

[Daveroo]

I'm preparing a couple of halibut spreader bar rigs for Nootka. What do most people use for the leader? Mono versus steel? 100lb, 130lb or 150lb? I see YouTubes with tandem singles, I've also see trebles, and I've see singles. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[advTHXance]

I usually buy pre-made mono leader rigs with circle hooks. Having some kind of tube shielding for the mono near the hook helps with nicks and scratches in the line. Shouldnt cost more than 5 or 10 bucks per rig depending on the gauge, which is nearly as cheap as you could put one together with your own supplies.

 

[saanauk]

I make my own out of 500# mono as halibut are not leader shy. Pretty inexpensive to get some 500# leader material and a crimper.

I make the whole spreader bar out of mono like in this picture.

 

[Kildonan]

I am no expert but my experience has been that steel leaders get kinked up and won't stay straight after run-ins with dogfish. For that reason I switched to mono.

 

[Birdsnest]

I use 150 with a uni knot to a treble at the bottom and a crimp to stop a sliding single and then a loop knot at the top.

 

[lordofthesprings]

thats a great looking spreader with the 500 lb mono !!

 

[lordofthesprings]

I've seen guides using white gangion even

 

[Daveroo]

Thanks for the feedback. On a related note I just realized I am short one bottom fishing rod for this trip. I have a sturgeon setup already which I am thinking of using for halibut. Any reason why I shouldn't do this? I loathed to buy another rod and reel this week , I've spent enough on tackle already this year.

 

[Tips Up]

Any winch (rod and reel) will work for hali. Just some are easier on the fisherman than others.
Sturgeon Set up should be great! (you owe me a Sturgeon trip for the advise. Bucket list fishery for me)

I use 80 lb mono with tandem size 9 singles. I'm sporting.

Good Luck!

 

[drmadcow]

We use 80 lb mono, just make sure your leader is shorter then the arm on your spreader bar or it will tangle on tide changes.

 

[plumbcrazy]

80lb mono and tandem single 9 od. Can't go wrong re-tie every fish. Won't loose any

 

[Aces]

80 lb mono with 8/0 hooks is fine

 

[scott craven]

I've seen guides using white gangion even

I use green 150lb gangion and trebles,
I know many will disagree but it works for me.
I haven't had to worry about an oversize release over the last couple years
but if so, I would just cut the leader.
I have seen Halibut survive far worse.

 

[Birdsnest]

I use 150 with a uni knot to a treble at the bottom and a crimp to stop a sliding single and then a loop knot at the top.

Sadly my rigs only good for 2 or 3 sharks but that works for me.

 

[TheBigGuy]

I used to use completely 120 lb test and rig a large 8 1/2 - 10 inch hoochy with a large treble and a large single hook as a trailer. I have changed it up lately and have started rigging up a bit differently. I still rig the front part with the hoochy with heavy 120 pound test. After the hoochy is crimped on using the heavy lead I've started to attach the hooks using only 60 lb test. Im not targeting monster 100 lb plus pound Hali as I don't use huge baits like whole Salmon heads and I don't anchor. So, I figure the 60lb test for the rig with the hooks is enough for the Hali I'm catching. If I catch bottom with the hooks or the weight hopefully the lighter test breaks before my mainline which I've lightened as well to 80 from 100 lb test. A little easier on losing gear when you snag bottom. I guess it might eventually cost me a break off on a big fish, but I think 60 pound is adequate. If tying leaders without the hoochy I've used 60 lb test for years without any issues. Sure it gets chewed up much easier than the heavier test, but the leader is easily replaced if it gets chewed.

Everyone is different, that's just how I've come to like making my rigs lately. Works well for me.

 

[spring fever]

Further to the big Guy's stuff I put my weight on 18inches of 40 lb test which makes it the weakest link. If it gets caught on bottom you usually only lose the weight.

 

[ericl]

Treble hooks are an immoral choice where some fish must be released.

I use 16/0 circle hooks. Put-on a big glow skirt. Then a Salmon belly or herring. Then zip tie the bait to the hook. I like heavy mono (at least 200#) as suggested above. The spreader can be made from mono as well, much easier to pack around. When I commercial fished, out "leader" was braided colored nylon about 1000#; like mentioned above they are not gear shy. Some use squid/octopus for bait. It probably catches a little better but the commercials use it because it stays on the hook better.

When you get a nibble, feed out 10 ft or so slack. Wait 10 seconds or so. Either the fish will swim away or your drift will pull the line tight - when the rod bends from the fish, start reeling; no need to set the hooks as the circle hook sets itself usually in the bony part of the lip. Being an old man, I either get somebody else to reel it in or put the rod in the holder if I MUST do it myself.

FYI if the water is under 200 ft or so, a 6-8 oz metal jig will catch them must faster + catch Salmon as well.

 

[Mako 22]

FYI if the water is under 200 ft or so, a 6-8 oz metal jig will catch them must faster + catch Salmon as well.

Oh Yeah!

This jig has caught more Halibut for me than any other combination, including bait. Lots of Chinook also.

An oldie from the 1980's, I now rig them with a 6/0 Siwash. 5 feet of 80 pound leader.

6 oz Metzler Mooch a Jig. Norm Metzler is a friend of mine, his dad developed the jig years ago. No longer available, but I have a lifetime supply up to 16 oz.



Note the bend. And the sand/gravel marks on the lower jig from banging the bottom. Top is 6 oz, bottom is 8 oz.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Treble hooks are an immoral choice where some fish must be released.

I use 16/0 circle hooks.

First time I think I've disagreed with anything you've had to post Eric.. Ling and Halibut are extremely tough mouthed fish. We are not talking about Salmon fishing with this type of gear run off a spreader bar. I release a lot of ling and the trebles do not cause me problems for the release. Lings mouths are so though the problem is getting hook penetration, not getting the hooks out. I do not anchor, I drift, and I do not feed the fish line or allow time for the lure and bait to be swallowed deeply. As I said I mostly use a 10in hoochy & bait combo, which is quite a mouthful to swallow deeply. I can never recall this rig being swallowed deeply enough to get the front treble caught in a lings gills. I can almost always release the fish with little effort in the water with no harm to the fish. If the fish were injured I could always keep it if I thought it was injured. I can't recall the last time I've ever had had to do that. Because of the size of the presentation I use and the areas I fish I rarely catch undersized lings that require releasing because of regulations.

As far as Hali go I have not picked up an oversized Hali that required releasing since the regulation was introduced. Since I drift fish exclusively and do not anchor up, I do not find deeply hooked fish to be a problem. I have not released too many halibut as most of the areas I prefer to fish have good size fish not ping pong paddles that are being high graded through. Either way, I have not had any problems releasing Hali with this rig either the times I have released them (without any damage in my opinion).

I very rarely ever use a treble hook when Salmon fishing, but commonly do for Ling & Hali. Salmon are easily damaged by hooks, especially the juveniles. Most bottom fish have extremely tough mouths that are hard to penetrate. That is why I prefer a treble. If I were anchored up and letting the fish swallow the bait I would probably not be using trebles. Drifting I find no issue using a treble and safely releasing the fish I catch undamaged.

As long as the regulations permit it I will continue to use trebles for bottom fishing on the drift. I do not like circle hooks, if you do that's great. To each their own.

A sweeping statement that the use of trebles for bottom fishing is "immoral" is a little bit of a zealots response in my opinion. I release far more fish than I ever keep during the course of the season and I consider myself a very ethical angler. I see no moral conflict with trebles in the bottom fishing application (drift fishing) that I use them for. If I were damaging fish badly with them, I would not use them regularly. I feel absolutely no reservations about using trebles for bottom fishing.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I think it is a little extreme in the case of bottom fishing. Cheers, and have a good season enjoying the ocean.

 

[ericl]

Hey BigGuy, your still the greatest man. I tend to be pretty extreme My statement goes beyond bottom fish. FYI down here in the States they are illegal for Salmon.