700ft and Halibut

[5-Salt Fever]

Oregon Halibut is not for the timid or weak with most of the good holes 600-700ft deep. It worth effort just the same.

We pic'd up these three on Saturday in 725ft of water. Bait checks are a bear...

 

[scott craven]

well done 5 salt, are you using electric reels at that kind of depth ?

ps, your partner on the far right looks fairly pleased

 

[Last Chance]

700FT! Hat's off to yah, I complain when I'm deeper then 250. Looks like it paid off for you. It would be a real bugger to run into doggies at that depth.

 

[Last Chance]

5Salt, do you run out of Westport? The Blue Dot reef is probably not much farther from you, and a heck of a lot easier to fish?

 

[Dogbreath]

I see a bucket o' Crab too!

 

[Rum Buddies]

now thats hardcore, but whats with the doctors gloves boys

 

[Brokenrod]

5 salt, what kind of reels are you guys using to go that deep?

 

[SIR]

Now that's the type of picture you like to see - good one!!!

 

[Tailspin]

Very well Done! Must be tough to feel the bottom at 725'

 

[HALILLAMA]

Kickin Butt and Keepin Score!! Nice Catch.....I'll be fishing
lots of different spots before I'm down that far. OW![]

 

[5-Salt Fever]

I use a Shimano Tyrnos 30 loaded with about 450-500 yards of 65lb Powerpro. The others use Shimano Tekota 800's w/ same line. No electric reels for this manly crew...although we do wear surgical gloves to keep the human stink of the baits.

Feeling the bottom is a not so much of an issue as we use 4lb sinkers and bounce the bottom with the swell. Reeling in fish or bait checks is a lay the rod on rail and grind, affair. The big ones put up good fight for first 100-200 ft up after which you just keep grinding. The Tekota boys have mounted a crank arm about twice as long as standard and have attached to that stainless rod with grippy bike grip - no shortage of leverage with that setup.

Just figure out your drift line, put your tail into the wind/current, set the kicker in reverse to hold about a 1/2-3/4mph drift and everything hangs straight down. If the wind is really pushing us along we use the big motor at idle to slow us down.

Those fish, left to right are 62, 40, and 83lbs. 40lb's is pretty much the standard chicken in our area and we usualy good for one 50-60lb per outing. This weekend is the last day of the spring season outside of 40Fthm's. The fall season re-opens first week of August and everyone is usually tuna crazy at that time so the fishing is pretty hot and by then your average chicken grows by about 6-7lbs.

With a little advance planning and adventurous spirit you can score the Tri-Fecta....Tuna, Halibut and Chinook limits w/ your usual 12-15 crab. Life is pretty good for those if fortunate to halibut and salmon right out our back doors.

 

[marula]

5 Star, thats impressive!!
Thanks for the story and pictures. Now we aren't allowed to fish with more then 1 kg (2.2 lbs) on our lines unless clipped to a downrigger http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Law/restrictions_e.htm , I assume that extends to all finfish and not just salmon. Someone chime in if im misreading the regs.

What kind of boat is that? Nice looking rig.

 

[ratherbefishin]

I like your idea of using surgical gloves to handle the bait. I'll keep some on board from now on. Just got back from fishing Hardy for a couple of days. We had problem with fuel delivery to the motor both days and had to handle the gas lines. Result: nada... No hali. We got nice snappers and lings but that was it. I think those fish are so greedy that they will bite on the gas can itself given the chance...
Those are nice fish you got.

 

[5-Salt Fever]

quote:Originally posted by marula

5 Star, thats impressive!!
Thanks for the story and pictures. Now we aren't allowed to fish with more then 1 kg (2.2 lbs) on our lines unless clipped to a downrigger http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Law/restrictions_e.htm , I assume that extends to all finfish and not just salmon. Someone chime in if im misreading the regs.

What kind of boat is that? Nice looking rig.

I don't think of it as impressive, no more so than you lads hooking salmon on the riggers down deep. Sure is good fun and I do appreciate your kind words. The boat is a 98 25ft Grady-White. I fall in love with her all over again when I see her in a picture. Kind of like seeing a thing through another's eyes. I wouldn't trade her for the world...unless the world was a 28ft Grady.

On the subject of Halibut in deeper Canadian waters...I can't help think there are some whoppers in those less traveled/deeper waters. Some of my fav 200ft BC chicken holes on the edge of some 400-600ft water. Think I will be dragging flatter portions of those canyons next time I am up your way. I just don't think they get fished and those big fish have to go somewhere after they spawn in the shallow waters.

Curious as to the logic behind 1kg sinker limit.

I have fished 2.2lb sinkers down to 500ft on calm days and with enough backdown power you can fish smaller sinkers. We like the 4lbs because they save a lot of tangles when fishing 4 rods deep.

Question of dogfish....specifically are they common at those depths in BC? We don't really have them in Oregon so no idea on this subject. Much to my surprise those dog fish are pesky little bastards in your waters. We run into Blue sharks down here but, they damn rare on at 600-700ft so I am thinking maybe the dogs won't be a problem down deeper.

Anyone care to help enlighten me?

 

[Ringostar]

On the deep spots, they work up here also I fished commercial 25 miles off Nootka for one summer and our best producer was a 700-800' pinnacle on the edge of the 2000' depths, would leave long line down 2 hours max and have 100-200 halibut between 25-90 lbs. never saw any sharks there either. was an interesting summer.

ringo

 

[tubber]

Just got off the john where I re-read this Sept 2006 BC Outdoors piece. May long weekend, 60 nm from Port Renfrew, spreader bar and Berkley grub, 460 ft, drop gear, wait <10 minutes, crank up a 15-40 lb halibut. Lots of fuel, but lots of fish.

 

[Last Chance]

Regarding Dogfish, near the end of August when we went through a little dry spell on the Hali's, I was getting them at 400-450 feet of water east of the North East Corner, as it got deeper, the dogfish abated, but got replaced by turbot (Arrowtooth Flounder) and the odd black cod.