Halibut Fishing
- Thread starter mlaag
- Start date
"Halibut" can be caught off the Sooke Bluffs in 100-200 feet of water, I've hit a few of them trolling for salmon. Jordan River to the west can also work.. Nice and simple, no anchoring. There are better spots in the structure closer to Victoria, but anchoring and currents become important.
Lastchance, are there closures on and around Race Rocks? I was looking at some articles a while back that looked like there might be closures there. Possible MPAs?
Don't discount out shallow water too. My friend nailed a 110 pound halibut here off of Whidbey Island last year in 70 feet of water. I usually study my charts at night when I go to bed and pick out areas that I think will put out fish. So far, so good. Get a good bottom chart with contours and pick areas to fish. It pays off for me. Figure out the drift and start at the bottom or hill and go up and over it and down the other side, or drift ans edge of a drop.
Don't discount out shallow water too. My friend nailed a 110 pound halibut here off of Whidbey Island last year in 70 feet of water. I usually study my charts at night when I go to bed and pick out areas that I think will put out fish. So far, so good. Get a good bottom chart with contours and pick areas to fish. It pays off for me. Figure out the drift and start at the bottom or hill and go up and over it and down the other side, or drift ans edge of a drop.
victoriaboater
Active Member
Race is a rockfish conservation area. I believe it s the 40m contour.
HALILLAMA
Active Member
Thanks for the info. I have a lot of areas marked that are not far from there. Not sure if and when I would make it up there. There are so many areas that have halibut in Feb that it is crazy. I will be hitting our fishery hard in April. I could not get to our US straits fishery meeting last Monday and never was able to get in touch with them to see what was going to happen. Our 2A halibut fishery( from Northern California to Northern Washington) was cut 26% across the board.
The straits halibut fishery is set as a season, but if we go over, they will start cutting the season back. It is based on a certain poundage of fish. Since I was the ringleader in getting the earlier opener. A lot of peole went skunked last year while we cleaned house. Our commercials longlined it right before it opened for us. I tend to stay away from the crowds and go to no named areas. This way my bait and scent is not competing against all of the others. I found a small hump two years ago that put out fish. I told five people about it and told them not to tell anyone. We ran out from Everett (40 miles) so it took a while to get there on opening day. There were 38 boats on my spot I found.
The straits halibut fishery is set as a season, but if we go over, they will start cutting the season back. It is based on a certain poundage of fish. Since I was the ringleader in getting the earlier opener. A lot of peole went skunked last year while we cleaned house. Our commercials longlined it right before it opened for us. I tend to stay away from the crowds and go to no named areas. This way my bait and scent is not competing against all of the others. I found a small hump two years ago that put out fish. I told five people about it and told them not to tell anyone. We ran out from Everett (40 miles) so it took a while to get there on opening day. There were 38 boats on my spot I found.
You can fish outside the RCA. The best fishing is actually no where near the rocks themselves. Good luck drifiting it, the tides and currents do NOT follow any logical path around the bumps!
Actually, it is quite amazing how many people drift that area and "loose big halibut that keep pulling and don't stop" on days of big tides, when their gear is actually just on the bottom and the tide is running LOL. You will loose a LOT of gear drifing the race, I'd drift the bluffs or the flats if I had to drift.
I have not fished Race Rocks yet. Know what you mean on those big current fish, wink, wink.
I found a hump outside of Sequim two years ago. It ended up being a rockpile. We had three halibut rods out and all three of us snagged bottom at the same time. Current was running hard. I could not get mine to pull losse so I cut mine. (I think it was 80 pound spectra, this stuff does not break)I was afraid when I fired up the motors to turn around that all three would wind up and end up cutting each other off. My wife ended up breaking off on the sharp rocks and Mongo (on this board) had his pop loose and as soon as it did, either a big ling or halibut hit it and took off, it came unbuttoned right away. But we didn't target that area again as the gear loss was to expensive. I think it would be a great place to fish at slack tide with a pipe jig. I keep that one in the back of my mind. We did get one 60 pounder that day, several miles from there. I am waiting to hear the announcement on our opener.
I found a hump outside of Sequim two years ago. It ended up being a rockpile. We had three halibut rods out and all three of us snagged bottom at the same time. Current was running hard. I could not get mine to pull losse so I cut mine. (I think it was 80 pound spectra, this stuff does not break)I was afraid when I fired up the motors to turn around that all three would wind up and end up cutting each other off. My wife ended up breaking off on the sharp rocks and Mongo (on this board) had his pop loose and as soon as it did, either a big ling or halibut hit it and took off, it came unbuttoned right away. But we didn't target that area again as the gear loss was to expensive. I think it would be a great place to fish at slack tide with a pipe jig. I keep that one in the back of my mind. We did get one 60 pounder that day, several miles from there. I am waiting to hear the announcement on our opener.
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