Anchoring for Halibut - Big in Southern Vancouver Island, but not so much elsewhere??

[Saxe Point]

I am wondering why anchoring is the most common way people seem to fish for halibut in the Victoria and Sooke areas, but seems rare in other areas? I might be wrong, but I get the impression that in most other areas i.e. Nootka, North Island, Nanaimo etc. anchoring is much less common and drifting, back trolling and other methods are used instead.

 

[Dogbreath]

It's too much of a PITA is why.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

That and quantities of halibut are higher in other areas so anchoring isn't required to catch.

 

[burnsy22]

Both of my charters off of the west coast/ukee area in the last 2 seasons we have anchored. And it produced great Hali numbers and quickly, sure we could have tried to troll or drift jig, but anchoring is the most productive way by far to catch them, if you can do it. Halibut work a lot on scent, and by anchoring and keeping the scent or whatever you are jigging in one spot it allows the Halibut to find your gear. BUt alot of the times due to current, tides, wind etc, anchoring isn't an option.

After reading these boards for the last 5 years, i would say the volume of Halibut in Victoria/Sooke area is less than what you may see on the west coast or up North, but the size of the Hali on average in the south may be larger. Most times whenever we have been trolling you catch smaller halibut 10-30lbs. The odds of landing the larger ones seem to increase greatly when you are anchoring. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but this is what I have noticed.

Also areas like Nanaimo and southern gulf area, the Halibut population just isn't here, so anchoring can be fairly useless option and you are better off covering ground and hoping you get lucky on the troll and run into one.

Frankly anchoring is an intimidating option for most anglers and a pain in the butt. Guides that I know do it for a reason because it catches fish. But I would rather drift jig, and if it does work is by far the easier option, and that is why you may see people doing it up in the Nootka, North island area, where there is a plentiful halibut population with not the nearly the fishing pressure on it as the southern Vancouver Island area.

 

[profisher]

Simple. once you find a good spot that halibut are always there unless fished out...far quicker and predictable to go to that spot or several if the first does fail and get them fast. I personally find hali fishing dull and prefer spending the bulk of my day fishing salmon. The faster I can get the hali fishing done with and have everyone happy that wanted halibut....and switch back over to salmon fishing the better.

 

[ziggy]

Wonder if bottom features are also at play. I can see drifting across a large flat plain, but don't think its practical where I fish. With pinnacles and sharp drop offs being the key features, I think it would be hard to stay on bottom and avoid getting hung up.

 

[Adler]

Yes to much of the above. Yes it takes a little bit of work and time, but once learned (including the safety aspects), anchoring is worth it down here in Victoria.

I add that sitting on the pick is the preferred means of fishing for my kids and wife - nothing beats a hot summer day, can be dead flat and quiet (no kicker noise), watching the world and sea life go by.

 

[Bag-Juan]

You lose more gear on the drift,

 

[sly_karma]

Lots of reasons in both directions. A lot of fishing is based on bro science.

 

[Saxe Point]

You lose more gear on the drift,

Yes indeed. I lose too much drifting, which is why I anchor.

 

[uclueletcharters]

Ziggy pinnacles are great places I back troll holding my position and or working the edges of the under water pyramids and hook many large hali's that way. Some monster accidental lings are picked up as well while doing that. Not sure how steep the pinnacles are or how high compared to the rest of the bottom some of the ones I work are 50 - 60 ft straight up and down pinnacles, trolling for salmon gear mid pinnacle and fairly close making passes by can be very productive for chinook. I'm a big contour guy. As for anchoring I don't do it because I seem to do well with out having to pack the extra gear but may this year as drift can be a pain in the butt and back trolling into chop kind of sucks sometimes. At least when your anchored up the motors off and your bow into the waves, be pretty relaxing once your set up that's why I'm thinking about it this year. Many guys do swear by anchoring.

 

[ziggy]

Agree that pinnacles are often where the halibut hang out and back trolling in a way, is very similar to anchoring in that you are trying to hold a position in the water column. My statement was in regard to drifting over rapidly changing bottom features making it difficult on one hand to maintain contact with the bottom and on the other avoiding getting hung up. For example drifting off a pinnacle into the deep, or drifting onto one into the shallows can both be problematic. If you have numerous pinnacles in an area, very rapidly changing contours , or large rocks, it is much easier IMO to choose an area and anchor and use the current flow to position your bait. I like fishing the downslope and anchor up accordingly if conditions are favourable.

 

[uclueletcharters]

Agreed plus once your to close to a pinnacle or on it the rock cod become a headache. Our area is different I guess it's quite flat with some sand and gravel valleys so next to no hang ups with the odd isolated pinnacle. The worst for hang ups for myself is commercial crab trap lines have to line up markers and figure out the drift before hand or your donating a spreader in no time. Anchoring no doubt would fix this issue.