Halibut fishing in estuaries

[Alexievich]

Greetings All,

I remember reading somewhere that when salmon are spawning, Hallies have been known to come right up into the estuaries of some rivers to gorge on the salmon carcasses as they flow out of the river.

Anybody heard of this?

If so, any VI rivers have the estuary structure (I guess I mean depth) to attract Hallies?

Cheers,
Alex

... "high water" is when you can fish from your car.

 

[knucklebuster]

quote:
Greetings All,

I remember reading somewhere that when salmon are spawning, Hallies have been known to come right up into the estuaries of some rivers to gorge on the salmon carcasses as they flow out of the river.

Anybody heard of this?

If so, any VI rivers have the estuary structure (I guess I mean depth) to attract Hallies?

Cheers,
Alex

... "high water" is when you can fish from your car.

Rings a bell.Maybe Cluxewe(?) port mcniel

a total MILF.Man I Love Fishing

Edited by - knucklebuster on 04/12/2006 16:22:04

 

[Reel Knotty]

I remember when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I was camping/fishing with my Dad and brother at one of the Sooke resorts. As dusk was approaching and the gutting trough was in full swing, I was laying on the dock watching the sea life. To my surprise 3 large halibut cruised right under me and bee lined for the gutting trough. Excitedly I ran over to tell Dad and the other anglers. A pat on the head and "ya, right kid," was the response I got. A little disheartened, I staked out my same spot the next night and sure thing, here come the hali's again. This time, rather than tell anyone, I dropped a hooked salmon gut near the gutting trough. I still remember the look on Dad's face, when my reel went into scream mode. Never caught the fish, but after 30 some years,it's still one of my favorite fishing memories.

OK back on topic, as you can see by my little story, I'd assume that estuaries might be a good idea for hali hunters as the salmon spawn is happening.



Edited by - C Lyse on 04/12/2006 10:51:53

 

[knucklebuster]

quote:
I remember when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I was camping/fishing with my Dad and brother at one of the Sooke resorts. As dusk was approaching and the gutting trough was in full swing, I was laying on the dock watching the sea life. To my surprise 3 large halibut cruised right under me and bee lined for the gutting trough. Excitedly I ran over to tell Dad and the other anglers. A pat on the head and "ya, right kid," was the response I got. A little disheartened, I staked out my same spot the next night and sure thing, here come the hali's again. This time, rather than tell anyone, I dropped a hooked salmon gut near the gutting trough. I still remember the look on Dad's face, when my reel went into scream mode. Never caught the fish, but after 30 some years,it's still one of my favorite fishing memories.

OK back on topic, as you can see by my little story, I'd assume that estuaries might be a good idea for hali hunters as the salmon spawn is happening.



Edited by - C Lyse on 04/12/2006 10:51:53

I LOVE that story!I spent so much time as a kid lying on the dock watching the fish.Never saw any halibut but I did see lots of dogfish and a huge Pacific Skate .
I still like to do it but feel kinda silly.

a total MILF.Man I Love Fishing

 

[Pescadero]

A little different theme, but along the same lines.

I have a friend who lives in Juneau. I fish with him quite a bit. We have fished a lot up and around Admrialty Is. out in front of Juneau. And, all around Admiralty, over by Icy Straits etc. There are many, many small streams, coming down out of the surrounding mountains. They all have runs of Pinks. We frequently Halibut fish right in front of those outlets. Even when it is quite shallow.

Local knowledge has it that the Halibut do come in and stage up, in front of these streams. They don't necessarily go there for just carcases. They snag all the roe that gets washed back down too.

We didn't believe it at first, but after trying our luck, we are convinced it is true. We have had consistent luck, throughout the years.

My biggest surprise was hooking and landing a #100 Halibut, from only about 10 feet of water.

Skip

 

[fishwish]

Knucklebuster is right. The Cluxewe works for this type of fishery. I have done quite well in years past there using a circle hook in a pink head.

I have not done it in a few years, but I'm sure that there are still some buts there to be had. Good crabbing there, if nothing else. It is just a short run northwest from Port McNeill harbour.

FishWish

 

[fishspoon]

In my childhood times, I went down to Kelsey Bay dock for casting buzz bombs for cohoes and pinks with my family. One of my family members yelled had hooked something...it was very heavy and reel went spinning very hard. We helped each other to reel in..spinning reel was too hot. The trout rod was shaking very hard. Few minutes later, the hook went off. I may think it was a halibut. who knows.

 

[fishin_magician]

Yup. Hali's do that. Had the benefit of seeing massive Hali's do that too..

Up at Langara off the Yakoun River mouth, I've hooked a few there...

Also see a couple of bruisers underneath the docks too..

Amazing!

 

[wolf]

We get them off the front of the lodge all the time every year in 30 ft of water we just stick out a dock rod with a salmon head and we get them fun getting a 80lb hali from the front of the lodge while drinking cold ones LOL

Wolf

 

[HALILLAMA]

We've seen hali and skate in the harbour when there was more herring around?....we used to jig herring off Sooke river bridge just like at the gorge too.Caught a large 45 lb skate from the wharf.
I remember haulin up a crab trap in middle channel in Sooke and seeing a hali following in the current.<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
We've caught a few hali's outside the bar at the harbour entrance on a ebb tide anchored up.

On The Beach

 

[Eagle Eyes]

food= fish

crab, salmon bits, salmon guts (such as off a lodge), fish farm waste are all fairly common shallow water food sources...kinda makes sense. i know fishing up north this summer i've already got a few such places in mind for an after work anchor, beer or 6, and hopefully a triple digiter.

 

[Reel Knotty]

quote:
I LOVE that story!I spent so much time as a kid lying on the dock watching the fish.Never saw any halibut but I did see lots of dogfish and a huge Pacific Skate .
I still like to do it but feel kinda silly.

a total MILF.Man I Love Fishing

Don't feel silly. To this day, I still hunker down to watch the dock side sea life when I'm launching/ refueling ect. In fact, I spent a couple grand on a tropical reef aquarium setup full of coral, fish and critters just so I don't have to leave home to do it!



Edited by - C Lyse on 04/13/2006 18:00:23

 

[Tsquared]

Good topic, good replies--cool guys.By the way, Alex, your old laptop is working great as my navigation screen.Thanks so much.
T2



Edited by - tsquared on 04/13/2006 19:37:06

 

[Alexievich]

Wow, thanks for all the info. I guess I remember reading it right after all. I'll find a way to try the pink head or salmon belly trick this fall. Who knows, the results might be surprising.

Tsquared: Glad to see it worked out for you. I have alot more use for the motor you traded than the old laptop. I finally bought a boat to use it. I've always said that barter is the best recycling.

Cheers,
Alex

... "high water" is when you can fish from your car.

 

[battaglino]

In Port Angeles an old time fisherman has one the derby numorous times and the only bait he will use is a salmon head with the entrails attached of course. Does anyone up there chum for Hali that seems to get done in a few places down here? Is it legal up there?

Joey B.

 

[Eagle Eyes]

not atall legal, but commonly done. ive personally witnessed it at winter harbour and bamfield.

 

[5-Salt Fever]

Salmon heads work very nicely in Oregon as well. That and a big fat Shad rigged like a commercial herring troll rig but with wire leader.

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:Originally posted by

not atall legal, but commonly done. ive personally witnessed it at winter harbour and bamfield.

While I don't believe this is an ethical practice, I do believe it is a legal one.

Eagle Eyes.
Could you please direct me to the proper page in the regs. that suggests otherwise?

Thanks - Dean

 

[Eagle Eyes]

maybe you are right dean, couldnt find it in there but i do remember hearing that it was illegal, could simply be hearsay i guess.

either way i wouldnt reccomend it.

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:Originally posted by Eagle Eyes

maybe you are right dean, couldnt find it in there but i do remember hearing that it was illegal, could simply be hearsay i guess.

either way i wouldnt reccomend it.

No worry's. I have heard the same but can't find anything in print, just rumours.

It is common practice amongst the Hali guides. One of the main reasons for dropping the hook is to send a soaker-sac down with it.