Halibut Holes-how long do yours last?

gamechanger

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, just wanted to get some feedback from other guys who anchor for halibut on the spots that are out there off the beaten track. How long do you guys find you can pull slabs out of them before you start seeing fewer fish come up...or do you find they produce pretty steady? Also do you notice changes over the season?

We try to mix it up a bit up here, and not put too much pressure on one spot and spread the "love" around. Just wondered what you other guys find with your hali holes and the way that you fish them....
 
Stays steady. They come in and out in groups. I guess if a group is decimated too far the rest teams up with another group. That's my impression. Not like rock fish or ling which are territorial.
 
Stays steady. They come in and out in groups. I guess if a group is decimated too far the rest teams up with another group. That's my impression. Not like rock fish or ling which are territorial.
 
I learned on my first halibut trip with Queen Charlottes City Guide just outside Rennell Sound 3 years ago, this guide didn't anchor, asked me drop the bait all the way down to 200 feet. I hooked two chicken halibut only within half an hour. It was a long reeling up from the bottom. sore arm. Before halibut fishing, this guide looked up at the ocean chart on his computer in his boat to find a halibut hole. Two other guests on that boat did well on bigger halibut too. fantastic halibut fishing!
 
I learned on my first halibut trip with Queen Charlottes City Guide just outside Rennell Sound 3 years ago, this guide didn't anchor, asked me drop the bait all the way down to 200 feet. I hooked two chicken halibut only within half an hour. It was a long reeling up from the bottom. sore arm. Before halibut fishing, this guide looked up at the ocean chart on his computer in his boat to find a halibut hole. Two other guests on that boat did well on bigger halibut too. fantastic halibut fishing!
 
We had a spot up in Estevan Sound that we anchored on once in a while for larger halibut. Wed try it about once every 2 or 3 days. It seemed like the first few trips out there it would be steady, then it would go dead, so we'd stop fishing it for about 10 days and by that time a new group of fish would move in and the cycle would repeat up until about the end up july when it seemed to dry up a bit everywhere in the area. The tides were really important here. I dont think we ever pulled a butt off this particular hump on the flood. Wed usually try to head out there at high slack, sometimes wed sit there on anchor for 3 hours before the first hit.
 
We had a spot up in Estevan Sound that we anchored on once in a while for larger halibut. Wed try it about once every 2 or 3 days. It seemed like the first few trips out there it would be steady, then it would go dead, so we'd stop fishing it for about 10 days and by that time a new group of fish would move in and the cycle would repeat up until about the end up july when it seemed to dry up a bit everywhere in the area. The tides were really important here. I dont think we ever pulled a butt off this particular hump on the flood. Wed usually try to head out there at high slack, sometimes wed sit there on anchor for 3 hours before the first hit.
 
Halibut are proprietary in nature and they do protect their area! If you catch one in a certain hole, another will move in!
 
Halibut are proprietary in nature and they do protect their area! If you catch one in a certain hole, another will move in!
 
A long time until as someone corks your spot and starts fishing it while your not there wreaking it for future trips. some spots cant handle that much pressure.
remember its a big ocean out there.

Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
 
This is a very informative forum! I'm a new member to this Forum but not new to fishing here in SE Alaska (flirting with 50 yrs). Our halibut anchoring spots are great for a couple of weeks, but die down as fish migrate toward shallows. It took a little time to dial-in where to start the butt season and where to move next when a favorite place dries-up. Most of my places are off the beaten track but that doesn't mean I don't have to put up with people with no imagination that have to try and drop their anchors right on top of mine (I saw this discussion in another thread on Anchoring on here while lurking). Good fishing!
 
That's good to hear, I just didn't want to overfish them...try to keep a couple of close ones for the special guests that come early and avoid running all the way out to the banks...It would be nice if I could make it the whole year without going offshore, but me thinks that won't be the case.
 
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