Halibut Fishing ?

[PTBadboy]

I'm new to Halibut fishing I have read some on it when using circle hooks should you wait for the fish to eat be for setting and how hard should you set? Also if you don't have a harpoon what would be the best way to bring one on board?

[bajadan2000]

When fishing a circle hook, I never jerk the rod to set the hook, on any fish. When you feel the fish/halibut weight, start to reel slowly and let the reeling in turn and set the circle hook in the Halibuts mouth.

Once a Halibut is hooked, I rarely lose a it on a circle hook. The hook normally ends up in the side of the mouth, which makes it easy to release shakers, plus most times, the released fish will be very healthy since it is not bleeding. I only use circle hooks when Halibut fishing.

Good Luck
BajaDan

[tomictime]

what Baja said on hooking. Buy a gaff if you are going harpoon-less, U can net them under 40 ish..with sturdy net and shortened life on the bag.

JD

[KeyWest]

Curious - a good harpoon is about $35. It's pretty tough to get a big fish in without one. Your willing to risk a 100#+ fish for $35?

[San Anita]

:grin: A harpoon with a couple extra tips and a float. Ive lost a 40 to 50 lber by using a gaff, it slipped and ripped his lips off. so if anyone catches a harelip halibut out at the ranch its mine and Id like it back.
Seriously, I harpoon all mine.
Bill

[Spoiled Daddy]

I'm pretty new to halibut fishing too. Not to hijack this thread, but where is the best place to stick a large halibut with the harpoon?

the Spoiled Daddy

[Aqua-Holic]

SD...I'm sure there is more than one answer. However...just behind the head/gill plate and just above the backbone/lateral line.

[jacksalmon]

You gotta get a harpoon for a bigger fish. The harpoon works with a detachable tip which is attached, on mine, to a wire with a loop on the end. I clip a carabiner to the loop and tie the carabiner to a length of rope (about six to eight feet, which allows you enough rope to thrust the harpoon) which runs through the middle of a big float, like the ones you see guys use on a crab traps. The hole through the middle of the float is about one inch in diameter. At the other end of the rope after it passes through the float hole, I attach another carabiner so that it cannot pass out the hole of the float. This way the wire loop on the harpoon tip cannot cut the rope since it is attached to a metal carabiner. But when you harpoon the fish, make sure that your float is sitting on the gunwale and is free of any obstruction because when you stick the fish the float will jump off the gunwale at the speed of light. Then, you will have a fish with the tip embedded in it and running around with a big float now attached to it via the tip. After awhile it bleeds and tires out and you then can lift it in the boat with the float rope and any other rope you have attached to its tail. Hope this helps. It works for me.

[Norski]

Last year when I went out, they used a gaff, and when the fish were flopping around about 20 feet out the Sharks attacked it and almost took it"s tail off, they got it in the boat but it had almost no tail, --------SO, if you stick them, and let them thrust about, until dead, you would think sharks could do the dirty deed, and have a bite or too.
"Or have anyone seen the sharks out by the ranch ?? when bring up your fish??

[Metal Manipulator]

Never used a float just one more thing to get in the way on the deck. After I stick the harpoon through the head, I just keep the nose of that fish right on the surface. It does not take much effort to do this, but if you try and lift the fish you will receive buckets of water for a salt water bath. I have taken fish 80 to 100 lbs. and have not had a problem. On my boat I personally harpoon all the fish and the reason I do this is if you let the nose of the fish get pointed down I dout that you could stop it from sounding and if you don't let go you might get a free ride. One of the rules “The captain with the experience harpoons the fish“.

On another note, never bring the fish to the surface untill the harpoon is ready. The fish will stay calm allowing you time to set up for the harpooning in your favorite target area.

[Spoiled Daddy]

Sorry PTBadboy,

I truly didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Here is a link that LOR showed me in a PM for harpooning large halibut.

http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat....rue#Post554271

Thanks to all.

SD

[jigmaster]

Then use 1 or 2 long gaffs with muscles ..Mark MC and Walter have muscles :grin: You can muscle em in too

[flapbreaker]

Curious - a good harpoon is about $35. It's pretty tough to get a big fish in without one. Your willing to risk a 100#+ fish for $35?

Where do you find these harpoons? Maybe Englunds?

[Bigger Boat]

Some people tie the line from the harpoon point to a cleat on the boat . Sooner or later you are going to catah a fish bigger than you had planed on, so be sure to change the line once in a while.Don't ask me how I know this, just trust me.
Jay

[earlybird007]

I personally know that a harpoon has a hard time of penetrating a shark that has a good hold of your dinner fish. He followed one up I was about to harpoon and grabbed it at the boat, so I changed targets...LOL

Their skin is tough as nails and I hit him pretty hard. It just bounced off. The good thing is, he did not like it and let go in a heartbeat......

I also know from experience that it is a good idea to upsize the wire from the harpoon head .....dont ask me how I know this.

[Pilar]

Tying the line off sounds like a good idea until you get a big fish next to the boat. Then what happens is the fish flinches when you stab it and goes back down to the bottom to get his cell phone. Then the line grabs everything on the deck and throws it into the ocean. Then you hear a pow and the line snaps. And of course a fair amount of french language is spoken and some animated discussion/analysis of the failure.

Don't ask me how I know this.

An anchor ball in A-1 or A-2 size is ideal. And even the A-2 will go down and dissapear like the float on a minnow-bait crappie rig. Just a bubble trail. A fish as small as 60# can bury the A-2 float. Hard to believe until you see it. Throw the float and line in before you harpoon to avoid the line cleaning out your boat. Also set up your harpoon tip so that it will not fall off and you can use both arms to pound the tip through the fish on the first stab.

Use 10 to 15 feet of tuna cord or light line and set it up so you can detach the harpoon head to unstring the fish once you boat it.

[Bluefinn]

Be sure to loosen your drag just before you stick the Butt with the poon.This will allow the fish to sound and not brake the lineThe fishermen can then reel the fish back to the boat.DO NOT HIT THE LINE with the harpoon.Do not tie the rope to a cleat and I always use a float.A float will help you out if you have multiple fish on.The fishermen can take his time getting his fish back to the boat while you deal with the other one.

[PTBadboy]

Good stuff thanks guys.

[PTBadboy]

Good point.

[Nalu]

Harpoon tip, 10 feet of rope, A-1 float, 20 feet more line, small tag line float with loop. If under 100# loop off to cleat, if over, hold on to the loop end with the 2nd float. (personal preference)

Since I didn't carry a snakecharmer on my boat, I harpooned all the big flatties that I've caught up to 340#. This setup has always worked fine for me. (For big fish in Alaska you would want to upsize your first float to an A-2.)

The A-1 float provides approx. 65 lbs of positive buoyancy for the fish to fight against. They can bury it, but sustaining against that load for any length of time is pretty tough. I have the first buoy on a loop that it can be clipped to. I don't even bother clipping the buoy on unless the fish is bigger than perhaps 50#.

[CAPT KUJO]

I also use a Harpoon. If I get a real big one I break out the .223REM shark powerhead and load it with military blanks
the concussion takes them right out without sending a bullit through your boat. VERY effective for stopping anything big!

CAPT KUJO

[Headhunter]

I also use a Harpoon. If I get a real big one I break out the .223REM shark powerhead and load it with military blanks
the concussion takes them right out without sending a bullit through your boat. VERY effective for stopping anything big!

CAPT KUJO

Ok guys...I am just a major :lurk:er on the salt board and this is my first post here. Someday I want to be a salty SOB...but am living vicarious through you all right now as I have no boat! Anyway..so you harpoon this fat flatty and watch it thrash around right? How do you subdue it after the harpoon? I understand you let it tire, but them what? Does a wooden shampoo work on butts? Or do you all use the above blank method on the monsters?

Cheers,

Jim

[Pilar]

Well I'm not the expert here as anyone who seen me with a gaff in my hand can tell you. But the harpoon through the fish pretty much seals the deal. He can no longer break off the fishing rig and go away. If you get a good shot in the head then you can lead the fish to the boat with the harpoon line and get a good gaff in the fish and lift them into the boat.

Gunfire at sea is unnerving at best and the Coast Guard can regale you with tales of boats shot by fishermen. So using a pistol or .410 on a halibut here (most less than 100 lbs) does not make much sense. You can club the fish but the brain is hard to find. Count on a deck clearing drill when you get him on board. We landed three one day on 'Pilar' a few seconds apart for a total weight of 170 lbs. Pretty exciting and the flop factor was too much really. If we had not been laughing so hard it might have been a bummer.

[Paddler]

Does anybody just loop the tail, tie it off to a cleat, then cut the gills to bleed them before bringing them aboard?

[tomictime]

Loop tail and bleed above 60 ish..but I have a heavy alu floor so a 50 flopper does not bother me. Eye side down does a LOT to calm them.

also, bleed them in fish box w extra cut across root of tail in addition to the Gill cuts.

[OuterLimits]

Eye side down does a LOT to calm them.

Eyes down or white belly up calms those critters, just like rocking a sleeping alligator to sleep on his back!!