Halibut Tackle

[Phil Layer]

It could be my age but I'm hoping it's the iFish server crash.

A while back, there was a thread of opinions on ideal tackle for halibut. I can't find it.

I think I'm set on everything but line. Anyone have suggestions? Dacron? Test?

Thanks in advance.

[Pilar]

Moby, you may have trouble getting enough of anything but Tuffline or powerpro on your reel to do the deed. You need at least 300 yds and 400 yds is better. I use 80# and have some (Powerpro) that is now 3 years old. I turned it around and put it on the 50H with some backing to fill the spool up. About 350 yds now, down from the original 450 yds I had on the 4/0 when I filled it. The unused end is now exposed and looks new.

The kevlar lines have no stretch and the stuff is very abrasion resistant. Caution! be careful with the heavier lines, they will anchor the boat before they break. 'Puffin' spent about an hour anchored at the Chicken Ranch last fall when a guy in his boat hung up some 130# on the bottom. They cleated it off and had to break it with the main motor.

[Threemuch]

I have one rig with a 4/0 and 150 yards of 80# Dacron and 300 yards of 80# tuffline. It's on an all roller guide standup stick.

I plan to spool one of my Penn Jigmasters with 50# power pro and use a heavy ugly stick tiger as my backup.

[Hamachi]

I use a custom wrapped Sabre 655XXH, Aftco roller guides with a Big Foot stripper. Shimano 50W loaded with 80lb Spectra. With the rod having a gimbled butt and the lugs on the reel I could strap into a rod belt and kidney harness if I got into a really big fish.

[rcl187]

Never use Dacron for halibut fishing. I tried this last year and it cost me probably 10 fish. When you spool the dacron it goes on dry but when you start fishing it absorbs water and compacts. Add a big butt to this and it knots up on the reel. By the day's end I still managed 2 fish but I got lucky with them. After having had that experiance I went to mono. I believe I'm using berkley big game abrasion resistant line (60lb). This has been as much as I've needed to land just about anything. My reel holds about 350 yards of this which is more than plenty.

[tailchaser]

The trick to the dacron is putting the stuff on your reel very tight. It's easier to accomplish that with a spooler at the store than at home, but if it gets wrapped loosely it will dig in and cause some bad problems like you explained as soon as some tension is applied. I would highly advise using some sort of dacron for halibut for the sake of being non stretch, and it's a lot less drag in the water. Sorry about your experience but that was defintely the problem.

tc

Mono stretches too much and is a bad choice. :depressed: I used dacron exclusively on buts in SE Alaska for 15 years and never had the problems that you mentioned. :smile: Put the braided line on tightly and you will have no problems.