Suspended Halibut

Popeye · 08-21-2002, 09:00 AM

Pilar,
I've caught halibut 10' off the bottom before, but didn't realize you could catch them 100' off the bottom. Have you caught many that way?
Cheers,
Bruce

Pilar · 08-21-2002, 09:19 AM

Bruce, yes to our continuing amazement we catch halibut of good size (40" plus) by trolling for Salmon on a downrigger. Maybe Wak'm & Stak'm can chime in here because he is the guy who clued me in to this happening.

I believe that it makes total sense. The Halibut are hungery and go where the feed is. So Salmon and Halibut come up to the bait fish schools to eat. The typical scenario is fishing the bottom with a mooching rig and troling sinker. Do a bait check and stop a few times on the way in .... WHAM! fish on right behind the boat. Or troll a downrigger as described in the Numbers thread and get a peeling takedown that goes to the bottom. Fishing at 100 foot depth in 200 ft of water.

We have taken some nice halibut on the pile this year and most were not on the bottom. Find the bait school and fish right below it. Usually bait at 60 to 100 and fish at 105. Also large fish from 100 to 150 in water 200 + deep. This applies mostly to the rockpile but Wak does this out in the deep water holes too.

Wak?

Longfin · 08-21-2002, 09:32 AM

Pilar, This is Fred. Bill and I met you at the ODFW meeting in Corvallis a couple of weeks ago. Looking at all the data this morning we are thinkin about a tuna trip tommorrow out of Newport. Pile is at about 54-58 and the plume of warm water is getting closer near Coos Bay and with the sw swell and little wind were hoping for blue / blue green water within 30-35 miles. What do you think?

Popeye · 08-21-2002, 09:42 AM

John,
Thanks for the tip, I'll have to try it! Just goes to show you're never too old to learn! Even if you're SENILE.. OVER 50... AND CAN'T KEEP YOUR ROD IN THE HOLDER!!!!

seasquid · 08-21-2002, 09:50 AM

Hey Popeye,

Your charts showing any good water relatively close? -- looks like there might be some 60 stuff NW of Depoe Bay.

Dang, I'm trying to be patient, but I can't stand it anymore...

There will be several less suspended halibut this weekend if I have anything to say about it...

cheers -- oh, I'll come by and say hi Friday night if you're around. Do you have any limes?

ss

Popeye · 08-21-2002, 10:08 AM

Steve,
Important stuff first.... I always have limes around in case of snakebite..you know you caught me the one time I didn't have the full snakebite kit intact.The numbers are 45/124.20, however, if it was me I would go there and head straight west, but I hate to be wrong, so don't tell anybody where you got that info!
Cheers

Pilar · 08-21-2002, 10:58 AM

Fred R, Hello, great to see you on Ifish. The charts are looking better but the warm water is still pretty far north. I would lock in N45, W125 and head that way until I saw at least 60 degree water. It looks like that will happen about 30 miles out.

Northwest looks much better than due west.

The weather willbe ideal unless the wind really kicks up. Go early, bring lots of ice and find em and grind em.

Good luck and happy hunting.