Nearshore Halibut Holes?

[Amysteryman]

Where does a poor slob with a 18' aluminum boat find nearshore halibut? I have good luck with ling right off the end of the south jetty at Tillamook (during high slack on a calm day of course!). Do halibut hang out near the jetties?

Just off shore of Bold Island to the south, east and west or to north and east of Mary Island, out as far as Twin Rocks.

[wak'm&stak'm]

This is the 100% TRUTH.....4 years ago in Sept I was dragging a plug cut just around the corner from Riverbend Moorage (4 miles UP stream on the Yaquina) and I caught a 35 pound halibut in 11 ft of water.
I have pictures to prove it, and it was yummy....Oh I mean it got released. I figured it was bad for the gene pool.

[Ramstrong]

Any halibut hole that is within the 30 fathom curve is normally a well guarded secret. I know sometimes some halibut are caught by the mouth of the Nehalem by salmon fisherman.

[Popeye]

Straight west of the Yaquina lighthouse....about two miles offshore 180' water. On good days, you might pick up 1 or 2. Bad days...no bites. There have been a few 100+# butts caught there tho

[Big Dave]

Neah Bay, just out north a ways off of Tattoosh Is.
Good spot, lots of small boats, and I'm one of them in my 16' Arima !
Have fun my friend !...........Big Dave.

[fish assassin]

CrazyFish:

Regarding the Halibut Hole off Pacific City ... 22-30 fathoms South
of the Rock. Line up the "handle" on Haystack Rock with the ramp
down on to the beach at 22 fathoms and you are in the right area.
Drift South about 3 miles. Big gravel bed out there!

-assAssin-

[HawgJaw]

FA , do you mean Pyramid Rock. Isn't Haystack rock on Cannon Beach?

[Joe]

Hawg Jaw,

Actually the real Haystack Rock is about 1 mile off the beach in Pacific City. The little one up north is just a wantabee.

[CrazyFish]

I've been looking for some good numbers for inside 30 also, but they are well guarded.
I have heard about gravel areas outside Nehalem that are good and areas off Pacific City but I have not found them yet.

Good luck Amysteryman

[fish assassin]

I absolutly agree with Joe!!!

-assAssin-

[eightball]

Hooked up with something off the lighthouse at Newport last summer. Had it on about five minutes. I was rigged heavy with 80 lb. tuff and my sturgeon rod. Got it off the bottom once then it went back down and headed south. The split ring on my stainless swivel finally oened up. Halibut or sturgeon, I don't know but it was big. I don't think I wanted it in my boat anyway. But I sure would have liked to see what it was.

[CrazyFish]

Thanks fish assassin. I'll have to check that one out with the dory this year and you've been missing your dory and want to go your invited.

[CrazyFish]

[fish assassin]

CrazyFish,

Thanks for the invite!! If I get to missing my dory *too* much
I guess I can always walk out and take a look at her!!
I still own Fish Assassin. My wife told me when I got the new
boat that I had to keep the dory for the kids. She felt that
since the kids grew up fishing on dories (mostly Fish Assassin)
that it wouldn't be right to sell her (the boat, not the wife)

Since the commercial licenses are now off the dory I plan on using
it to do a little halibut fishing off Pacific City. With a
commercial halibut license of any sort on your boat they won't
let you catch a sport halibut, so trying for one out of the other
boat (Pacific Mistress) is a no-go!

Maybe I'll see you down at PC??? What's the name of your dory?

Sea ya,
-assAssin-

[Slugranch]

Heard tell that the biggest halibut brought into Garibaldi Marina last summer was caught right north of the tip of the north jetty. There are some gravel beds up off Nehalem bay and further north off Manzanita that are fairly good.

[CrazyFish]

assassin

I Haven't decided on a name for the dory yet. I'm thinking about going with CrazyFish. It gets painted here in the next month so I have tell then to decide.

Glad to hear that you held on to your dory, good job.