I put it through the gill plates. Never had a problem with a sharp harpoon.

I use a float ball. I don't tie it off to the boat.

 

We did too until my wife hooked a 130# fish off Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. As hard as I could push, I couldn't get through 6" of bone. Luckily the harpoon head turned and held just through the gill plate. On chicken, maybe 60# or under, it's my favorite spot. Through to the other side no problem. On anything real big again, I think I'll just pull the hook, and as she swims away, I'll think about all the future babies she will produce. jc Tuna Maru

 

I've had good luck in the belly. Haven't had a pull-out in several dozen halibut

 

I aim for the gill plate

 

I too like the gill plates, but a bit of a miss can put you into a really bony head. Be sure to cut the gills if you choose to hang the fish for a while. If you use a small or medium float and are into a big fish (not likely off Oregon, but maybe) and don't cut the gills, you may be looking for that float for a long time. More than around 80# and it is likely a female...

 

More than around 80# and it is likely a female...

Actually it's more like anything over 20 pounds is a female.
It's rare for males to grow longer than about 3 ft.

More than 90% of the halibut commercially harvested are female. With the rec fishery being MORE size-selective (very few halibut under 36"are intentionally retained), an even larger proportion of females are taken with rod/reel.

DNA tests show commercial halibut catch 90% female, influencing catch limits being set this week

For the first time in its 96 year history, the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be setting catch limits for halibut this week with the knowledge that the commercial fleet’s catch has been around 90 percent female, a notably higher proportion than previously thought.

www.alaskasnewssource.com

Pacific Halibut Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Pacific halibut printer friendly page.

www.adfg.alaska.gov

 

I’ve learned that you can have a plan of where you want to hit but in the moment all bets are off lol! We actually target through the meat above the belly. It won’t pull out and having control of the middle of the fish seems helpful too. As long as it ends up in the boat then you did it right.

 

I go for the gill plate, it also helps it bleed out faster

 

Love the scene from Jaws.

 

Most important is to get the harpoon actually through the fish enough for the tip to come off and turn. Sometimes that isn’t easy.

 

As to harpoon placement, thru the softer midsection is tempting for a better shot at thru-and-thru success... but too risky for penetrating guts. Don't like soiling the meat with feces or digestive juices. Most never salvage the halibut bellies, so this is probably not a concern for the majority.

Thru the gills is great, but requires MUCH more precision. Aim too high and you get nothing but solid skull... too far forward and you waste the cheeks.

Agree with the buoy ball... far less risk of ripping the T-barb out compared to cleating off to the boat.

 

Thank you everybody. Based on everything I will aim for the pectoral fin above the stomach but below the backbone. That would be like the first photo shown by gonfishenagin. I plan to attach 25 feet of line to the same float I use to pull an anchor.

 

Those two photos look like the same fish to me. Keep in mind that the fish is coming up at an angle. If you drive straight down through the top gill plate, you often exit behind the collar.

No matter where you aim, hit it harder than you think you should, and bury the harpoon shaft all the way to the handle before letting go of the line and pulling the shaft.

 

25' is a lot. I only have 10 or 12' on mine.

 

What length of harpoon tip are you using? I have bought a few on amazon that were really long. I have been using the 4-5-inch-long ones the past 20 years, but I haven't killed anything bigger than 68 pounds.

 

I try for the gills. Be sure to cut the gills if you choose to hang the fish. IMHO -- If not, and you go with a small ball (larger fish than usual off Oregon coast), you may not see the ball again. With out bleeding the fish, the meat will not be quite as good either, Your mileage may vary

 

The best spot is right at the back of the gill plate, just below the pec fin. This is a small spot, just in front of the collar. If you miss and hit the collar or skull you will watch it head for the bottom and have to reel it up again! The reason I like this spot is that it hits the major arteries near the heart. The fish will bleed out quickly and the struggle will be over in just a minute or 2. Having the harpoon further forward also helps you control the fish. I run an A2 ball on my line, but have yet to deploy it. It's backup. My practice is to hit the fish, drop the harpoon handle, grab the rope with both hands, wearing gloves, brace the line over the rail to my thigh, and hang on. The fish will thrash like crazy, hit the boat, and water will fly all over. Don't hold her hard, make it a tug-a-war, the secret is to keep her nose above water. With her nose out she can't pull all that hard, just thrash. IF she gets her nose under watch out! She will have full traction, you can't hold her, dump the rope out of your hands and let her take the bouy. I have have harpooned and landed over 1000 large halibut in Alaska, including two 84", 330# fish. NEVER-NEVER-NEVER tie the rope to the boat!!!!! You can get away with it on smaller fish, under 100# or so, but the big ones break stuff when they hit the end. Another charter captain up there from Oregon didn't believe me and broke the wire leader on 5 brand-new heads before he went to a ball. Note, the guts are a fool-proof target as long as you penetrate both sides. It's harder to control the fish with the line farther back. The steel leader to the head will cut up the side you hit her on as she fights, but the back side next to the head will hold if you don't tie it to the boat.

76" here

 

I guess those on here that chastise those of us that keep all those breeders will need to release everything over 25#’s

 

I shoot them with a Snake Charmer .410 about an inch behind the eye. Even the big ones get really gentle after that.

I fish in Oregon, so I havent caught one I wanted to release yet.

 

Yeah go right through the gills, get er smokin blood really good. I'm always surprised how easy it is with a sharp harpoon tip, like a hot knife thru butter. Also, wait for your angler to serve you up a good shot. No hero stuff, just be patient. Sometimes I wait 6 or 8 passes for a nice shallow shot where it's laid out flat. Coming straight up vertical or at an angle is a no go. I just have the person on the rod swim em around for awhile. It's pretty rare for us to lose halibut right at the boat, unless a serious error is made.
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Thanks again for your further comments especially chukarhead and fishbadger's encouraging words. Now I think I'll go for the back of the gill flap and angle back 45deg. Who knows where I'll actually hit. And I'll shorten the rope. It will be so special if we even catch one that I won't worry about leaving the spot to chase the buoy. In any even I will have marked it on the chart.
Do any of you have any advice about what gear and method I should use if I have to hog tie one?

 

The best placement for a harpoon is in the gunnel, unless the halibut is well over 50"------------------ a good gaff hook does the job for me.

 

This is my thought.

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