Flashers for Hali

[nefarious235]

All I can say Mark...Listen to DaGoose...Read his website....in a nutshell. Modify slightly for your personnel preference,search his threads for more

[Fred Archer]

??Fisherman,

It’s good to see that you respect those who prefer a different way to fish halibut, but that you recognize that there is a lot more than one way to do that and do it well. Also, this site has fans up and down the West Coast and on the east coast as well, and we are talking different species that they pursue, some actually fishing for both, with the two that are most important to West Coast fishermen being the Pacific’s and the California’s. They are very different fish from one another in many ways – far too many to go into here. And the facts are that halibut are probably more sought after by the fellows up north than they are down here and of course, they are critical species to the economies of Alaska and even Oregon, Washington and The Bay Area. That's not to say that they aren't popular here, because they certainly are and it looks like they are getting moreso.

I fully understand your attitude about the challenge involved in drifting and knowing when to set up on a halibut. The strike is a much longer “rush” than an automatic troll bite (not knocking trolling here. I love to troll too.) I used to say the same thing about plastic worm and jig bites versus crank and spinnerbait bites back when I was a bass fisherman...the first two being fast and pretty automatic and the other two taking longer and with a less certain result and requiring considerably more skill. Much the same thing, I think. A lot more adrenaline time on a drift bite, and that is a good, fun thing that one can take pride in knowing how to do. Some like that, some like the more automatic troll bite. Different strokes for different folks.

I’m also glad to see that you don’t use trap hooks, especially the trebles. Too many shorts get snagged in bad places with those things and they can mean too much out-of-the-water handling and time to remove them from bad places that can injure both the fisherman and fish and remove slime (promoting fungus) from these valuable, but slippery fish.

Straight bounce-balling is effective, but as you say, it is very popular with the commercial guys (legal and otherwise) and is less of a challenge than drifting, or even using the bounce ball, but with a different leader arrangement that allows you to both feel the bite, react to it, and set the hook, even with light tackle, if that is what the angler likes. You can actually have the best of both worlds if you know how. Of course, if you like pure, basic bounce balling, that’s fine too, but it is a mistake to think of it as the be-all of halibut fishing, because it isn’t. It's a key tactic in the overall game that appeals to some and doesn't others.

Wow! That 95% of the legal butts in the tournament sure was a shocker to me! I guess it pretty much backs up what you are saying and even says that drifting remains, as you say, a mighty effective way of catching flatties. It suggests to me that if one puts the time in, pretty much the same as it is in all fishing, drifting puts a lot of fish in the boat. And of course, the better you get at it and the more familiar you become with the best areas, the same applies.

Glad to see that you mentioned power drifting too. That isn't all that well known. It often beats the heck out of being a victim of wind and current, instead of them being tools to help you cover the right water in a very precise manner. Good stuff!

And whoever the fellow was who spoke of both drifting and casting being both a lot of fun and a good way to catch a lot of halibut knew what he was talking about. In fact, during grunion and smelt spawns and halibut spawns as well, I don’t know of a more effective way to catch the surf and near-surf fish than both using a controlled power drift and casting the right jigs does. Ditto for fishing boilers, reefs, and certain kelp lines. We learned that one from a top and very successful local charter captain who co-authored our book on halibut fishing who doesn’t spend any time at all bragging about his catches, so isn't very well known for catching halibut and who has never really wanted any attention called to this kind of fishing who was kind enough to pass this technique and some other little known ones on. And it just so happens that those boat side strikes that same poster wrote of are quite common (and hair-raising if you still have any) when the action is near shore. That guy is right...that sort of halibut fishing is both exciting and very, very effective at the right times.

To me, as it is in all fishing, it is a mix of techniques and knowing how to use them and when and where that makes up a true expert halibut or other expert fisherman. In my books I liken those who understand and command all aspects of any kind of fishing to good basketball players, instead of just being some guy who can dribble like crazy, but doesn’t know how to pass, shoot and run. A complete halibut fisherman is one who can do and does or understands it all, depending on what is going on, what conditions are, where the fish are and what they are doing. He will probably have a favorite, but rarely is this kind of fisherman completely locked into it because conditions and situations change and the sharpest fishermen change with them.

Anyhoo, thanks for posting solid info on halibut fishing and the fact that there is much more than one way of going about it. I personally love those things and spent many years fishing for and catching them.

The only other thing that I would like to add here is to encourage halibut fans to please start using non-offset circle hooks and to take the barbs off of them. You really don’t need those barbs and they hang on to fish like the devil himself because circle hooks aren’t about penetration, but wrapping around jaws. That makes them both effective and kinder to the fish in the first place, plus removing the barbs makes releasing shorts a breeze, usually with no handling whatsoever. Releasing fish is one thing – responsible anglers who care about the resource want to release healthy ones, not ones that swim away and die later. That’s a mighty important part of the game that you don’t hear much about, but sure as hell should.

Thanks again for the insights.

A couple of custom halibut jigs, one for grunion and herring spawns and one for squid spawns. We do not sell either.

[diakka69]

ill be doing a little ballin tomorrow. going to use a flasher this time never used one before.I seem to have more sucess bb but who knows

[DaGoose]

Fred,

You're right, I suck

Nice spam though

Lest we not forget, this thread was started with a question on bounceballing...............go figure.

Rick

[Mark Kleiter1]

Wow! Didn't realize that I would get such the response and create a debate. I have fished for halibut the last 20 years with some good success. Mainly drifting with bait live or stripped. Casting baits also has been a huge success for me also in lagoons and surf. I have gotta say that one reason I love this sport so much is that you can never get tired of learning and trying something new to produce what you are targeting. Thanks a bunch gentlemen!!!

[pargon]

Wow, that's the first thing that Capt. Fred and He Who is Goosed have agreed upon in quite some time.

[capt-marvel]

I have added a "June Bug Spinner" ahead of the dine(or Mac) while drift fishing, and I believe it has increased my success.

[Fred Archer]

Mark,

Thank you for the positive input. Yes, there are a lot of different ways to fish for and catch halibut and it sounds like you're one of those well-rounded guys who knows many of them. Good on ya.

Paragon. I wasn't addressing that guy, but hmmm. I guess you have a point. I have nothing to add, though.

Spike. SPAM, huh? Well over a thousand words, with the only ones relating to anything that I sell being "our halibut book", no title, no sales pitch, no price, nowhere to buy it, nothing and you jump up and yell "SPAM" and make a big deal out of it? You know, it's that sort of crap that keeps some mighty good posters from coming onboard and trying to post helpful information and commentary. You are really digging for negatives, sir.

And "whens the last time you have been fishing?" It has been a couple of years now and for the last couple of them it was a huge struggle that only my love for fishing and a very special man who didn't mind a near-helpless, sick old man on his boat taking me out where I long to be. This is due to the fact that I am 100% disabled, can no longer drive, have a very hard time walking and only then using a cane (things that, sadly, can cause unscrupulous people to take advantage of others). Not being able to fish anymore, which is my great love and what my life has always been about, is a personal heart breaker. But let me tell you something. I have been a hardcore fisherman for many more years than you have even been alive and I have had the great good fortune to have learned a great deal on my own and from some of the greatest fishermen ever. Those are the things that I try to pass on here. Fish reports? Oh yes, I wish, but sadly, they are impossible for me, so I do what I can, the best I can.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, fish don't change...fishermen do.

Capt. Marvel. Oh, yes. Many times a smaller flashing device instead of a great big one will catch the heck out of halibut and they are especially good if you like light tackle. Here's a shot from "somewhere" of another kind of spinner, but the same basic rig. You can use grunion, smelt, or Humbolt squid strips on this rig and it is particularly effective along the beaches when those baits or the halibut themselves are spawning. Of course, macs work too, as do what used to be my personal favorite, ballyhoo with their bills broken off. They look exactly like a big grunion or smelt and you don't have to make them or try to keep them alive. You just pop a pack out of the freezer, throw it in the cooler, and you are ready to rock.

Thank you for the positive insight and feedback.

We don't sell this rig, but it is a snap to make.

[crazy hawaiian]

Quote by Fred Archer "You know, it's that sort of crap that keeps some mighty good posters from coming onboard and trying to post helpful information and commentary. You are really digging for negatives, sir."

Fred, that comment speaks volumes about this site. It's the main reason that I avoided using my real name until very recently.

Your comments are always welcomed by I believe the majority of the fishermen logged in to BloodyDecks. And thank you for doing it.

Even I at 70 years am still learning. It is sad that some do not want to learn.

[el_jefe_chingon]

Its funny because up here in the bay area bounce balling/trolling is extremely popular. Live bait is only available from late april/early may through about the end of october, but they can run out periodically as well. The time of the year to fish for halibut is usually from Mid March through the end of November so guys usually bounce ball/troll with frozen baits when there is no live bait around.

As far as the actual rigs are concerned I have seen some pretty simple and some very elaborate rigs. The simpler ones use a small dodger and a frozen anchoive, herring, or sardine with a total length of about 4 to 6ft. The more elaborate ones I have seen incorporate a dodger, 2 to 3 hoochies on the leader which may or may not also contain a hook, and then finally the bait at the end. They also use small rubber bands to keep the gills closed on the baits. Some guys use stingers and others don't.
As everyone has mentioned each technique has its advantages and disadvantages, but they both catch fish. Most guys would prefer the live bait when available, but will troll on slow days or when they are out of the live stuff.

Gerry

[Fred Archer]

Gerry,

Thanks for the input. I know that halibut fishing is very popular up in your area, maybe even moreso of late because of the salmon situation. As you move further and further north from SoCal halibut fishing becomes more and more popular, first for the California's and then for the Pacific's. The two species are very different from one another and the popular techniques change along with locations and species. Throw in offshore and inshore fishing like your great bay fishery and you really come up with a lot of different and effective ways of fishing for and catching halibut and some great by-catch, like stripers.

An example of a couple that from what you wrote about that you are already aware of, "bounce balling and trolling", are both effective and it is important to understand the differences between the two. Some think of them as the same, but there are both subtle similarities and differences between the two, just like the various forms of drifting and there are serious fans of both. The guys and I who wrote Halibut Troller's Bible - and they are some very serious and talented halibut fishermen - were more than a little surprised at all of the little and big tricks that we learned while consulting our own experiences and especially those of a lot of charter captains, guides, talented sporties and even hard core rod and reel commercial guys who were willing to open up and tell us the various ways that they have for catching the flatties. There sure are a lot of them!

A NoCal pro hit the nail on the head when he said, "Remember. it isn't the halibut that make you fish slow ways for them, it is the lures and/or teasers that you use that do that. Having to fish slowly cuts down on the water that you cover and that cuts down on how many fish you catch. Some fishermen forget that halibut are aggressive, fast feeding fish that hide on the bottom, but that don't feed there. They burst out of cover and run down and catch speedy baitfish and squid that swim above them and they have no problem nailing a pretty fast moving bait - just ask surf fishermen who cast plastics and have to retrieve them fast to keep from dragging bottom and who also spot them shallow, chasing schools of bait and even jumping out of the water while they do." Those are very true words that many don't consider when they choose how they fish for halibut.

Here are a couple of fast ways, especially for shallower water areas like Bays and along beaches when the grunion, smelt, and even halibut spawns are on. There are more. Besides letting you cover more water faster, neither requires live, fresh dead, or frozen bait and both are deadly on any and all by-catch species like stripers, etc. Unfortunately I don't know how to lay this out in book format, where it looks a lot better, but here's the best that I can do for now...hope you find it of interest.

REMEMBER, IT AIN’T THE HALIBUT THAT MAKE YOU TROLL SLOWLY!

No, no way. It is what you fish them with and how that makes some trollers think that you have to go slowly if you want to catch halibut. Nothing could be further from the truth! Halibut are very aggressive feeders that don’t hesitate to run down jigs and other lures and of course, natural baits that are fast and agile. And surf fisherman can tell you that they have no problem running down and catching the jigs that many cast from the beach and retrieve at a brisk clip to keep them up and off the bottom. No, it isn’t the fish that require that you troll at a snail’s pace, it is certain teasers in particular that simply will not handle any kind of speed over 1.5 to maybe 2 knots. Naturally, this cuts down on the amount of water that you can effectively cover in a day and just as naturally, that cuts down on the number of fish that you are going to catch compared to covering say, twice as much water or more.

IN THE HALIBUT TROLLING FAST LANE

Following are some trolling lures and setups that will allow you to cover far more potential halibut water than the “slowpoke” ones.

SWIMMING PLUGS

SEE PICTURES BELOW

Why do they work? Here’s a Rapala and a grunion. It’s pretty easy to see why halibut and other gamefish go after the plugs, isn’t it?

SEE PICTURE BELOW

Here’s one of those plugs that many halibut fishermen don’t even think about using, but should, a swimming plug – in this case a Rapala and how to rig it for halibut trolling. This style of lure has a great wobble and wiggle to it that halibut and other gamefish of all kinds have a hard time resisting. (Rebel, Cordell and other quality brands of swimming plugs all work here, especially the bigger, jointed versions.)

Most of the swimming plugs run well at a wide variety of speeds, so if you want to go slow, that’s fine. On the other hand, if you want to go a lot faster than using one of the slowpoke methods you can. The rigging shown is clear cut and very simple, yet functional. Important points are,

1. The plugs used should be the floating variety, not sinking models.
2. As noted in the captions, the bigger models are better here because they will attract bigger fish and cut down on the number of shorts caught. For example, in the Rapalas, the F13 (5 ¼”) and the F18 (7”) are the best choices for that lure. If the bait happens to be very small, use a smaller plug.
3. It is important to remove the barbs on the treble hooks in order to minimize the damage done to and the handling required of shorts.
4. Some fishermen prefer the jointed models for this application. These have three sets of treble hooks.
5. Some anglers replace the treble hooks with single J-hooks. The important thing here is to weigh the treble hooks and replace them with barbless J-hooks of approximately the same weight. The bigger J-hooks do a very good job of hooking halibut and are far less likely to tear out of the fish than the little trebles.
6. Be sure to use a good quality snap swivel to connect the torpedo sinker because it will twist line. A swivel is not required for the plugs.
7. To avoid tangles while deploying this rig, place the lure in the water first, watch it run, then place the trolling sinker in the water and slowly drop the combination down until the sinker hits bottom. Adjust the amount of line out so that the sinker touches bottom regularly.
8. Troll at any speed you like between two and four or even five knots.

ANOTHER GREAT HIGH SPEED HALIBUT LURE...I THINK THE BEST, IN FACT

PICTURE BELOW

Meet the Spider. Put simply, this is the hottest new lure for halibut and any fish other fish that feed on other fish or squid that any of us have ever seen. In my case, that’s over fifty years now. If anyone needs to tell you what happens when a pod of bait in a natural formation with a straggler trying to catch up to it, or a predator chasing it goes swimming past a gamefish, well, I simply am at a loss for (polite) words! Let’s just leave it at that, okay?

PICTURE BELOW

A bigger model with 8 ½” teasers being run off of a trolling sinker in front of it. This is a big fish only model that catches plenty of big halibut, especially during smelt and grunion spawning periods.

PICTURE BELOW

The front end only of a squid colored hollow squid spider, in this case with 9” squids. I shouldn’t have to say it, but this one is a great lure for when squid are spawning along the beaches or out at the islands.

PICTURE BELOW

A nice, Alaskan Spider halibut courtesy of Cracker Jack.

Okay, that's it. Food for thought, I hope.

[DaGoose]

Howdy All,

Behdad and I are presenting a bounceball seminar next Thursday, February 5 at Pacific Edge Tackle.

It's $10 for a great evening of sharing fresh bounceballing techniques and ideas for flatties.

If you're interested, please call the tackle shop at 714-840-4262 or register online at Pacific Edge - Leading the way offshore since 1980.

Tight Lines and hope to see you there.

Rick