Best Way To Land a Halibut?

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Originally Posted by Sheephead

I can tell you from what I learned landing a 22lb hali in SD bay is that you DON'T want to put the hali on the game clip before he's dead. My 22lb almost flipped my 12' pro angler several times while trying to kill it. While your bringing the hali to the surface make sure everything you'll need is ready and the game clip is on the correct side of your yak. When you get the hali 1/2' - 1' below the surface gaff them just below their pectoral fin and immediately hold them out of the water as far as your can paralyzing the fish. I'll then turn the tip of the gaff towards me to prevent the halibut popping off as I begin to club it. Once clubbed I'll game clip and bleed the fish. Keep your gameclip on a short leash. I kept mine on a 3' section of rope and it created way to much drag. As far as Im aware you can use a hawaiian spear, preferably a paralyzing tip, to help land the halibut but the game warden I asked didn't sound like he was that knowledgable. Good luck! !! Never bring a live Halibut onto your yak!! It's not fun.

That's an interesting addition to this discussion. Halibut can have remarkable strength.

It's the first time I've heard NOT to use the game clip before the halibut is dead. I thought the game clip was part of how we secured the halibut alive from the hook, then gaff so we could prepare to bleed it or otherwise dispatch him to the afterworld.

The short leash for the game clip is interesting to me too. Mine is on a comfortable long arms reach, so it doesn't bind or get tangled. I will reconsider.

I am not familiar with a paralyzer tip, but I see it on this chart:



What I used for the halibut gaff I just made is called a "slip tip" here. It's also called a "breakaway tip"

It's a 5" bullet tip held on the gaff shaft by a rubber O-ring. When it punches through the fish the tip slides off and turns sideways, tethering the fish to our kayak by the cable clipped to a line on the other side of the fish.