What is your "GO TO" Halibut rig?

[T Bone]

Mine is a 15# 7' outfit with owner boa rig (trap hook)rigged to a sliding sinker according to drift speed and bait.For newport harbor I fish drop shot rig and catch bass too.Just curious.I have caught a few legals but I am no pro.My biggest is out of San Francisco bay at 20#.Want to fish for flatties soon.Been too long since I have pulled on some fish.

[mtnbykr2]

carolina keeper, wieght slider w/ 1/2 to 1, beed then 15# flouro to a #1 circle...but I am all

[StinkyMatt]

I ain't got no "Go to Rig" but a couple of observations from watching guys that know and recent experience. You do not need heavy gear. Seriously, I am watching guys Halibut fishing with what seems like heavier Trout rods with very sensitive tips ( )

Over the last couple of trips the rod that was getting bit was the light line, smaller hook/ trap set up.

I hope to soemday have a Go to Rig.

[theluckypig]

I hope to soemday have a Go to Rig.[/QUOTE]

haha, me too... until then i just follow gregandrew, aka "the halibut whisperer" around and ask a million questions and try to do what he does... and the light gear really does work... i think i'm right in saying that most standard halibut rigs will work, the real key is the landing technique when halibut fishing from a kayak... my 2cents...

[taggermike]

I'm with mtnbykr2, the carolina keeper is a great rig for shallower water. I go to a reverse dropper loop for deeper hali fishing. Lighter line has worked fine for me. I rarely fish over 15lb in the bay. I've landed some big fish on 10lb and wished I had been using 15. I've compleatly abandoned the trap rig. That trailing treble was nothing but trouble. It makes the bait less lively and I was only landing more short halibut and gut hooking sand bass. Mike

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by taggermike

I'm with mtnbykr2, the carolina keeper is a great rig for shallower water. I go to a reverse dropper loop for deeper hali fishing. Lighter line has worked fine for me. I rarely fish over 15lb in the bay. I've landed some big fish on 10lb and wished I had been using 15. I've compleatly abandoned the trap rig. That trailing treble was nothing but trouble. It makes the bait less lively and I was only landing more short halibut and gut hooking sand bass. Mike

That's one way to look at it. I have ten pound rigs myself that I fish in certain times of the year in Santa Monica Bay, and like I said above I mostly fish 15lbs. I have a good friend who got a fish over forty on six pound. That said almost all the hook and line commercial halibut fisherman I know never use anything under 30lbs.

You can generally get away with light gear in the bays up here because there is little structure and usually no huge seabass or monster yellows in there to clean your clock. Fish the same gear at La Jolla though and you will end up loosing some quality fish.

There are ways to fish everything from 6 pound to 30 pound for halibut, each rig has it's place. Anyone can quickly learn how to fish one way in one location, the trick is knowing which way to fish, or what to use at any location.

Jim

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by mtnbykr2

carolina keeper, wieght slider w/ 1/2 to 1, beed then 15# flouro to a #1 circle...but I am all

I use something that Capt. Ron has passed on to many. Similar to what others. However this involves a small swivel above a bead that is above a Carolina keeper, line spliced together either with double Uni or Albright, then I use 15 to 20# floro to a circle hook. The swivel above the keeper I tie about a 10" 8# line to the swivel that then goes to the hook. This way if the weight gets stuck it's easier to pop the weight line than the main line, which if that's braid, it's not going to break.

Depending on the current will determine the weight I use. Rarely do I go above 4oz. I've caught many Rock fish, Lings, bass, and Halis with this, but I keep missing the legal Hali. The last legal one that I caught that I didn't hand off to someone else was when I was 13. I have been very close many times. This year I will get my barn door fish.

[old_rookie]

There is an article about catching halibut from a kayak in the latest issue of Sport Fishing magazine - and I think GregAndrew is photo'd in it. It discusses where to fish for halibut and the rig to use. Now if I can get my brain in gear I'd describe it.

[sdfisher]

right place, right time, lots of luck ........

[old_rookie]

Frickin amazing.

[lterrero]

Originally Posted by sdfisher

right place, right time, lots of luck ........

Hey Nick, stop showing off & go get another one...

[GregAndrew]

After a year and a half of reading just about everything I can get my hands or computer screen on about Halibut I will tell you there are lots of great ways to fish for them. And lots of respectable authors that dole out lots of contradictory information. You need to tailor your rod, reel, line, tackle and bait around the place and way you want to fish for them. Some guys move around a lot and some guys will focus on a spot all day. Some guys like a good drift and others prefer to remain nearly still. Some like real deep and others painfully shallow. Some prefer to be entertained by hooking fish all day and others are only looking for one big bite. There are sliding sinkers and sliding trap rigs. Trebble trap rigs, single trap rigs and no trap rigs. Skirts, hoochies and naked bait. Bounce ball, Spreader bar and Spider rigs. Any number of live bait choices. All of these things work when used in the right combination and some will even work in the wrong combination. The main thing is that you have to pick a style that you are comfortable trying for hours on end. And don't write off any options just because they did not work today.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

After a year and a half of reading just about everything I can get my hands or computer screen on about Halibut I will tell you there are lots of great ways to fish for them. And lots of respectable authors that dole out lots of contradictory information. You need to tailor your rod, reel, line, tackle and bait around the place and way you want to fish for them. Some guys move around a lot and some guys will focus on a spot all day. Some guys like a good drift and others prefer to remain nearly still. Some like real deep and others painfully shallow. Some prefer to be entertained by hooking fish all day and others are only looking for one big bite. There are sliding sinkers and sliding trap rigs. Trebble trap rigs, single trap rigs and no trap rigs. Skirts, hoochies and naked bait. Bounce ball, Spreader bar and Spider rigs. Any number of live bait choices. All of these things work when used in the right combination and some will even work in the wrong combination. The main thing is that you have to pick a style that you are comfortable trying for hours on end. And don't write off any options just because they did not work today.

I would agree with all that. You have no doubt heard of "match the hatch", well with halibut you have to match their pattern, moods and behavior.

I've had days where the only way to hook fish was a dine on single small hook on a long ten pound leader letting the fish run with the bait for seemingly ever, then I have had days where the only way to catch them was fishing trap rigs with the reel in gear, Other days when it was ll dropper loop fishing, and even days where all that worked was plugs and plastics.

You've no doubt got it down Greg. The key is adapting to the what the fish are doing then sticking with it until you get the quality fish your looking for.

Jim

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by T Bone

Mine is a 15# 7' outfit with owner boa rig (trap hook)rigged to a sliding sinker according to drift speed and bait.

Man I was just talking to someone about this a few days ago. We were talking about putting up a halibut rigging post with all the various rigs we use.

Basically I use about five different rigs depending on where I am fishing and what bait I'm using.

That said...

If I am on clean sand, like in SMB bay, fishing sardines I use a Kencor 10-30, with a Diawa SL20SH 20 pound spectra, ten foot topshot of 15lbs Fluorocarbon, and rig it with a plastic slide, 4 ounce sinker, small swivel, 28 inches of leader.a 1/0 hook with an assist style trap hook Mustad 6 2x rigged on doubled 20 pound green spectra.

That would be my go to rig for fishing clean sand in the bay with sardines but like I said I have several others lighter and heavier that I use just as much, and I do not fish squid or macks with that rig.

Jim

[DESTROYER]

Beer, lots of beer!! Halibut fishing is soo boring!

[RedSledTeam]

My favorite setup is a very special one made by Steve Alexander. It carries a 65 inch 5/16 diameter shaft with a large flopper tip and 150 yards of 300# test kevlar line spooled on a Riffe black composite reel. The shaft rests on a teak stock gun called the "Inshore" and is propelled by 3 9/16 inch Prodonovich high modulus rubber bands capable of 110 pounds of force each. I've never met a legal halibut that didn't take the spear!

[Pat]

Bay Park Fish Company

[jorluivil]

I found this one yesterday, planning on making one or two this weekend.

[lamb]

LOL, great input from IGFA 4# line halibut recod holder...

Halibut fishing is a tough game, and sure can be boring... It's all pain in the arse till you hook one.

I don't think they're line shy - 25# / 30# leader is fine. I don't fish bays much.

Treble will help your chances in actually hooking one, for sure.

If you're really after them, bouncing is the way to go. I believe there is something about that thump of a cannon ball that gets their attention, rings the dinner bell. Not necessarily dodger and your artificial lure of choice like it's usually done on the power boats - it's just too hard on a kayak. I was never able to do it, just got frustrated with tangles. You've got to keep moving - maybe it can be done on a Hobie??

When fishing for halibut, I just rig 3-way swivel with 1-2' lighter line to the 1 to 2 lb ball, 3-4' leader to the cheater rig, and juicy sardine or a mac, and keep moving about 1mph. Keep an eye on the tip of the rod for that bite, work that area for another bite, it usually happens sooner or later.

Pounding sand/covering more ground ought to mathematically increase your chances of stumbling onto one. If you know they are in specific area (you're getting bit and IDing the right flat scars, someone caught one in the area that day or recently) - it is wise to work it hard till they decide to chew.

Great article Masta''s journalist days where he put down a lot of insight from some folks that happened to catch a few - lot's of BWE folks too

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...=kayak-halibut