Pacific Halibut
Besides the amazing White Sturgeon, the Pacific Halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis (Schmidt, 1904), ranks high in value among sport and commercial fishermen alike. Halibut is one of the finest tasting white-fleshed fishes. Known for its great texture and flavor, its low oil content allows halibut to be frozen for greater lengths of time without the loss of quality common to oily fishes. As with all fish, quality and flavor varies from fish to fish. Some taste like mild crab, and others taste like shrimp. The fresher the better; but, I have eaten many a halibut chunk that has been frozen for a year or more and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The size of Pacific Halibut is legendary, and some weighing over 700 pounds have been reported. The current world record sport-caught Pacific Halibut weighed in at 459 pounds; it was taken by Jack Tragis in June 1996 out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Some of my fishing friends who have spent many more days fishing for Alaskan halibut than I have, talk of hooking fish that were uncontrollable on gear that handles 250 pound fish. There's just something wonderful about soaking a big bait in the Pacific; it keeps a sense of wonder and excitement going inside us anglers; you never really know what will take your bait.
in 25 feet of water because smelt were migrating there. ↓
A halibut will eat just about anything, but they do have a few favorites. From a scientific perspective they fill a saltwater niche much like the sturgeon's niche in freshwater. They both congregate off river mouths in the fall and winter and feed on salmon. Crab, cod, herring, sardines, other halibut, shrimp, squid, and clams are part of Mr. and Mrs. But's diet.
Larger halibut are often taken inside a bay in relatively shallow water at a river mouth, though most will be taken over deep water humps or other structures offshore or in large bays or sounds. The common halibut finding wisdom is to seek out a shallower structure surrounded by deep water. The farther south you go from Alaska, the deeper most Pacific Halibut are caught. Here in Oregon they are often caught in 300 to 500 feet of water, maybe more, although they can be taken in shallower water at various times.
Sport fishing for Pacific Halibut is largely a bait fishery. Bouncing along the bottom with baited jigs or bait alone is typical. A preferred method is to fish over structure when it is shallow enough for anchoring. Halibut key in on scent and soaking baits in one spot make anchoring a real advantage. Jumbo herring is the top bait in this situation, although salmon heads (where legal), shad, sardine, squid, and cod chunks, all do well at times. Many times small halibut will be the first ones caught with larger and larger fish showing up over time. Interestingly, immediately before the larger fish are taken, there is a pause in the bite, and the smaller fish seem to go away.
Halibut commonly take artificial baits and at the top of that list is the scented grub—the bigger the better. A bait that has defined itself in recent years as being extremely effective is the scented, glow-in-the-dark plastic grub, bait fish, or squid. The most popular color is white, often rigged to a large lead head jig. A common problem with these jigs is very dull, rough finished hooks due to their zinc-cadmium plating. Dull, rough hooks makes penetration of the tough halibut mouth difficult. Look for jig heads made with high quality hooks that are very sharp and have a slick finish. A shorter shank hook is also better, as when the 'but shakes his head there is less flopping of the jig -- often the short hooked jig will be completely inside its mouth. One well known outfitter produces these large jigs made with premium hooks. Whether using bait with these jigs or plastics, hook penetration will be excellent.
Other highly effective artificial lures include the Nordic type jig that is essentially a chromed or stainless, solid or lead filled, huge, triangular cross-section jig shaped longitudinally like a large trolling spoon. These are often rigged with red plastic teasers and a large treble hook. A large Nordic jig can be the best lure in the water at times, but because of their cost, are most often used on smooth bottoms. The large, weighted squid jigs with scent can be deadly as well. Halibut often take salmon gear. On one occasion we trolled for halibut across a gravel bottom with a large kelp cutter attractor ahead of a salmon squid. Lyman Lure Plugs have taken their share of halibut too.
Although halibut are bottom fish, they often are caught anywhere in the water column where their feed is. They will come up to feed on bait fish and many are caught by salmon anglers.
Halibut gear needs to be stout. A large capacity saltwater reel with an excellent drag system is essential. A high quality, durable reel can be purchased for around $150. In this price range get the tried and true brand, as these powerful fish can really put the hurt on a reel. Rods need to be stiff, ideally a short boat-type that matches the 50 to 130 pound test line. High quality monofilaments work, and have worked well for years, but the spectra braided lines have really taken halibut fishing to the next level. Spectra braided lines have nearly no stretch and setting a large hook at considerable depths is much easier than with monofilament line. Braids also have finer diameters than comparable strength mono lines, require less weight to reach the fish, and are less affected by currents.
Boating a halibut can be a difficult process. These are large, powerful fish and a big one should never be brought on board until it is dispatched or hog-tied. Halibut over 75 pounds are typically shot in the head when they are alongside of the boat. Often large halibut are harpooned and left to fight a buoy before they are brought alongside and dispatched. A common method of hog-tying a halibut is to use a large shark hook tied to a strong cord or rope. The shark hook is inserted into the halibut's mouth and the cord is half hitched a few times tightly to the tail -- bending the halibut in a semicircle and rendering it immobile. An uncontrolled large halibut in your boat can really thrash your boat or you, so be very thoughtful in handling halibut.
Packaging halibut for the freezer is best with a vacuum packer (a great investment!), although it works well to tightly wrap the fish in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in butcher paper. Make sure that you rotate the stock in your freezer and if you cannot eat all of your halibut in a year, give it away. A close friend of mine had a bad habit of eating the fresh fish off of the top and wasting the bottom layer in the freezer. We had a good laugh over his solution -- of eating the 3-year-old fish off of the bottom only. That way he's always enjoying old fish!
Halibut cookery is simple. Great seafood shouldn't have too much added to it as it is wonderful as it is. Fresh halibut sautéed in butter just until it will break apart with a fork is the best. Just a bit of salt and pepper, maybe a squirt of fresh lemon if you're so inclined, is all that is necessary. It is really hard to ruin halibut but over cooking it or prolonged freezer time will do it! A general rule: eat fish fresh and share what you can't eat while it is still fresh!
Steve Lumsden
Here's a nice halibut caught using a Limit Out bait rig.
The fisherman used a "combo" offering: a lime green plastic squid was threaded up
the shaft of the bait rig, followed by the usual herring. The Limit Out bait rig
imparted
spin to both the squid and the herring. Here is the result! ↓
