Alaska Halibut Fishing
Alaska halibut fishing is pure rod-busting, arm-burning excitement, pinning you to
the rail. If you have fished for halibut anywhere in the world except Alaska you're
missing the boat. This is "Alaska halibut fishing"!
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27.0° F
Light Snow Fog/Mist
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Humidity: 87% Wind: Calm Barometer: 29.78" Falling
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Alaska halibut are stealthy predators perfectly suited for life on the bottom of the
ocean. Camouflaged to blend anonymously with the sea floor, they lie in
wait for unsuspecting fish, crabs, or squid to venture by.
These fish congregate along the edges of underwater shelves and around rocky outcroppings on
the ocean floor. Sport-caught halibut average around 30 lbs but fish of 100 or more
pounds are caught all the time.
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If you have fished for halibut anywhere in the world except Alaska you're missing the boat.
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Big Pacific Halibut can trash a boat if not subdued. Captain Steve "shooting" a halibut with a .410 caliber "snakecharmer".
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What's a Shooter?
Halibut over 100 pounds are often referred to as
"shooters" as they are normally shot with a .410 shotgun or small caliber handgun
before being brought into the boat. Halibut are powerful fish and because of their
flat bodies are almost more powerful out of the water than in. Stories abound of
unlucky fishermen who were thrashed and injured by a large halibut because they
failed to adequately subdue the fish before bringing it into the boat
Alaska Halibut Fishing Charters
Average size sport-caught halibut in Alaska is 30 lbs, however, halibut over 100 pounds are not uncommon,
Record Sport caught halibut is 459 pounds. Last year the biggest halibut caught on the
ProFish-n-Sea was 282 lbs caught on a small grub tail jig with a G. Loomis Pelagic Series
rod, Avet MX Reel and 35lb test spectra-braid line.
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Alaska Halibut Fishing Techniques
Normal technique for halibut fishing is to anchor the boat and fish along the bottom with
cut bait consisting of herring, cod, salmon scraps (heads, bellies, tails), octopus, or
squid baited onto a single 16/0 Mustad circle-hook. At times 8 to 24oz grub tail jigs are
drifted back along the bottom in the scent line created by the baits.
Halibut are often
attracted to the motion of these jigs as they bounce up and down above the bottom. Another
technique sometimes used is to let the boat drift over rocky bottom structure while
jigging 16 -24oz grub tail jigs 5-10 feet above the bottom.
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Anchored at one of Captain Steve's secret Pacific Halibut fishing holes, it doesn't take long to start hauling them in.
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May 25, 2003, Obiously, from looking at theses happy anglers and their huge catch, May is a great time to go halibut fishing in Seward Alaska.
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Alaska Halibut Fishing Guide
The Gulf of Alaska's constantly changing currents, tides, and annual fish migrations
can make one day a great halibut fishing day and the next a good day. Having a fishing
guide with knowledge and experience of these rhythms can mean the difference between a
productive halibut fishing trip and a waste of valuable time. The ability to pinpoint
the best time and place to fish is what what sets Captain Steve apart from other guides.
As an Alaska Halibut fishing guide, Steve strives for consisency. While anyone can catch
a big halibut every now and then, the measure of a truly fine captain is being able to
produce top catches on a daily basis.
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