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"!

33° F Light Rain Fog/Mist Humidity:  93% Wind:  NW 5 MPH Barometer:  29.49" Steady

    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.

 

What's a Shooter Halibut?

    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.

 

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.

 

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.