Apr 26, 2009

What Makes For a Great Halibut Fishing Season

Make no mistake about it. Halibut fishing can be year-round. Alaskan and Californian waters are stocked with fish that almost anyone can have a great fishing season anytime. However, the key to making the season successful is to catch one or two of the bigger games. After all, what is a better way to end the season than landing yourself a 400-pound monster? It does not matter if this is your first time fishing, or that you are a seasoned angler, or that you are doing this on a professional basis. There are ways to ensure that you will get a great halibut fishing season this time round. Here are some tips:

Acquaint yourself with the local fishing regulations. Seasoned anglers and professional fishing enthusiasts know that nothing will defeat your purpose faster than being poorly prepared to face the fishing season. The one mistake most first timers make is concentrating on the hooks and baits to use. Although these are indeed important to any fishing trip, the primary consideration should always be the actual fishing ground.

There are many regulations and local laws surrounding specific fishing grounds. Some may impose a strict 2-catch-per-person rule. Others may ban certain fishing paraphernalia or bait. Others may be limiting the number of actual fishing enthusiasts out on boat on a particular day. Make sure that you know precisely what the local conventions are, especially if you are on a catch-and-release "license."

Acquaint yourself with the local weather situation. Halibut fishing on a balmy Californian weather is different from doing the same activity in a balmy Alaskan weather. Weather is a huge factor especially if you intend to spend the greater part of the day fishing. As a rule, halibuts start biting shortly after mid-morning and just a few hours before dusk. So if you are comfortable in your fishing gear and on your boat, you can maximize your time on the water.

However, if you are getting too warm for your clothes (in Californian weather) or your tootsies are almost falling off (Alaskan weather) you will become too impatient and lose all the really good bites. Also, make sure that the actual day you are planning to be out on the water is cloud and potentially rain free. Halibuts tend to stay less prone to hunt when the weather turns foul.

Acquaint yourself with the fishing environs. You have your bait. You have your hooks. You have been sitting on your boat doing everything humanly possible for the halibuts to start biting. But the thing is: nothing is biting - not the Pollock's, not the cods and certainly not the sand dwelling halibut. Although technically, any bait can land any fish, halibuts have been known to be "selective" predators. They do not just pounce on anything that comes floating. They may take a nibble, but that does not mean you will be landing the fish on your boat anytime soon.

The trick is to serve the halibut something that resembles the available fish food in the area. If brightly colored marine crabs are bountiful in the area, you might want to try one or two fluorescent baits. If squid is abundant, you might want to switch to baiting your lines with chunks of fish meat, intestines and gunk. These do not necessarily attract the halibut, but these do attract the squids. Sooner of later, the halibut is bound to score on an attached line, lunging for its meal.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Add to Technorati Favorites
Increase your PageRank