Halibut in the Sound

Mind you, I've only been out once for halibut, and it was in mutiny bay. I was mostly using a mooching setup, and had the depth/speed set up so that every few seconds (or with most swells) I'd be tapping the bottom with the weight.

*****Question for more experienced halibut anglers - what current speed is too much? Looking at some strong currents for mutiny this saturday (reaching 1.49kts). Not sure I want to do that.

I will generally use a heavy mono spreader set-up, and drift with the current - bouncing the cannonball weight off the bottom.  I'll use lighter mono to attach the weight to the dropper, so if I get hung up all I lose is the weight.
If you keep the leader short - just a little longer than the dropper,  the hooks/bait/jig are less likely to hang up.
As far as how much current, without a lot of wind, 1.5 knots should be OK.  At FWB the combination of current and wind was pushing at well over 2 knots at times, and one had to back-bounce  to stay on the bottom.

Figured I'd again:

Anyone else want to join in Mutiny Bay this Saturday for halibut? Calling for calm wind, less than 1ft waves all day.

A 1.5 mph current will kick your ass in no time. That is pushing the limits for a new yakker. IMO

+1 on currents 1.5 and above. Not where to begin learning.

Deepzoom.com has a great current prediction program. You'll need to do the free download first. Easy to learn program.

Pretty positive he's not a beginning kayaker.  Just a butt virgin...

Pretty positive he's not a beginning kayaker.  Just a butt virgin...

OK .... Let me rephrase so I don't hurt the feeling of a friend of a guy asking a question.
A 1.5 mph current sucks to fish in all day. If you are not used to fishing in heavy current it can be dangerous.
Have fun and be careful.

LOL my feelings aren't hurt...I'm just bored at work.  I'm also in the same boat as far as the learning curve.  Would you guys consider 1.5MPH current the go/no-go cutoff on a kayak?

Not to be a smart ass but we here in south central Alaska would never fish if we waited around for a current less than 1.5 mph. I'm not sure how far out you guys go, we generally don't need to go to far so I could be comparing apples to oranges. I've been out 1.5 miles occasionally. You can  make the current work to your advantage. Go out half way through the cycle then let the incoming take you back. That's what we do.

Or you can take two vehicles and float with the current kinda like a river rafting trip.

It's about a mile out to the popular grounds.  A couple weeks ago we cruised with about a 1 mph current and did just that. I ended up with 24oz. weight in about 150 feet of water, which was slight overkill.  1.5mph seems legit, though I can't see much more being much fun in a kayak. 

I assure you no feelings are hurt. Seriously, I welcome all the advice. Hence me asking.

I'm not a new kayaker, but I am new to currents/tides, having just moved from Chicago (and Lake Michigan was my stomping ground) to Seattle. Winds, waves, moderate surf, I know my limits on. But still learning what's doable re :current speed.  So...we got one guy saying "don't do 1.5!" and another saying "definitely do 1.5!"  I plan on giving it a go tomorrow. PM me if anyone wants to join.

Also - Jon - "butt virgin"? Huehuehuehuehue

Every tide cycle has two slack periods. Fish around those slacks in almost anything.

...and FG has been going to sensitivity training so encourage him when you can...

I feel like a boss cause.I fish ebb tides...last weekend I was moving almost.2mph with out paddling... Only been Yaking for almost.a year.. I want.to try mutiny

try it!  if you know halibut are caught at mutiny and are aware that currents can be a problem on a kayak...those are indicators you've been doing your homework.   the rest is field testing!  something tells me you're aware of the risks of kayak fishing, so a safety lecture is superfluous.  this will help you figure out currents:

http://www.deepzoom.com/indexSilverlight.aspx#/Views/Boat.xaml

Gave it the ol' college try yesterday. Mutiny Bay from 7am to about 3pm.

Well, I found out what 1.8mph current is like, and it's not fun. It's doable, but not fun, and made all the more difficult by having all the drag from a 20oz weight and big bait hanging 150ft below your boat. To be out in that speed, without anarea to tuck into with lesser current (like nearshore Mutiny) would be, I think, beyond my skills or desire.

Once again, didn't see a single fish caught or fought all day among the 70 or so boats that were out there. I didn't even have a single legit strike. Frankly, I'm starting to think it got fished out the first day it was open, which was the only day we heard folks did well during. It's nice having a halibut spot close to shore, with (usually mild) currents, but I think next time I think I'll try another location. I should've rounded the corner and gave Double Bluff a try for a bit, considering CohoMan's report. Another time, though...

One notable tidbit - I had two grey whales surface not 20 feet from my kayak. It seriously gave me the scare/thrill of a lifetime. It was pretty awe-inspiring. Coming from Chicago, I'm not so used to seeing 45-foot cetacea surface next to me on Lake Michigan. Looking closer at the pics, it looks like one of them got chopped up pretty bad by a prop at some point.