WG report - Sun 8/3

Fished the last of the incoming tide. Hit the water early - approx 6:15am. Dead calm with light rain. In 40 to 50 ft and drifting.

We boated 5 or 6, kept 3. The biggest pictured below - new personal best for me from a kayak. Not sure of weight but grabbed him with Boga Grip - NOT doing that again w fish that size.

Weather got a little snotty as tide turned - cold, rainy, increasing wind from the N. Couple of others guys kayak fishing, plus several drift boats - one with only oars that overshot the beach as the tide turned out - poor b*stards.

Nice fish! I was the other guy out there with my brother in law (not the drift boat... But we knew him). We got a few over the weekend,  but nothing too exciting.  As usual,  Saturday was beautiful on the water and the wife caught two. Sunday it was prissy and I caught a guppy sized but.

Good to run into you guys - I thought about asking if you ever posted on NWKA!

nice flatties!

I've landed plenty of halibut with just the boga grip and it does a pretty darn good job. The key for me was letting the fish pull the grip out of your hand and hang onto a short piece of rope attached to the end. I have a small float tied off at the end that keeps the rope from pulling the rope through my hand . Throw both legs over the side and straddle the boat, then just hang on. With the head out of the water they tire pretty quickly.

Great job! 

I never put my wrists through the strap.  I'll lose it someday.  I do have a small float on it, but that won't float it...with a halibut attched.  Better that then my wrists.  Contemplating adding a rope like Bill suggests.  Maybe a bungie or something. 

DON'T PUT YOUR WRIST THROUGH A STRAP! That has instant swim written all over it.
The float I use is just big enough to float the grips. The rope is about 18" I'll post a pic tonight. I don't think you want bungee.
The biggest thing is you have to be able to hold the fish half way out of the water till they stop thrashing. Then brain spike, game clip and bleed. Works like a charm.

DON'T PUT YOUR WRIST THROUGH A STRAP! That has instant swim written all over it.
The float I use is just big enough to float the grips. The rope is about 18" I'll post a pic tonight. I don't think you want bungee.
The biggest thing is you have to be able to hold the fish half way out of the water till they stop thrashing. Then brain spike, game clip and bleed. Works like a charm.

Instant swim...to the bottom.  A broken wrist is likely the best thing that can happen to you! 

Ya a bungie is a bad thought.  A boca grip coming back at ya at 100mph would likely suck.  AT $250 a pop I need to think about some method of securing the grips "Mo' bettah" for sure. 

I don't think a medium size halibut has the power to pull you under if you have a firm hold of its mouth. Plus all you have to do is pull the collar to release the fish. It would definitely scare the crap out of you though! I use the smaller 30 boga and it limits you to about an 80-90 pound fish as the grip wouldn't fit over the jaws of anything bigger .... I've tried. =)

Boca 30 can get around a 75 pounder?  That's good to know.  I thought that's what I had until I saw my Japanese guest's boca grips.  Turns out I have the 60 pound model. 

I've had a 60 pounder can keep an A1 buoy under for 40+seconds.  I am consistently amazed at the sheer power of halibut over say a comparable sized salmon.  I got my ass chewed out by my GF who busted me Boca Gripping and sliding a 30 pounder onto my lap before any attempt at dispatching it.  I'd like to think I can handle a 30 pounder, but she is right.  They can do some damage for sure.   

What is a medium sized halibut? Would these work as well as a boca?

Boca 30 can get around a 75 pounder?  That's good to know.  I thought that's what I had until I saw my Japanese guest's boca grips.  Turns out I have the 60 pound model. 

I've had a 60 pounder can keep an A1 buoy under for 40+seconds.  I am consistently amazed at the sheer power of halibut over say a comparable sized salmon.  I got my ass chewed out by my GF who busted me Boca Gripping and sliding a 30 pounder onto my lap before any attempt at dispatching it.  I'd like to think I can handle a 30 pounder, but she is right.  They can do some damage for sure.   

Yes .... Just barely. Personally I don't think halibut are all that dangerous once on top of the kayak. They do damage on a boat by hit you against something else or knocking your feet out from under you. A thirty pounder is not that difficult to handle. If you have a boga on it and hold the tail there isn't much they can do. They get their power under water by moving high volumes of water. Take them out of the water and they don't have a lot of options. If the A1 you are talking about is the one you used in your video early in the season, it needs more air. It should be hard when fully inflated.

Rev, I consider anything under 90-100 to be a medium halibut. I have never played with those grips ... It just depends on how solid the hold.

I dunno.  I have had a fifty pounder just wreak havoc on board the deck of a powerboat.  Flipping out tackle boxes and a 6 gallon gas can half full of fuel.  Beaning people with assorted crap on deck.  Should have dispatched it before bringing it on board but we were busy enough catching fish that we thought "we can handle this one...just bring it in."  lol. 

Frankly my closest to death episode on a kayak was a mere 10 pounder that managed to embed the second 6/0 gamkatsu hook into the groin area of my drysuit and then proceeding to thrash around some more.  Probably was 3 seconds.  felt like 3 hours. 

Hoping to join the club where a 90-100 pounder is a medium one on this trio to Kodiak!!! larger halibut seem to be getting more scarce though record fish are still being pulled out of the depths. 

Here is a pic of the tether I use.

So the fished turned out to be 32 lbs. I've grabbed a gazillion fish with my Boga Grip, so no problem there. Fun started while the fish was in the water - Boga in left hand, no strap, while hanging on for dear life with my right.

Actually reached underneath right hand side of yak to counter the weight shift. Probably overreaction on my part as I fish from a Ocean Prowler Big Game, which is a barge.

Agree the fish was much easier to manage out of the water, with the Boga allowing a good bit of control. Keep a small buoy on mine but really like the idea of a tether.

BTW - I've had the same Boga Grip for years and it's been from Dry Tortugas to Cook Inlet - has been unbelievably durable, rust free, and very effective - in my opinion well worth the expense vs. all of the knockoffs.