Memorial Day Weekend Halibut

OK, I've announced my intention, on other threads, to fish for 'buts over the long weekend. (Lings will be open, too.) I'm planning to fish the north shore of the Olympic Peninsula. There are a couple of sites that I've had success at in the past, and a couple I'd like to check out.

I'll be leaving the Methow around 4:00pm, arriving in Seattle around 8:00pm, and the Port Angeles area around midnight. I may drive around the Tacoma Narrows, as I'm afraid the ferries will be stacked up on Friday night.

I'm planning to fish hard on Sat., Sun., and a half day on Mon. I'm hoping that floatin cowboys and I will connect. Anybody else interested? This will be a great chance, especially for those that are new to this area, or this kind of fishing, to go out in a group setting, for a prime fish.

OK I am trying to get my selfed geared up for this. I was talking to the "Cable guy" today and he says that he goes out of of Ediz hook and goes out about 1/2 mile to 300ft and that they do really well out there.
So our you using spreaders or just bouncing lead off the bottom with a 3 point swivel. The cable guy thought we were crazy for trying halibut on a yak. I told him I wasn't but may soon be . Anyway give me a run down of your set ups and I will pick up some stuff at swains.
Matt

I use a spreader; instead of a weight I use a big jighead (8-24oz.) w/ grub. Off the arm, I use the biggest circle hook I can find. I've been using a large 9" squid threaded on the line, with a large herring. I like having the lure, in case I lose the bait. I try to minimize the number of times I have to crank a pound of lead several hundred feet up.

If they're going only a half mile from Ediz, then the derby might be doable.

Reading catch reports and the papers, it's easy to get the idea that you have to go out to some bank. That's not true, in my experience. I've done well in the deeper holes, too.

I don't use a spreader.  I use 2-2.5 feet of 200-400 pound leader (whatever big I already have handy), an 8-10" glow squid over a 16/0 circle hook.  I know this seems large but butts have no problem with it.  The stiffness of a leader that size helps with not getting tangled.  Bait is either salmon bellies, large horse herring, octopus, or squid.  One salmon belly strip can last you all day as they are extremely tough on the hook, unless the dogfish are pesky.  For weight, I'll rig a 8-16 ounce torpedo weight on a slider.  30 pound spectra on my mainline.  Slather everything with herring oil.

And in the spring you might find them in the shallows as well, as shallow as 80 feet.

-Allen

The charter boats I've been on, out of Neah, use a sliding weight, which is on a short section of 250# cord. Sequence: mainline, swivel, cord w/ weight, swivel, leader.

I've been using the jighead for weight to have twice the lures! I've been using 16/0 circles, too. Last year I started using a short section of wire bite leader between hook and regular leader. (Buts and lings are not leader shy.) My regular leader is only 25-30#, so that I don't risk losing the spreader.

Good point on the breakaway leader, forgot about that.  Last year on POW, I was on a regular boat and snagged bottom.  With the 30# spectra, I had a really hard time breaking it away.  30# spectra will test to about 50#.  I worried about being able to break that away on a kayak so I did switch to a topshot of 25# leader.  My rig was 30# spectra to a 10 foot section of 25# topshot tied with a a uni-to-uni knot then to the swivel.  The slider was on the mono with a bead above it to keep it from sliding over the topshot knot.  I never did snag up on the kayak so it never became a concern on that trip, but I definitely can see how it could be problematic.   If I were to  replace the spectra mainline, I definitely would switch to 20# spectra, but I'll keep the topshot rigging for now as I don't want to waste 300 yards of spectra.

Great idea on the dropper jig for weight.  Can't do this up in Canada though as the regs there called for single hooks.  We jigged these with large 10" glow worms in POW with a moderate amount of success.  Glow colors on the large hootchies over the bait too.

We also found that large sweeping jigging motions helped entice the strikes more.  The butts would pick em up on the sweep then I'd drop the rod down and put the reel in freespool to allow the butts to run with it before reeling tight.  Remember with circle hooks to not to set the hook.  Just reel tight and keep reeling.  The circle hooks will set themselves in the corner of the mouth.

One other note, the hooks need to be barbless on the inner waters.  It can be extremely difficult to de-barb the heavy circles as we found out at Sekiu last year.  With a regular file it will take a long time to grind down the barb.  Best to take a dremel tool to it at home before getting to your fishing location.

-Allen

Sounds great guys. I'll do my utmost to get out there with you. I'd love to get into some Ling and Hali action!!
Z

The more the merrier! 

I've been reading good reports from the PA area.

Hi guys , I to would like to catch a halibut out of a kayak ,I've geared up for it but always get side tracked on Lings or Seabass. I will see if I can round up our group ....it would be a blast  ...Jim

Hi guys , I to would like to catch a halibut out of a kayak ,I've geared up for it but always get side tracked on Lings or Seabass. I will see if I can round up our group ....it would be a blast  ...Jim

Halibuts, lings, or seabass... decisions decisions!! 
Catching anything on a yak is a blast.. when it somes to bigger game unreal! 

Z

Ah hell ... I'm pretty sure I'll make this weekend.   

Riverbase, long time since we've seen you here.  You guys coming out of hibernation over there?   

A couple items that may guide where we go.  East of Slip point, the bass limit is 1.  West of slip point in MA5, the limit is 3.  In MA4 (Neah Bay) it is 10.  MA5 and east have a barbless restriction.  MA4 does not.  Well, this is how it was last year at least. 

Fishin-T and I hit Sekiu and Neah Bay on June 3-4 last year.  We fished the Sekiu Halibut derby on Saturday, then headed over to Neah Bay on Sunday before coming home.  Here is the report from then if you want more info ... http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=4.0.  My avatar picture is from the Sunday at Snow Creek.

-Allen

Some more things to think about-

MA4  (Neah Bay) might be open for halibut on Sat. may 26th, but unless there is some nasty weather that keeps people off the water, it's not likely. Last year, a similar May quota was caught in 5 days. (The 26th would be the 6th day of the season.) I'd guess that we wouldn't even know for sure until sometime on Friday.  I do like MA4 for it's fishiness. Camping is easier out there, too. I've even slept on the side of the road (which is waterside) along Hwy 112. If it is open for 'buts, I would head out there first.

MA5 and 6 are open all weekend for lings and halibut, even though the seabass catch is restricted. Camping opportunities are fewer, in regular campgrounds. Could be crowded, unless it's good and wet. 

How many are interested in the PA Halibut derby? $30 and the rules are a pain, but still it could be fun showing up, especially with a good fish!  Nuts, I just checked their rules, which call for weigh in at 2:00pm Sat. and noon on Sunday. The best tides are in the afternoon; fishing in the morning means dealing with big ebbtides! 

  Yep, its been a long winter and looking forward to yaking in the salt water...did catch some nice steals this winter ..and got to yak with the Manatees in Crystal River Fl. but I'm yearning for the smell of salt water and the sound of gulls....just going to have to get prioritys strait and make it happen....Jiml 

I'd love to join in! The misses and I have a baby boy on the way in August so I need to do some serious fishing between now and the end of June! I've been catching trout all spring so it's time to switch gears! 

This looks like it is turning into quite a gathering.  Have we a base camp picked out?  Once we get over there, there are a lot of options within easy reach.

I'll supply the circle hooks and glow in the dark hootchies!!!  I got a box full of them.

-Allen