Shelter Island Halibut
 

Been about three weeks since I was on the water and needed to catch something, had to drop the wife off at the airport so a all day trip was out. Launched at SI and paddled to the bait barge, got about 8-10 nice and feisty sardines...made me think I wish I had picked up a halibut rig that had the treble hook at the end.....I was going eat those words again later...

Fast forward about two hours and I am drifting towards the launch spot and my rig on the bottom goes zzzzzzz. Quick tangent / disclaimer....I have only caught one halibut before and that was at Mission Bay....anyway I am stoked line is peeling and now I can feel what people mean when the say they can feel head shakes of the fish. After two or so runs the fish comes up to color and I say to myself oh hell yeah!! It's big in my book and did look like the size of a doormat or larger...so as I am grinning and beginning the mental checklist of what to do once I get the fish closer....it spits the hook..casually hanging in the water before slipping down. At this stage the first thoughts in my mind were....you jackass, big bait = big fish and you paid the price for not having a double hook rig. With some adrenalin infused paddling I hightail it back about 100 yards up current, rebait and drop down again....maybe, just maybe I thinks to myself. Then I just realize for the third time....dude your not using the right setup!!! At this time the bait is on the bottom so I decide to leave as is...4 minute later zzzzzz again and and nice couple of runs, nothing as solid and authoritive as the first one, but it'll do.

Go through the fire drill, game clip, gaff etc. Now I'm trying to remember all the posts I've read about a fish coming undone at the last minute..nice gaff behind the jaw (pure luck) game clip out and literraly as soon as I have it clipped it spits the hook. I am now stoked and keep thinking about how these fish are going to go nuts once in the yak. I bring it in, it's legal and I go about my best impression of a caveman with a club, slightly overdoing it when I realize one of its eyeballs hit me in face.

So, it's my second halibut, first for SI and I am stoked. Measured 27.5 inches and when I look back at when it was coming to color it was easily half the size of the first one. Will be making some trap rigs for my next outing. Fish is filleted and ready for my blackened mango salsa dinner that will happen on Tuesday.

Sorry for the long post, blame it on the one that got away!!!

Nice catch Alan!

nice

:cheers1:

Nice fish and nice post. A trap hook will help you get more hooksets initially, but you will generally not find both hooks firmly set. Like a Large Mouth Bass, they will try to shake the hook out all the way up, but it is most effective when they have their head out of the water.I have caught a lot of them by just a very small bit of skin either on the roof of the mouth or by the lips. The trick is to bring them up slow and easy, and only when they do not want to run. That and light drag/light rod especially when they get to the surface.

Wat to go!

They are in there...
 

Nice job! Those big ones ARE in there.

:luxhello:

Janine

Congrats on the nice butt, you are now hooked for life!

Well done. Some times it feels like a halibut isn't really landed until its filleted. You're not alone, about every one had dumped a nice one. It's been my experience that trap rigs help me catch more under sized halibut, not to mention gut hooking big sand bass. I have my best success with a light wire circle hook in the nose of the bait. A lighter drag and a bit softer rod can help. Also I've found that a steady wind with a consistent bend in the rid is better than pumping the fish in. Pumping can sometimes get their heads going up and down. This could allow slack in the line or start the hali shaking it's head. Mike

It was a very good fish to eat! Happy to feed the family and have ceviche marinating for tomorrow. I think next time am using lager bait will switch to larger hook. Nice advice given.
Tight lines to all