New guy questions

[beef78]

1-gaff if it's obviously legal. If it's questionable i pull it close and slip my game clip in carefully. This takes practice. Sometimes, you can get them with the lip grabber. If you're not careful, they can run and snap your line.

2- i use my fish finder a lot. Helps find drop offs and other structure where the fish are.

3- no, just keep your fingers away from their mouths and do some research.

[TJones]

aim for belly , to immobilize the fish , keep his head in water before gaffing . its strange sometimes they almost just float to the surface , unless hooked in throat obviously, other times they just go ape shet . keep gaff pointed away from you at all times , these fish are solid muscle . picture a halibut slashing around the deck with a gaff in it . good luck .

[Jimmyz123]

If I'm targeting halibut I take a net and my gaff. I always take my net when fishing the bay because you never know. The net I use is a safe net for halibut so that it does not mess up the tail. NEVER bring a green halibut up on deck in your lap. Sharp teeth in that area just don't mix too well.

I will net a fish and keep it in the net and lay it across the marks I have for legal measures. Once I see it's for sure legal, I'll get the game clip on it, make sure the clip is attached to your kayak, and then cut the gills to bleed it out. All this is done while keeping the fish in the net and in the water. It helps me keep control of the fish.

Fish Finders are a must. Last time out I was making bait in La Jolla and the bait was holding in about 60' of water. Each time I dropped down, I got filled up on the sabiki. There was a guy out with me that didn't have a finder and wasn't making bait. I told him the depth and he started picking up bait.

If you're not sure of your abilities hook up with some of us who have been out for a while. Most all, as others are stating, be safe.