Halibut Fishing Near Offshore Tips Needed

[ful-rac]

If your looking to catch halibut of any size live sardines are just fine. I wouldn't use dead bait unless that's all you have. Now the correct depth you should be fishing is something you need to find out for your area. That is only known if you have good intel or you just put in the legwork of drifting different areas and or depths.

Now if your trying to concentrate on larger halibut...you need to fish bigger baits, as in 8-10" or larger mackerel. You will catch less fish this way but your resulting catch will be bigger. Another thing...fishing strictly for halibut, it's not unusual for you to go weeks or even months without catching a single one. So sometimes you have to be very patient.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

I usually catch mackerel, so that's usually my bait. Greenbacks seem to be more active than Spanish. They both last for a long time until they get raked or snatched by sea lions. It's more rare, but sometimes I catch jack smelt or lizard fish in the bay. Those work well too.

I've caught sardines before, but they seem to die too quickly, especially with a trap hook. I think without mackerels, or something more durable, I prefer to explore other rigs with artificial baits. When I'm making bait, I release sardines and wait for something better.

Maybe sardines are OK for smaller rigs like I might use with anchovies. Anchovies work well, but tend to catch more smaller fish so it broadens the target to include fish that might be too small to keep.

Maybe I haven't learned how to use sardines properly. That's entirely possible.

In the case of halibut, I think the "big bait, big fish" rule applies.

Personally, I try to target the fish I want to eat, in moderation, and I try to avoid collateral damage to fish I don't want to eat. This includes bait and other living creatures. I fish for food, exercise and for enjoying the beauty of nature. Slaying fish for conquest or sport is not my thing.