5 minute read
HALIBUT-INFESTED WATERS
HURRAY FOR HALIBUT SOCAL SPRING ANGLERS CAN FIND PLENTY OF FLATFISH IN SHALLOW WATERS
By Capt. Bill Schaefer
The Pacific waters off Southern California are still a tad cold, but as they warm up local halibut will make their way into the shallows.
The anglers who target them know it’s time to get ready to chase their favorite fish to catch and eat. Expect halibut to move into both the bays and shallow water along the beaches off the coast. Usually, the target depth is about 10 to 20 feet in bays and 20 to 80 feet in the ocean, but they can be found shallower and deeper.
WELCOMING ANGLERS OF ALL MEANS
The great thing about halibut this time of year is the fact that they can be chased by so many different anglers: surf fishermen, float tubers and kayak anglers; plus all boaters, from private to sport boats.
Most of us don’t realize that halibut are a schooling fish that gather together in large numbers during the spawn. That is why when fishing them during this time of the season, you’ll often catch many in one small area. If you catch one or two, don’t give up on that area; give the others a chance to bite. You may get a big one to hit your lure or bait, and it’s not unusual to bring one up with another following it, like other fish will do.
CHANGING IT UP
Since there are so many ways to fish for halibut – and that’s a good thing – it should help any angler who hasn’t really targeted them before adapt.
Ken Yasuda shows off one of the prizes SoCal anglers live for: a barn door-sized flatfish. The arrival of spring and warmer water means many of these California halibut will head into shallow waters off the coast. (BILL SCHAEFER)
You can even just go fishing for bass and take the bonus halibut since there are many more than usual in the water.
Bay fishermen can score fish on various swimbaits or curly tailed grubs. Surf anglers in the bay or ocean tend to go with bait, including clams, ghost shrimp, anchovies, sardines and even mackerel.
Swimbaits will also do well in the bays and ocean, and they usually attract larger fish. MC Swimbaits, Big Hammer, Reebs Lures and Reyes Swimbaits all make a large variety of shapes and color to experiment with.
You can also do well in the bay trolling crankbaits or stickbaits, like a Rebel in chrome with a black back, as they look just like an anchovy.
Tackle is whatever you feel you need. Some like light tackle and
Author Bill Schaefer’s son Bricen shows off his skills at landing a nice bay halibut. Plenty of different methods and techniques can score one of these fish, which provide great
table fare. (BILL SCHAEFER)
others move to medium and heavy gear when targeting the larger fish.
HOW TO FISH HALIBUT
Heading out of the bay and starting to fish from just outside the backside of the surf to deeper waters, other techniques will come into play. For bait, drift live bait on rigs such as the classic bait rig, which features a barrel sinker and a leader. You can also go with the dropper loop or reverse dropper loop, and also via slow trolling with a bounce-ball rig. All these setups can be scaled to the area and depth you’re fishing and can be used in the bays as well.
The standard barrel sinker bait rig is simple and can work for most situations inside or outside the bay. Run your main line through a barrel sinker, with the size depending on depth, wind and drift. Then tie your main line to a swivel. On the other side of the swivel tie on a 2- to 4-footlong fluorocarbon leader rigged with a hook appropriate to the bait you’re using – whether live or dead.
Hooks vary by fisherman, but I like the new Mustad Ultra Point circle hooks. I have found that there is more chance of hitting the corner of the halibut’s mouth with these and less chance of getting bit off.
The bounce-ball technique can be used from shallow to deep waters and will vary slightly with each angler’s preferences. The main line off the rod is tied to a three-way swivel. Off one of the other loops of the swivel, tie a leader of slightly lighter line than the main line.
If you get snagged, you only want to lose the weight. Tie that line to a ½- to 2-pound cannonball. This weight can be smaller when fishing in real shallow waters or inside the bays. To the last loop, tie a 2- to 4-foot leader, which you will then tie to a flasher/attractor. Favorite flashers can vary from the old classic Ford Fenders to a Krocodile spoon with the hook removed. On the other side of the flasher, tie a 2- to 4-foot leader to the bait.
Another member of the Schaefer family – the author’s brother Bud – used a small skiff and light tackle to catch this halibut. Flattie fishing can be so much fun this time of year. (BILL SCHAEFER)
BAIT TALK
Baits for bounce-balling can vary as well. Some anglers like to just run a live sardine or smelt, but as mentioned, they will also go to a mackerel. Again, try a circle hook to improve your odds when hooked up.
Some fishermen will run a hoochie skirt over the head of the bait or on its own. Squid can work well too. Even Rebel stickbaits can be towed behind this rig. The weight stirs up the bottom and attracts the fish to the baits.
UBIQUITOUS FISH
From the beaches and bays off the Southland to the Mexican border and beyond, large California halibut have been taken on a regular basis. The IGFA all-tackle record stands at 67.5 pounds. These big guys are called “barn doors.”
All of these techniques can be used year-round. It’s now up to you to get out there and catch more halibut in 2021! CS