Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: cohoho on April 22, 2008, 10:27:03 PM

Title: Halibut in areas 6-11
Post by: cohoho on April 22, 2008, 10:27:03 PM: Curious, anyone fish for butts in these areas with relative success? What is one of the better launches to utilize? I guess that is pretty vague, but what launches on either side are the better. Anything (bait wise) that seems to work really well or better than others in those waters? I was checking out their migration patterns and seemed like Now is a good time to high tail it after them? Average size? Fished alot for them previously, but have never been up in that part of the water and looking to run soon, since I probably won't be going North till Sep and need my Halibut fix....
Title: Re: Halibut in areas 6-11
Post by: popeshawnpaul on April 22, 2008, 11:10:45 PM: I'll help with some info...but you'll need to PM me for more than this.

I have utilized Everett but I don't mind running my boat a ways. I use Deception Pass with regularity for fishing area 6. Salmon heads work the best for two reasons. They are tough and can't be easily taken off the hook, and only halibut larger than about 30 lbs can get a 8 lb salmon head in their mouth. No need to mess with dogfish. And yeah, the whole head on the hook... I guess herring always works also. The average size is larger than on Swiftsure Bank. You would think only small ones get caught in close here but it's not true. Actually, the average fish is larger in closer than the slot sized chickens you get way out at 72 square or Swiftsure. However, there isn't the quantity of fish that there is on offshore sites. I think the fishing is better earlier (now) than later. Just like halibut fishing anywhere, find drop offs, fish them for 20 minutes, if no hits, keep moving until you find a hole. I've found that the west side of banks/mounds is a good general rule in this area...
Title: Re: Halibut in areas 6-11
Post by: cohoho on April 23, 2008, 10:42:02 PM: Thanks Shawn, sent you a PM. We used heads on a regular basis, sort of the rod that stayed out and 9 times out of 10 had the big one of the day.
Anyone have big Butt pictures, well that didn't come out right, did it?, (I mean Halibut from Washington or anywhere else for that matter) No pictures of mother in laws allowed.... :yike:
Title: Re: Halibut in areas 6-11
Post by: robodad on April 23, 2008, 11:05:01 PM: I have got a stack of butt photos mostly from area 6 I could post all day long, never fished any further east though, I have put in a bit of time in area 4. Here are a couple from the Port Angeles Derby in 2005 3rd place 89#,

(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10689/2005_derby_photo.jpg)

and 19th place 51#

(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10689/PICT0133.JPG)

another one

(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10689/PICT0132.JPG)