| The Green Halibut |
 |
| Wednesday, 30 April 2014 21:36 |
|
Really? A gaff to land that? We posted up a pic on Facebook last week of a nice halibut caught in our local waters. Not too big, not too small, maybe 15 pounds, but it was exciting. And it spawned the "End Game" article. Be ready, and try to do everything right. The FB photo got some great response, including this comment from a person who likely has never caught a halibut yet. John Bradshaw Really? a gaff to land that?
Kayak Fishing Magazine John Bradshaw, California halibut are notoriously difficult to land. Ranging from 22 to 40+ inches, they are unpredictable and powerful. Gaffing is the standard method of subduing them. Netting is difficult as they often come up in a vertical position, head towards you and tail slightly away. You can't really drop their head into the net as they will slide backwards and away from you instead of swimming into the net. Lip gripping is even more difficult. At the surface, halibut can and will explode on you. You have a quick shot at it, and a gaff is about the quickest way to get it done. And even then, be prepared for some mayhem. This halibut behaved on the gaff (and good thing because look how thin of a purchase it has), but went crazy right after being put on a game clip.
Like · April 20 at 7:27am Sansano
Kayak Fishing Magazine John Bradshaw, I was only injured slightly. We will find a good video of halibut landing on the kayak. The END GAME is critical. (And often very entertaining.) Bushnell
Call it serendipity if you like, but just today we received a great halibut landing vid from Southern Cal affiliate Tony Park, fishing Cabrillo Beach. Perfect companion to the "End Game" article. Take a gander. Props to Tony, who stays very cool though out the battle.
|
Login
Newsletter
Also of Interest
Most Popular
Choosing a Fishing Kayak Like many kayak fisherman, my first fishig kayak was a mistake and I only used it a few times. There wasn’t a lot of information available. Things have...
Effective Trolling With Your Kayak While trolling is a mainstay of saltwater fishermen and also popular for targeting suspended fish in deepwater lakes of the northern US and Canada, it’s not the way most...
Electric Kayaks – an in Depth Look Bassyaks, Torqeedo and Torque I have been living with electric kayaks (EK) since July of 2009. I have done so in order to get a much better understanding of their potential,...
Random
Year Round Big Island Tuna Hawai’i, in general, is unique because of its location in the middle of the deep Pacific. It’s like a giant bait station for pelagic fish to come and fatten up. Here the tuna...
Kayak Fishing Stocking Stuffers Under $30 Holidays are upon us and if you have a person in mind that you would like to give a kayak fishing related gift, here are some ideas that won't break the bank. These items also...
Opelu 3 Dave Elgas (Boogie-D) is a longtime friend of KFM, and is now featured on Discovery's Pacific Warriors series. Here's part 3 of 4 on live bait fishing from Boogie. ...
