A new bucket list item for sumpnz

[MillCreek]

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160526/NEWS03/160529312/Edmonds-kayaker-catches-record-124-pound-halibut-off-Neah-Bay

Let's see if he can catch a 125 pound halibut in his kayak!

[Fly320s]

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160526/NEWS03/160529312/Edmonds-kayaker-catches-record-124-pound-halibut-off-Neah-Bay

Let's see if he can catch a 125 pound halibut in his kayak!

Why?   

[Tuco]

Why?   

What is "Nantucket Sleigh Ride?"

[MillCreek]

Why?   

I am frankly amazed that he caught one that size and brought it to shore in a kayak.

[Fly320s]

I am frankly amazed that he caught one that size and brought it to shore in a kayak.

Nope, wrong answer.  Try again.   

[Northwoods]

I know some of the guys that were there.  In fact I helped rescue the guy that filleted that fish when his kayak sprung a huge leak a couple years ago.

I really want to fish for halibut from my kayak.  I just haven't had time during the absurdly short open season for halibut in WA.  Next year it's going to happen though.

Halibut is second only to sharks for danger to fishermen in WA.  Pound for pound they can do more damage than anything else, and their teeth are just plain vicious.  They can be hazardous to land on a power boat, and can do a lot of damage if not properly subdued first.  Plenty of fishermen have gotten ribs and arms broken by a halibut that was only mostly dead.  A lap dance from a not totally dead halibut would not be something you'd give tips over.

To subdue the halibut most of the guys I know use either a flying gaff (think large shark or gator hook on a broom handle with a rope to the bouy tied to the other end of the handle) or harpoon (push through and through, tip detaches and toggles to keep it from pulling back through with a line to a bouy/rope).  Either way it's a means of attaching a bouy to the fish to help tire it out, and if possible inflict eventually fatal injury to the fish.  Once the fish is sufficiently tired out you then get a knife into the gills and cut them to bleed out the fish.  Once the halibut has stopped bleeding you either bring it up into your lap and hog tie it (rope around the tail and though the gills/mouth to bend it into a taco shape) or tie a rope around the tail and then tow it to shore.

[Northwoods]

What is "Nantucket Sleigh Ride?"

When the fish tows you around.  I've heard of halibut, sturgeon, and other large fish towing a kayak fishermen 1/2 mile or more.  Marlin, sharks, and other really big fish have been known to tow a guy 10 miles.

[seeker_two]

Did the fisherman catch the halibut....or did the halibut catch the fisherman?

[TechMan]

Why?   

Just for the halibut.

[MillCreek]

Back in college, I had a classmate who came from a halibut commercial fishing family in Alaska.  If I remember correctly, I think they actually shot the fish between the eyes or something after getting them into the boat.  This was to reduce the thrashing around to a minimum.

[Northwoods]

Back in college, I had a classmate who came from a halibut commercial fishing family in Alaska.  If I remember correctly, I think they actually shot the fish between the eyes or something after getting them into the boat.  This was to reduce the thrashing around to a minimum.

Not a great plan in a kayak.  That works well if you can be standing and lean well over the gunwale.  Even in a kayak designed for standing the swells often make standing a bad idea.  Which means using a gun of some sort while sitting in tupperware.  With an angry large fish trying really hard to get away.  That just seems like a great way to wind up putting a round through your own leg and/or hull.

Even the power boaters I know don't like using guns to dispatch halibut.  Not only is it risky it potentially destroys the cheek meat which is the best chunk of meat on the whole fish.  Ruining the cheeks is akin to ruining the tenderloins on an elk.

[Regolith]

Just for the halibut.

That was a pretty fishy pun; I think you're going to have to throw it back.

[MillCreek]

What caliber for halibut?

So I got interested in the question and Googled 'shooting halibut'.  It looks as if a lot of the Alaskan pros on the commercial or charter boats use a 'Snake Charmer' stainless single-shot .410 shotgun.  I learn something every day.  And I also mis-remembered when you actually shoot the fish: lots of posts LOL'ing about shooting a hole in your boat, so best to do it alongside in the water.

[Northwoods]

What caliber for halibut?

So I got interested in the question and Googled 'shooting halibut'.  It looks as if a lot of the Alaskan pros on the commercial or charter boats use a 'Snake Charmer' stainless single-shot .410 shotgun.  I learn something every day.  And I also mis-remembered when you actually shoot the fish: lots of posts LOL'ing about shooting a hole in your boat, so best to do it alongside in the water.

Based on talking to the power boat fishermen I know that get out to the good off-shore halibut holes maybe 5% of WA halibut boats will use a gun.  Frankly, for anything under 70lbs it's not worth the effort of shooting them.  Just gaff them up into the boat and cut the gills.  Let them flop for a bit then put them in the ice box.  Much over 70lbs and a harpoon is probably a better bet.  No risk of an ND, starts the bleed out process if you get lucky, and gives you an extra connection to the fish. 

From a kayak I wouldn't even consider a gun.  Bangstick, maybe.  But even a bangstick would probably only be used if I had a salmon shark or blue shark on the line and wanted to actually keep it.  A blue would most likely get cut loose.  If I could possibly handle it a salmon shark would come home though.  That is a definite bucket list item.  I know one of the 4 guys that went to Prince William Sound and intentionally targeted salmon sharks from their kayaks.  IIRC that was 2007.  All 4 landed a shark.  They released 2 and kept 2.

[Fly320s]

Just for the halibut.

Winner!

[Tuco]

What caliber for halibut?

So I got interested in the question and Googled 'shooting halibut'.  It looks as if a lot of the Alaskan pros on the commercial or charter boats use a 'Snake Charmer' stainless single-shot .410 shotgun.  I learn something every day.  And I also mis-remembered when you actually shoot the fish: lots of posts LOL'ing about shooting a hole in your boat, so best to do it alongside in the water.

Summer?
Alaska?

A freakin 12 gauge, whaddaya think

[Fly320s]

A freakin 12 gauge, whaddaya think

JHP or FMJ?

[Tuco]

JHP or FMJ?

Anything other than a shot load, because fishermen get really pissed when someone else does something like cut the line on a lunker by the boat.

I recall one winter day, with a 15 lb steelhead rolling alongside the boat.  My friend Ritchie (the *expletive deleted*ing guy) was standing at the rail with the long handled net, and says. "Tell me when you're ready"
"Keep your God dammned net away from my fish"  "Gimme that"  and I cleanly knocked the fish off the piug.

He had a good laugh, but at least we're still friends.

After floundering for an answer, I'll go off the board and say "non saboted slugs"

[mgdavis]

I've got my granddad's halibut gun. Stainless Single Six.

[Northwoods]

Winner!

I'm not getting that reference.

[Fly320s]

I'm not getting that reference.

I did it for the hell of it halibut.

[230RN]

Holy crap, a new area of knowledge has opened for me.  I had no idea how big they got:



Is that thing photoshopped or something?

When I was a little kid, Pop used to organize family fishing trips off NY.  I went along on a couple of them but we were only after small fish like flounders and the like, maybe a couple of miles offshore.  I can't imagine catching something that big.  Amazing.

Terry

[Northwoods]

Holy crap, a new area of knowledge has opened for me.  I had no idea how big they got:



Is that thing photoshopped or something?

When I was a little kid, Pop used to organize family fishing trips off NY.  I went along on a couple of them but we were only after small fish like flounders and the like, maybe a couple of miles offshore.  I can't imagine catching something that big.  Amazing.

Terry

Not Photoshoped.  Most aren't that big, but the definitely can be.  Average halibut in WA is probably 30-40lbs.  That fish is likely 200lbs+.

[BobR]

Holy crap, a new area of knowledge has opened for me.  I had no idea how big they got:



Is that thing photoshopped or something?

That's not even that big when talking BIG halibut

In an article about taking a 482 pound halibut in Alaskan waters.

A halibut only slightly smaller was landed by an angler using a rod and reel in the Atlantic Ocean off Norway last year. This fish measured 102 inches in length and weighed 515 pounds, the Huffington Post reported. It is believed to be the largest halibut ever caught on rod and reel.

http://www.adn.com/fishing/article/no-world-record-482-pound-halibut-caught-southeast-alaska-jaw-dropper/2014/07/07/


I was always a happy camper when I was able to catch a keeper (Pacific Halibut) when fishing San Diego Bay. At that time they had to be 22" and I seldom caught one big enough. That cold water must do something to those fish in those other places.

bob

[230RN]

I reckon I ain't going to try out my little 8 foot Eagle Claw fly rod on them.