How to Catch a Halibut

Halibuts are types of flatfish belonging to the family Pleuronectidae or the right-eye flounders. These fish have one eye on each side after birth, however, after a period of 6 months one eye migrates to the other side, giving it a flounder fish-like appearance. The halibut is the largest of all flatfish variety and live in both the North Atlantic as well as North Pacific Oceans. Weighing an average of about 11-13.5 kg, these fish are highly regarded as food fish. Its large size gives it the common title 'Cow of the Sea'. In the North Pacific, commercial halibut fishery can be traced back to the 19th century. Today, fisheries in the North Pacific are the most lucrative and largest ones in the region. In the US and Canadian waters of the North Pacific region, these halibuts are caught by longline fishing technique, wherein the bait (mostly octopus meat) are adhered to circular hooks at regular intervals.

When and where to find a halibut?
Halibut fishing has gained popularity in Alaska among residents and non-residents. This is because halibuts are considered to be great culinary investments. Capturing one massive halibut is tantamount to a year's frozen fish stock. People love taking home pounds of wonderful, boneless meat and distributing it to family and friends. According to a sportfish biologist (Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Soldotna) named Dave Nelson, the movements of the halibut are seasonal in nature. He states that these fish dwell in shallow waters to feed and in mid-July, they move into deeper waters. Moreover, in the month of August, further migration takes place into shallow waters. Halibut fishing can be done at any time of the year.

Homer in Alaska is known as 'Alaska's halibut capital'. Homer is a town that lies at the end of Sterling Highway and is the gateway to one of the richest bays in the world: Kachemak Bay. Homer is a laidback town occupied by fishermen and artists. Homer appeals to more adventurous type of people and is off the cruise circuit. The prime fishing region is only 40-80 minutes away from the harbor. Another prime halibut fishing location is Seward, which is a quaint seaside town featuring picturesque shops, bustling harbor and gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park.

How to catch a halibut
For halibut fishing, the different requirements are:

• Kayak or small boat
• Spinning reel (should hold a 10-pound test)
• A fishing pole with 6-foot spinning rod
• Tackle
• Tide chart
• Fish finder
• Sinkers and hooks
• Bait (predominant item of the area)

Step 1: The boat launching time is important, as it should be launched 2 hours before high tide or two hours after high tide. The next step is to get the fishing pole (region best known for fishing) ready. Stop the boat if it is drifting, and allow it to drift with the tide. In the absence of a tide, one will have to depend on the wind to drift the boat.

Step 2: One should use a red, single hook with size 6 treble hook stinger. This stinger is something like a trailing hook that is hooked into the rear end of the anchovy, so that in case the halibut does not bite its head, the behemoth can be captured by the stinger or trailing hook. Egg stinkers or drop loop systems can be used as weights to stay on the bottom. Lead head jigs with pieces of ghost shrimp, anchovy or crab meat work well.

Step 3: After hooking the bait and throwing it into the water, one should wait for the fish to bite. It is important to not jerk right away, so as to allow the bait to be firmly caught in the mouth. Moreover, since halibuts prefer drop off areas, it is advised to stay on the edge of the water body, near the drop offs. After waiting for 5-10 minutes, one can slowly lift the reel in one's bait.

These were some basic steps on how to catch a halibut. For myriad of years, halibuts have been important food sources and continue to remain a key constituent of subsistence economies. However, managing this halibut resource, in order to accommodate the competing interests of sport, commercial and actual users is a current issue. All these competing interests have spearheaded the depletion of halibut numbers in the Atlantic fishery. Considering the current scenario, halibut fishing should be avoided.