Strait Butts

[ThatGuyRyRy]

Anybody got any hints or tricks for rookie fishing for butts on the strait?

Scoping out the opener and thinking of heading to PA. Standard drifting gear. Additionally, is there any consistent pattern for baitfish holding in deeper water, like leeward side?

 

[Nick Clayton]

A large percentage of the people fishing butts in the straits are going to be anchored up with chum bags in the water, so keep that in mind when drifting. Won't make many friends if you're trying to drift through a cluster of boats, or better yet, drifting down current of them in their chum slick

I advocate for a simple setup. A tuna cord slider with a sliding lead to a two hook leader. I like Big River bait hooks, size 12/0 personally, but big octopus or even big circle hooks work great too. Spreader bars work, but are obnoxious and annoying and honestly pretty lame. A tuna cord slider works just as well, is cheap, and you can make as many as you need super quick. Shoot me a message if you want the run down on making a slider, I haven't been around much the last couple weeks but I'll try to check my messages.

As much lead as you need to stay on bottom. Not sure the typical depth on a lot of those banks on the straights but 1-2 lbs seems likely, depending on how comfortable you are using the kicker/main to control your drift and how deep you'll be fishing. When drifting you'll need to use a motor to insure you stay as vertical with your lines as possible. I like to keep my lines so that the lead maintains constant contact with the bottom as the boat bobs in the swell.

Just about anything works for bait but it's hard to beat large herring. Squid, mackerel, shad, pink belly, tuna belly, it all works, but for my money give me large herring any day. Usually run a large white grub/tail as well mostly just to have something present when you lose your bait. Nothing worse than having your bait robbed at depth and not realize you weren't fishing anything until you do a bait check.

As far as where to find them, I like to focus right on the slope of drop offs. Halibut love to hang out right at the edge of a drop off where current will push food down over the edge to them. Not necessarily super steep edges, but more those gradual sloping edges. I haven't fished the main banks on the straits much but when I've fished the western straits out of NB and Sekiu I've always tried to drift right along those edges and it has paid off often.

I think the guys soaking chum bags and sitting on the hook tend to do the best, but drifting and covering water can definitely produce fish.

I'd spend some time studying the charts and get a sense for the area you're going to fish, and see about drifting those edges. Also pay attention to current charts. Strong tidal currents will make staying on top your lines much more difficult. Also be sure to fish through the whole tide including slack. Halibut are one fish, especially in the straits, that can go on and off the bite based on the tide.

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

Thabks for the wealth of info @Nick Clayton.

Didn't know about the tuna cord rig but it sounds great. Do you run a breakaway line to your weight or run jigs as the weight?

 

[Nick Clayton]

Some people will attach their lead via a small loop of lighter mono as a break away, but I don't personally. Just doesn't seem to work as intended super well. I just snap the lead directly to a large McMahon type snap, or a heavy snap swivel like you'd see on a downrigger.

Here's a picture of a very crude drawing lol.

Length of tuna cord with a large swivel on each end. Overhand knot a ways up on each side, just to limit the amount of travel the lead will slide. I tie mine so the lead can move 8-10" or so. Heavy snap/swivel in the middle where lead attaches and can slide freely between the overhand knots. One swivel on the tuna cord goes to mainline, other end gets the leader to the hooks.

 

[Russell]

Never really fished for butts when I was in WA but feel a little spoiled here in CA. Mostly fishing them in 12-30' of water and 2-4oz usually does the trick. Catching most of them on a rubber tail jig. Not the largest down here but eat just as well.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Never really fished for butts when I was in WA but feel a little spoiled here in CA. Mostly fishing them in 12-30' of water and 2-4oz usually does the trick. Catching most of them on a rubber tail jig. Not the largest down here but eat just as well.

Always thought that looked like a really fun fishery.

I dont think I'd be super into our halibut fishery if we got to do it a ton, but for a handful of days a year I highly enjoy it. Heavy gear, heavy lead, meat fishing. I enjoy it for what it is. Especially if I get to do it in relatively shallow water.....say less than 300 FOW.

In Westport we are generally fishing 500-800'. At those depths I'm quite happy to be running the boat and not on the rod.

 

[Russell]

Don't quote me on regs but I belive our halibut season is year round. They are just showing up in the SF bay and they will be in numbers all summer. Live bait early is the trick but when it warms up they aggessively hit jigs and sardines trolled/bounced behind a 1lb weight. Salmon gear works fine for this fishery. legal size is I think 22" Most meat that but there are some nice ones out there.

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

Some people will attach their lead via a small loop of lighter mono as a break away, but I don't personally. Just doesn't seem to work as intended super well. I just snap the lead directly to a large McMahon type snap, or a heavy snap swivel like you'd see on a downrigger.

Here's a picture of a very crude drawing lol.

Length of tuna cord with a large swivel on each end. Overhand knot a ways up on each side, just to limit the amount of travel the lead will slide. I tie mine so the lead can move 8-10" or so. Heavy snap/swivel in the middle where lead attaches and can slide freely between the overhand knots. One swivel on the tuna cord goes to mainline, other end gets the leader to the hooks.

View attachment 10382

Thank you!

 

[Paige]

I can attest to Nick's statement to fishing the slopes and edges, I have caught 3(only landed1) Halibut fishing for lingcod, all were on the edge, where I expected to find the lingers. All 3 on swimbaits!

I hope to be out in area 9 this coming opener, we will see what the weather deals us!

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

I hope to be out in area 9 this coming opener, we will see what the weather deals us!

Seems like the forecast is changing every hour right now. I fished 7 once last year and didn't catch a single thing all day. Did get my first three out in Sekiu while actually targeting them, so I'm hopeful.

 

[clarkman]

A large percentage of the people fishing butts in the straits are going to be anchored up with chum bags in the water, so keep that in mind when drifting. Won't make many friends if you're trying to drift through a cluster of boats, or better yet, drifting down current of them in their chum slick

I advocate for a simple setup. A tuna cord slider with a sliding lead to a two hook leader. I like Big River bait hooks, size 12/0 personally, but big octopus or even big circle hooks work great too. Spreader bars work, but are obnoxious and annoying and honestly pretty lame. A tuna cord slider works just as well, is cheap, and you can make as many as you need super quick. Shoot me a message if you want the run down on making a slider, I haven't been around much the last couple weeks but I'll try to check my messages.

As much lead as you need to stay on bottom. Not sure the typical depth on a lot of those banks on the straights but 1-2 lbs seems likely, depending on how comfortable you are using the kicker/main to control your drift and how deep you'll be fishing. When drifting you'll need to use a motor to insure you stay as vertical with your lines as possible. I like to keep my lines so that the lead maintains constant contact with the bottom as the boat bobs in the swell.

Just about anything works for bait but it's hard to beat large herring. Squid, mackerel, shad, pink belly, tuna belly, it all works, but for my money give me large herring any day. Usually run a large white grub/tail as well mostly just to have something present when you lose your bait. Nothing worse than having your bait robbed at depth and not realize you weren't fishing anything until you do a bait check.

As far as where to find them, I like to focus right on the slope of drop offs. Halibut love to hang out right at the edge of a drop off where current will push food down over the edge to them. Not necessarily super steep edges, but more those gradual sloping edges. I haven't fished the main banks on the straits much but when I've fished the western straits out of NB and Sekiu I've always tried to drift right along those edges and it has paid off often.

I think the guys soaking chum bags and sitting on the hook tend to do the best, but drifting and covering water can definitely produce fish.

I'd spend some time studying the charts and get a sense for the area you're going to fish, and see about drifting those edges. Also pay attention to current charts. Strong tidal currents will make staying on top your lines much more difficult. Also be sure to fish through the whole tide including slack. Halibut are one fish, especially in the straits, that can go on and off the bite based on the tide.

speaking of chum slicks....how about getting one going to see if we can get a mako to our tuna boat next year?

I'm kidding.....mostly.

 

[Nick Clayton]

speaking of chum slicks....how about getting one going to see if we can get a mako to our tuna boat next year?

I'm kidding.....mostly.

Haha This is definitely doable and something I've thought a lot about. The biggest downside is that one would probably realistically need to dedicate a decent chunk of time to such an endeavor, which is hard to justify on an expensive offshore trip of any sort.

 

[clarkman]

The biggest downside is that one would probably realistically need to dedicate a decent chunk of time to such an endeavor, which is hard to justify on an expensive offshore trip of any sort.

therein lies the problem...

 

[Dr. Magill]

Always thought that looked like a really fun fishery.

I dont think I'd be super into our halibut fishery if we got to do it a ton, but for a handful of days a year I highly enjoy it. Heavy gear, heavy lead, meat fishing. I enjoy it for what it is. Especially if I get to do it in relatively shallow water.....say less than 300 FOW.

In Westport we are generally fishing 500-800'. At those depths I'm quite happy to be running the boat and not on the rod.

That’s a lot of reeling

 

[Nick Clayton]

That’s a lot of reeling

Indeed it is! Many folks like electric reels for those depths, but personally I can't stand em.

That sort of fishing is fun in its own way, but I find that I have to look at it a bit differently than other fishing. To me that's a harvest trip. Fill the freezer with plenty of white meat. It's one of the only trips where it can be referred to as "catching" and not just fishing. Last year we focused on an area that was around 500', so it wasn't TOO bad. The other fun thing is that out there at that depth you just never know what you're gonna bring up.

 

[Dr. Magill]

Indeed it is! Many folks like electric reels for those depths, but personally I can't stand em.

That sort of fishing is fun in its own way, but I find that I have to look at it a bit differently than other fishing. To me that's a harvest trip. Fill the freezer with plenty of white meat. It's one of the only trips where it can be referred to as "catching" and not just fishing. Last year we focused on an area that was around 500', so it wasn't TOO bad. The other fun thing is that out there at that depth you just never know what you're gonna bring up.

Yes
I’ve done it a few times
I enjoyed it but I’m good

 

[headduck]

Nick pretty much nailed it on the PA game
... with the chum guys anchored on the flats as well. You'll see the folks out there and find your spot.

The fog can get thick that time if year. Not sure if you have radar but check the web cams first.

John Beath at halibut chronicles has great resources and gear examples too.

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

Well my butt day isn't going to happen. Weather window is closed on Friday. Going to try to take advantage of Thursday though down south for some bm in the sun

 

[SilverFly]

Indeed it is! Many folks like electric reels for those depths, but personally I can't stand em.

That sort of fishing is fun in its own way, but I find that I have to look at it a bit differently than other fishing. To me that's a harvest trip. Fill the freezer with plenty of white meat. It's one of the only trips where it can be referred to as "catching" and not just fishing. Last year we focused on an area that was around 500', so it wasn't TOO bad. The other fun thing is that out there at that depth you just never know what you're gonna bring up.

I've done the deep drop thing with electrics out of Garibaldi a few times (and have yet to catch - or even see a halibut). I thought it was cool from a gear/tech standpoint, but boring as hell from a fishing perspective - but totally get the meat hunt aspect. The thought has occurred to me there might be a more sporting way using relatively light test Spectra line on a two speed conventional reel with a high retrieve gear. 30# Tuffline cuts through water like a razor blade through melted butter. Possibly even well enough to allow using sacrificial concrete weights (cheap and environmentally safe). Doubt I try at the 1,000 foot spot we explored once but might not be too punishing at 500 or less?

 

[Cabezon]

Don't quote me on regs but I belive our halibut season is year round. They are just showing up in the SF bay and they will be in numbers all summer. Live bait early is the trick but when it warms up they aggessively hit jigs and sardines trolled/bounced behind a 1lb weight. Salmon gear works fine for this fishery. legal size is I think 22" Most meat that but there are some nice ones out there.

Hi Russell,
While they share the common epithet "halibut", there are actually two different species. The California halibut, which is most common south of San Francisco, is Paralichthys californicus. Fish reach a maximum size of 60" and 72 pounds (and 30ish years old) and migrate inshore in spring to estuaries to breed. The larvae and first-year juveniles use bays and estuaries as nurseries. California halibut include both left-handed and right-handed individuals (left-side up or right-side up).
The Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis, is most common in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea with smaller populations off B.C., WA, Oregon, and into Northern California. This species reaches a maximum length of 9 feet and 500 pounds; fish can live for 50+ years. They are primarily found (and fished) along the continental shelf. In contrast to California halibut, Pacific halibut migrate into deeper waters at the edge of the continental shelf to breed in winter and then migrate to shallower feeding grounds in summer. The larvae are carried currents throughout the Gulf of Alaska. Pacific halibut are right-sided.
Steve