HB 1/31, first 'butt on the jerkbait (pics)...

[Skyler]

My bro and I headed out to Huntington on saturday to try for that legal halibut that has somehow eluded me for the last year. Still didn't find him, but I did catch his little brother. About 16" or so...

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9527/1000865gk6.jpg

Stuck him on a Lucky Craft SP 112 in American shad. Missed another one as well. It was getting late, and my brother still didn't have any luck on the X-rap he was throwing, so we switched it up to the c-rigged fish crack and stuck a couple of perch before heading out. Kept these three and tossed a couple others back. The big one was 11"...

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7938/1000866fr4.jpg

All in all, a slow day, but I did learn quite a bit about working the stickbait in the surf. Tight lines.

-Skyler

[Troutman65]

Nice going Skyler . Thanks for the report.:Cool:

[fishshep]

Concrats. on the perch!!!
Good Eats!!!

[Ren714]

Congrats on your first hali!!

[bones]

Very nice indeed and a perch dinner on top of it.
Thanks for the report from down south. Just a suggestion........You might want to carry another pole with you and dropshot the same area you were tossing that hard bait at. My experience has been that sometimes when the flatties are not real aggressive and willing to come up off the bottom to hit a faster moving hard bait or kroc.....they are still there and a dropshot rig will entice them to hit.I always fan cast my hardbait or slow roll my kroc on the bottom and BEFORE moving anywhere I also dropshot the same area. That way you cover the top of the water column and the bottom with a different presentation. I'm no expert like a few of the seasoned surf guys but it has really been paying off for me.

Tight lines always to ya!

Now go get that legal!

[flyngby]

Skyler,

Nice outing in the surf!!!!

Been a while since I have seen a report.

Stop posting and go get that Legal!!!!!!

Steve

[Skyler]

Congrats on your first hali!!

Thanks. Not my first though. I've caught at least 30 now, NONE of them legal, lol!

Bones, thanks for the advice. Sounds like a good plan. The biggest halibut I've caught so far was a 21"er on a drop shot roboworm. Think I'll pick up some more gulp jerk shads.

[lurk 182]

Thanks. Not my first though. I've caught at least 30 now, NONE of them legal, lol!

just wondering if most people are experiencing a similar ratio of legals. do you guys think that its mostly juvenile fish in the shallow areas that are accessable from the shore? do you think people are eating anything that's legal, so those fish are being taken out of the equation? would anyone support an even bigger minimum size to legally take?

[JESSEJAMES]

youl get that biggun soon enough

[tacklejunkie]

Nice feesh.
Been a minute since I hit the surf.
Good work on the jerkbait. I'm sure you'll get a legal fishing those things sooner than later.

I have noticed tons of shorties versus legals but have not done much research on location besides a few select areas. I suspect there are spots out there with more legals than others.

Shorties usually don't bug me, I'm just out to have a good time..

[bones]

Thanks. Not my first though. I've caught at least 30 now, NONE of them legal, lol!

Bones, thanks for the advice. Sounds like a good plan. The biggest halibut I've caught so far was a 21"er on a drop shot roboworm. Think I'll pick up some more gulp jerk shads.


I have been killing it up north on good old zoom super flukes in white ice. They are only 4 bucks a bag and don't dry out like gulp products. Flukes also have a hook slot in the belly. I load that slot and the outside of the bait with smelly jelly in either bass feast or sardine flavor. The smelly jelly scent is like vasiline and stays on the bait very well and when the halibut hit the bait the scent on the inside of the bait probably squirts out and makes the halibut hold on for dear life so you can get a good hook set IMHO.At least that's my theory. Gulp stuff is cool but a little pricey and halibut are hard on baits. Once a gulp bait starts to dry out it's done and the bags leak all of the time. Not to mention I personally thing that gulp products smell like rotten ....errr.......ummm....I can't say it here....LOL
Even when my flukes get torn up I save them and mend them with a lighter or crazy glue.

[sidified]

No doubt with the ever-generous tips from Brother Bones, your 'bet management' skills can only improve--

Sid Page

[Skyler]

I have been killing it up north on good old zoom super flukes in white ice. They are only 4 bucks a bag and don't dry out like gulp products. Flukes also have a hook slot in the belly. I load that slot and the outside of the bait with smelly jelly in either bass feast or sardine flavor. The smelly jelly scent is like vasiline and stays on the bait very well and when the halibut hit the bait the scent on the inside of the bait probably squirts out and makes the halibut hold on for dear life so you can get a good hook set IMHO.At least that's my theory. Gulp stuff is cool but a little pricey and halibut are hard on baits. Once a gulp bait starts to dry out it's done and the bags leak all of the time. Not to mention I personally thing that gulp products smell like rotten ....errr.......ummm....I can't say it here....LOL
Even when my flukes get torn up I save them and mend them with a lighter or crazy glue.

That's funny. Before I ever saw this response, I picked up some Zoom Flukes in pearl white. They looked like they would do the trick on a D/S. Also picked up a few of those new holographic Crocs. Thanks for the info guys.

TJ, you said it. Tons of shorties out there. I enjoy catching them too, but I'd like to stick at least one legal this year for the table, he he. Also plan on going for leopard sharks this summer too.