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bsp
12-27-2009, 10:18 PM
So you want to catch halibut from the surf?......

Well so do a lot of people!

That said, it's a good thing that you are interested in it, and I hope you find this enlightening!

What this article is and aims to do:

This article is meant to be a very solid introduction to catching halibut from the surf. It is not meant to be the be all end all surf halibut writeup. My hope is that by reading this, you can get to the point where you can consistently catch halibut from the beach if you never fished for them before.

I'll state right now that I am not a halibut expert. I consider myself to be on the better part of decent. The title of expert or master belongs to several other guys who you will figure out by their reports, and the guys who figured out how to catch a lot of halibut from the sand in the first place. To name some of them (in alphabetical order), bones, Jerry G, Raymond from Fishing25, Sinjin Kim, and Wingnut. There are definitely others that aren't publicly visible, but I've never had the chance to talk/email with them. All of these guys listed have helped me (and many others) quite a bit, and deserve a lot of appreciation for teaching people to catch halibut from the surf! Thanks guys!

Back to the article!

Basic facts:

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Also known as Paralichthys californicus, halibut are one of the most pursued game fish by SoCal surf fishermen for a few reasons. Namely, they will readily strike artificial lures, grow relatively large, put up a good fight, and taste delicious!

The legal size is 22 inches, so anything shorter has to go back. Bring a measuring tape and you're good to go. Also, the concentration of halibut below legal size, aka pancakes or shorties, will be greater than that of legals in the surf. Don't be disappointed if you catch 20 shorts before you get your first legal! You are doing the right thing, so keep at it and the legal will show up soon. That being said, certain techniques will catch more legals than shorts by virtue, and this conveniently leads us to the gear and lure breakdown.

Halibut fishing can be divided into two main styles: Reaction bait fishing with jerkbaits, and finesse fishing with soft plastics. The gear for each along with technique follows:

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Jerkbait rod: I currently use a 7'6" Phenix X-12 Crankbait rod because I personally like the extra casting distance and greater power it gives. I used to use a 7' X-10 and caught a lot of fish on it including my personal best 28.5in, so as long as you have a moderate or mod-fast rod to prevent the hooks from tearing out you're good to go. I chose Phenixs for the high quality at the price point, but there are a lot of choices if you move up or down in price. Just look at crankbait rods rated for 10lb-20lb or 8-17lb and 1/4oz-1oz.

Jerkbait Reel: Keep in mind you're looking for a slow and steady retrieve with your LC, and the 5:1 does that best. You can crank at a normal speed, and the lure will move at just the right pace. Round or low profile, your preference. Don't worry about raw power. Modern round and low profile reels from Daiwa, Abu Garcia, and Shimano are plenty powerful in any gear ratio. You might want to upgrade the drags on the older Daiwas to Carbontex, but that's about it. I use a Daiwa Luna, but go with a reel that fits your budget. 7:1 is an option too, but I don't see the point. I've used them and it's fun to have warp speed, but 5:1 makes it easier to maintain the correct speed.

Jerkbait Line: 12lb-14lb mono/fluoro or 50lb-65lb braid. Any name brand line is good. Fluoro/Mono/Braid have different applications, so figure out what you want. Braid makes the jerkbaits run shallower, no stretch, and great pulling power to muscle fish away from kelp and rocks, but is expensive initially. It lasts a long time though. Fluoro makes them run deeper and has little stretch, but can get really expensive since you have to replace it after a few trips. Mono stretches so the hooks probably won't pull out, and it's really cheap. Line visibility doesn't matter to halibut on the reaction baits, so that's why I didn't mention it. Most guys use mono or fluoro with good results. If I could afford it, I would always spool up with Seaguar Invis-X, but I generally go with Izorline XXX or P-Line CXX since I can cheaply change them often.

Reaction lures: The Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110 (aka the LC) is by and large the most popular and IMO effective jerkbait out there. It has a great action when slow rolled, and comes in lots of colors for you tackle addicts. Most of the colors will catch fish, but it's always a smart idea to stick to ones that mimic baitfish. The gold standard was Metallic Sardine, but Zebra Sardine, American Shad, and Aurora Black are some good ones to pick up too. A few other hardbaits to experiment with if you don't want to drop the bills on the LCs are the Rapala XR-10 and Daiwa DB Minnows. All jerkbaits should be retrieved slow and steady. That is all. Simple, but very effective. Maybe throw in a twitch or speed up the retrieve once in a while too to see if the halibut want it like that. There are other jerkbaits you can use for more specialized techniques, but since this is an introduction I won't get into that.

Dropshotting brings you into a whole new world of stuff.

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Dropshot/3in swimbait rod and reel: I use a Phenix 706M and Stradic 2500 and have never had any problems with them. Caught several legals with this setup, and the rod pulled them away from kelp and boiler rocks perfectly. No lack of power here. For generic specs, look at 7'-7'6 Medium power fast action dropshot rods rated 6-12lb and 1/8oz-1/2oz with a 2500 size spinning reel. Just make sure it has some backbone. 8lb fluorocarbon for your lure because this will make the dropshot lure swim a lot better. I've never used 10lb fluorocarbon to dropshot myself, but it's an option. Seaguar Invis-X or another mid range (ie $18-$20 a spool) fluorocarbon is what you want here. No Berkley Vanish!

Dropshot Lures: Stick with baitfish imitating plastics like Zoom Flukes or Super Flukes on a size 4, 2, or 2/0 straight shank hooks, and 2/0 or 4/0 offset wide gap hooks depending on how you rig it and the size of the bait. Berkley, Basstrix, and Bass Assassin make some good products too. Use the straight shank for threading the plastic on with the hook exposed, and the wide gaps if you are rigging it weedless. Conditions dictate which to use, but basically if there's a lot of junk in the water go weedless. Otherwise, thread the plastic on there with the hook exposed. Complete the rig with a 3/8oz dropshot weight set up just like you would for bass and you're set. The distance between the hook and weight depends on the conditions. If there's a lot of structure near the bottom (rocks/eelgrass) go with enough distance so the lure is suspending a little above that. If it's clear, 1ft-18in is fine. I try to never go longer than 2ft when I am fishing from shore unless I absolutely have to, but that's personal preference. Remember to experiment!

Other plastics work too, so try to see if you can find your own hot, new bait. Bounce it off the bottom and experiment with a fast or slow retrieve, letting it stay in one place for a little while, how much do you bounce it, how far, drag it for a while, and all around experiment to see what the fish want. For swimbaits, 3in Pearl or Big Hammers on a 1/4oz to 3/8oz lead head (big waves) with a slow wind on the bottom and occasional hop can knock them dead too.

The differences: As a basic rule of thumb, LCs will catch fewer but larger halibut than the dropshot rig. You do get tiny shorts attacking the LC or wide open LC bites, but those don't happen too often. Dropshotting is a lot more thorough, and halibut will bite the dropshot when they ignore the LC. This was demonstrated to me in early 2009 after I worked an area with an LC, and was about to move on when I saw something lying in the sand about 10yds away. I ran the LC by it a few times, and still nothing. I moved a closer and saw about a 3ft halibut lying there. It definitely didn't want my LC, but I tossed the dropshot rig in front of it and got a bite instantly! The line broke a minute later (I cranked down the drag), but it illustrates that you can miss big fish if you don't work an area with both techniques. A good way to work an area is to use the LC to pick off aggressive fish, and then dropshot the same area to find the rest of them. You can also just toss the LC, but realize that that can lead to the skunk.

Basically, go with what you like, but change it up if it's not working.

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Halibut Weather: You can catch halibut when the weather is downright freezing in the middle of December, and when it's an beautiful beach day in August. Halibut will be in the shallow surf environment if the water is warm enough (high fifties to mid sixties seems to be good), there are baitfish present for them to feed on, if the waves are low enough for them to feed comfortably, and if there is structure for them to ambush prey from.

While the mentality of go fishing when you can is the one I follow most often, when I have the luxury of a number of days to fish on I'll choose the warmest. This is really about my comfort, but I've noticed that halibut like warmer weather when they come in shallow. A warming trend during the week can trigger halibut to feed shallow when they otherwise would be out deeper. Look for warming trends and you should be good to go. If you can't pick and choose when to fish, hit the beach anyways! You might be rewarded with a killer bite.
An interesting trend to note is that the while the quantity of halibut is lower in the winter months, the quality is much higher. You may only get 2 or 3 fish, but they will probably be legals while compared to the summer you could catch 10 or more fish in a day and they will probably be shorts.

Tides: Some spots are best at hightide and others are best at lowtide. Really. There is no "best" tide to fish for halibut because it all depends on where you are. This all goes back to experimenting (noticing a trend here?) to find what conditions are best for the particular spot you want to fish.

Other Natural Occurences: Under this umbrella fall two phenomenons that make halibut fishermen very happy: Grunion runs and the spawn. While grunion have an interesting history in their own right, all you as a halibut fisherman has to know about them is that a grunion run means hundreds of silver baitfish suddenly come to beach themselves at certain times of the year. Needless to say, halibut really like grunion, and it's usually a smart bet that a grunion run will bring very good surf fishing as halibut stack up in the shallows to feed. Opinions are split as to what's the best time to fish a grunion run (before/after/during). I'm personally an after kind of angler, but my friends that have fished during have racked up some impressive fish. Pick what works best for you, but be sure to fish around the time of grunion runs!

I mention the spawn because that's the traditional start of surf halibut season. Halibut spawn sometime in the spring (March/April), and the only time to know is to get out and fish. Halibut will start showing up in greater numbers in the shallows, and correspondingly you'll notice that you'll be catching more fish than you did in the winter months. Big fish come in shallow in greater numbers than usual to spawn, so be aware that you may catch or see some very large fish during this time.

Please let them go if you are fortunate enough to catch one!

Finding halibut: Find sandy areas with low waves, fan cast to structure, and you should feel that halibut headshake before long. Structure could be a rip current, a trough, a bowl, a kelp bed, boiler rocks, a jetty, or anything that alters the underwater landscape and creates ambush points for halibut. If you see bait boiling, cast to it! That screams predator fish. Birds are also a good indicator. How do you find these areas? Time on the beach. Walk your local beaches, and try to pin down a few areas that look like this. Don't be afraid to drive and walk a lot! Scouting areas at a minus tide is a good bet too if you want to see what the structure in the area looks like.

"But... what if I don't want to put in that effort" you might be saying to yourself? Well, you definitely aren't going to find your own honey hole loaded with fat legals that way, but if you feel like going somewhere that almost always holds halibut try the Long Beach area. It's really pressured, but it's ideal halibut habitat (sandy and low waves). The beach around the 72nd street jetty is where a lot of guys have caught their first halibut (me included), and you'll likely see other halibut hunters working the beach. It's a great place to learn and experiment with new techniques, so it's not a bad first spot. Once you get comfortable, you can move on to finding your own spots. You can catch halibut from shore from Santa Barbara county down to SD county, so go get them!

The Hookset: As soon as you feel a hit, set the hook HARD. Halibut have really tough mouths, so slam those hooks home. After the initial set though, don't use a lot of rod pumps like you would use on tuna. In case you didn't get a good set, short rod pumps will rip the hooks right out. This is more of a problem with the LC where you sometimes hook the fish outside the mouth on the head, or just get one treble hook in the jaw bone. With the dropshot and swimbait, you usually get a good lip hook. Just reel in quick and keep reeling until the fish takes drag, and lift up slowly and smoothly if the fish seems like it's stuck. Shorts you can bring to the beach in no time by just winding like crazy after you get bit.

Landing Halibut: Just pull small fish up onto the beach. With larger fish though, this can get tricky. If you think the fish is a legal, then you have two choices. The first is to beach the fish in time with the waves. Wait for a wave to come in, and back up the beach to pull the halibut up with the wave. Then rush down when it's stranded and lip grip it or tail grab it (they are slippery). The second option is if the fish is very large or not hooked well. Sometimes really big halibut just refuse to come in, or the fish only has one treble in it's mouth and it could toss the lure with a headshake when it's beached. Take your lip gripper, wade out to the halibut's approximate area, pull the fish under the water toward you by reeling or using your rod, and lip grip it. Make sure you have the strap around your hand, or else when the fish thrashes you could lose the tool and the fish! Then wade back to shore.

I caught one so now what: Tape it! Close the halibut's mouth, measure from the closed mouth to the end of the tail, make sure the tape is perfectly flat and visible, and snap a picture. If it's short, it goes back now. If it's 22in or bigger, you got yourself a legal! Use your pliers to avoid getting hooks in your hand when you free your lure. Halibut love shaking their heads and flopping when they are beached (thus spraying sand everywhere), and having LC hooks in your hand hurts a lot. Trust me. Use your pliers and lip gripping tool, and you should be fine. Avoid keeping tension on the line so the LC doesn't become a hooked missile if the halibut does a headshake and unhooks itself.

While I follow the SWAT code and mainly CPR my legals (read reports in the Surf Fishing forum if you don't know what SWAT is!), you have to decide if you want to keep it or let it go. I recommend always releasing your personal best halibut (ie if you've only caught 20in fish and you get a 25in let it go). I've kept a few 22in-24in fish for dinner, so feel free to. The reason I stick with that slot is the larger fish are big breeding females, and to preserve the resource you want to let those go.

Handling the fish:

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Lipping the halibut with your lip gripping tool is the best way to go, but the other good way to hold it is by the tail like my friend Big Steve here is doing. If its a bigger fish, hold it by the tail and use your other hand to support the body. The other main thing is to,

NEVER STICK YOUR HANDS IN THE GILLS OR GILL PLATE!

That seriously injures the fish because you are touching its gills (ie its lungs), and there is no good reason to do that to a fish you plan to release. Also, if you bring a net, don't bring the knotted nylon variety. This will destroy the fishes tail and allow an infection called tail rot to set in. That basically kills the fish, so don't do it. The halibut will thank you, and may just come back as a legal or your personal best later on.

Other Important Info:

Clean your reels after every trip. This means a complete tear down if they got wet or sand on them at all. Re-grease and Re-Oil EVERYTHING to keep it in top working order. At a minimum rinse your reels off in freshwater.

Scent your lures. It might make a difference. Uni Butter, Smelly Jelly, and Pro Cure are all good.

Buy a high quality lipping tool!

Halibut have very sharp teeth, and you do not want to stick your hand in there to grab the fish. Tools like the Lipper 26 or Boga Grip will allow you to safely handle any size halibut. Pliers are a must to remove hooks so your fingers don't get anywhere near the halibut teeth.

Carrying your gear: Also, you might be wondering how you carry your extra rod. The easiest is to buy a 3rd Grip Pole Holster. A 3rd Grip straps onto your leg and keeps your rod out of the way as you cast and fish.

Going along with carrying the rod, you can easily carry the rest of your gear with a small backpack or chest pack. A fishing vest works too, but I'm not really a fan of those. I think the basic backpack is more convenient. You can also stick your extra rod in your backpack for easy transport if you don't want a 3rd Grip.

A water proof Plano or Pelican case will keep your cell phone, camera, and wallet safe. Waterproof cameras are pretty affordable, so if you have the cash you might want to buy one.

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More Useful Items:

Polarized sunglasses help a lot with spotting structure and fish, so bring yours. If not, buy a pair. They are worth it because of how they cut glare and let you see under the water. Even though it looks kind of lame, one of those straps that you put on your glasses to stop them from falling off is a good idea. I lost a pair of polarized prescription aviators this summer, so I bought one of the floating straps right after. It's already done its job. Definitely worth $10.

Safety:

Don't wade out if it's dangerous (once waves start getting taller than you it's a good time to stop). Know your surroundings, like the location of underwater boilers that you can trip on. Have an escape route for when a rogue wave shows up. Know when to rush a wave and bounce over it, and know when retreat (ie RUN TO SHORE) is a perfectly valid option.

Check the water quality online at the beach you plan to fish. Most beaches have high bacteria levels after it rains (wait a week for it to clear up) or if they are near a river mouth. Don't risk an infection!

If you wear waders have a VERY sharp knife immediately accessible in case you get rolled by a wave or caught in a riptide, your waders fill up, and you need to cut them off to avoid drowning. God willing it never happens, but be prepared for it.

This argues for having friends with you at all times too, but that's not always possible. When you are by yourself and fishing remote areas, be especially careful and remember that help is not close by.

Always keep your personal safety in mind!

To use waders or not: You see a lot of guys in waders, and they do keep you warm and dry for the most part. I prefer wetsuits since I usually end up getting soaked (I like to wade out really far), and you don't have to worry about the wetsuit filling up with water. You get some weird looks walking around the beach in a wetsuit holding a fishing rod, but you're fishing so who cares! Waders do keep you dry if you don't wade out far in high surf... so for the vast majority of surf fisherman they are a good choice.

Since I don't wear waders, I can't offer too much personal experience into what to look for, but the rest of the SWAT guys (except for JerryG! Go boardshorts!) generally favor breathable, stocking foot waders (Hodgman and Simms). Reinforced knees are good if you can find them.

Also keep in mind your personal cold tolerance. I can comfortably run around in boardshorts with either a wetsuit jacket or rashguard from February to November. December and January see me wear a springsuit with wetsuit jacket on top.

Choose what is most comfortable for you.

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Footwear: I cannot stress this one enough. If you have boot foot waders, then you already have your shoes. If you have stocking foots, then wear booties (dive booties or surf booties) over them and you're set. For everybody else, you're in the same boat I am. I still am looking for the perfect pair of surf/wading shoes to do this, and will let you know when I find them. The best ones so far are the Simms sandals (most grippy on rocks) and the cheap surf shoes you find at Target (don't rub feet raw). I have thrashed my feet enough times to know. They're the bottom two pairs in the picture.

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You may be wondering why I am not saying barefoot, and that's because there's too much stuff out there. Sting rays, broken glass, needles, and really sharp rocks are all over our beaches. Good footwear will protect you. You can go barefoot on some beaches, but footwear is generally a good idea.

Conclusion:

I sincerely hope that this has helped you learn more about catching halibut from the beach. It's my favorite form of surf fishing, and I like sharing what I've learned with others. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, and please comment on this article with suggestions or your own experiences.

Post up some reports with your halibut catches from the beach! That's why you brought the camera!

Tight lines,

Marc aka bsp

GeordyBass
12-27-2009, 10:23 PM
Thanks for the info!

bsp
12-28-2009, 11:25 AM
Added a some more info! I'll get pix up soon.

Just an interesting fact. I saved this as a word document, and it took up 6 full pages and a little bit. Wonder how long it will be when I add pix. :LOL:

Fire Ball
12-28-2009, 12:39 PM
Thanks for the guide. I could sure use this!

Wingnut
12-28-2009, 07:15 PM
Excellent write up Marc... you have learned well. :Cool:

The Force is strong in you... :Big Grin:

bsp
12-28-2009, 08:31 PM
FB, glad it helped!

Arthur, coming from you those words mean a lot. Thank you for helping me reach the point where I could write this article.

Also, as I was adding a few things (organized better+few more sections), I found that FNN's post count limit is 20,000 characters. :EyePop: Didn't know this would be so long. I'll see tomorrow if it lets me add pictures.

Fire Ball
12-28-2009, 09:08 PM
The bit about your waders filling up with water and drowning is incorrect if you don't mind me saying. It is a myth. Your waders will fill up with water and then you will just be neutrally buoyant, because the water in the waders and outside is the same weight. It will just be hard for you to walk around out of the water because it will be really heavy after, but you won't be dragged under or anything.

Did you just add that about the waders? I don't remember reading it before, but I read it now.

gavin310
12-28-2009, 09:35 PM
Just want to clear something up...

"Then rush down when it's stranded and lip it or tail grab it (they are slippery)."

When he says "lip it" I'm assuming he means using a lip grip tool. DON'T stick your fingers in its mouth if it's a bigger halibut. I'd say with anything over 16" you're asking for trouble. I tried to lip a legal sized halibut with my hand once, and right after I grabbed it, I noticed a bunch of sharp pointy white teeth. As soon as I noticed those, it clamped down onto my thumb and after I got it off (which took about 10 seconds) I was bleeding for about 30 minutes. Halibut have VERY powerful jaws.

bsp
12-28-2009, 09:38 PM
The bit about your waders filling up with water and drowning is incorrect if you don't mind me saying. It is a myth. Your waders will fill up with water and then you will just be neutrally buoyant, because the water in the waders and outside is the same weight. It will just be hard for you to walk around out of the water because it will be really heavy after, but you won't be dragged under or anything.

Did you just add that about the waders? I don't remember reading it before, but I read it now.

You are correct about being neutral, but you want to be buoyant. When you get rolled by a rogue set and you suddenly find yourself underwater in about 8' and keep getting knocked around, or if you trip on a large rock and get slapped by wave thus falling, neutral buoyancy is very bad. It means you have to exert much more energy to stay afloat. Also, if you get knocked down and get pulled by a riptide, you don't want to be swimming with waders. Cutting your waders free and becoming positively buoyant increases your chances of survival.

The risk isn't a major one if you have neoprene waders because they are buoyant, and it's unlikely the waders will get filled up with well fitting waders and a waist belt. Still, you really don't want to underestimate the risk. People have drowned in all the situations I described above without waders, and I bet more would if they didn't have slight positive buoyancy helping them out.

I added that in there because I personally believe a lot of guys don't have as much respect for the ocean as they should. A little warning informs them, and if they are aware of the risk they can deal with it in the rare even it happens.

Thanks for the comment though! Like I said, I do appreciate any and all feedback.

gavin, I'll clarify that and add grip. I use lip grip everywhere else, so I don't know why I forgot there. After seeing what about a 30in halibut did to Wingnut's hand, I wouldn't forget about their teeth :Shocked:. Thank you for finding that potentially harmful typo!

Fire Ball
12-28-2009, 09:48 PM
You are correct about being neutral, but you want to be buoyant. When you get rolled by a rogue set and you suddenly find yourself underwater in about 8' and keep getting knocked around, or if you trip on a large rock and get slapped by wave thus falling, neutral buoyancy is very bad. It means you have to exert much more energy to stay afloat. Also, if you get knocked down and get pulled by a riptide, you don't want to be swimming with waders. Cutting your waders free and becoming positively buoyant increases your chances of survival.

The risk isn't a major one if you have neoprene waders because they are buoyant, and it's unlikely the waders will get filled up with well fitting waders and a waist belt. Still, you really don't want to underestimate the risk. People have drowned in all the situations I described above without waders, and I bet more would if they didn't have slight positive buoyancy helping them out.

I added that in there because I personally believe a lot of guys don't have as much respect for the ocean as they should. A little warning informs them, and if they are aware of the risk they can deal with it in the rare even it happens.

Thanks for the comment though! Like I said, I do appreciate any and all feedback.

gavin, I'll clarify that and add grip. I use lip grip everywhere else (and warn about teeth), so I don't know why I forgot to there. Thank you for finding that typo!

Yes, swimming against a current with waders is bad. The water in the waders is neutrally buoyant, but you are still positively buoyant, because you are wearing the wader, right? It is just like having normal water around you. I don't know about other waders, but mine just have velcro straps so they are easy to take off. Probably easier than cutting! Good guide nonetheless, but I don't recommend the knife.

bsp
12-28-2009, 10:10 PM
FB, I've decided it really isn't worth arguing this point. I appreciate the comments since they do help others make their own decisions, but this is one of these things that I feel is better to err on the side of caution. Glad you like the guide, and I am looking forward to your first halibut report! :Big Grin:

Fire Ball
12-28-2009, 10:29 PM
FB, I've decided it really isn't worth arguing this point. I appreciate the comments since they do help others make their own decisions, but this is one of these things that I feel is better to err on the side of caution. Glad you like the guide, and I am looking forward to your first halibut report! :Big Grin:

The next step is to actually use the info from the guide! I don't know when the next time I will hit the surf will be. Probably once I get my drivers license...

bsp
12-28-2009, 10:34 PM
The next step is to actually use the info from the guide! I don't know when the next time I will hit the surf will be. Probably once I get my drivers license...

Let me know when you go, and I will try to point you in the right direction. :Cool:

Spring is traditionally when the halibut bite goes full tilt, so you have a little while. Good luck with the license test!

Fire Ball
12-28-2009, 10:41 PM
Let me know when you go, and I will try to point you in the right direction. :Cool:

Spring is traditionally when the halibut bite goes full tilt, so you have a little while. Good luck with the license test!

Thanks. I will hopefully get my license next month. I can't wait for spring for bass. I didn't know that halibut fishing was great in spring too! I just wished I lived closer to the surf! It is a lot harder to drive an hour to the beach then just head up to Castaic 10 to 15 minutes away.

I am going to use my bass gear in the surf like I did once before. I messed up my baitcaster in the surf last time, lol. Time to pick up an LC. All I have is a Rapala.

bsp
12-30-2009, 02:54 PM
Pics are up!

Rakie
01-13-2010, 09:57 AM
BSP, this is absolutely amazing.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to put up a comprehensive post full of great insight and wisdom. This knowledge surely has and will continue to educate aspiring surf fisherman for awhile to come.

I can't tell you how many times I wanted to go to the shore and throw Rapalas when I was younger, everyone told me I was crazy and it wouldn't produce anything. I don't have the gear to land a big flattie anyways, 6# test for hard baits on a ML 7' 4-12# rod, seems a little underpowered. If I were pushing at least 8# id give it a go.

Course I don't have any type of Fish Gripper... Everything I've caught, I've lipped. :)


Tight lines.

bsp
01-15-2010, 01:14 PM
Glad you like it! When I got into halibut fishing, there really weren't any good articles or information out there on how to catch them from shore. I hope this helps you stick some.

You could definitely use that rod for dropshotting sandy, clam beaches without any boiler rocks or kelp, but be aware that if you try using it near structure you'll probably get rocked.

As for a fish gripper, I think Lipper makes one called the Econo-Lipper for $20 that'll work well. Don't try to lip halibut! You'll get really hurt.

Rakie
01-17-2010, 03:17 PM
Glad you like it! When I got into halibut fishing, there really weren't any good articles or information out there on how to catch them from shore. I hope this helps you stick some.

You could definitely use that rod for dropshotting sandy, clam beaches without any boiler rocks or kelp, but be aware that if you try using it near structure you'll probably get rocked.

As for a fish gripper, I think Lipper makes one called the Econo-Lipper for $20 that'll work well. Don't try to lip halibut! You'll get really hurt.

Haha, I could imagine. Largest halibut we've landed was 38" when we had our boat, that big boy had teeth that could give a pit bull a run for his money.

Alexi
01-20-2010, 09:36 PM
still have yet to catch a hali from the sand!

bsp
01-21-2010, 07:45 PM
still have yet to catch a hali from the sand!

Is there anything you want me to elaborate a little more on then, and what have you been doing to target halibut?

DockRat
02-26-2010, 05:46 AM
Nice write up. Just wanted to add another method. Live smelt. Couple years ago I was going to the Redondo Short Pier after work and useing a sabiki rig with a 1/8" piece of squid tenacle on it and bread for chum. Catck 6 to 8 smelt and put them in a 5 gal bucket then go to your spot. No airiator needed for smelt just dump out some water and add fresh every hour or so. I have had smelt last over 6 hours with no airiator.

Having had good results using live smelt and landing a 26" butt this way.

Also works good on the jetties but you will need a net. Trying to land a halibut on a jetty with no net usually ends up being crab food when dropped in the rocks.
DR

bsp
03-04-2010, 05:38 PM
I've heard that smelt make a decent live bait, but since I am artificial only, unless I'm on the party boats, I didn't mention it. I don't use it because it would be impossible to transport it and carry it around with me using my fishing style. You can't really cover water quickly to find active fish with live bait, and that's critical to surf fishing for halibut. I also prefer a more active fishing style, and unless they're boiling around the boat, sitting in place and finessing a live bait isn't exactly active.

It is a good thing to keep in mind if you're fishing off of jetties though. Long Beach at 72nd street is where I have seen people have a lot of luck with live smelt, but I am sure they would be productive anywhere. Grunion are another prime live bait to use when they are running. Lots of large halibut, WSB, and calicos have fallen prey to a live grunion in the middle of the night during a run. Frozen grunion are supposed to be good too since fish love grunion in any form. It's a different style of fishing and one I am not familiar with, so thank you for sharing your experience with it.

corkoner
04-22-2010, 06:44 PM
thanks a lot for all this useful info.. cant wait to go out and try it...

DockRat
05-02-2011, 05:06 AM
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv17/onthercksyj/icon_bump.gif

Hometown
05-02-2011, 11:06 PM
good bump :Cool::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin::Big Grin:
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv17/onthercksyj/icon_bump.gif

koifish
05-03-2011, 09:09 PM
Great infor, can u use lure at night time for hali? Can they see?

Thanks

vanillagurilla
05-03-2011, 09:30 PM
I like to use lighter line like 6-8lb pline or izor, even 20lb power pro with about ft of mono leader. For night time halis use dark colors or black baits, bigger baits also.

Troutman65
05-03-2011, 11:25 PM
I want my first Halibut from the surf. . I know I will have to work for it and I will .Thanks for the info. & tips . I will put it to good use .

cactusfan
05-19-2011, 07:25 PM
Hi Marc,

Great info! Thanks for writing such a detailed post!

I just moved to the area (Irvine), and found this forum googling about local fishing. I have to admit that surf fishing (especially for halibut) has really captured my imagination, reading the reports from all the experienced surf fishermen on this forum makes me want to go hit the surf...

I wanted to ask you a question about rod selection. I went out today and bought a Shimano Clarus 8-6 rod and a Shimano Sedona 4000FD reel. (I've never used baitcasting reels before, so I opted for the spinning setup).

Then I got home and read YOUR post. Wish I found it earlier. Looks like the reel is WAY too big...AND the rod, which is a medium-light strength, medium-fast action rod, may not be suitable either. Only thing is I got the rod for a great price (less than $70), and I want to see if its usable at all? What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Regards,

cactusfan:LOL:

bsp
05-19-2011, 09:13 PM
It's great that you want to get into surf fishing! That said, I would not recommend getting into halibut fishing right off the bat. Some people do have luck with it, but if you don't develop the basic skills of learning to read the surf you are in for a lot of frustration.

I'd recommend trading in that Sedona 4000 for a 2500 first off. Fill it with 8lb Izorline XXX. That rod is a steelhead rod. Not suited to halibut fishing at all, but a very good perch and croaker rod. If you can get it in Medium then I would opt for that. Start out by fishing for surf perch and yellowfin croaker with a Carolina rig.

http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/showthread.php?13495-SURF-PERCH-101

This post gives a lot more detail on the fundamentals of surf fishing, and was written by a now passed away friend who helped many get into surf fishing. It will explain everything you need to get started.

Now, if you are determined to start out by targeting halibut, I would return the rod. It's too light powered to throw LCs even though it's mod-fast, and mod-fast is too slow to dropshot with even though it's got a lighter power. Even though you got it for a good price, it will cause you to lose halibut if you start fishing for them seriously. You then have to pick whether you want to focus on dropshotting and small soft plastics or throwing the Lucky Craft and other hardbaits. Two totally different rods for each application, and I go into the details of each in the article. Then, find a rod in your budget that fits the necessary criteria, and start hitting the beach!

Let me know if you've got other questions!

Marc

cactusfan
05-19-2011, 10:39 PM
Hi Marc:

Many thanks for the information! And referring me to the other article. You are right, i should probably start with the basics...You guys make it look too easy :LOL:

I'll check out a few more stores in the area and see what sorts of rods they have. You're suggesting I should try to get the same rod in medium power for perch/croaker fishing, right? I'll definitely change the reel.

regards,

cactusfan

karlkrger
05-19-2011, 10:47 PM
right on.. i really liked reading that

bsp
05-20-2011, 09:33 AM
Hi Marc:

Many thanks for the information! And referring me to the other article. You are right, i should probably start with the basics...You guys make it look too easy :LOL:

I'll check out a few more stores in the area and see what sorts of rods they have. You're suggesting I should try to get the same rod in medium power for perch/croaker fishing, right? I'll definitely change the reel.

regards,

cactusfan

No worries man, SWAT guys like helping others catch fish. Glad you understand that it's good to get the basics down first! Some people get offended by that, and then end up unhappy fishermen when they can't read the surf to find fish.

I would definitely go for a Medium Clarus for perch/croaker fishing if you can. It will allow you to fish a 3/4oz weight more effectively than the med-light, and that's pretty much going to be your go to weight for C-rigs. It will fish 1/2oz well too, and that's about as light as you're going to go unless you are targeting corbina.

cactusfan
05-20-2011, 01:36 PM
Thanks again for the clarification Marc, yeah, the people on this list seem really nice and willing to share info. However much I can't resist a good deal, I'm going to take your advice and return the rod, and get a different setup for BSP and YTC. I'll keep you updated on how things go.

Cheers,

cactusfan:Cool:

bsp
05-21-2011, 10:13 AM
Great infor, can u use lure at night time for hali? Can they see?

Thanks

Yes you can use lures at night for halibut, and it really doesn't matter what color. They'll see the silhouette of the bait and feel the vibration it emits in the water. It can be productive, and you occasionally get some species that come in close to shore under the cover of night that normally aren't associated with the surf. A lot more rays are out though, so be careful where you step.

Cactus,
Sounds good, and looking forward to your reports!

Sir.Snags.A.Lot
10-20-2011, 05:41 PM
Thanks man the info was great.

smokehound
10-23-2011, 03:40 AM
A normal fat white grub will catch a legal hali, too!

bones
03-30-2012, 01:49 PM
Follow Marc's advise.... It's very good Information.
You might stick one like this...

http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp185/lukesdad2008/PBHalibut3242012/PB41a-2-1-1-1-1-1.jpg

DockRat
03-30-2012, 07:43 PM
http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab263/jlky83/Funny%20Gifs/2upu1ed.gif
In my dreams maybe.
DR

BRING IT
06-19-2012, 02:06 PM
thanks bsp, I took some of your info from this post and put it to use, low and behold I caught my surf Hali this morning. 16inches on a LC, 1st fish on a LC. Thanks for the info, keep it comming. One can never get to smart at fishing.
Have Fun / Fish Hard
BRING IT:Guns:

Hunter Of Fish
02-03-2013, 11:57 PM
Great Info! I just found this post . I fish fresh water only except for occasional Tuna and Salmon trips . I have been
wanting to get into surf fishing especially for Hallies . When I was a teenager I fished the surf but it was always with
bait . You broke down this kind of fishing very well for me I really like the simplicity of your style of fishing. Equipment
and lure choices are pretty easy to come up with for a very small investment . You also gave some great info on
optimal times to target those flatties and some good ideas on where .

Also your advise on a sharp knife for the waders is spot on . I almost drowned myself in a river because of water filled waders and a sharp knife definitely saved my butt. I can only imagine the horror of being tumbled in the surfs washing machine wearing waders. Oh hell nooooooooooooooo ! I will endure the "looks" in one of my surfing skins .
Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction .

Do you SWAT guys ever get together down south at all . I live in Murrietta So I will be spending most of my time fishing from Ocean Side down to San Diego. I would love to get some first hand pointers and techniques from U more experienced
Surf Fishing PEEPS !

Once again Great write up ! P.M. if there are any get togethers in the surf down my way!

Wingnut
02-06-2013, 04:49 PM
Great Info! I just found this post . I fish fresh water only except for occasional Tuna and Salmon trips . I have been
wanting to get into surf fishing especially for Hallies . When I was a teenager I fished the surf but it was always with
bait . You broke down this kind of fishing very well for me I really like the simplicity of your style of fishing. Equipment
and lure choices are pretty easy to come up with for a very small investment . You also gave some great info on
optimal times to target those flatties and some good ideas on where .

Also your advise on a sharp knife for the waders is spot on . I almost drowned myself in a river because of water filled waders and a sharp knife definitely saved my butt. I can only imagine the horror of being tumbled in the surfs washing machine wearing waders. Oh hell nooooooooooooooo ! I will endure the "looks" in one of my surfing skins .
Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction .

Do you SWAT guys ever get together down south at all . I live in Murrietta So I will be spending most of my time fishing from Ocean Side down to San Diego. I would love to get some first hand pointers and techniques from U more experienced
Surf Fishing PEEPS !

Once again Great write up ! P.M. if there are any get togethers in the surf down my way!

We have a member that lives in your neighborhood. His name is Robert (Murrieta Angler) and he fish the Southern region regularly.
You are welcome to send him a PM or any of us and we will be happy to steer you in the right direction. :Cool:
Also, keep an eye on the board when we announce the 5th Annual Hunting Giants Surf Fishing Event later this year. :Wink: A great event to attend to learn and meet new friends with a passion for surf fishing. :Big Grin:
Take care and good luck out there.

bsp
02-11-2013, 01:27 PM
Hey HoF,

Glad you found the post informative! It's great to hear that people are still finding it useful even though I wrote it in 2009. I don't fish in SD with any frequency, and actually have no idea when I'll be hitting the surf again. Like Wingnut said, Murrieta Angler fishes the SD area regularly and is a fantastic resource.

As for wetsuit vs. waders, I like to wear a wetsuit jacket and boardshorts when the weather warms up. Get a pair of surf booties to protect your feet from rocks/rays/needles/glass though if you go that route.

Best,

Marc aka bsp

Sonnyyy
03-25-2013, 11:52 AM
Awesome tip, this will be my first year trying to snag a halibut. Thank you for the information

WAHBAM
03-31-2013, 09:46 PM
With LCs do you tie it directly to the main line, use a snap swivel or a Carolina rig set up? I tried all 3 & I haven't caught any yet haha

bsp
04-01-2013, 05:17 PM
Tie directly to your main line for best results. Keep tossing them and you'll stick flatties soon!

Slickwill43
05-08-2013, 09:09 AM
Have you found a better set of surf shoes? I started surf fishing last fall around OC and cannot find a set I like and end up bare footing a lot which I would prefer not to heh

Wingnut
05-17-2013, 03:50 PM
Have you found a better set of surf shoes? I started surf fishing last fall around OC and cannot find a set I like and end up bare footing a lot which I would prefer not to heh

Simms and Hodgman makes some really nice wading boots and booties.
You can also wear some heavy duty sandals like Keen or Timberland.
With all the Sting Rays in the SoCal surf, I wouldn't go barefoot... :mad:

Slickwill43
05-20-2013, 08:39 AM
Thanks I bought some temporary cheapos and am looking at the better options, having a ray slam into my foot recently freaked me out enough for one lifetime. :)

mis-placed_country_boy
06-11-2013, 11:28 PM
Hey all, I'm interested in getting into surf fishing socal and found this thread... unfortunately I live in the AV... so I cant get to the beach as quickly as I'd like... and gas makes exploring as often as I'd like a little expensive.....! anyone want a tagalong from a good ole military boy?? I'll be glad to exchange a bass fishing trip on castaic or pyramid!!!!

thanks, Jason

Ghost117
09-28-2013, 04:50 PM
First post on the site! Woooo!!
Thanks for that super informative bit about Halibut!
Oh and does it matter what kind of LC I should use when hunting for a Hali? Do they prefer the "sardine" one? Or doesnt really matte?
And I wade a little bit past my ankles when fishing, is there a chance I might be scaring away the Halibut by wading in too deep?

PTN
10-02-2013, 09:25 PM
First post on the site! Woooo!!
Thanks for that super informative bit about Halibut!
Oh and does it matter what kind of LC I should use when hunting for a Hali? Do they prefer the "sardine" one? Or doesnt really matte?
And I wade a little bit past my ankles when fishing, is there a chance I might be scaring away the Halibut by wading in too deep?

For the surf, people usually use the LC FM110 and some like to use the Pointer 100. I don't think they necessarily prefer any pattern color because I've caught some one some wild and bland colors/patterns. You should be fine wading ankle deep only. Good luck out there!

stoned-trout
11-16-2015, 09:14 AM
I have never targeted halibut from the surf here in san diego..interesting thread

plao
06-04-2018, 02:58 PM
Hi Marc,

This is great info and I'm a bit confused about some of the info on gear selection and trying learn. Isn't 50-65# braid overpowering for a 8-17lb rod? If you accidentally hooked up with a shark or ray couldn't the rod snap before the braid gave? Or do you just adjust the drag so that it lets line peel? Seems like a mismatch and for a Phenix rod you could be out hundred of dollars.

Also I bought a Phenix M1 Inshore Medium Light (ML) rated for 10-25 lbs and 1-3 oz lures and want to know if it will work for this type of inshore fishing. Even though it is under the rating, I can throw a LC 110 SP minnow pretty far and smooth. I have the rod paired with a Penn Spinfisher V 3500, spooled with 12# mono though I guess I could go up to 30# line at the sacrifice of line capacity.

Thanks for any help you can offer.