Inshore Fishing Techniques for Catching California Halibut

[BD Contributors]

What a time to bring up California Halibut, if you have been paying any attention to the internet lately, you know that the California Halibut are biting right now! Whether you are a new or experienced angler, this article could be your ticket to landing a big halibut this year. Check out this inshore article to get a deeper understanding of how to fish for halibut in the SoCal waters!

Ready to land that next halibut bite?


READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

 

[walter heim]

Good article. I'm going tomorrow to fish San Diego bay. It has been slow for me this year. I know they have been hammering the fish in San Francisco Bay this year and I have heard good reports from Tomales Bay also. Up there, they ball bounce. and drift fish. I have tried ball bouncing in socal with mixed results. The tide swing tomorrow afternoon is low, which is good, but windy.com says it will be a breezy afternoon.

 

[tunakillerjoe1]

I am not a savvy halibut fisherman. I did score a couple of keepers fishing with a friend last week. Slack tide, after an incoming. Fun, wish I could be consistant! My friend missed a bite on our only mack, got hammered but was not paying attention, (which can connect!), drag way too loose. Maybe a big one in the future. Any info helps- thanks!

 

[onehottip]

So what is the desired tide for optimal fishing ?

 

[michael e. bingham]

Straight 12 to 15 pound Big Game green for the perfect leader 7 to 8 foot 12 / 20 rod , I prefer a 8 foot super seeker , Thundetmist T swivels with a 6 to 7 foot bait leader and a 2 foot torpedo chrome sinker, light pressure when reeling in a halibut , bigger ones will hit the mid depth and start the head shake , some times I back the drag off a quarter turn and let her go back down or run until she stops and then the slow steady crank all over again , I've never been a fan of the trap hook nor does anyone I fish with , I fished the islands today for a 6 and 8 pounder which were released and a 24 and 28 pounder that were kept , all fish caught on 12 lb test and I didn't catch a big one , smaller fish were caught in 33 and 35 feet and larger ones in 111 and 113 feet , fish were caught at South Coronado Island on sardines and mackerel, the best halibut fisherman is the one who puts time on the water on a regular basis and you will be successful, I don’t belive in heavy line and I've lost my fair share because of light line but respect for the fish is mire important to me than killing a bunch of halibut , fishing for halibut is a great way to spend the day, Good luck, I've been fishing halibut now for 56 years and and it's a Bingham favorite

 

[walter heim]

Straight 12 to 15 pound Big Game green for the perfect leader 7 to 8 foot 12 / 20 rod , I prefer a 8 foot super seeker , Thundetmist T swivels with a 6 to 7 foot bait leader and a 2 foot torpedo chrome sinker, light pressure when reeling in a halibut , bigger ones will hit the mid depth and start the head shake , some times I back the drag off a quarter turn and let her go back down or run until she stops and then the slow steady crank all over again , I've never been a fan of the trap hook nor does anyone I fish with , I fished the islands today for a 6 and 8 pounder which were released and a 24 and 28 pounder that were kept , all fish caught on 12 lb test and I didn't catch a big one , smaller fish were caught in 33 and 35 feet and larger ones in 111 and 113 feet , fish were caught at South Coronado Island on sardines and mackerel, the best halibut fisherman is the one who puts time on the water on a regular basis and you will be successful, I don’t belive in heavy line and I've lost my fair share because of light line but respect for the fish is mire important to me than killing a bunch of halibut , fishing for halibut is a great way to spend the day, Good luck, I've been fishing halibut now for 56 years and and it's a Bingham favorite

Do you fish that deep for the bigger fish all year? I though they came shallow to spawn this time of the year. I have been fishing almost as long as you, but still don't have halibut dialed in. I retire in a few months, so I will be working on it.

 

[Long Beach Bob]

...When I land a halibut at a given depth, I work that same depth, in a grid pattern; as there are usually more at that same depth level. My favorite time is during a grunion run when they gather out in 35' the day before and larger halibut lay below them, shooting up to grab an easy meal...
...After the start of a scheduled run, I move from 35-50' and go shallow up into 20' or less, working sand pockets, along kelp strands lying across the sand bottom and on the down current side of reef that is bordered by sand. Even grass covered sand pockets as shallow as 5' will hold flatties. Whether spearfishing or by fishing rod, I hit it early morning at daybreak, preferably on an incoming tide. The fish can see my bait more clearly and will travel a little more distance for an easy meal.
...It is my belief that halibut spawn 4 times a year. I also like sand beaches that rise upward, ending with a ledge. Halibut like lying on top of ledges where they can shoot out and pick off passing bait fish,( i.e. inside the Federal breakwater and at Cherry Beach in Long Beach where I drag the bait up the slope and over the ledge) p.s.- grunion runs coming up June 5-8th and 19th-22nd along southcoast beaches. Good luck...

 

[michael e. bingham]

Do you fish that deep for the bigger fish all year? I though they came shallow to spawn this time of the year. I have been fishing almost as long as you, but still don't have halibut dialed in. I retire in a few months, so I will be working on it.

I fish the deeper water until the water temp hits 64 to 65 degrees in the shallows , right now very little bait and no birds off south island ,lots of Bain in the deeper water which is normal for this time of year , catching big sandbass as well in the deeper water which we release, in the next couple of weeks I think it's really going to turn on , the water clarity is really good and the bait will move closer to the islands , I like fishing the deeper water this time of year because the fish are pigs , really fat and healthy, this last trip Friday the fish we caught in the shallows were 6 to 8 pounds, we moved to deeper water and lots of bait and fish between 24 and 28 lbs