Question on Halibuts

[Erik Sun]

where do the halibuts like to hide? someone mentioned in san onofre a guy was fishing off his longboard in 15 ft of water and caught 4, at least 15 pounds each (one was 25).

As much spearfishing as I have done, I haven't seen too many halibut. Maybe i don't have a good eye.

Any tips you guys can offer as to good places? where do they hide? (besides in the sand ).
I mean if i were a halibut...i mean really...where would i hide? I don't know. i'm not a halibut. =P

I dive mainly in Laguna.

Cheers,

EEZerik

[Kyle]

Halibut can be tricky at times. Sometimes they are found shallow, and buried in the sand with only their eyes sticking out. Sometimes th ey can be found in the deep laying on gravel rocky bottoms. Here is a hint, its easiest to kill them while they are sleeping. Wink Wink.

Kyle

[Muff Diver]

the thing with flatties is you just have to be in the right place at the right time I have seen halibuts shot in 2-3 ft of water up in dana point and been free diving around 60 ft and seen some in la jolla but one thing that helps to see them is to go out at night.

[OceanEd]

If you manage to see a halibut from any distance, it will help you to position yourself so that you approach him from the tail towards the head if at all possible. It seems that this does not seem to spook them much. This also will give you a good shot.

If you approach them "head on" they are much more likely to spook.

Another good place to look for them is around piers. Believe it or not they like to lie in the sand just outside or around the pilings.
I used to get a lot of halibut around the Newport pier years ago.
If you are allowed to dive around the Aliso pier in Laguna I would give it a shot.

A second place that used to produce a lot of halibut for me was Three Arch Bay in South Laguna. I used to live there so getting in was no problem. If you can get to the beach, dive the south end of the bay. It used to produce great halibut. If you do dive there, also dive the south point of Three Arch.

[Erik Sun]

thanks for the help ocean ed. where is three arch bay in relation to some of the other beaches? when was the last time you have been in laguna? They got rid of the aliso pier... =(

any other comments/suggestions on how to spot/where are the good places to look for them are appreciated. person who helps me gets my 2nd halibut! hand delivered to their house! (if you want it) =P

EZE

[OceanEd]

EEZ:

Three Arch Bay is at the southern end of South Laguna and north of the Ritz Carlton. It is one of the oldest gated communities in that area.

Havn't been back to Laguna in years. I still have friends there, but when I have visited I have not been driving down PCH past where I guess the pier used to be.

I used to work on the Truth which was a dive boat operating out of San Pedro. Now the Truth fleet operates out of Santa Barbara. The biggest halibut would always be taken around the northern Channel Islands about this time of the year. Real "barn doors" that would weigh upwards of 60lbs. You could sometimes get 3 or 4 in a day.

Try any pier you are able to dive. For some reason they seem to like being either under the pier or right next to it. Might be because of all the fishing bait that has rained down on them over the years, who knows.

[dpc]

Ocean Ed,
I used to live in SB and my good buddy now manages Sea Landing in Santa Barbara, where Truth Aquatics is located out of. I go out on liveaboard trips to the Channel Islands about two to three times per year. Great boats, although now they have three, and the Truth is now by far the smallest. But it's still the best dive operation in So Cal. You won't be getting 3 or 4 barn doors a day anymore.

[Nate Baker]

Good question for this time of year. This is definitely halibut season.

If you are a member of OC Hunter or you know a member, Doug Van Mullem (sp?) gave a great talk last month about halibut hunting. See if you can get ahold of the handout he wrote up.

Right now, today, is a particularly good time to go after work, since high tide is at about dusk. Typically, an incoming tide is ideal for shallow water hunting.

Find a beach, preferably with some rocks associated with it and start looking around. Probably half the halibut I've shot in Laguna have been within a body length of some kind of structure, even something as small as a few stands of eel grass. I got two yesterday afternoon (15# and 22#) in less than 20 feet of water off Laguna. Both were near structure.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to blaze your own trail. Sometimes there's no substitute for just hitting the water and seeing what happens. You'll probably go home empty often enough, but you'll be learning the Laguna beaches as you do it, acquiring knowledge you'll have the rest of your life, and when you do score, it's far far more satisfying.

Good luck, and watch out for those teeth....

[Kyle]

Excellent advice.

[OceanEd]

DPC:

Glad to hear that the quality is still there with Truth Aquatics. The Truth is getting on in years. That boat must be about 25 years old or more.

It was a great time in my life, working the boat and doing all the diving out at the channel islands. Magic.

[Erik Sun]

awesome, thanks tomol. I go out every day the conditions are decent. yesterday I couldn't get a hold of the surf and weather report in Laguna Beach (949)494-6573 because they didn't update it from tuesday's recording.
I opted not to go out in 8-10 ft of visibility reported on tuesday.

However, any day that conditions 10+ i am down to go with anyone. let me know guys.

spearfishing. school. spearfishing. wrestling. spearfishing. work.

spearfishing.


EZE