Halibut

Halibut Fishing in Dutch Harbor

Halibut Fishing at Dutch Harbor is the best fishing currently available anywhere in Alaska. The Bearing Sea collides with the Pacific Ocean, causing the waters around Dutch Harbor to be a major feeding area for great numbers of halibut. Especially the hundred plus pounders. On June 11th 1996, a Halibut fisherman landed a four hundred and fifty nine pound halibut. The largest ever taken on sport fishing gear. It won the International Game Fish Association’s All Tackle record and one hundred thirty pound line class record. This catch eclipsed the three hundred ninety five pound Halibut that previously held the record, also taken in the same waters.

The Best Time to fish for triple digit trophy halibut locals say, is May. A good for really big halibut, but the fishing is slower than the area’s prime time of late August and early September. However, remarkable catches happen during the other months of the season as well. If it’s just hundred pound Halibut you’re looking for, just show up and you’ll probably catch at least one. The best Methods for exceptionally large fish like three to four hundred pounds plus, I use an entire fillet of Pacific gray cod. Cut the fillet usually about one and a half to two pounds, and then attach it tail section first, to a bullet head jig. Fish the lead head jig just above bottom, typically in very rocky areas strewn with steep pinnacles. Slow, long strokes, work best to entice strikes. Also drifting between one to two knots works best. When big fish hit this setup, or any halibut for that matter, they absolutely try to tear the whole rod and reel out of your hands. This is not a traditional halibut hit a all. It’s more like accidentally hooking into a freight train for those first few moments.