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General Talk / New Article - Halibut for the kayak
« on: October 31, 2005, 06:50:01 PM »
bsteves and scwafish and all---
Yeah, I feeel almost hypocritical submitting this article. Originally written for that guy Zen and his Rabid Angler, back when I used to actually CATCH halibut. It's still my favorite target. Maybe next year.
I'm taking a pervers pleasure in my own flattie score this season....exactly 0 from the yak.
(I did catch one from the beach at Angel Island this June....the wind and current were so tough that I beached the boat and surfcast....nice Hali on a rattletrap. I watched this particular fish chase the lure almost to dry sand. It was pretty incredible watching that fish swim, sailing through the water. Pretty damn fast, too. I made an identical cast and ....fish on! Released successfully. Doesn't count cause it wasn't from the yak)
It is just a wierd year for halibut. They showed up late in way smaller numbers than usual. I gave 6 or 7 good, specific flattie tries for nada in May and June. After that, most of my trips thhis summer were with clients. Two of them insisted on going for flatties despite my advice it was a real long-shot this year...results- no flatties, but great trys and plenty of rockfish and lings while trying.
It is probably just the regular variance of nature from year to year, but I think in Santa Cruz, the numbers were also negatively infueced by a gaggle of commercial guys that were catching halibut right on the edges of the canyons, as they migrated towards shallow water. You'd think more would get through, though, and that's why I'm chalking it up to vagaries of nature.
Thaks for your kind reviews, guys.
Allen
Yeah, I feeel almost hypocritical submitting this article. Originally written for that guy Zen and his Rabid Angler, back when I used to actually CATCH halibut. It's still my favorite target. Maybe next year.
I'm taking a pervers pleasure in my own flattie score this season....exactly 0 from the yak.
(I did catch one from the beach at Angel Island this June....the wind and current were so tough that I beached the boat and surfcast....nice Hali on a rattletrap. I watched this particular fish chase the lure almost to dry sand. It was pretty incredible watching that fish swim, sailing through the water. Pretty damn fast, too. I made an identical cast and ....fish on! Released successfully. Doesn't count cause it wasn't from the yak)
It is just a wierd year for halibut. They showed up late in way smaller numbers than usual. I gave 6 or 7 good, specific flattie tries for nada in May and June. After that, most of my trips thhis summer were with clients. Two of them insisted on going for flatties despite my advice it was a real long-shot this year...results- no flatties, but great trys and plenty of rockfish and lings while trying.
It is probably just the regular variance of nature from year to year, but I think in Santa Cruz, the numbers were also negatively infueced by a gaggle of commercial guys that were catching halibut right on the edges of the canyons, as they migrated towards shallow water. You'd think more would get through, though, and that's why I'm chalking it up to vagaries of nature.
Thaks for your kind reviews, guys.
Allen