New to the "BuTT" hunt, what's your preffered setup/bait???

After reading post after drooling post here on NCKA I googled (California halibut season) to see when the season is and @ the top of the list was this:
 http://www.getbentsportfishing.com/helpful/tips-and-tricks/california-halibut-fishing/  the guy is a PB'er "butt" has lots of informative info...and his saying "theres no need to keep every legal butt"  hit a true NCKA vein...

Seems to me live bait is the most effective method...some sabiki it and some buy it... I guess if your crunched for time buying it would be the way...but catching has it's appeals...post after post of people making bait...hell just to make bait would be so much fun, and many i imagine eat their bait if the "BuTTs" show no love...

Last yr while fishing OC I hooked a starry flounder bout 29" on a hex bar 60 FOW, wasn't fishing for it...but nice suprise...felt like I was pulling up a big slab of plywood, with some head shaking going on   that's as close as I've come to a "BuTT" and man was it tasty...sorry no pic...   I thought I'd hooked a real butt... my stomach didn't know the difference... ummmmm and unless I read the regs wrong u can keep as many as u want...seems strange no limit!!! are they that numerous or are they just elusive??? 

One question for u folks that frequent the bay area, is that fishable in dec-feb??? weather depending I'm sure... Thanks 

I've always been told to "just be yourself". 

Oh, you meant halibut!


Bait:
Making bait is fun and rewarding, but it's extremely frustrating those times when you waste your fishing day trying to net or sabiki bait. That's why I have no problem paying for live bait. I've had days where I couldn't scratch up a live bait in the castnet or sabiki to save my life. Also, there's been even more times where all I could get were huge (12" - 14") smelt. So keep that in mind.


Starry flounder:
A 29" starry flounder is pretty damn big. Most of the ones we'll catch are somewhat smaller, although the aquarium at Pier 39 has some freakishly huge ones. For me they are mostly a by-catch when fishing for stripers and sturgeon in the winter. Considering their population has been dessimated in the SF Bay (or so I've heard from some of the old timers) it really is frustrating to not see a limit on them.


Halibut:
I've caught many halibut from the Berkeley Pier on frozen chovies, but I have way more confidence in live bait. I like to use a three way swivel rig. Main line tied to one end, a very short length of some thin mono tied to one end for your weight (~3" of 8lb test), and a ~20" or so long leader to a sharp, small hook on the other end. I use the light line for my weight just in case of a failed net attempt. If you get a hali in the net and it manages to get out (happens fairly often) and your weight is still caught in the net, hopefully the light line will break before your main line or leader line. For leader I usually use 14lb - 17lb mono tied to a size 1 - 1/0 live bait hook (although I had a BIG halibut bite through my 17lb leader on Saturday at Paradise). Gamakatsu and Owner both make pretty sticky live bait hooks.

When drifting for halibut I keep my drag just tight enough to hold bottom with a six ounce cannonball sinker. Some people go with smaller weights during smaller tides, but I always use at least six ounces. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I've seemed to have been getting more bites since switching to the heavier sinker. One theory is that the heavier sinker causes more "commotion" in the sand/mud and therefore attracts the attention of any hungry flatfish in the area.

Halibut bites vary greatly. Sometimes they'll snatch up your bait and just sit there and sometimes they'll slam your bait and take off on a short powerful run. As you're drifting around and watching your rod tip you'll notice sort of a pattern in the way it is moving/bouncing. If I see the slightest variation in how my rod tip is acting I grab my pole and wait for it to load up. Sometimes it's just a matter of your rod tip staying down for just a split second longer than normal, other times the rod tip will get really "shaky", and still other times it'll just get slammed like a shark or ray bite.

If it's one of the softer bites I'll grab my rod and if I feel the slightest bit of pressure I'll either flip my reel into freespool or just pull out a few yards of line and wait four or five seconds. If I still feel some pressure I'll give it just a slight jerk to set the hook...I never really "swing for the fences". Once the fish is on and hooked I just let it do whatever it's gonna do. Remember, the drag is very loose so if it's gonna run just let it. Once it's calmed down you can basically just "walk it" to the boat. Just short pumps of the rod and a steady retrieve of the line. Usually they'll come right up, BUT be ready. It's almost guarenteed to take off as soon as it sees the boat and/or net. Don't fight it...just let it run.

Also, while all this is going on, now is the time I'll start getting ready to land this sucker. My deck is usually clutter free so it's usually just a matter of grabbing my net, extending it with my foot, and laying it down near the bow and out of the way. Next I get my game clip and beater ready. The game clip was tied off prior to launching and placed behind my seat for easy retrieval. I may also toss my (leashed) paddle.

When you get the 'but to color have your net ready. DO NOT lift the 'but's head out of the water. Instead try to guide the 'but into your net...head first. This is where it really gets fun because 90% of halibut will go ballistic at this point. Just hold on tight and bask in the moment. After the fish is secure in the net and deemed to be legal the first thing I do is clip that f***er while still in the net. Only after it is secured to my game clip will I administer a beating and remove the hook, etc. I always beat the crap out of my fish, making sure to also give it a few good shots to its spine. That's basically it. Just be ready for your fish to perform the infamous halibut lap dance up to ten minutes after you think it's dead!

It's been a tremendous halibut season but, unfortunately, it should be winding down within the next few weeks.

Sorry for the long post...lol.

I've always had luck on plastics. White curly twin tails are a good go-to, and this year I scored on swimbaits.

I like fishing the plastics because halibut seem to prefer the "slam"-type strike on lures.
Not that I don't use live bait if I have it, but this year I dragged lively sardines all over the SC area between Cowell's & Twin lakes and came up empty.
I think hooking them on live bait is a real skill, since halibut can be such tentative biters on the real stuff.

Everything Dustin said. He is the KING OF PARADISE!

Yup, I second that about Dustin being the King Of Paradise. I think my job
around RH is to take his pictures whenever he lands a fish while I come home
empty handed.

Jedmo

I also agree with everything Dustin said but with one exception. It's been my experience that halibut are not line shy and I think a clear 25# or even 30# leader is great for a live bait leader. Most of the larger halibut I've caught took the bait down deep and really frayed the line above the hook with their teeth.

The light line to the sinker is a great idea but the heavier leader is something to consider especially since most of the party boats use 25# leaders and they deffinitely catch their share of fish. If you tie your hook on with the perfection loop you still get pretty good action and movement from the bait even with the heavier line.

Awesome write up Dustin!


-Eliot

Thanks, fellas.

Otter - No argument from me regarding leader size. Like I mentioned in my post I just got bitten off by a halibut for the first time ever last Saturday. I didn't get a look at the fish, but it felt like the biggest halibut I've ever hooked. Needless to say, I will be stepping up to at least 20lb flouro from now on!

That sucks that you got bitten off Dustin. That has to be one of the crappiest feelings ever especially after you feel a solid fish on the other end!

Let us know how you do with the heavier leader. You probably will be fine with the 20# flourocarbon because it does have a bit more abrasion resistance than mono. Another advantage to the heavier leaders is they will not tangle as easily when you bait gets fouled on a fast drift.


-Eliot

Thanks for the come backs guys, sorry took so long to respond been out of town on Biz...

Dustin your responce has (Field and Stream) written  all over it...Man I can see it now!!! head gently easyin into to net, just below the water line... than Blam!!! Feel the power!!!  I think I can do this...

Cant wait to apply some shampoo to some buTT and I'll try to be myself while getting wet...

Hey guys What about during the long winter when rockfishing is closed what depth do you all hit 60-100 or what drift the same as summer but with a drift sock to slow you down to stay more virtical. Thanks in advance guys gonna try and get a winter butt coming up in the future...

friggin halibut!! its gonna be a stick of TNT if one doesn't volunteer himself to my rod pretty soon

Hey guys What about during the long winter when rockfishing is closed what depth do you all hit 60-100 or what drift the same as summer but with a drift sock to slow you down to stay more virtical. Thanks in advance guys gonna try and get a winter butt coming up in the future...

I've only caught halibut in the bay...so I'm the wrong person to ask about that!