Kayak fishing for Halibut at Alameda Rock Wall

  What about the tide?  It seem to me that Halibut bits on the weaker incoming at max flow.  Perhaps less than 4' tide, while stripper like the 5-6' tide (the stronger, the better).  The only Hali I caught int the bay was at Crissy field on a slow incoming tide on a frozen anchovy.  So my experience on Hali is weak. 

In the bay, a lot of it comes down to water clarity. Big tide swings tend to muck up the water, making fishing tough.

Halibut fishing in the bay is generally best when the tide swings are small, wind is low, and the water is relatively clear. Even on a small tide swing the water can get a little murky at low tide, so maybe avoid that if you have the choice...

Other than that, the best time to fish is whenever you can.

  Thanks Alex, does it matter if the tide is incoming, or out going?? 
  A few year back, I hired a commercial guy to show me the ropes.  When he trolls, he was using about 10 hulla skirts.   I'm quite that is way too many hooks for today's laws.  But perhaps the same method can be use. 
  Let me run this idea by you.  He's what had planned to try out - Turn the Hobie drive backwards so that I'm pedaling backwards.  that way I can troll facing my fish line.  Both my hands are on the pole and reels.  To see where I'm going, I would use bicycle mirrors attached to my hat to see that I'm not running into any body.  Anything you see wrong with this picture...

That sounds complicated. Why not just stick your rod in a holder in front of you and watch the rod tip?

As for the tides... There might be some other nuances that I'm not considering, but in general the water is going to be clearest toward the end of the high slack tide. So if I had to pick *my* ideal conditions for halibut fishing, I'd opt to start fishing a couple/few hours before high tide, and fish through the first couple hours of the outgo.

I personally prefer casting swimbaits for halibut.

That sounds complicated. Why not just stick your rod in a holder in front of you and watch the rod tip?

As for the tides... There might be some other nuances that I'm not considering, but in general the water is going to be clearest toward the end of the high slack tide. So if I had to pick *my* ideal conditions for halibut fishing, I'd opt to start fishing a couple/few hours before high tide, and fish through the first couple hours of the outgo.

I personally prefer casting swimbaits for halibut.

+1

Have caught them on swim baits and drifting/trolling live bait but most on small tides and clearer water. I'v heard a theory that they are pretty stationary facing into the current but during the tide change (especially peak high) they move around more to seek out prey until the current is moving again and thats when you are more likely to run into one.

Would it be a good rig? I haven't gone out in a while (since the RF season ended) and I was considering trying my luck in ARW or go for Sand dabs in Monterey

Yup. That's a good rig for trolling the bay. Many power boaters use it. I have caught halibut on a similar rig.

Stick an anchovy in the hoochie for a little extra somethin somethin...

From a kayak, I'd keep the leader between the three way swivel and the dodger around 3 feet or so. You want it long enough that the  dodger can sway side to side like it should, but not long enough that you can't reach a fish with your net/gaff.

Yup. That's a good rig for trolling the bay. Many power boaters use it. I have caught halibut on a similar rig.

Stick an anchovy in the hoochie for a little extra somethin somethin...

From a kayak, I'd keep the leader between the three way swivel and the dodger around 3 feet or so. You want it long enough that the  dodger can sway side to side like it should, but not long enough that you can't reach a fish with your net/gaff.

Thanks AlexB

Getting dodgers to work correctly on a yak, in current takes some skill. If it isn't fished properly out can ruin the presentation. Pay particular attention to the presentation's speed through the water especially when the current is from a stern.
I'd like to see a neutral buoyancy dodger developed for low speed trolling.

Let me run this idea by you.  He's what had planned to try out - Turn the Hobie drive backwards so that I'm pedaling backwards.  that way I can troll facing my fish line.  Both my hands are on the pole and reels.  To see where I'm going, I would use bicycle mirrors attached to my hat to see that I'm not running into any body.  Anything you see wrong with this picture...

The rudder would be on the wrong end of your kayak.  There's a reason why boats don't have rudders on their bows: it doesn't work.  Put your trolling rod in a rod holder which is in front of you with the rod at right angles to your kayak so you can monitor its tip without turning your head very much.  That works just fine.  I position my trolling rods on the left gunwale of my kayak, with the tip pointing to the right, and with the rod a couple inches behind my left toe when the left pedal is all the way back.

Let me run this idea by you.  He's what had planned to try out - Turn the Hobie drive backwards so that I'm pedaling backwards.  that way I can troll facing my fish line.  Both my hands are on the pole and reels.  To see where I'm going, I would use bicycle mirrors attached to my hat to see that I'm not running into any body.  Anything you see wrong with this picture...

The rudder would be on the wrong end of your kayak.  There's a reason why boats don't have rudders on their bows: it doesn't work.  Put your trolling rod in a rod holder which is in front of you with the rod at right angles to your kayak so you can monitor its tip without turning your head very much.  That works just fine.  I position my trolling rods on the left gunwale of my kayak, with the tip pointing to the right, and with the rod a couple inches behind my left toe when the left pedal is all the way back.

+1

I love to troll in my Hobie (in fact, that seems to be about all I ever do...). There is just no way it would work going backwards. I'll often troll 3 rods (one with bait, one with a lure of some type, and 1 sabiki), and it doesn't take much practice to be able to manage all of that (in the forward direction, that is...).

  Thanks for the note.  I was more used to trolling for RF, so I needed both hands on the reel to adjust bouncing my lead on the rocks.  It's an old habit I built up during the good old days bouncing a 2 lb weight under the south tower in a power boat.  And yes, rudder would not work very well going backwards.  Really should try to break old styles of fishing - standing backward steering a power boat and steering backward in a hobie is not the same.
  What about time of year for Hali in the bay good till.   What is your experience of Crissy Field for Hali?

There are Halibut around right now. The grass shrimp boats are getting them in their nets. Not a ton but they are there. Peak time is late May-early Sept. Also I have caught many hali at Crissy field and not many people fish there.

  That sounds like a good plan.

Stopped by Mel Cotton's this morning to get what I needed for my new rig. I asked for help and Freddy hooked  me up. Not only he provided good guidance but he also showed me how to do a proper set up. Such kind of customer service will for sure keep them in business. I could not have asked for better service and I also got my NCKA discount Thumb up for sure