Halibut Rig - tie my own

Thanks all! This was helpful.

Last year, I had nice success on halibut, rockfish, and lings with a simple hi-low rig with the Bass Pro Shops house brand J hooks or Owner straight shank wide gap hooks and baited with Gulp 4-inch pearl white swimming mullet. Drift it or cast and retrieve if there’s no drift and when you think you’re retrieving slow enough, go slower. Glow beads are good to add for deeper water.

Last year, I had nice success on halibut, rockfish, and lings with a simple hi-low rig with the Bass Pro Shops house brand J hooks or Owner straight shank wide gap hooks and baited with Gulp 4-inch pearl white swimming mullet. Drift it or cast and retrieve if there’s no drift and when you think you’re retrieving slow enough, go slower. Glow beads are good to add for deeper water.

I've tried this method a handful of times, and haven't been able to produce with it. I've always been jealous of those who have though - artificial baits are much less of a hassle.

Do you thread it on like you would a swim bait on a jig head, or do you just pin through the nose?

I also had a ton of success using those scented curly grubs, so I pre-purchased enough to last me all season this year  . Shhhhh! Secret bait!

Thread it on like a swim bait on a jig head

The treble hooks really tear up the fish. Better not to use them. It’s not like we are subsistence fishing. And the halibut are going to take a beating this year with Salmon season closed. I’m going to use barbless hooks as most of the halibut I catch around alameda are shakers.

smart.  I would not substinence fish for halibut in Alameda either....LOL. Seriously though good idea to go barbless in an environment that has lots of shorts.  I have been know to occasinally release halibut, even legal-sized.  I'm finding I prefer rockish for eating.  Also, Pacific Halibut has ruined Cali hali for me, food-wise.  and, my wife doesn't like the Cali-Hali at all having got nauseous after eating a couple years ago. For bait trolling or drifting  I use the same trap rig 1/0 Octo single hard tied snell and 4/0 treble.  I tie various lengths to fit the bait I ight jig up.  If anchovies are really small, then just one treble.  I carry a boag with a few of those rigged as well.  Lately I've been getting more into trolling the dodger/hoochie combo.  For this I use 4/0 Octopus hooks  X 2.

Thread it on like a swim bait on a jig head

Thanks for confirming, that's what I was thinking.

just got back from FW.  Purchased 3 pre-builts, and enough supplies to make~10 of my own

Thread it on like a swim bait on a jig head

Found my bag of those same swim baits, look new still.  What size hooks are you using with those?  I was thinking like a 1/0 or so?  I have some 1/0 and some 3/0 octopus hooks on hand - leaning towards the smaller ones.