Humboldt Bay - 7/20/24

Got out last Saturday for a late morning couple of laps in the bay.  Right off the bat I missed a bite, as the halibut struck my bait, I stopped and waited, and as I retrieved my line it was there.  It shook its head and spit the hook right under my boat.  Another bite an hour or so later was just as light.  These subtle strikes where the flatties don't commit and just sit there with the bait in their mouth are maddening and at the same time they're so awesome!  It's all part of the challenge, as two missed bites had me schooling myself in mustering the patience to sit there longer.  It's a battle of wills!

I'd turned for home right after the tide change and knew I needed to hit the road to get ready for a family BBQ, but of course I hoped for another bite.  When it came, it was just a knock.  "Bonk" - my bait got hit, but nothing happened afterward.  I did the usual:  reel in the other rod a couple of cranks, grab the bit rod and point it back toward the bite.  And wait.  Wait longer.  Finally thinking there's nothing there, I start to reel in slowly.  Is that weight?  No - now it feels like my bait is gone.  Then, and this is a typical part of Halibut Torture, a big flatty comes into view - BETWEEN me and my tackle that I can now see a few feet below the yak.  This fish had swam toward me IN FRONT of my rig!  I didn't know if it was hooked, and it was just hovering about two feet below the side of my boat, so I reached for the gaff, knowing there wasn't much of a chance at all that it would sit there long enough to capture.  Then it takes off, and my line screams!  It had come in with my bait in its mouth, and its reaction to my pressure on it was to swim in IN FRONT of my tackle.  I can't say enough about how bizarre and beautiful this was! 

Now that I knew it was hooked, I took my time and worked it up.  Being a stout fish, I readied my gaff - memories of being worked over by a big hali last Fall that turned my whole net over and flew away had me committed to plunging the business end of a sharp gaff hook up through its belly.  I had it tired enough that it was doing a little circle pattern from off to my side to slightly under my boat and then emerging right by me, but its belly side wasn't the close shot...  As it came into reach I swung up, and I missed, hitting the halibut in the fin with the gaff.  Oh Shit!  The fish flew off, but my hookset held.  I worked it up again, nervous that its headshakes would dislodge my gear and set it free.  I did my best to maintain my composure and focus, and when it came into reach again, this time with the belly a little more accessible due to some moves with my rod, I swung up and impaled it right through the gut sack.  It was stunned, as is the intent of the belly shot, and I got it lifted, my rod secured under my leg, and reached for the big net, placing it below my hanging prize.  The net would be insurance, but the gaff had thoroughly sent this beauty into a daze.  Stabbed it through the brain several times, strung it up on a secure line, removed the gills and bled it out in the net.  Then came the guttoral roar of triumph!

It's hard to really relate just how fantastic it feels to put in the work, figure out the light bite, fight the fight, overcome the setbacks, and land a really high quality fish like this Humboldt Bay Halibut.  If you think you want some instruction on this, I'd love to show you what I know about how to get it done.  In the meantime, I will look forward to my next 'marketing trip'.   

(still can't post more than one or two photos at a time...)

...

...

The photos that wouldn't post are on Facebook.   

Nice! Thanks for the report and story. Good to read that the wait for a hookup on a reluctant-to-commit Cali affects you, too!

LE wrote:

The photos that wouldn't post are on Facebook.

Bah, FB. 

Good to read that the wait for a hookup on a reluctant-to-commit Cali affects you, too!

Bah, FB. 

Yes, I am vulnerable to the changing whims of fish!   

Bah!   

Nice job Eric   

Nice job Eric   

Thank you, Terry!  It's been tough up here - most boats skunking, according to the fish counters.  Good grade though - come up and let's get out together.

I'm 2 for 3 for fish landed, with 1 fish on each of my first and third trips.

Great story with the stress truth moments...Eatin' well!  Congrats to da max...

Always feels like I’m there!!! Right on Brother WTFGS More

Thanks for another report from SC and great pictures Eric.

Nice Butt. Eric. Another great story that I enjoyed reading.