Drop shotting for halibut

Hello all,
Seeing the posts recently about halibut fishing has me wondering if anyone catches halibut consistently drop shotting soft plastics like you would for largemouth. That's pretty much it, I've heard of people doing it down south in LA in harbors and in the surf and was curious if anyone in the Bay does it.

Hello all,
Seeing the posts recently about halibut fishing has me wondering if anyone catches halibut consistently drop shotting soft plastics like you would for largemouth. That's pretty much it, I've heard of people doing it down south in LA in harbors and in the surf and was curious if anyone in the Bay does it.

That's basically the setup but a way longer leader from dropline to offering...a dropshot hook is right on the line correct?

Pretty standard technique in Humboldt bay.

ya my buddy killed it last year w a hi low rig with white flukes. im def gonna try it this year, my frozen chovy troll works but im interested in the dropshot.

I use a jig head with a swim bait on the bottom with a drop shot about 18” up with a scented grub, or other swimbait. Most fish come in on the jig head but a few have hit the drop shot. I bounce it up and down about a foot off the bottom, or just let it drift at the same level. If I’m going against the current and the jig head won’t go down I switch to trolling a crank bait with a 16oz ball. The jig heads with swim baits tend to get keepers. I can’t remember if I’ve ever caught a shaker on one.

I use a jig head with a swim bait on the bottom with a drop shot about 18” up with a scented grub, or other swimbait. Most fish come in on the jig head but a few have hit the drop shot. I bounce it up and down about a foot off the bottom, or just let it drift at the same level. If I’m going against the current and the jig head won’t go down I switch to trolling a crank bait with a 16oz ball. The jig heads with swim baits tend to get keepers. I can’t remember if I’ve ever caught a shaker on one.

Thats a pretty sweet setup and one of my favorites as well. I also use a bucktail instead of a swimsuit sometimes. Or a double bucktail rig with a small buck on top

Personally don’t fish the drop shot but I do know that it works. A couple years ago, my son won the biggest fish at the 2019 Cub Scout fishing derby at the Marin rod and gun club fishing pier, caught on a simple drop shot rig (w/ anchovy). Proud dad moment. Thanks for letting me hijack this thread 

5 inch Kailins salty lunker grub in white gets it done for me.  Still prefer trolling herring when on the yak tho

That's a beauty fish catch Koji 

Won a pinewood derby as a grom and many years later it became a cherished moment. Don't think I fished, but camping/archery/swimming/peach cobbler... good times

Halibut have taken my shrimp fly rig in Capitola. I make them with two dropper loops—a double drop shot. Caught some on anchovies of the frozen and freshly sabiki-snagged varieties as well as on whole squid.

Back in Jersey, the double drop shot with Gulp white or chartreuse swimming mullet baits was money on fluke in the summer, so hearing about success with something like that here on halibut has me planning to resurrect my  old rig. Sometimes I’d just tie a couple of J hooks directly on my main line with palomar knots and a 2 or 3 oz weight and slay fluke in Barnegat Bay, Bay Head, and beaches on the Jersey shore.

That's basically the setup but a way longer leader from dropline to offering...a dropshot hook is right on the line correct?

Yes exactly, the hook is attached using a palomar knot and you can fish grubs, flukes and other swimbaits

when i was a kid, i got my first hali from shore off Crissy Field using the dropshot rig, but with a bucktail tipped with gulp at the bottom....very similar to the John Skinner fluke rig.

 I’ve caught 4-6 halibut over the past few years on a drop shot rig. My most common rigging is 15-20lb leader/ mainline Palomar knot to a 3/0-4/0 ewg or j hook and a 4-5 inch swim bait or fluke style bait. Usually about 14-16 inches from the weight. 3/4-2 oz drop shot weight.

Cast  make bottom contact and shake the rod tip wait lift and repeat. Fishing slow is key. Bite is very similar to a bass bite in the colder months. Usually barely an little tick and then some dead weight. Until you set the hook😂


Hope that helps anyone looking to give it a shot.

I use the dropper loop with a white fluke down her in SC and Capitola. With some Butt Juice on it

You're right about "down south."  That was a go-to technique for me in LA Harbor.  In fact, the day I was demoing kayaks before I bought my first one,  I brought some "junk" light gear and was doing just with a swim bait from the demo kayak, a Hobie Sport.  I caught and released a short halibut in the demo kayak session.  "Greg," the sales guy from XtremeSports, said, "Well I guess I know which kayak you're going to buy."     He was right. I bought it that day.  Up here in Humboldt Bay I don't use that technique much, but I see folks having great success doing that.  I should probably give it a try.