Hali - 2nd most important setup factor

From a setup perspective, depth is the first key success factor when trolling for Hali. Typically 1-2ft from the e bottom.

But what’s the second most important factor from a setup perspective? Weight? Flasher? Rod power? Leader length? Bait?

I’ve watched underwater footage, and it looks like Hali would follow and bite many presentations, but if the bait moves up, they would loose interest. I’m thinking that anything that counteracts upward movement of the bait helps. It can be a softer rod, heavier sinker, longer leader, rod mounting across the kayak. Maybe even the resistance of dodgers and flashers help. What do people think?

I think weight ties into your #1, whatever it takes to keep you 1-2 ft off the bottom given your speed relative to the speed/direction of the current. Flashers either work, or they don’t. Something to change if the opposite isn’t working, or if vis is poor. I feel like the action of your presentation is key—the roll of a herring, paddling of a swimbait tail, etc, and managing that given your speed relative to the speed and direction of the current. Making it look natural in the environment.

You bring up some interesting points about upward movement, but I’ve had fish hit multiple times as a started to reel up and check my bait. If I’m trolling without a flasher, holding my rod, sometimes I’ll even lift my rod tip up a and gently back down every so often  to try and entice a bite with some up/down movement from the bottom.

As long as your rod is light enough to absorb the headshakes, and heavy enough for a solid hook set, I think there’s a lot of different options that work in that realm. Time with your line in the water is the biggest variable in your control

I wouldn’t try to over think it. Having your presentation in the right zone ties all of the other things together.

For me Im all over the place. Sometimes I’ll drift bait, sometimes I’ll troll bait or lures. Sometimes I’ll jig with metal. Often I cast and retrieve swimbaits. All work and have times and places that I would consider better or less good depending on location and conditions.

My biggest came casting a swimbait. My next biggest came on live bait. My 3rd biggest was on a metal jig.

I agree on both the flasher and dont over think it comment.  Probably the best you can do is to use live bait, but then again, you have to be at the right spot.  As a matter of fact, I do think finding the right spots (drop offs, contour, etc) are the best thing to improve your chances. 

The other thing to think about is to make sure your line has solid knot and proper thickness as hali teeth shakes can cut your liine (I think I lost mine due to bad knot, which I ignored to redo and I regretted it now).

The other thing to think about is to make sure your line has solid knot and proper thickness...

I do all my hali leaders with 40lb. Thick enough to actuate the swivel on my 3-way when my bait rolls and not tangle up (which I find happens frequently with 30 lb leaders. You can also throw in a bead chain to prevent this if you want to run thinner line). Think rolling a piece of thread between your fingers vs a piece of rope. It's also thick enough to absorb some abrasion during the fight. I don't find these fish to be line-shy, as I think they're a reaction-bite ambush type fish.

IMHO, the dodger is the secret weapon. They need to get good action, yet not ride up too high above the sinker. Since Gibbs quit making the type that I like, I can’t find any commercial ones that meet those criteria. So I make my own out of copper pipe (I call it the Brett Favre). It definitely stays down in the strike zone—I have video to prove it…

What fun!  I guess I may have to try all these theories tomorrow...personally I like bait in the strike zone knowing that they will follow anything up the water column as well...

I find I don't get bites when I'm off the bottom. I like to be right on the bottom.

I find I don't get bites when I'm off the bottom. I like to be right on the bottom.

Last year, I caught a keeper while trolling for salmon 30' down in 70+ fow, so they are sometime off the bottom. But, tapping the bottom once in a while is the way to go...

IMHO, the dodger is the secret weapon. They need to get good action, yet not ride up too high above the sinker. Since Gibbs quit making the type that I like, I can’t find any commercial ones that meet those criteria. So I make my own out of copper pipe (I call it the Brett Favre). It definitely stays down in the strike zone—I have video to prove it…

Thanks! I remember you posted your setup for Hali. Can you reshare the link?

I find I don't get bites when I'm off the bottom. I like to be right on the bottom.

Last year, I caught a keeper while trolling for salmon 30' down in 70+ fow, so they are sometime off the bottom. But, tapping the bottom once in a while is the way to go...

I remember one of my first time fishing for halis in the bay they were jumping out the water. Didn't have to fish very deep that day....

IMHO, the dodger is the secret weapon. They need to get good action, yet not ride up too high above the sinker. Since Gibbs quit making the type that I like, I can’t find any commercial ones that meet those criteria. So I make my own out of copper pipe (I call it the Brett Favre). It definitely stays down in the strike zone—I have video to prove it…

Thanks! I remember you posted your setup for Hali. Can you reshare the link?

Sure, it's in this thread:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=92068.0

The Gibbs #3 dodger that I mention seems to be unavailable. Here's the thread on a DIY dodger from copper pipe:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=92250

That's 3/4" type L copper pipe, btw...

Wouldn’t recommend *not* fishing off the bottom, but also feel that exact distance isn’t too important and like other have stated, best not to overthink it. Two data points for me: a) I’ve caught a keeper hali while fly lining for WSB in ~30-40 FOW. No idea where my little chovie was swimming but most likely dozens of feet off the bottom. B) I’ve had many hali chase my bait to the surface, so they can come all the way up the water column. That being said, all my other keepers have been with live or dead, slow drifting 2-3’ off the bottom. I don’t like to troll much so never use a flasher/dodger. Because of this style of fishing, I use 2oz -3oz lead balls. Nice and light, keeps me just tapping the bottom.

it seems that sometimes just off the bottom or periodically bouncing off the bottom may attract them. Either that or it hits them and makes them react, then they encounter the trailing bait  . . . boom!