East bay halibut

Red Fish

Senior Member
#1
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The fishing has been really slow. One of the most unusual seasons I have ever seen. Seems like the boats are the ones that are really successful because they are moving to the bait-balls.

I did have a “fluke” of luck with a halibut yesterday evening after a series of unsuccessful trips. I have been having some luck with 4 to about 4 and 1/2 foot leopard sharks 🦈 in Emeryville and have fished the Emeryville Pier in recent weeks (all released). And even that has been hit and miss with some fruitless attempts.

I embarked on a trip yesterday late in the day after transferring my PVC pipes from an old collapsible grocery cart (fishing cart) to a new one I scored at Lucky’s (the last one they had that was $19). You know the ones: I call them “granny carts.” Anyway, by the time that was said and done ✅ obtaining some black, plastic, zip ties from the dollar-store to attach my PVC, I was off fishing about 7pm.

I thought maybe I could get a halibut at/by sunset, but I also brought a long rod with a conventional reel to throw for striper or shark 🦈. I set out first to catch some shiners with market shrimp 🦐 bits but did not get any. I threw a small Castnet of three feet but was unsuccessful at getting any baitfish. The only other bait I brought with me was some refrozen bag anchovies. I baited up with those but got nothing. By now, it was sundown and the couple people there left with a couple more arriving. The guy that left said, “You want these, I have a couple anchovies left ?” I said, “Sure, thanks.” He had left me two anchovies from a tray. By now, it was 9pm and I took one of the two anchovies and baited it up by going through the head and half/hitching the rest of the body. I used a hook I had left over from those prepackaged Eagle 🦅 Claw that are like 7/0 octopus and come snelled with like 3ft of 40# mono in 6packs.

So, I long cast it out with an 8oz River sinker on a slider on a Penn Prevail 11’ Rod and a Shimano Charter Special and set it a rod holder. A few minutes later, I hear click....click...click. I go over to the rod holder, pick up the rod, feel a few jerky bites and swing the rod upward and start reeling in. It’s dark already.... I set the hook again as I say out loud to a guy there “I think it’s a leopard shark 🦈. He asks me if I want him to get a net and I say yes. As it comes near, the guy says “It’s a flounder” as the fish is near the surface. I say, “No, it’s a halibut“ as I ease off the muscling in of the fish. A few more jerky runs and the guy, William, successfully nets the fish pretty skillfully in a matter of minutes.

fished 7-10 pm with the top @ about 1am
28” Cali Hali and dense.
 
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#3
Very impressive

Always wondered if hali bit at night. Occasionally caught big fluke on buck tails or SP minnows Striper fishing at night on the east coast, can’t see why halibut would be much different