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Halibut Tricks In Kodiak Alaska
By Allen Walburn
Halibut fishing in Larsen Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska is unsurpassed anywhere due to a wide variety of reasons. While we sometimes choose to fish deep water (250 feet +) most of our halibut fishing is done in waters between 50 and 100 feet deep. When the season dictates it we fish with terminal tackle and 12- 24 ounce sinkers but we also offer lighter tackle for those that prefer something different.
The Alaska Fish & Wildlife have determined the waters off Kodiak Island to be the best in all of Alaska for producing big number of both large and small halibut. Our custom-built catamaran sport fishing boat is the ultimate fishing machine for halibut fishing. Our boat is 36 feet long, 14 feet wide, with a heated cabin and private restroom, which offers each guest the maximum in comfort while providing plenty of room for battling fish.
Halibut in Kodiak and Larsen Bay are plentiful and range in size from small "chickens" to barn door sized in excess of 300 pounds. Typically most of our fish range between 20 and 60 pounds but very few days go by that at least one hundred pounder is not brought to the surface. Each of our guests is encouraged to take halibut home but our lodge practices safe, catch and release of our larger fish to protect and enhance the resource. Few who visit Kodiak leave without fish; we just try and harvest the best and most plentiful on most occasions. For those that want a trophy we have no problem helping them attain their goal.
Our fishing techniques vary from location to location. In a typical day we may fish a sandy shelf and catch halibut on 2-ounce jigs and 30 pound line. Later in the day we may fish and underwater ledge that is 300 feet deep and drops to 500. Be careful and make sure you have the big gear ready. More than once we have lost three hundred yards of line without ever slowing down some of those behemoths. We have 80 pound class rods and Newell reels rigged with the new 100 pound Diawa Saltiga line which is an eight stand braid and virtually indestructible. Sometimes the problem is if the angler can hang on until the halibut decides to slow down. Seldom do halibut break off in the bottom so it is just a battle of will and power. This type of fishing is not for everyone and often only once for many.
For those that don't like being tortured we have light tackle reels setup with 30-pound line and jigs that are truly a blast for 20-80 pound fish, unfortunately anything bigger usually results in the fish winning. Each fisherman gets to make the call of big tackle and big fish or smaller tackle and more manageable fish.
After battling halibut all day we return to the lodge where the fish are cleaned processed and vacuum-sealed. Each bag is labeled and placed immediately into the freezer.
Allen Walburn has been a U.S. Coast Guard licensed master of power vessels up to 100 tons for 30 years. He has operated A&B Charters http://www.aandbcharters.com from the Naples City Dock since 1977. Recently he has become managing partner for Alaska's Kodiak Island Resort.
http://www.kodiakresort.com
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