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If you're any kind of Washington halibut angler, you know all about Swiftsure Bank, Blue Dot, 72-Square and The Garbage Dump.
But out there in the Pacific there's a bunch more sweet spots for halibut, and, until now they haven't been detailed.
For the last 8 years the International Pacific Halibut Commission has hired commercial vessels to conduct stock assessment surveys from Northern California to the Bering Sea. These highly structured halibut surveys are layed out in grids and are referred to by station numbers.
The data obtained provides invaluable information to scientists, such as age, abundance and migration patterns.
Dr. Bill Clark, senior assessment scientist, conducts the annual stock assessments for the IPHC.
"The surveys are an essential part of our stock assessment," he said.
"We use those surveys coastwide to monitor the abundance of fish. A survey is highly standardized. We always fish the same place; we always fish the same gear. We even use exactly the same bait. No. 2 chum salmon is always the same every year."
How it's done
Survey locations are fished once a year.
"We start setting gear at dawn," said Clark.
"So if you set four stations, that's 40 miles of running along setting gear. Then you have to haul it all back. We do the whole shelf. We go from 20 fathoms out to 275 fathoms."
At least two IPHC workers are onboard to collect the data. Sometimes Fish and Wildlife volunteers are recruited to help with the surveys.
The data they have collected has been incorporated into our map.
Patterns
Yeah, we know that Washington halibut season doesn't open for months, but it's never too early to bone up on the flat ones, so here's a refresher course:
Pacific halibut migrate along the Continental Shelf in depths averaging around 1,000 feet.
While searching for food, they come within the reach of sport fishermen's tackle as they wander up muddy inclines and steep gravelly slopes headed toward the shallow 300-foot plateaus.
The deep-water Hoovers hang below the edges of the plateaus, sucking up remnants of baitfish, crab, squid and octopus that get swept off the shelves from previous fish's meals.
They also feast on spent salmon carcasses.
"You're looking for plateaus between 425 to 475 feet," said Mike Jamboretz of Jambo's Sportfishing (425-788-5955).
"Typically you'll find your halibut where there's a thousand-foot canyon nearby, where they come up to the 400-foot water to feed."
Rigging up
"We generally outfit a person with a heavy rod and a Penn 114 HLW loaded with 80-pound Spectra," said Paul Foster, manager of Englund Marine (360-268-9311) in Westport.
"The braided line allows you to get down with less weight."
"They usually use a spreader bar with a 24- to 32-ounce lead for a dropper," said Foster.
"We sell halibut rigs already made up. They have double hooks and all you need to do is snap the rig onto the spreader. For bait, most people use the large black label herring. The hook adjusts to the size of the herring. We also like to add scents like herring or shrimp oil."
Many skippers swear that a piece of octopus is a guaranteed halibut, while other anglers use chunks of salmon. Because halibut come up to the plateaus to scarf on decayed salmon carcasses, you might consider tucking away an old smoker in the freezer for such occasions.
Some gents will also tie on a whole squid onto their herring rig using elastic thread. Because you're fishing up to 100 fathoms, however, anglers will often add a piece of sablefish for insurance.
Also known as black cod, the skin of a sablefish is very oily and tough.
Since the water is dark down there, a piece of sablefish leaves an important scent trail and stays on the hook long after nuisance critters such as dogfish have stripped off your bait.
"If you're getting dogfish bites, get the herring off and get the plastic on, like white scampi tails or the 9-inch B2 Squids," Jamboretz said.
"White's a good color. When you get down below a couple hundred feet, it's pitch black down there."
Many skippers back-bounce into the swells, stern first. This allows you to hold your boat in the current and employ a controlled drift down a slope.
"If you're getting dogfish bites, get the herring off and get the plastic on, like white scampi tails or the 9-inch B2 Squids," Jamboretz said.
"White's a good color. When you get down below a couple hundred feet, it's pitch black down there."
Many skippers back-bounce into the swells, stern first. This allows you to hold your boat in the current and employ a controlled drift down a slope.
Top spots
Here are coordinates for Washington's famous hali holes:
Swiftsure Bank
West end: 48° 29.60', 124° 58.40'
East end: 48° 29.60', 124° 54.30'
Blue Dot: 48° 16.40', 125° 20.16'
72-Square
: 48° 19', 125° 33'
Closed area
A "C-shaped" yelloweye rockfish conservation area that is closed to recreational bottomfish and halibut fishing includes the northern portion of the "Halibut Hotspot" off La Push and is defined by the following coordinates in the order listed:
48°18' N. lat.; 125°18' W. long.
48°18' N. lat.; 124°59' W. long.
48°11' N. lat.; 124°59' W. long.
48°11' N. lat.; 125°11' W. long.
48°04' N. lat.; 125°11' W. long.
48°04' N. lat.; 124°59' W. long.
48°00' N. lat.; 124°59' W. long.
48°00' N. lat.; 125°18' W. long.
And connecting back to 48°18' N. lat.; 125°18' W. long.
Information
Interested in a flatsider trip, looking for advice or need some tackle? Talk to these sharpies on the Coast and Strait:
Neah Bay
Big Salmon Resort
Joey and Dawn Lawrence
800-959-2374
Hot Shot Guide Service
Eli Rico
425-417-0394
Jambo's Sportfishing
Mike Jamboretz
425-788-5955
Tommycod Charters
Tom Young
800-283-8900
Westport
Westport Charters
Steve Westrick
800-562-0157
Angler Charters
Dennis Moss
360-581-2940
Ilwaco
Sea Breeze Charters
800-204-9125
Englund Marine
360-642-2308
Sekiu
Olson's Resort
& Marina
360-963-2311
Material from Fishing & Hunting News
published 24 times a year.
Visit them at www.fishingandhuntingnews.com.