Netting a halibut is just plain wrong...(grin)
Gaffing is the way to go, on all halibut under 120ish lbs. I've reached down and pulled 70lb halibut over the rail to get my hook back. Anything over that and I use another method. I wrestle with halibut on a daily basis. No big deal. Most of the fish I catch are 25-40lbs. One swift crack with the gaff and they are done. If I see a poor hook job, I just gaff them and wing em aboard, the then proceed with the beating.
