Home Forums Fishing Saltwater Alaska Halibut question

Does this sum it up for non-residents fishing the POW area?

Fishing with guide/charter: limit one halibut per day, reverse slot (under 44" or over 76").

Clients fishing with guides participating in GAF program can take two halibut of any size. Do most guides or any guides participate?

Unguided sport fishing: two halibut per day any size

Thanks

I believe so.

Thanks Hank

I don't know of anybody in the POW area using GAF fish. Not needed this year, as the king fishing is really good. We haven't seen limits like this in a long time, and we are getting them all. The boss and I just finished a group of 12 yesterday and we got all 72 kings they are allowed in 3 days of fishing, and one of those days included fishing in a 30kt gale. Limits of halibut too. That's a lot of fish.

Nobody does just halibut trips on POW. We all do combos. You'll get plenty of fish, and plenty of halibut even with the 1 fish limit, under 44". Most non-residents with their own boats, I see them gaffing 9# halibut while they attempt to get some salmon.

Back from POW (Coffman Cove)
Another great week.
Two slow days due to big SE winds and flat lander inexperience but the other four days were outstanding. Filled the boat with salmon limits and plenty of halibut.

I need to improve with the gaff. My daughter is acting like she isn't mad but I messed up one of her halibut landings. She'll get over it since I paid for the trip.

Hardest thing about gaffing, is to not swing the gaff at the fish... we always netted under about 20 lbs, gaffed up to 40, and harpooned over 40... The first thing to check when you can see the fish, is how well is it hooked. If I could not see the barb through and through, I would reach for the harpoon if it was any size of keeper... I only shot two fish during my Alaska years, but the largest I personally boated (125 lbs) was just a harpooned/gaff job. It was too rough to even consider gunplay that day.

If you're using one of those hay bail club gaffs, you're asking to loose a fish. I prefer one similar to this, though I made my own with a 16/0 shark hook and pole



A swift jerk up and the fish is on.

That's the type of gaff I used and a straight up jerk is the key.

I also used one of these hand gaffs to release fish caught on jigs.



Get three or so wraps of leader around your forearm, slide the hand gaff along the line to the jig, hook the jig, keep the leader taught with your hand down, lift the gaff straight up, and shake the fish off.

It makes for an easy release with minimal damage to the fish.

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.