Wintertime Iron fishing....
 

We got a gentleman’s start saterday and launched around 7am to light offshores and ankle slappers. There was tons of sardines and bait sized macks around feeding on the surface but, with no signs of predators, and the chance that there was still squid on the 3/4’s, I didn’t waste much time with the finbait.

Once out past the condo I could see the tell tale signs of the gulls lazily lingering above the area that was holding squid last week. After a couple drops with the 6x I finally snagged one, and sent it back down on the dropperloop while I filled the tank using the iron.

About three hours and a few hundred drops later, I felt a violent thud follow by a few solid shakes, then nothing but dead weight. About thirty seconds later I was eye to eye with a 40” halibut wondering how I was gonna retrieve my iron from those snapping jaws. I definitely had second thoughts about sticking the gaff in this green fish, cause with halibut the fight doesn’t start until they are to the boat. Lucky after watching a few videos by MrGregAndrews, I was able to keep the head under water, get the belly gaff and slip the game clip through without entering into hand to hand combat with this dinosaur. Trying to get good pics of a still fresh fish is by far the sketchyest part. 40” 31lbs.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...077_x_808_.jpg

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...08_x_1077_.jpg

While some may doubt the legitimacy of the California Halibut’s high point value in the west coast whopper’s, I feel its more than fair. These fish are just as stubborn and hard to catch as the YT and WSB, but lack the WFO bites that make the YT and WSB such an easy target for a few weeks a year. While it may not not take heavy gear/tackle to fight these monsters to the surface, once yakside the fight truly begins and doesn’t really end until you have that fish on dry land. They simply refuse to die!!

Hopefully the WCW will resume again this year in a very similar format, if anything changes I would like to see points awarded for the TOP TWO fish in slam for that month....and maybe bump up the minimum submittable weight (after all this is The West Coast Whoppers!!!!). Its wintertime, have faith in the iron!!!

:jig:

Wow,
that's alot of halibut steaks excellent job, thanks for the report, enjoy the fish steaks

Nice fish you got there. :Halibut Icon:
I surely hope people are not thinking about changing the WCW rules about Halibut.

IMO Nothing else will give you Yakside excitement like a Halibut - except maybe a Mako.
At this point I think everyone knows that these fish can wreak havoc while they are along side you during the process of landing the fish. Even after gaffing and game clipping them, its still no guarantee they will stay on your kayak.
- Lets just say I have had it happen - but was lucky enough to re-gaff and haul it aboard. (I was told it was entertaining to watch :))

-I have also had a big one pull the gaff apart while along side the kayak. If it weren't for a fellow kayaker (Jason) tossing me his gaff I would have lost that battle - but I didn't. Live and learn....

-You can't grab them very good, and they are slippery sob's. They also want to bite you. (yellowtail and sea bass don't do that)

-They are arguably the best tasting fish we have in our local waters and deserve their place in WCW. Its not easy to catch one, regardless of what you might have heard.

These fish create nervous anticipation when you see that brown and white flash coming up from deep color. You never know what the hell is going to happen.

Awesome fish :cheers1: Looks pretty rough out there :eek:

That really is one of the prettiest halibut I have seen.

Congrats on the Monster

I was there saturday and we saw alot bird action. Came back emty handed. I'm glad someone scored!! :luxhello:

Make sure that clip is good and tight... those things can break clips.

Nice fish. I imagine that guy was a lot of fun yakside after a 30 second fight! :cheers1:

Nice hali. White and blue 6x? Patience definitely paid off. Did you have a bunch of little macs or other small fish hitting the 6x? Fun at first but becomes a chore after a couple.

On the :jig::eek:


Nice...

Really nice to see a real fish report..been awhile and for some reason I knew it would be you that broke the drought. Nice job Mr.J

That is an awesome report. Thanks for posting.

Nice Butt.

I have had them bite me more times, than the average sane person.

hurts alot, can leave a scar. :doh:

Nice Halibut, on the iron too, thats awsome.

Friggin Monsta!! Even when they are not kicking it is like trying to bring up a sheet of plywood. My avatar is a little of the commotion caused by a pissed off clipped LJ Halibut (thanks again for the pic Don). You da man Jeremiah

Nice Fish J! More like a few thousand drops of the iron when you think about the time you put on the water. That's a fatty. My biggest was 40" exactly in LJ and it weighed 24#. That girl must have been eating squid for the last 6 months:sifone:

The new fishing license lamination... whoop de friggen do
Sore wrist from paddling
5 mile waves
Line to leaders
Keeping fish fresh

All great post:rolleyes:

But this my friends is what Big Waters Edge is all about
Thanks for a real fishing post Jeremiah

Gotta love a big fat Butt!

Congrats!!!

nice halibutt! you mustve got him straight in the forehead with that iron

Big Brown Beavah! :luxhello:

Carrying a internet grudges against people you have never met and do not know...retarded.

Using a great report and fantastic catch of a trophy fish to bash someone else... absolutely priceless. :you_rock: