I posted this some years ago. When it took me 3 days to find it searching the forums, I figured it may not be bad idea to re-post it. I had people thank me in the past as they felt this stuff helped them land their first big halibut. With the brown moving in and all the new blood on BWE, I hope it may help prevent a major heartbreak for someone. Your margin of error on the kayak is very small.
By no means I invented this stuff. It's just what I try to go by - different folks may have different routine and preferences. I came up with this after years of practice on the skiff and on the kayak, learning on my own mistakes. Some stuff I read on fishing forums over the years, some I was fortunate to have an opportunity to learn from some folks with PHDs in halibut sciences.
- Make sure your drag is not tight. If the things go wrong, you want to make sure the fish can have a smooth and controlled run if/when it freaks out. This will also help bring barely hooked fish to the surface.
- Have your game clip ready – open and secured to your kayak with a rope, ready to be deployed. I do it on the beach before I launch so I don't forget later.
- Don’t panic when you see the big brown below. Keep control, keep the line tight with no slack…
- Don’t get their head out of the water – let them hang and linger by the boat, a foot or so under the surface. Keep them hanging upward, with their head above their tail; keep the constant tension in your line. They’re usually pretty calm. If the fish decides to make another run down, let it.
- Identify their lower jaw. Their belly is right below their head on that side.
- Gaff ‘em though the belly. It is their softest spot, yet strong enough to be lifted on board by your gaff. You don't have to hit them hard - just slide your gaff underneath their belly, and gently yet firmly pull up - sharp gaff ought to pierce right through. In my experience, 9 out of 10 times, they won’t freak out when you gaff them though the belly. They stay calm… like a lamb.
It almost stuns them.
- Don’t gaff them in the head – it is their most boney part. It is hard to pierce though, your head gaff attempt is likely to be followed by a freak out…
- Attempting to gaff them though the thick meat on their shoulder is very likely to cause them to start thrashing. On a bigger halibut, it is likely you won’t run a gaff though them – they’ll freak out and probably yank your gaff out of your hand, or the fish will fall of the gaff.
- As you run the gaff through the belly, keep the fish in the water, don’t lift her up on board. Reach for your game clip and run it through the gills. I find it easier to enter through their gills, and come out with the clip through their mouth.
- Secure the clip, lock it. The game is over, destination dinner table is almost certain now.
- Put the rod in the rodholder and unlock the spool. The fish is on the leash, tied to your boat, all is good. It may save your rod.
- At that point, I cut their gills to bleed them. Some people smack them over their head; that works too, but I haven’t been doing it. You ought to do something, as they may stay alive for a while…
- Be ready for a post mortum freak out - they frequently do that. Move and secure your reels and anything else they may kick in the water if/when they start flopping on your deck.
It is up to you to choose whther you'll turn the fish so you have their toothy jaw between your legs, or their mighty tail while doing the happy paddle back in…