Linglifter, I don't know if in 42 years of fishing SoCal, I've ever heard of a Pacific halibut being caught down here, not even as far up as Santa Barbara. That doesn't mean it's never happened, I just wouldn't even try to target them if I were you. As far as our California halibut, 22" being the legal size and abut 3.5 lbs, you can catch them in water from 5' to over 100' deep, but if you concentrate your drift in likely areas in a depth of 25' to 75' feet you'll probably be more in the depth zone. And as others have said, live bait is the best choice, squid, greenback spanish mackerel, sardines, etc. Don't expect to find herring this far south either. Good luck!

I really appreciate that information! Good to know. :)