Halibut rig
 

I wanna hit up cabrillo harbor this saturday for halis. Ill be in a blue prowler 13 with a couple avet stickers so come down and say hi or ill come over to you. I dont know how to rig for halis so i need sime help. What kind of rig should i use with sardines or squid or whatever is at the bait barge? Should i use something like a sliding egg sinker or a bounce ball rig? Also do you guys do a slow troll or ket the wind drift you? Is 20lb line overkill? If you guys can answer these questions ill be set and ready. Thanks alot all help is appreciated.

Havn't fished Cabrillo harbor, but if its a sandy bottom a sliding sinker, 1.5-2 oz should be good depending on how the water is moving. Slow trolling is good because you will cover more ground

if there is a lot of crab grass, a reverse dropper loop type set up with a torpedo sinker will keep your bait above the grass and the torpedo will pass through without picking up (hopefully) a ton of crab grass

A stinger is also recommended depending on the size of the bait.

Thanks akit ill try that. Hoping to land my first flattie!

Most of the guys that I know that fish Cabrillo use 6-8oz sinkers, I've tried 4oz but I couldn't keep it on the bottom unless I was able to maintain my position and that meant continous peddling/paddling into the wind on an incoming tide. If you're just getting started try every rig that you can imagine and you'll find one that works for you, I've had luck with Carolina rigs, three way swivels and drop shots. I usually fish two rods, one with a three way swivel and the other with a drop shot......both have been successful.

One last thing, pay really close attention to the wind reports. Cabrillo winds are no joke and you DO NOT want to get stuck out in the channel when the winds pick up, it'll sneak up on you and getting back to the launch will be lots and lots of fun. If you're going this weekend the Saturday winds aren't looking to good for a beginner.

Saturday
8am -7kts
11am - 10kts
2pm - 15kts


Sunday looks better
8am - 2kts
11am - 5kts
2pm - 9kts

http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/cabrillo_beach

http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/s...abrillo_marina

Just hire the CEO of Team Sewer Fishing as a Guide it's money well spent

I think if it is windy enough maybe you will see Jorge out there Kite Fishing...;)

For me presentation usually depends on water depth. 20 or so I like a sliding sinker set up. Much deeper than that I go with a dropper loop. 20lb isn't to heavy but shallow I fish 12-15, deeper 20-25. Weight size again depends on depth but drift speed too. In my opinion if you're not in contact with the bottom you are not hali fishing. I also like to keep my line about as verticle as possible, better to feel for light bites. I never use a trap rig and generally use a light wire circle in the bait's nose. Halibut fishing can be the most frustating fishing we have in So Cal. Ever bite could be a huge fish and you have to be on your game all the time. Good luck. Mike

Thanks everyone for helping out. Thanks ALOT for the wind reports. This saturday looks like a no go ao probably tuesday. I would go sunday but isnt there too much boat traffic??? Ill bring alot of my rigs and try everything. Thanks again ill put all the info to good use. Look out for my report!:reel:

Just go fish'n and be careful, tackle wise halibut fishing is pretty basic, thats one of the things I enjoy about it. Spend some time on the water and pay attention to everything around you, including your kayak.

Good luck!:cheers1:

Tight lines to you too!:cheers1:

Another option for halibut if you run out of live bait is using big 4" mister twisters. Royal blue 1 oz jig head with an off white twister tail has worked well for me on hali's.

Technique: Use your FF to find a large area with flat sandy bottom with some structure near by. Structure such as boulders, small drop offs, weedlines, etc. These structures provide ambush points and attract prey.

Cast the jig as far as you can. Let it sink to the bottom, bounce the jig on the bottom a few times in with a slow retrieve, stop for a 3-5 second count, and repeat.

Lots of good setups mentioned here. The amount of weight used will be determined by depth, current, rig and purpose. Generally you need enough to keep your sinker on or near the bottom while drifting/paddling. Especially in L A harbor where visibility is usually just a few feet at the bottom. Fish the largest Sardines in your tank, or double up your Squid, to avoid wasting time on smaller fish. Carry grippers or a small mesh net in case you do run into a really hungry short or questionable size fish. Cover a lot of ground in various depths until you find fish willing to bite then focus your coverage.

If all else fails you can get it at the market for$9.99 per lb.. Yikes.

Will do im gonna be fishing hard!

I might be out there Monday

3 way stinger rig to "bounce" on the drift and 3-5" trap rigged swimbaits are my go to set ups. drift both.

Thanks low profile, can you show me a picture of those rigs? And what kind of swimbait or weight should i use?

That sucks im going tuesday. Good luck out there.

now i know why he does it.
 

that halibut sure does taste good. my first for the year . almost forgot what it is like. :D

20lb line should be fine. if you have a fish finder use it to look for sandy bottoms with little rock structure. slow drift with a 3 way swivel rig 2-4 oz weight