Landing a halibut without a gaff?
 

Catching Halibut is pretty new to me. Before this summer I had never caught one over 23 inches. I was lucky if I caught one or two a year. Now I've caught on to catching them. I've been releasing most of the smaller ones (under 25 inches). Those I can usually lift right on the boat with no problem. Now I want to start releasing some larger ones, after I photograph them. I just don't know how to land them with out gaffing them. Anyone have any experience with catching and releasing halibut?

Get a foldable net, takes just as much space as a gaff. Just get the right kind to not split the tail

i've heard the rubberized type nets are the best, or the soft mesh kind. using the thin rope type nets can and will split the tails of the halibut, causing tail rot and eventually killing the fish.

use a lip gripper, unhook then release, and take a photo if you dare....I would just release and have the gopro going...

It is not a good idea for you or the fish to try to bring a large one into your ysk for a photo. You will damage or lose gear when they go balistic. And they will damage themselves trying to get free. Get your camera out as you bring them up, cause there is no rush. Or , as Tony mentioned, turn on the video and snap a shot yakside and release.

Use a lip gripper and get a good grip on the tail before you try to pull it out of the water. Make sure everything is lanyarded down. Halibut get ridiculous.

Thanks guys, your input is appreciated. Sounds like the easiest thing to do is gaff it and keep, it if it's to large to lift out of the water. Of all the keeper size halibut that I've caught this summer, I couldn't imagine taking the hook out with it in the water. I'll just continue to do what I've been doing. Hope to see you guys on the water soon.

Why not, I do it all the time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZLjXjF3RhU

BTW, if you go to grab a big Halibut by the tail, make sure the video is running.

:luxhello::cheers1:

Rub the white belly 3 times and Halibut get memorized
 

This special technique works really well especially for big halibut. You can then slide a heavy white rope through their gills and pull them on the deck for a quick thumbs up picture before releasing them back into the water...It only works if you have a flat surface to place the white belly to lay on, so it doesn't work well from a kayak...I learned this trick as a kid catching blue belly lizards in Ventura...(haha typo...Mesmerized)

You made that look easy Greg. I've learned from watching your videos. You helped me land my 31lb personal best the other day. The last time I hook into a 30 plus pounder, I got broke off. I did everything wrong. That was before I watched your videos Thanks for putting them out there.

It look like that thing would have Took you for a swim if you tried to pull him in with a rope.

Just a couple of weeks ago I caught mt first legal halibut from the yak. He ended up being 27" . Since I was not sure with the size I ended up just keeping him a little under the water line and then taking my fish clip and running it thru his mouth out the gills and clipped it shut. I worked we'll and if it would have been short then an easy release.

My first legal halibut was caught on a kayak and I was completely unprepared. All of my research was focused on how to catch them and I completely forgot about the landing part. No gaff, no net, and a 27" butt on the line, I waited for him to not thrash around and slipped my fingers inside his Gill plate and slipped him onto my kayak between my legs. (Did I mention this is how NOT to land a halibut). The fish wasted no time striking back and new exactly where to hit me. He chomped down about 2" below the old coin purse on my inner thigh. Ouch. Those guys have some chompers on them. He let go fairly quickly but not without leaving me with a ring of puncture holes the size of a coppenhagen can that layer turned to a black and purple bruise. Igained a new respect for halibut that day. If you don't plan to keep them, a fine mesh net is the ticket. If you plan to keep them make sure your game clip is ready and open and your gaff is in reach before they are boatside. Then gaff, gameclip in, take out hook, repeat

Yes I saw that a couple week ago. You got it at Mission Bay. Mission is still producing. I got a 24, and I saw two 28's and a 38 caught yesterday at Mission.

I just got a game clip I haven't used it yet. I got tired of wrestling with them while trying to avoid the teeth. I clubbed the last one with a lug wrench and that didn't kill him.