What Makes A Good Halibut Fishing Spot
Indeed it seems without fail that clients are enamored with the idea of how you find halibut fishing spots. For one thing, the vast landscapes of the open sea are overwhelming to the untrained eye. Captaining halibut fishing charters in Ketchikan, Alaska makes me well versed. For instance I’ve acquired hundreds of good halibut fishing spots in all my years halibut fishing Alaska. With that being said, and without fail, clients consistently inquire with a sort of perplexed tone. “How do you find a good halibut fishing spot?”
Next, I jokingly quip that I’ve discovered good halibut fishing spots by finding the bad ones. If that slightly sarcastic answer doesn’t quench their increasingly curious desires, I’ll go into the scientific approach. In particular, it does seem curiously odd. The fact there’s so much area to cover, however the fish seem to love certain and rather small areas. Halibut fishing in Ketchikan and Alaska as a whole takes great knowledge to consistently stay on the fish. For this reason, there’s valuable information on what makes a good halibut fishing spot in Alaska.
Ketchikan Halibut Fishing - Pro Tips For Good Halibut Spots
Ketchikan Sportfishing: Find Halibut Food
First this may seem like a no brainer, but the basis of finding fish is to find fish food. In other words, if you want to find a bunch of hungry people then you go to the grocery store or restaurant. Of course, there you will find your target audience. In the fish world it’s spelled out similarly, regarding how fish will concentrate and feed. Indeed it’s in correlation to where there’s an abundance of food.
Certainly finding the areas where the food is concentrated is another expansive topic. As a result, we won’t dive into great detail on the matter. Conversely we’re going to stick with the basics. As discussed in the article on how to catch halibut, the primary food sources for halibut are herring, cod, squid, salmon and crustaceans.
Halibut Fishing Ketchikan: Fish Where There’s Halibut
Of course to catch many halibut you need to find spots that have a higher concentration of halibut. There’s plenty of methods with the set it and forget it approach. For instance, anchoring lets the scent carry downcurrent to nearby hungry halibut. As a result, halibut will trickle their way into your scent trail and feed on your waiting halibut fishing rigs (internal link). Matter of fact this method works universally well even if you’re not on a, “good halibut fishing spot”.
In this case, halibut are like giant saltwater catfish, finding food mainly from scent. As a result, if you wait long enough, generally a halibut will find your halibut bait. But that’s not considered hunting for halibut, which is exactly what we do on halibut fishing charters in Ketchikan, Alaska. We seek out high concentrations when halibut fishing. Therefore if you’re not catching after a given period of time then it’s time to move on.
Halibut Fishing Ketchikan Charter: Fish The Tides For Halibut
First and foremost, Alaska halibut fishing grounds are extremely tidal driven. For instance, when the tide allows, fish feed in heavier patterns. So they will take full advantage and you can have an epic bite! However this can work to the contrary as well. For example, if the current isn’t assisting the halibut to feed, the bite can be boring and nonexistent.
The moon cycle and geographic location will dictate how the tide will influence the halibut fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska. However this subject takes time to develop. For instance, if you don’t have an in depth knowledge of the fishing grounds and waterways, you’ll be at a severe disadvantage. On the other hand, an intimate knowledge knowing the where, why, time, and tide will have you reaping rewards daily.
Halibut Fishing Alaska: Underwater Contours
Alaska waters with their glacier carved underwater landscapes provide wildly diverse contours beneath the surface. Unlike your average coastal sea floor, gradually getting deeper the further from the coast you are. The seafloor encompassing the Southeast Alaskan waters has peaks and valleys. Halibut fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska we typically target a few key contours when searching out the richest grounds.
First, underwater seamounts provide a raised surface where ocean currents push onto the top of a pinnacle. As a result this makes a great area for halibut to feed on the high concentration of food.
Secondly, deep water trenches provide something similar to the seamounts. These trenches are used as highways for halibut, feeding on the species that inhabit these valleys.
Lastly, halibut prefer to lay and wait as an ambush predator. In turn making flat areas a preferred hiding ground. Colorful camouflage gives them great disguise until an unsuspecting food source gets a little too close.
Best Halibut Fishing Spots In Ketchikan, Alaska: Top Tips
Imagine having a sixth sense for where the halibut may be hiding. In spite of this sixth sense, if you have an insatiable appetite to learn, discover and grow. Then you too could find halibut fishing spots with a sense of ease and confidence. My hope is that this article helps you understand the amount of work and study it takes to find a good halibut fishing spot. In addition, know what makes it a good halibut spot and when is the best time to fish that spot. Of course, it’s a lifelong study on the ocean, fishery and biological reasons behind why fish behave certain ways. Personally, it’s intriguing and I genuinely love discussing it with Ketchikan halibut fishing charter groups.
