What a bite. That was impressive. I really do enjoy your continual positive attitude and I appreciate the tips that you give that helps others (me) do better when we get to go. Keep up the good work Captain!
Hey Mark thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! I ended up getting 13 keepers the next day so it all worked out! I hope you are having a good season - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Wish the Hali fishing here in Washington was that good without going offshore 30 miles. Nice Hewescraft boat you have too, trying to make what model it is Sea Runner or the Ocean Pro. Great boats,
Thanks @sawdog007 I appreciate the positive comment! Yes I hear from a lot of folks from WA who suggest that long runs are required and there is a good bit of fishing pressure. This is a Sea Runner 210 Extended Transom with a full hard top bulkhead. Here is a detailed boat review: ua-cam.com/video/dLTZLOyJOjE/v-deo.html Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Looks like a blast! I recall a time fishing with you and Erik when I dropped my 7 oz Fire Eye jig down near 200 ft to the zone where Erik had just missed a bite. I could see the water mark on my braid line and knew I was approaching the bottom with my jig. As I engaged the reel and went to feel for the bottom an 80 lb halibut sucked that jig in just before it hit bottom. Truly the fastest take bite I’ve ever had from a halibut. The bite I will never forget! And just for clarity with this video, you guys are starting your drift on the shallower side and drifting deeper is that right? How important is it to keep your bait on/near the bottom? Do you tap check for the bottom every 30sec or so? Looking fwd to next month!
Hey Geoff yes indeed this brings back great memories! It is awesome when the halibut strike before the jig hits the bottom! In this spot is was drifting along a ridge so the depth was fairly constant however you correctly point out that drifting from shallow to deep is the preferred direction (since the other way around often yields snags!). I like to keep my bait near the bottom with pretty constance touches - every 10-20 seconds or so. Thanks and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Yes this is right with the caveat that in addition to the current slowly drifting the boat, I'm using the kicker motor to "back troll" to keep the boat as steady as possible. I'm resetting the drift to go back and re-cover a good fishing spot where we were getting bites. Tight lines! Captain Zac
Hey Randy yes I'll try to call this out in a future video but in the meantime check out this link which shows the difference - the females have a much wider bottom flap and sometimes have eggs and the males have a much narrower flap. marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/dungeness-crab/the-species/#:~:text=Dungeness%20crab%20male%20adults%20reach,(Figure%201%2D2). Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hello cap! I have been in Juneau for a few years and just got my first boat! Any tips for crabbing? I haven't had much luck... also I stopped at marine Auto and snagged one of your fire eye jigs! Thanks for the Videos and I hope to see you out there!
Hey @FireToad55 thanks for the positive comment and I appreciate the jig purchase! Congrats on your first boat! Crabbing gets more competitive as the season rolls up (especially since the commercial season opens in June). Generally speaking, the farther you get from Juneau the better the crabbing will be due to less pressure. Sometimes you can do a combo day where you can make a run, set crab pots, go halibut fishing, then pick up the crab pots on the way home. Halibut and crab for dinner! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Keep forgetting to ask. Was curious if you ever put out and run halibut sets?? In Louisiana i run alot of trout lines for catfish etc and those sets remind me of a trout line thats vertical lol. Speaking of cat fish something you need to try with cod and halibut i bet you will like. Take the bones cut off clean the fat skin etc off the edges and hack up in manageable sections batter it up like southern fried catfish and deep fry them. You will thank me later.... bit the bone and pull off that crust and little bit of meat or pull it off with a fork. Sweet meat good stuff
Hey Jimmie I don't put out halibut sets but some residents do (via personal use or subsistence regulations) and commercial fishermen definitely do. That's awesome - it sounds like you are dialed in on catching big catfsih! Wow that sounds very tasty - I'll have to give that a try! Thanks and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac no problem my friend.. I think it would make for interesting video if you could run a halibut set every once in a while. Maybe even interesting video cooking up them bones. Anyway catch you later my friend
Hey Zac great show as per usual. Curious what size and brand of spinning rod you use. Extra heavy but has a sensitive tip to see those bites. Best of luck this season - Dane Washington state
Hey @american_dane thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! I'm using a Penn Carnage III Jigging Spinning Rod (heavy action rated for 80-200lb test). Just as you say, it has a stout backbone for big halibut but a sensitive tip to feel even the slightest rockfish bites. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Thanks Kurt I am planning on making a series of halibut how tos including this topic. Until then, my halibut tips page may provide some guidance: captainzacalaska.com/halibut-tips/ Tight lines! Captain Zac
Awesome video, headed to Alaska next year in mid June! Hope the weather pans out! Where would you pick to halibut fish mid June Juneau, Ketchikan, icy straight point, or stikine? Also do you guide or just pleasure fish?
Hey @brianstaaf1176 although I have my US Coast Guard Captain's License, I'm not currently guiding. I'm guessing you are taking a cruise based on these locations. I'd probably pick Juneau or Icy Straight Point. If you are interested in possibly pairing the halibut fishing with king salmon fishing, then Juneau has some local king salmon opportunities that may be desirable. Icy Strait Point is in an area with less fishing pressure so you may get into some slightly better halibut fishing out there. However, since the guided regulations are geared towards keeping one smaller fish per anger, charters around Juneau typically don't have a problem limiting out on halibut. You could always decide based on other activities as well, for instance, if you are eager to see the glacier and ride the tram in Juneau, then go fishing at Icy Strait Point (or vise versa). Tight lines! Captain Zac
Yessir, we are taking a cruise. It will be my first time that far north and I’ve always dreamed of catching a halibut!! I do enjoy king fishing, but I have Lake Ontario a short distance away and do a west coast trip to the Columbia every other year!! I will give the icy straight a go and a tram ride to the glacier!! thank you for taking your time to respond, love your content!
Hey @AKFish2023 - Yes I do. I bleed the halibut by cutting the tail and snapping the bottom of the spine prior to putting them in the fish box. Tight lines! Captain Zac
Hi @mikehancho6894 - it varies, sometimes within 30mins, sometimes an hour or more away. All of this footage was less than 45mins from the harbor. Tight lines! Captain Zac
What a bite. That was impressive. I really do enjoy your continual positive attitude and I appreciate the tips that you give that helps others (me) do better when we get to go. Keep up the good work Captain!
Hi Wayne many thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Another great fishing trip Captain Zac, and landed a few nice ones too, enjoyed the trip, thanks, thumbs up and greetings,, Tony.
Thanks Tony I'm glad you enjoyed this footage and I appreciate the positive comment! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Captain Zac and Mary
Congratulations
Great morning of fishing….
Love the low tide bite….
Fish and chips coming up..!
Tight Lines
Be safe.
E
Thanks Eric I appreciate the positive comment and well said - fish and chips coming up! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Zac, Great job on the halibut there. Bummer on those crab. Good luck on future trips.
Hey Mark thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! I ended up getting 13 keepers the next day so it all worked out! I hope you are having a good season - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Awesome video Zac and Mary!
Thanks @TchaboAcemah! Tight lines! Captain Zac
Great fishing telling depth enjoy
Thanks @dansplett8303 I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Tight lines! Captain Zac
Wish the Hali fishing here in Washington was that good without going offshore 30 miles. Nice Hewescraft boat you have too, trying to make what model it is Sea Runner or the Ocean Pro. Great boats,
Thanks @sawdog007 I appreciate the positive comment! Yes I hear from a lot of folks from WA who suggest that long runs are required and there is a good bit of fishing pressure. This is a Sea Runner 210 Extended Transom with a full hard top bulkhead. Here is a detailed boat review: ua-cam.com/video/dLTZLOyJOjE/v-deo.html Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Great session on the halibuts!! Too bad no keepers on the crabs but that was a very nice trip! Tight lines from Texas!!!!
Hey @goodcitizen64 thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this adventure! Tight lines down in Texas my friend! Captain Zac
Looks like a blast! I recall a time fishing with you and Erik when I dropped my 7 oz Fire Eye jig down near 200 ft to the zone where Erik had just missed a bite. I could see the water mark on my braid line and knew I was approaching the bottom with my jig. As I engaged the reel and went to feel for the bottom an 80 lb halibut sucked that jig in just before it hit bottom. Truly the fastest take bite I’ve ever had from a halibut. The bite I will never forget!
And just for clarity with this video, you guys are starting your drift on the shallower side and drifting deeper is that right? How important is it to keep your bait on/near the bottom? Do you tap check for the bottom every 30sec or so?
Looking fwd to next month!
Hey Geoff yes indeed this brings back great memories! It is awesome when the halibut strike before the jig hits the bottom! In this spot is was drifting along a ridge so the depth was fairly constant however you correctly point out that drifting from shallow to deep is the preferred direction (since the other way around often yields snags!). I like to keep my bait near the bottom with pretty constance touches - every 10-20 seconds or so. Thanks and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
what do you mean by reset the drift? Is that just driving back up to a point, and letting the current slowly drift you towards a point?
Yes this is right with the caveat that in addition to the current slowly drifting the boat, I'm using the kicker motor to "back troll" to keep the boat as steady as possible. I'm resetting the drift to go back and re-cover a good fishing spot where we were getting bites. Tight lines! Captain Zac
Can you show us the difference between a male and female crab. They look the same to us. Nice halibut..
Hey Randy yes I'll try to call this out in a future video but in the meantime check out this link which shows the difference - the females have a much wider bottom flap and sometimes have eggs and the males have a much narrower flap. marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/dungeness-crab/the-species/#:~:text=Dungeness%20crab%20male%20adults%20reach,(Figure%201%2D2). Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Hello cap! I have been in Juneau for a few years and just got my first boat! Any tips for crabbing? I haven't had much luck... also I stopped at marine Auto and snagged one of your fire eye jigs! Thanks for the Videos and I hope to see you out there!
Hey @FireToad55 thanks for the positive comment and I appreciate the jig purchase! Congrats on your first boat! Crabbing gets more competitive as the season rolls up (especially since the commercial season opens in June). Generally speaking, the farther you get from Juneau the better the crabbing will be due to less pressure. Sometimes you can do a combo day where you can make a run, set crab pots, go halibut fishing, then pick up the crab pots on the way home. Halibut and crab for dinner! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Keep forgetting to ask. Was curious if you ever put out and run halibut sets??
In Louisiana i run alot of trout lines for catfish etc and those sets remind me of a trout line thats vertical lol.
Speaking of cat fish something you need to try with cod and halibut i bet you will like. Take the bones cut off clean the fat skin etc off the edges and hack up in manageable sections batter it up like southern fried catfish and deep fry them.
You will thank me later.... bit the bone and pull off that crust and little bit of meat or pull it off with a fork. Sweet meat good stuff
Hey Jimmie I don't put out halibut sets but some residents do (via personal use or subsistence regulations) and commercial fishermen definitely do. That's awesome - it sounds like you are dialed in on catching big catfsih! Wow that sounds very tasty - I'll have to give that a try! Thanks and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac no problem my friend..
I think it would make for interesting video if you could run a halibut set every once in a while. Maybe even interesting video cooking up them bones.
Anyway catch you later my friend
Hey Zac great show as per usual. Curious what size and brand of spinning rod you use. Extra heavy but has a sensitive tip to see those bites. Best of luck this season
- Dane
Washington state
Hey @american_dane thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! I'm using a Penn Carnage III Jigging Spinning Rod (heavy action rated for 80-200lb test). Just as you say, it has a stout backbone for big halibut but a sensitive tip to feel even the slightest rockfish bites. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Thank you kind sir! Now back to fishing 🤓🤘
Low tide bite was crazy. Too bad no keeper crabs, next time
Thanks Sean yes indeed it is always fun to find a hot halibut bite! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac
Please do a post on how to find a spot to halibut fish
Thanks Kurt I am planning on making a series of halibut how tos including this topic. Until then, my halibut tips page may provide some guidance: captainzacalaska.com/halibut-tips/ Tight lines! Captain Zac
Awesome video, headed to Alaska next year in mid June! Hope the weather pans out! Where would you pick to halibut fish mid June Juneau, Ketchikan, icy straight point, or stikine? Also do you guide or just pleasure fish?
Hey @brianstaaf1176 although I have my US Coast Guard Captain's License, I'm not currently guiding. I'm guessing you are taking a cruise based on these locations. I'd probably pick Juneau or Icy Straight Point. If you are interested in possibly pairing the halibut fishing with king salmon fishing, then Juneau has some local king salmon opportunities that may be desirable. Icy Strait Point is in an area with less fishing pressure so you may get into some slightly better halibut fishing out there. However, since the guided regulations are geared towards keeping one smaller fish per anger, charters around Juneau typically don't have a problem limiting out on halibut. You could always decide based on other activities as well, for instance, if you are eager to see the glacier and ride the tram in Juneau, then go fishing at Icy Strait Point (or vise versa). Tight lines! Captain Zac
Yessir, we are taking a cruise. It will be my first time that far north and I’ve always dreamed of catching a halibut!! I do enjoy king fishing, but I have Lake Ontario a short distance away and do a west coast trip to the Columbia every other year!! I will give the icy straight a go and a tram ride to the glacier!! thank you for taking your time to respond, love your content!
Don't you bleed your halibut when you put them in the box?
Hey @AKFish2023 - Yes I do. I bleed the halibut by cutting the tail and snapping the bottom of the spine prior to putting them in the fish box. Tight lines! Captain Zac
@@CaptainZac Makesme feel better to know that! We need to respect these magnificent animals by taking the best care we can. Tight Lines.
How far out of Juneau are you going?
Hi @mikehancho6894 - it varies, sometimes within 30mins, sometimes an hour or more away. All of this footage was less than 45mins from the harbor. Tight lines! Captain Zac