Introduction:

What does light tackle, swimbaits, and a couple of hours at your local beach equal? A quick, low-cost, hassle-free, and relatively simple way to catch quality saltwater fish.

For the purpose of this article, when I say "inshore" I am primarily talking about fishing right at the water's edge out to about 20 feet deep from the surf or small craft such as float tubes, kayaks, surfboards, skiffs, etc. Fishing for Halibut and other gamefish with artificial lures on light tackle can be extremely fun, challenging, and rewarding. I typically fish from the surf or a float tube so that is what I will focus on.

The three basic techniques I use are:

1. Surf fishing
2. Shallow water float tubing (0 to 7 feet deep)
3. "Deep" water float tubing (8 to 20 feet deep)

The first and probably the most important thing to remember when fishing for halibut with swimbaits is that although they live on the bottom they are not necessarily bottom feeders. They are predators and more often than not they primarily feed by sight. Although they seem to be primarily ambush hunters, they will chase, boil, and even jump clear out of the water in pursuit of prey.

Another thing to remember is that you can never fish too shallow. I have caught many legal sized halibut in extremely shallow water and have startled many more while wading in just inches of water. My largest surf halibut was caught in water that was only about 3 feet deep.

There are two basic techniques I use when fishing with swimbaits for inshore halibut. I will refer to them in this article as "subtle" and "standard". When surf fishing I primarily stick to the subtle technique. When float tubing I tend to switch between the two constantly so I always carry at least two rods - one for each technique - rigged and ready to go.

Conditions & Locations:

Beaches & Structure - While some beaches may be better than others I have found that nearly all beaches at one time or another will hold halibut. So I usually go to beaches that are easier to surf fish or float tube. Small surf, fewer people, and beautiful surroundings are some main draws. Coves or beaches on the lee sides of points typically offer ideal conditions for float tubing and surf fishing for halibut.

There are basically two things to look for in a beach and each one by themselves or both together will attract fish. First - Sandy bottoms either near some kind of structure or mixed with structure. Some of the best types of structure are eel grass beds, kelp strands, and rocks. Fishing the sand "alleys" inside this type of structure can be very productive. Even variations in the bottom such as slopes or pockets can be considered structure and will attract halibut. Second - the presence of baitfish. Even beaches with almost no structure whatsoever seem to attract halibut if there is a healthy amount of baitfish.

Water Temperature - In the Santa Barbara area I have found the best inshore halibut fishing to be in the late Spring through the late fall when the water temperature is nearing the 60 degree mark and above. Warm periods during the winter season can also help draw halibut to these inshore areas. Colder water seems to cause the halibut to "hug" structure more than they do in warmer conditions. "Bass" fishing close to boiler rocks or eel grass can be very productive for finding colder water inshore halibut and perhaps other species.

Tides - I have caught successfully caught halibut at all tide periods. I have found that the effect tides have on inshore halibut has more to do with the particular beach I am fishing than the fish themselves. Some beaches fish better at lower tides and some beaches fish better at or around the high tide. There are several different beaches I fish near my home and although they are relatively close to each other some fish better around the low tide and others fish better around the high tide. This is something you will need to experiment with at the beaches you decide to fish.

Swell & Current - I prefer a balance between a minimal swell and a moderately moving current.

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