Subtle Technique:

When surf fishing or shallow water float tubing for halibut I typically use what I call the "subtle" technique. Basically this involves light line and small lures.

Tackle:

Rods - For surf fishing I prefer a lightweight sensitive graphite casting or spinning rod in the 7 to 8 foot range that has an extra-fast or fast action. The rods I currently fish are 7' 6" to 7' 9" extra-fast rod rated for 8-17 lb. test. For float tubing I prefer the same gear but rarely use a spinning rod. A lot of rod manufacturers carry rods that they market as "Plug", "Hot Shot", "Flats", or "Swim Jig" rods. These tend to be very fast action rods with strong butt sections and light tips. I find these rods have a good blend of strength and sensitivity for shallow water swimbait fishing.

Reels - For spinning I prefer a reel that is slightly larger than what is necessary for 6 or 8 lb. test. I currently use a Shimano Stradic 4000. Otherwise I use a small casting reel that can handle light lines. The Shimano Calcutta 50 is a perfect reel for this technique. With a little care a good quality reel will hold up well in the harsh surf and tubing environment.

Line - I prefer a low stretch high quality line such as Maxima, Izorline Platinum or P-line. From the surf I switch between 6 and 8 lb. test. In the tube I primarily use 8 lb. test.

Swimbait and Jig Head size - For the "subtle" technique I stick to the 3 inch Big Hammers™ with 3/16 or ¼ oz. jig heads. I prefer Hammer Heads™ with the thin wire hook for two reasons. I believe the action of the small swimbait in the surf is better with the thin wire and I also believe it is easier to get a good hook penetration with the light line and light equipment in most surf conditions.

Swimbait and Jig Head colors - I will usually go with the "dark conditions = dark bait, light conditions = light bait" theory but am always willing to experiment. My all around best color that seems to catch fish in any situation is Sea Wolf (#60). Since Sea Wolf is a darker opaque style bait I always bring along a clear silver flake bellied bait also. Usually I will go with Blue Shad (#38). Then there are the "white" or "pearl" bellied baits that match baitfish very well. Some of my favorites are: Silver Phantom (#138),  Sara's Trout (#87) or Bay Smelt (#63). Chartreuse type baits can also work well for halibut in certain conditions.  My favorites are Perch's Perch (#85) and Margarita (#33).  In addition to Sea Wolf, another opaque style bait that has worked very well for me is Chovy (#41).  For jig heads I usually go with green or yellow.  Recently I have been doing very well using Blue Shad (#38) on a yellow jig head.

Scent - I highly recommend using a bait scent - there is no reason not too. Even though I believe halibut primarily use sight when attacking a swimbait I also believe scent plays three important roles. 1) It distributes the odor of food throughout the general area you are fishing. This in turn causes the fish in the area to "get into" a feeding mood and look for food. 2) It masks "non-fishy" odors such as human oils, gasoline, sunscreen, etc. 3) It provides a "taste" for the fish once it inhales your "fake" offering. This will cause the fish to hang on to your lure longer - in the surf when you can't always feel your lure this becomes very important. When fishing for inshore halibut I use Pro-Cure Super Gels in the Sand Shrimp, Shrimp, Krill or Calico Cocktail flavors.

Surf Fishing Techniques:

I almost always start my retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water. Listed below are the types of retrieves that I typically use in order of preference:

1. Straight in grind.
2. Straight in grind while constantly shaking the rod tip.
3. Straight in grind with split second pauses every 3 or 4 cranks of the handle.
4. Straight in grind with pronounced jerks of the rod tip every 3 or 4 cranks of the handle. A variation of this retrieve is to follow the twitch of the rod tip with a slight pause to the let the bait sink for a second.
5. Bottom bouncing or dragging. I don't use this technique very often but over the years I have found that there are times when the halibut just don't want to come up off the bottom to feed and this slow technique will help get them to bite.

Retrieve speed will depend on the feeding mood of the fish that particular day. I usually start of with a medium speed retrieve and vary it up with each cast until I find something that is working. From the surf I rarely let the lure hit the bottom or use a "bottom bouncing" type retrieve.

Shallow Water Float Tubing Techniques:

Like I mentioned before when float tubing I consider shallow water to be from about 7 feet deep all the way up to the shoreline. I am frequently reminded how shallow large halibut will go. Most of my retrieves are similar to the retrieves and techniques described above but in this order:

1. Straight in grind with split second pauses every 3 or 4 cranks of the handle.
2. Straight in grind with pronounced jerks of the rod tip every 3 or 4 cranks of the handle. A variation of this retrieve is to follow the twitch of the rod tip with a slight pause to the let the bait sink for a second.
3. Straight in grind.
4. Bottom bouncing retrieve (bottom bouncing retrieve will be described in the next section).

Again, the retrieve speed will depend on the feeding mood of the fish that particular day. Don't be afraid to experiment - that is the key to fishing with artificial lures.

At times (especially in clear water) this technique is an excellent way to quickly locate fish in deeper water. Since the main retrieves are constant or almost constant you can cover a lot of water quickly. At times when I'm sure the fishing will be good but not exactly sure where they may be I will scan the area quickly using this technique then switch to the "standard" technique once the fish are located.

The Strike:

With the retrieves that don't have any extra action such as the straight in grind or retrieves that have constant action such as the straight in grind while shaking the rod tip, the strike can occur at any time so be ready. With the other retrieves that strikes will usually occur just after the "action". For example, with the straight in grind and split second pauses the strike will usually occur just after one of the pauses. Detecting strikes in the surf can be difficult keeping contact with the lure and watching the line at all times will help. Sometimes halibut seem to jump off the bottom, inhale the bait, and settle back down. If you miss the actual strike it will feel like you are snagged - until the "snag" starts moving.

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