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Halibut
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Hippoglossus stenolepis |
| Common Names: | halibut, barndoor, barn door, alabato |
| Environment: | Nearshore, Offshore |
| Ideal Temp: | |
About Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, from the family of the right-eye flounders (Pleuronectidae). Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly (holy) and butt (flat fish), for its popularity on Catholic holy days. Halibut are demersal fish which live in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans. They are highly regarded food fish.
The halibut is the largest flat fish, averaging 11–13.5 kg (24–30 lb).
Halibut feed on almost any animal they can fit into their mouths. Juvenile halibut feed on small crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling organisms. Animals found in their stomachs include sand lance, octopus, crab, salmon, hermit crabs, lamprey, sculpin, cod, pollock, herring, and flounder, as well as other halibut. Halibut live at depths ranging from a few to hundreds of metres, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, halibut may move up in the water column to feed. In most ecosystems, the halibut is near the top of the marine food chain. In the North Pacific
A significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia has emerged, where halibut are prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with 80–150 lb (36–68 kg) line, and often bait with herring, large jigs, or whole salmon heads. Halibut are strong and fight strenuously when exposed to air. Smaller fish will usually be pulled on board with a gaff and may be clubbed or even punched in the head to prevent them from thrashing around on the deck. In both commercial and sport fisheries, standard procedure is to shoot or otherwise subdue very large halibut over 150–200 lb (68–91 kg) before landing them.
Halibut are bottom feeders so you must drop the hook to the ocean floor. They prefer deep waters, 200 - 300 feet deep, with piles of rocks and ledges to live on.
Halibut Fishing
| World Record: | 208.2 kg (459 lb 0 oz) Dutch Harbor, Alaska, USA |
| # Fish Caught: | 26511906 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM and located at 59.08333, -152.50000. |
| Latest Record: | 6/22/2024 7:10:05 PM and located at 37.80858, -122.41570. |
| Common Techniques: | Bottom Fishing, Jigging |
| Popular Lure Types: | Bottom Rig, Jigs |
| Fishing Spots: | 34616 Halibut fishing spots. |
Latest Halibut Fishing Reports and Spots
Hey Fishermen Today I ran Flash 2’s 1/2 day am trip. The tides were not good for halibut but we gave it a shot. Then the wind came up. But all (
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June 21 - 6/21/2024 5:59:14 PM
Great weather today for Jurassic Park. As soon as we dropped in our lines 13 year-old Julian hooked into nice big fish. After getting our cod w (
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Hey Fishermen Here is Flash 1’s report from today. They also had a great trip. Limits of bass and limits of halibut. They were also back in the (
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Flash 1 had a 1/2 day trip and limited on both halibut and bass early! Another great day fishing. Call me on the boat phone to get into the act (
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Hey fisherman Flash one had a light charter today with three gentlemen on board. This was a half-day trip and they did very well. They landed s (
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Hey fishermen Flash one had a slow start again today but wow did they end up great. Limits of bass limits of quality halibut. I have two spots (
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From their unique biology to their powerful fight halibut are truly fascinating creatures. Whether you're an experienced angler or just startin (
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June 9 - 6/10/2024 11:09:24 AM
Wow. Ran up the coast for our Jurassic Park trip and as soon as we dropped our lines in we started catching fish. It was non-stop action until (
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June 9 - 6/10/2024 11:09:24 AM
Wow. Ran up the coast for our Jurassic Park trip and as soon as we dropped our lines in we started catching fish. It was non-stop action until (
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June 15 - 6/15/2024 5:28:49 PM
Up the coast again for Jurassic Park. Water was pretty bad today and made fishing pretty difficult. As soon as we dropped in the fish bite was (
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