Facts About Pacific Halibut
Hippollossus Stenolepis – does this sound like a prehistoric large animal to you? In reality, this is the Pacific Halibut which resembles the Atlantic Halibut. In fact, this fish is very large and it known for habituating the Pacific Ocean. Other common names for this large, flat fish are the northern halibut, alabato and right halibut. In general, this fish is colored in tones ranging from gray brown to dark brown and may sport the occasional smattering of light colored spots. Since it is a flat fish, the Pacific Halibuts eyes are on the upward facing side of his body. The bottom of this fish tends to be lighter colored and has no eye.
The male pacific halibut is far smaller than his female counterpart. While the male may typically grow to about 55 inches and weigh in at forty pounds, the female can grow to weigh as much as 470 pounds. The female typically lives for about 45 years while the male lives only 25 which could account for the fact that there is a larger female population. Additionally, the female grows much faster than her male counterpart during normal growing phases.
Shrimp, crabs, squids and Turbot are favorites of the pacific halibut to meet their dietary needs. In addition, both the smaller pacific halibut and adults love to feast on crustaceans, meaning that they have very strong teeth. Pacific halibut hunting habits are a bit unique, they burrow into the sand at the bottom of the water, sit patiently waiting for their prey and when they spot them they literally explode out of the sand and grab them. There is little evidence of the prey afterwards; in fact, all you are likely to find is a cloud of sand in the aftermath.
Pacific halibut prefer the colder waters of the North Pacific and they are often found from the Bering Sea and south to California. They may occasionally drift as far north as northern Japan. Migration is a journey for the Pacific halibut, they often travel more than 2,000 miles if they are looking for a place to spawn or a place to hunt. It is not unusual to find them swimming in shallow waters in colder bays in more northern areas.
British Columbia has recently had to cut down on production facilities that use halibut due to the potential of over-fishing. Additionally, areas of the pacific coast that depend on both salmon and halibut for their subsistence have been forced to place strict annual harvesting restrictions. Overfishing is dangerous to long term survival of the Pacific Halibut forcing these extreme measures. For fishermen who are lucky enough to find that they are in an area that has not reached its annual cap on Pacific Halibut they will likely find that they will need strong tackle and a stout rod to land these fish. While they are not an aggressive fighter, they remain strongly determined to remain as close to the bottom as possible. The best way to fish for halibut is to use the drifting method and float squid, mackerel or herring slightly above them giving the impression that the bait is actually travelling across the water.
When you are getting prepared for a saltwater fishing adventure, having the proper equipment is essential. Some of the most popular products on the market include okuma reel, van staal fishing reels, and shimano saltwater spinning reels.