Halibut Fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska
A private halibut fishing experience
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You never know what you are going to catch at the bottom of the ocean. The waters surrounding Ketchikan, Alaska are home to many different types of bottom fish. You can find halibut, ling cod, pacific cod and various types of rock fish.
Halibut are the biggest fish we catch in these areas. They are incredibly tasty to eat and can be absolutely enormous. This one was 350lbs!
Halibut are the biggest fish we catch in these areas. They are incredibly tasty to eat and can be absolutely enormous. This one was 350lbs!
Halibut are an interesting fish. When halibut are born, they are all male and swim upright with eyes of both sides of their heads similar to a salmon. As they mature, they eventually lay flat and swim with their dark side up. When they reach a length of over 45 inches they become females.
Since halibut undergo this abnormal transformation, there are certain limits for which halibut we can keep. Halibut in-between 40 and 80 inches are able to reproduce. To ensure we have a healthy amount of halibut in this area we aren't allowed to keep fish in-between that range. This is no problem for us as we know where and when to catch the right size fish. However, it is not uncommon to catch an oversized fish.
Halibut are a really fun fish to catch. Since halibut are so large, they put a lot of weight on the pole and strip a lot of line off the reel. This makes them a challenging fish to fight. Not to mention they are at the bottom of the ocean!
Since halibut undergo this abnormal transformation, there are certain limits for which halibut we can keep. Halibut in-between 40 and 80 inches are able to reproduce. To ensure we have a healthy amount of halibut in this area we aren't allowed to keep fish in-between that range. This is no problem for us as we know where and when to catch the right size fish. However, it is not uncommon to catch an oversized fish.
Halibut are a really fun fish to catch. Since halibut are so large, they put a lot of weight on the pole and strip a lot of line off the reel. This makes them a challenging fish to fight. Not to mention they are at the bottom of the ocean!
Jigging |
Deepwater Fishing |
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Jigging rock-piles is a fast-paced, exciting form of fishing. The rock structures in Ketchikan are home to lingcod, halibut, salmon and many types of rockfish. Typically we jig with either cut plugged herring or rubber swimbaits.
Lingcod are one of the best tasting fish in our waters. They are an ambush predator that lurk in holes around rocks or blend into the ocean floor until an unsuspecting fish swims by. Lingcod are known to bite off more than they can chew, so its not uncommon for a lingcod to attack a fish that you already have hooked! |
In the depths of Ketchikan, Alaska, 700 feet plus, live many interesting fish. Most of these fish seem prehistoric in nature.
There are sablefish, AKA black cod, which have the highest price per pound on the Alaskan market at around 40 dollars per pound. There are also rough eye and short raker rock fish that call these deep waters home. These rockfish look a lot like the yellow eye but grow to be much larger. The largest short raker we have ever landed was 38.6 pounds and estimated to be over 200 years old! Sleeper sharks are also known to lurk in the depths. These sharks can grow to over 20 feet long! In the summer of 2016 we successfully caught and released one that was estimated to be 14 feet long and over 700 pounds! |
When Bottom Fish Are Available
Saltwater Bottom Fish Availability |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
Halibut |
Available |
Peak Period |
Peak Period |
Peak Period |
Available |
Ling Cod |
Peak Period After May 15 |
Peak Period |
Peak Period |
Peak Period Until August 15 |
Available |
Rock Fish |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Available |
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