Best time/location for halibut

[Mike J]

I am planning my first trip to Alaska and wondering what the best time and location is for halibut? Also looking for lodging and guide recommendations. It will be just me and my wife so I'd like to make this as pleasurable experience for her as possible. Searching the net is getting to be a little overwhelming so I figured I'd ask here to help narrow things down. Thanks.

MikeJ

[chillincarp870]

take a look at fish whisperer lodge.

[traveler]

Mike; can you narrow it down at all? AK is huge, with good butt fishing from Sitka and such in the southeast, to Valdez to Seward to Homer....Are you setting the whole trip up just for butts, or what else do you want to do.

For starters, the kenai peninsula is the most popular area to head to, flying into Anchorage and going from there, with great butt fishing in Whittier, Seward, and Homer.

I'd say get a general area and overall trip plan in mind, then start narrowing it down to specific location and guides.

[weld1]

We just booked our alaska trip this week! For halibut if your in homer check out a charter called Capt B's . if you need more info let me know, this is a first class operation, we went out with him in 2008, our day out fishing is on aug 3 about the same as last time...we filled out with some decent fish! Cant wait!

[wahoo]

Halibut fishing, if looking for size, is very up and down. I hear Homer has lots of 'buts, and some good ones. I have been fishing out of Sitka for 6 years at Kingfisher and we have had a good time. But, it is fishing. As far as 'buts, 4 years ago 4 of us had a terrific trip that was unbelieveable. Then you could keep 2 halibut in that area. but it is now down to one halibut per day. Then you could have one over 31 inches per person and 1 under. We caught fish up to 100 every day--usually 2. On the best day the smallest "large" (over 31 inches) halibut was 96 with a 115, 120, and 220. The next day we had 3 at about 90-100 and a 312 monster. That was a June trip. But, King salmon were very slow.

Last year we were up in late July to try and have action on silvers. The kings were still there and we limited out and caught quite a few silvers. 'Buts were smaller, but we managed to have all our keepers at between 40 and 80 lbs each day. (Tons of lings but can't keep em.)

Kinfisher takes good care of you, clean boats, and they filet and pack all your fish for now additional charge. some places only pack a box or 2.

The restrictive limits are taking a toll on people traveling to that area however.

We usually fish 6 days. Be there i late July again.