More Recommendations for a Successful Halibut Fishing Trip

Recently in this space, we discussed some general tips for improving both your catch rate and the overall experience during a halibut fishing trip. Halibut is one of the most common fish found in Alaska, and Pybus Bay is absolutely teeming with them -- how can you be sure you're optimizing your chances at a great catch?

At Pybus Point Lodge, we're here to offer the ultimate halibut fishing experience through our guided fishing tours in Pybus Bay. Our experienced fishers will be guiding you the entire time, offering expert tips on everything from equipment selection to proper bait use, proper reeling and numerous other areas. What are some of the other top recommendations we often make to our halibut fishing clients to improve their experience? Here are several basic themes to keep in mind as you're getting started.

Run One Jig, Not Multiple Jigs

For those who are unfamiliar with them, fishing jigs refer to a type of fishing lure -- similar to how fishing lures are used for trout fishing, jigs are designed to mimic a small fish on the end of your line. Jigs tend to be about an inch and a half long, which is ideal for halibut fishing -- long enough that your bait will be effective at attracting fish, but you'll still have little trouble controlling it.

Attempting to throw out multiple jigs at a time, however, isn't the way to go for those who want to land more halibut. Instead of having your bait in a consistent spot that the halibut can learn to recognize and consistently approach, you'll be moving it around constantly between each cast. By keeping your bait stationary, you can be sure that the fish will continue to approach your area and give themselves plenty of chances at discovery -- it's a simple fact of fishing for halibut (and other large seabed dwelling creatures) that they gravitate towards consistent locations.

In addition, jigs are often a good indicator of the number of halibut in your area. If you're using the jig correctly but still not seeing much action, this is a possible sign you should move to a new area.

Knowing Spots and When to Move

One particular halibut fishing tip that places major importance on the quality of your fishing guide is the knowledge of when and where to move while fishing for halibut. During the dead of summer, for instance, halibut might be present in large quantities just 10-20 minutes from the dock; during other parts of the year, on the other hand, you'll have to run out at least 45 minutes to an hour in a boat to be able to find them.

This is where our expert fishing guides come into play. Not only do we know the ideal fishing spots to hit at any point in the year, we also know the signs that indicate a spot is drying up.

The number of fish that will be in a certain location at a particular time is wholly dependent upon the water temperature, which often fluctuates wildly from week to week. If you find yourself fishing in a particularly good spot one day but not having much success on the next, this can be an indication to move somewhere new -- when water temperatures change drastically enough, fish will begin to leave a certain area.

As you might imagine, some areas of the bay can be better suited to catching certain types of halibut than others -- if there aren't many large halibut in an area, for example, it may be more effective for you to switch spots.

Increase Bait Size

If you're having a rough day on the halibut fishing front for some reason, one common tactic here is to increase the size of your bait. Particularly if you're fishing for larger halibut, these bigger fish enjoy bigger bait, including whole salmon heads in many cases. For more on how to maximize your halibut fishing experience, or to learn about any of our all-inclusive Alaskan vacations or lodging accommodations, speak to the staff at Pybus Point Lodge today.

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65% OF OUR GUESTS ARE RETURN CUSTOMERS

Discover why people like you can’t stop talking about Pybus Point Lodge. More than 30 years ago, the lodge opened as a simple fishing camp, drawing a devoted following in spite of basic accommodations. With new owners and experienced captains and crew, our corner of Alaska has become an unbeatable fishing and eco-tourism resort.

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Andrea Tate

Incredible Experience!

Pybus Point Lodge has some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen. I mean absolutely breathtaking! In addition to the amazing fishing, I hiked to a beautiful secluded lake, soaked in some hot pots, saw several waterfalls, went whale watching, saw bears and all kinds of wildlife and marine life. As a photographer, photographing a wedding under a waterfall will remain a highlight of my life.

Shirley Johnson

Pybus Point Lodge - WOW!

We had the best time! This was our first visit to Pybus, but it definitely will not be our last. The stunning scenery, amazing fishing experience, and the joy of meeting new friends – all outstanding! We did not want to leave!!! If you are thinking about this trip – don’t think any more, just book it. You will not regret it!!!

Sharon Hedding

Trip of a Lifetime!

We had such an amazing time the staff was so wonderful and the lodge was fantastic! capt Joe was so helpful and always doing what ever he could do to make each day special. a special thank you to both Scott and Jody for taking the time to make us feel like family. can't wait to go back next year

Jason Nielsen

Wonderful and Magical Place

We had an amazing business retreat to Pybus Point Lodge. Everything was top notch... the fishing, the staff, the boat captains, the food, the accommodations, and especially the scenery. I really liked that Pybus took care of everything from start to finish. Chef John is an amazing cook. We had delicious hot meals the entire trip. The cabins were amazing and very comfortable. The fishing was awesome and that’s coming from a guy that doesn’t fish that much.

Brandon Foote

We brought home 100lbs of fish!

My wife and I spent a week at Pybus Point this Summer. We had a beautiful, private room overlooking the bay and our own new, ensuite, private bathroom. What an amazing place for couples to get away together. We set our own breakfast time, met our boat captain after, fished the day along, and returned to clean up and enjoy a nice dinner at the restaurant. Next time Alaska is on the trip list, Sherrie and I will go together, and it will be to Pybus Point!

Kent Danjanovich

Fun in Alaska

This was my first trip to Pybus Point. I stayed in one of their new cabins. The accommodations were incredible, the view onto the bay in the mornings was stunning. I loved the staff and the food was really very good. All of this and they have new boats to take you out onto fairly calm waters to fish. The fishing guides were great. Overall a great experience. Definitely going back.

More Recommendations for a Successful Halibut Fishing Trip

Run One Jig, Not Multiple Jigs

Knowing Spots and When to Move

Increase Bait Size

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