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Halibut Fishing
updated: Jun 19, 2012, 5:24 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Has anyone has success shore fishing for halibut in the Santa Barbara area?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 289448P	2012-06-19 05:38 PM
I never fish just for the halibut, always for diner. Sorry, couldn't resist.
COMMENT 289464	2012-06-19 06:30 PM
Many a halies have been pulled up from the Wharf and some are even keepers. The guys in inner tubes off the Wharf at West Beach are angling for them too. And scuba diving over the sand along the coast I've spotted them. Pick your weapon of choice and please educate yourself to the F&G regs.
JEFFINSB	2012-06-19 08:29 PM
Sorry just being a jerk. Lol. I has had success but no keepers. I has seen kayakers has success, up to 35 pounds. I has seen keepers from the wharf by the Sea Center. I has caught some nice bass and whtefish shorefishing. My best spot was up at Refugio using fresh mussels for bait. Flaties are a tough catch but well worth it if over 22 inches. Happy fishing and again sorry for joking with you. :)
COMMENT 289493	2012-06-20 07:15 AM
I has saw enuff.
COMMENT 289505	2012-06-20 08:05 AM
Yes! Fishing light tackle bouncing plastics off the bottom. Sterns Wharf area can be hot on either side of the pier. The water is warming up so I would expect them to be in shallow now or very soon. You can expect to catch a lot of shorties but legals are in there too. Have fun....
COMMENT 289525	2012-06-20 08:51 AM
Oh cod, I just have about haddock with all these fish puns. Quite floundering around and give the OP an answer. But I have a sinker feeling these puns will continue, but I wish they would be fin-ished.
COMMENT 289544	2012-06-20 09:40 AM
Best bet is to use a float tube or kayak to get just behind the breaking surf and throw spoons, crankbaits, or plastics into the breaking surf and behind the surf, focusing on areas with patchy sand and eel grass. I've caught a lot of shorts along East Beach but never any legals. Leadbetter can be productive too, but you have a lot more swimmers and surfers to contend with. If you want the "full" experience, drive up the coast a bit and hike down to the water and have the beach to yourself. The structure is better in a lot of spots up the coast, too. I've heard of guys having success down off Santa Claus Lane on flies, too.
COMMENT 289557P	2012-06-20 09:55 AM
leave the fish alone
COMMENT 289579	2012-06-20 10:13 AM
@557P ...said the fisherman who didn't want to give up his secret spots :-)
COMMENT 289703	2012-06-20 02:18 PM
Yea 557p Eat more beef.
COMMENT 289709	2012-06-20 02:25 PM
Forget the guys who think they are funny. I'm not a fisherman, but a friend always had good luck off the Goleta pier.
COMMENT 289856	2012-06-20 06:56 PM
The question had to do with shore fishing. It is very difficult to catch Halibut by shore fishing or surf fishing. The best technique is to be off shore in relatively shallow water 10 to 20 feet deep. I always had the most success either achored off shore or drifting very slowly with live bait just off the bottom and with very little sinker weight. If anchored it is a good technique to use a float or bobber with live bait (anchovie) just above the bottom with a very light sinker weight resting on the bottom and allowing the bait fish to swim on a swivel leader letting the bait swim around about two feet from the bottom. Unfortunately this is also the zone for little leopard sharks so you have to be patient.
COMMENT 289998	2012-06-21 08:57 AM
My son used to snorkel dive with a sling spear at the reef off Mesa Lane. He often came home with halibut. Your best bet is to find a reef. That is where more fish hang out.

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