# Ketchikan Alaska



## Billy Mumphrey (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm going up fishing in Ketchikan in a few weeks. We've always had a lot of success with salmon but we've yet to find the magic formula for halibut. Any suggestions out there?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Are you asking "Where" or "How" ?


-DallanC


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

In my experience, squid is a great bait. Salmon and herring are also good, but it seems like the halibut don't start to feed on salmon until later in the summer. I also have noticed that glowing baits really help. I like to use the hooks that have a glowing tube that goes up the leader. If you are in pretty calm water, give your bait movement once in a while. Chum bags attached to your anchor are also helpful. As far as places go, look for rocky shelves that have drop offs around them. They move into those areas to feed. Also watch the tides, and read up on the best tide to get them in. When you get a big one, it is a good idea to dispatch it before you bring it into the boat. They go nuts and can break your equipment, or injure someone. Halibut are a ton of fun. I hope this info helps a little.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I like a large circle hook rigged up with cut herring injected with sardine oil. Or there are these great weighted white plastic grubs and if halibut are in the area they go nuts for them. The bonus on the plastic or metal jigs is no need to be ripping up for bait checks every few minutes.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> I like a large circle hook rigged up with cut herring injected with sardine oil.  Or there are these great weighted white plastic grubs and if halibut are in the area they go nuts for them.  The bonus on the plastic or metal jigs is no need to be ripping up for bait checks every few minutes.


Yup. They're great for halibut. CrimsonObsession and a buddy are coming up on Thursday to fish for halibut with me. We'll let you know how things go. :grin:


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Are you going self guided? We fished Ketchikan self guided for a few years. Halibut can be tougher in the area, but find 100-300' deep underwater humps. Muddy bottoms are best. You don't need bait on the jigs, but some can't hurt. We caught them in the channel from the town to the Lighthouse. Also from the lighthouse towards Knudsen Cove. 

Get some good maps and find fishy spots. We fished with a guide in Juneau one year. I looked at a map and found a good looking spot which produced some great halibut in an area he had never fished. A little research can go a long way if you are going guided or unguided.


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## Billy Mumphrey (Sep 5, 2012)

I appreciate all the help. There is a ton of information out there so it is nice to get some first hand accounts. 

I'm going self guided out of SilverKing lodge.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

I like oily baits like herring.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

CrimsonObsesion and his buddy just flew out. We caught four halibut and a pile of cod with Runoff sand eel jigs and a white grub on a 16oz jig. We first caught some long weird looking fish with a dorsal fin that ran from the back of it's head to it's tail. Not sure what it was. I cut that up into chunks for bait and we did pretty dang good.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

longbow said:


> We first caught some long weird looking fish with a dorsal fin that ran from the back of it's head to it's tail. Not sure what it was. I cut that up into chunks for bait and we did pretty dang good.


Ling cod?

-DallanC


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

DallanC said:


> Ling cod?
> 
> -DallanC


No dang it! I had some rock piles marked where we always catch Lings but the weather/wind/swells sucked so we couldn't get out of the bay. We tried but the wave were rolling in and we got soaked with spray. 
They ended up with four halibut, seven reds, a flounder and a pile of Pacific cod.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Was the fish you cut up a wolf eel or wrassefish maybe? Do you have a pic?


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> Was the fish you cut up a wolf eel or wrassefish maybe? Do you have a pic?


I don't know. I'll look those up and see.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I "THINK" it's some kind of prickleback.
I work with a bunch of fish-huggers (aquaculturist), I'll ask them in the morning.

I just have to be careful when I ask them about fishy stuff. Anytime I ask about fish they go off about all kinds of history, bio history, odolif markings, scale growth rings, fecundity roe production, fishery escapement percentage and then they finally circle around to the original question. They're kinda like the nerds of fish stuff. At least to us maintenance guys.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

The fishhuggers IDed it as a Rock Prickleback. Apparently the halibut and cod like them.


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