Alaska Halibut Charters
At Crazy Rays Adventures we offer long range combo trips for Alaska Halibut Charters, or better known on the Crazy Ray as ,”The PUPU Platter.”
We travel out of both Whittier and Seward. Most days, depending on weather, we go to the outer reaches of Prince William Sound and into the Gulf of Alaska. Our goal is to seek out areas with less fishing pressure, resulting in better catches. We specialize in true combo fishing charters and time is allotted every day to specifically target multiple species of Alaskan fish.
This means that we move the boat to different area’s to target these other species such as Lingcod, Rockfish, Pacific Cod, and various species of Salmon.
Whats the Best Time for Alaska Halibut Charters?
People often ask when is the best time to come for Halibut fishing Alaska? The short answer is, our season runs from May-September and we have excellent success all through the season while Halibut fishing Alaska waters.
Typically Halibut begin migrating in from the Aleutian trench early in the spring. They head for the rich feeding grounds inside Prince William Sound. They begin migrating back out in the fall as the feed begins to disperse. Times we call pivot seasons, also known as shoulder seasons, can be a little slower than normal. Our Alaska halibut charters still have had great success at achieving limits on a regular basis during these times.
Alaska’s halibut is a highly sought after fish by recreational and commercial fishermen. Our Alaska halibut charters are a favorite. The halibut is a flat fish with a diamond shaped body and a wide broom shaped tail. They have both eyes on the dark, or top side of their body. The dark coloring of the halibut varies with the coloration of the ocean bottom. Sometimes when halibut spend a great deal of time in the shallow rocky areas, they will become almost a black color to blend in with their surroundings.
The mouth of the halibut is actually sideways on their face and it gives them an incredibly odd look. They can be found in waters as shallow as 30’. Our personal deepest catch came from just over 1500’ while targeting the elusive but treasured black cod.
Fishing Tactics For Alaska Halibut Charters
What Kind of Tackle Do We Use?
When fishing for halibut there is several ways you can catch them. Some people use jigs while others use bait. We like to use both on our Alaska halibut charters. A combination of todays hottest jigs such as Kodiak Custom Bottom Fish Jigs, Savage Cutbait Herring, and Fishcracker Baits all work very well for enticing strikes from Hungry Alaskan halibut. While using bait the, old adage of, Big Bait = Big Fish really comes into play and we don’t hold back on the bait.
The more bait and scent you can get down there the better, as this will draw halibut from long distances to the boat. We use 20/0 Circle hook primary and 16/0 circle hook trailers on our custom developed and designed halibut fishing leaders.
We designed this hook combination through trial and error. The intent is to hold large quantities of bait and a massive hook. This hook is designed to penetrate through the rock hard jawline of an Alaskan halibut.
With a slight twist and a razor sharp edge these hooks usually grab the fish in the corner of the mouth. This ensures a solid setting of the hook, and usually results in a fish being brought to the boat. Don’t forget to add some of Crazy Ray’s secret Halibut fishing sauce to your bait as well. It can definitely increase the odds of catching a nice fish plus get some stinky goo on your hands.
Gear For Our Alaska Halibut Charters
Going out on one of our Alaska fishing charters is sure to be an adventure! Halibut are a strong fighting fish that often make several runs for the ocean floor before tiring out. Some people say that fighting a halibut is like dragging up a sheet of plywood. But this is something that we feel is very disputable. Using the proper gear and equipment will help facilitate a better fight for the fishermen.
Crazy Rays Adventures is proudly sponsored by Okuma Fishing USA and we use the finest gear on the market. Our rods are Okuma’s Cedros Speed Jig series which allows for better action and easier detection of bites. The reels we use are Okuma’s Lever Action Makaira 20II Tournament billfish series, which features a 2 speed transmission.
This means our anglers fight the fish with ease. After hooking up on a large halibut you can shift gears and let the professional quality gear do the work as opposed to your back and forearms.
Handling Monster Halibut
Boating a big Alaskan halibut usually requires using a harpoon attached to a buoy ball, line, and stainless steel tip. We harpoon all of our larger fish in case the hook pulls free or the line breaks. By doing this, we are still able to retrieve the fish because it is still attached to the buoy. After the fish is harpooned, we then utilize a bang stick to shoot the halibut before bringing it aboard the vessel. Failure to do so could cause injury to the fishermen, as these fish are extremely powerful.
At Crazy Rays we specialize in Alaska halibut charters as well as combo charters! We also take the needed time it takes to travel to the outer reaches of Prince William Sound and beyond into the Gulf of Alaska.
Taking our Alaska halibut charters to the Gulf of Alaska is our preferred choice to target large fish. However, several fish in excess of 100lbs are caught closer to Whittier inside Prince William Sound.
Our personal biggest halibut ever boated on Crazy Ray’s Adventures Alaska halibut charters was a whopping 340lb monster and it stretched out at 7’3”. Although these fish aren’t an everyday catch, you never know what you will hook into during Alaska halibut charters. In the 2015 season our boat F/V Crazy Ray hauled in 3 massive sized halibut that weighed in at 205lb, 250lb, and 311lb. The 311lb fish was actually caught by the captain’s mother on her birthday!!!!
Halibut… The Chicken of the Sea
Not only do Pacific Halibut frequently grow to barn door sizes; but are also prized for their delicious white meat. Halibut can be prepared in numerous ways and we often describe it as being the other chicken of the sea. This is because it is much like chicken in that it tastes a lot like whatever you’re cooking it with.
It’s mild oil content and rich flaky white meat has a taste and texture that to some is unmatched in the fish category.
Come and Join Crazy Rays Adventures with your family and friends for our Alaska Halibut Charters!!!! BOOYAH!!!!
2023 Regulations For Alaska Halibut Charters
New regulations for 2023 in area 3A ( Whittier, Seward, Homer, Deep Creek, Kodiak)
- The limit for Halibut is 1 fish of any size and 1 fish that has to be under 28″ for a total of 2 per day and 4 in possession
- There is not an annual limit
- Halibut fishing is closed on 9 Tuesdays June 20 – August 15 and all Wednesdays for the entire season
- If you would like to fish on a closure day please inquire about our GAF program. Cost is $141.00 per tag or fish additional
- Our Alaska Halibut Charters leave the dock in Whittier at 7:00am and returns between 5:00 – 7:00pm