Like any fish, salmon feed from instinct passed to them for millenia from their gene pool. They are not meticulously analysing every lure and bait that passes by, choosing the ones that look the most realistic. They feed when they're hungry, and at predictable times of the day, such as dawn, dusk and tide changes. When they are in the feeding mood, they will strike at anything that resembles the food in their native water. But…that is not to say you will catch them with anything in your tackle box or that favorite lure, even though you got a big one using it just last year!

When the fish begin to feed, there will be dinner already present to feed on. Herring, squid, needlefish, pilchard, anchovies and even perch will be roaming the waters, waiting to become the next meal for the hungry salmon. Often when I clean a salmon, I notice that the stomach has only one type of bait. Very rarely do I see three or more kinds of baitfish in the entrails. The salmon will be stuffed with herring, or sqid, or anchovies depending on the type of feed in the area. So when the salmon start to feed, you want to know what they are feeding on in order to maximize your chances of a strike.

If you know from observation or questioning of other fisherman that the salmon are feeding on herring, you will want to know the approximate size of the herring in the vicinity. Then you can match your lure to the size of bait in the area. If the salmon are feeding on needlefish, try a long, slender spoon or a needlefish style hootchie. If it's herring you are trying to duplicate, use an appropriately sized Coyote spoon or other herring imitation. Don't just wing it and hope your favorite lure will work for you this time.

One disclaimer. Salmon always seem to have a weakness for squid. Maybe that's why hootchies will work even when there are no squid present in the general area. They're like me. When they see calamari on the menu, they have to give it a try. So the next time you are on the water, do your best to match your lure to the bait, and if all else fails, fish a glow hootchie 41 inches behind a good flasher.

Keep your hooks sharp! Til next time..

In my experience, most fish are lost in the first 20 seconds after hook-up, or right at the boat. I'll go over some techniques that will help you cut down on lost fish right after hook-up in another segment.

If you think about all the fish you have seen lost at the boat, or the number of fish you have lost mere feet from the rim of your trusty net, don't you think it would be prudent to reconsider the whole method of bringing your prize aboard? Improper use of a fishing net could be one of the single most important contributors to improved salmon runs in recent years. (Tongue firmly in cheek) So many salmon, swimming free…

But before you put a "For Sale" sign on your net at the next garage sale, let's figure out what is the cause of so many straightened hooks and broken leaders when your fish is along side the boat. In a word, it is only one thing: ADRENALINE.

Adrenaline is the powerful drug that keeps us coming back again and again in pursuit of the giant salmon. Unfortuately, it is often keeps us from thinking rationally and from doing all the things we should to execute a perfect landing. It is also surging through the salmon on the end of your line, helping it power through that last run in a desperate attempt to escape. With all this excitement (on your part) and panic (on the fish's part) it is understandable why so many errors are made.

Before you get too hard on yourself, I've seen pro sports players who should know a thing or two about adrenaline make the same rookie mistakes as the rest of us. I've often joked that I would like to run my gear with no swivels, with just the lure tied to the end of the line with no leader so I could watch my clients try to wind the fish through the rod tip. (Believe me, in the excitement of the fight, they would).

The best advice I can offer is try to stay reasonably calm. Keep your net stacked under a pile of gear in the bow of the boat so it will take at least 10 minutes to get it ready. That way, the fish will have had time to tire out, and the fisherman will have had time to calm down!! Keep a reasonably tight line on the fish, but NEVER LIFT IT'S HEAD OUT OUT OF THE WATER. A fish weighs much more out of the water than in the water, so pulling upwards on the fish so as to bring it's head increases the strain on your leader.

If I use a net to land a fish, I will often do a couple test runs first. I tell the angler to guide the fish towards the boat. I make a fake stab at the fish to see how much power it has. I warn the person on the rod to be ready for another run, so they don't clamp down on the reel and hang on for dear life when the fish makes it's last run. Often a seemingly tired fish will find one more burst of power when it sees something (the net) swooping down from above.

When the fish is dead tired, lead it head first into the net. I hold the bottom of the net bag in the crook of my forefinger and release the bag into the water as the fish slides in. Don't let the net bag float freely in the water while you are waiting to net the fish. If the fish turns or dives and catches one of the hooks in it's mouth in the mesh, you can say bye-bye fish. Make sure you leave at least eight feet of line between the rod tip and the fish. Guide the fish near the boat by lifting the rod, not cranking down on it 'til there's only inches left.

By taking you time, going slow, and remembering to take extra time by the boat, you will dramatically increase your netting success. Til next time,

Tight lines!!

The hapless and clueless fisherman is sitting above, dutifully dodging seaweed, other boats and the occasional log wondering why fishing is so slow. Finally he notices a bite, grabs his rod and starts adjusting the reel, only to realize the salmon has come unhooked.

But when it’s decision time in the hook aisle at the fishing store, there are so many choices. Stainless hooks, circle hooks, octopus style, siwash hooks–the vast array can be confusing to say the least. Then there’s the prices. Why spend a couple bucks on a hook when I can get a pretty good one for 20 cents?

CHEMICALLY SHARPENED HOOKS

With the invention of chemically sharpened hooks, I reach for the whet stone or file more and more infrequently. Most hook manufacturers offer some type of pre-sharpened hook, but all hooks are not created equal. The different brands vary in shape, thickness, and sharpness.

GAMAKATSU

Gamakatsu hooks are in my top 2 favorite fishing hooks of all time. They are deadly sharp and they set easily. An all-around great choice.

Drawbacks

Electrolysis in the saltwater also seems to burn the points off a little quicker than other brands. The nickel colored hooks seem to disintegrate the quickest and the red ones aren’t much better. The black ones are best.

When fishing barbless, what makes the Gamakatsu a deadly hook as far as sharpness and hooksetting abilities works against it when fishing barbless. The super strong narrow diameter wire they use to build the hooks seems to fall out rather easily once the barb is pinched.

OWNER HOOKS

My favorite hooks are made by the brand Owner. Most of the better tackle shops carry them, but they are expensive–generally about $1 each. I like the Cutting Point model, because they have a very sharp point that holds it’s edge for days in saltwater. When fishing barbless, the hook widens out below the tip, helping the hooks stay in and giving you an added edge.

PLUGS AND SPOONS

For plugs and spoons I usually fish with a large stainless single hook. I use Coyote spoons fairly frequently, but I ALWAYS change the hook to something at least 50% larger. They make a deadly spoon, but they equip it with a wimpy hook.

For some reason, some hooks don’t seem to sharpen very well. I find this most often when attempting to sharpen large plug or spoon hooks that are made from stainless steel. I suspect that in some cases, the quality of the metal is not very good, so it’s difficult to hone a razor sharp point. If I can’t get a good point after a couple of minutes, I’ll generally toss it and find another.

I bend the curve and point of the hook with a pair of strong pliers so they are not in line with the shank. This seems to help in hooksetting. If you need a visual clue, look at the difference in shape between a Siwash hook and an Eagle Claw hook. Try to give your hook the same type of bend.

If you ask me, bait of just about any kind is more effective than the artificial lure. It doesn’t matter whether I’m fishing with herring strip, the rotary salmon killer, anchovy, or cut plug herring. Fishing for Coho or Chinook, bait will get more strikes, 8 times out of 10. Many of the biggest fish I’ve brought aboard were hooked on bait.

But here’s the thing. Even though I am a professional charter captain, I fish with bait less than 10% of the time. I am paid to produce the most amount of fish in the shortest period of time. Here’s why I choose the artificial lure:

1. Fishing with artificial lures allows me to fish faster and cover more water.

2. I don’t need to worry about not having the right action on my lure. As long as I’m fishing within the speed range for that particular lure, all I have to do is wait for a strike.

3. Because I can fish faster with lures, I can use a heavier leader and larger hooks. This cuts my loss ratio when I have an inexperienced client on the rod.

4. I can change the color, shape, and size of the lure to match the feed that’s in the area at a moment’s notice. I rarely take 3 or 4 sizes of bait with me if I plan to fish bait that day. On the other hand, I have dozens of different color lures in all shapes and sizes.

5. I can fish with large lures to attract only the larger salmon. If smaller salmon take a swipe an miss, the action of the lure stays the same and I’m still fishing.

6. Bait attracts all types of fish, and because you generally fish bait more slowly than lures, you can attract more attention from dogfish which if hooked will make you re-tie your leader.

7. Because of the delicate nature of bait, even a small strike can alter it’s action, making it ineffective. Especially when fishing bait from a downrigger, these small strikes can be imperceptible, especially when fishing in rough water. You could be dragging bare hooks or a badly mangled bait for as long as it takes for you to figure something is wrong because no fish are hitting.

8. Bait must generally be changed every half hour or so because of the water drag disintegration of the bait.

9. Fishing with bait usually requires fishing with a lighter leader and smaller hooks. Perfect for the true sportsman in search of his trophy. Not so perfect for a charter operator with a first time client on the rod.

All these factors lead to less time actually fishing, and more time checking and resetting bait, shaking off undesirable fish, and retying those light leaders after each dogfish.

But from time to time, bait can be the solution that will elicit a strike from that large chinook. When I’m fishing an areas such as bays, inlets, and estuaries that are holding places or stopping points for mature king salmon, bait is often the most effective. It’s also my favorite way of fishing when I have time to myself and I am fishing close to shore. There’s nothing like the feeling that at any moment the reel can be zinging and  you hooks in the stomach of another large Chinook!

Bottom Line: Fishing with lures allows me more time with gear in the water, fishing effectively than fishing with bait where it needs to be checked or reset every few minutes. Day in and day out, this will produce more fish for my guests, which is what everybody wants. But if you are looking to catch the derby winning salmon at this years’ Ucluelet salmon fishing derby, you may want a good supply of bait in your cooler. And, if you prefer fishing exclusively for trophy Chinook, check our TROPHY PACKAGE.

‘Til next time

Ray Vandervalk

If you are fishing an inlet, sound, or straits, it should be fairly easy to determine from which direction the water flow is coming. If you are unsure of the direction of the current, such as when you are offshore or fishing a new area, one way to determine is to watch the angle of your downrigger wires as you fish in different directions. When you are fishing with the current, your wires will be the closer to straight up and down than when you fish other directions.

Before you drop your gear in the morning, determine from which direction the current is coming. Consult the tide tables to determine when the current will switch directions. I will often plot out my intended course on the map or GPS before I start fishing, letting the current push me over my intended fishing grounds.

If I can fish over a 2 or 3 mile patch of productive ocean, such as along the edge of a shoal, and then fish back over it when the tide changes, I will measurably increase my catch ratio. If this is not possible, especially if I have hit a few fish on my first tack, instead of fishing back the way I came into the current, I will pull my gear and run back to my starting point and fish it again. That way, I avoid wasting valuable time pulling my gear upstream and noticeably lower catch results.

The second option is to fish cross-current. While generally not as effective as fishing down current, it can work well in some locations.

CHOOSING A GOOD SPEED FOR THE CURRENT

Finding an optimum speed can take a little trial and error. Primarily, I check the SOG (Speed Over Ground) on my dash mounted GPS. This will be different from the speed function available on some depth sounders. The depth sounders use a stern mounted baffled wheel to gauge the speed of water flow. If you are fishing downstream in a 3 knot current, the depth sounder could show a water speed of 2 knots, while the GPS shows a SOG of 4.2. Drifting down a river with no power would show similar results. If the boat was light and stayed with the current, the depth sounder might show a speed of .5 knots, while the GPS would show a SOG of 5 knots.

What you want to achieve is a good speed for the gear you are pulling. And since you will be trolling down current much of the time, in order to have your gear working properly, you will need to make sure you are pulling it fast enough. (See my previous blog.) I check the action of the lures I am pulling beside the boat and adjust the speed as necessary. Trolling down current, you will cover a lot of ground, just as you would trolling downstream in a river.

Another method I use to make sure my speed is where I want is to keep an eye on my downrigger cables. If I am not fishing too deep and I see them stretched way back, I will understand that the water drag has increased and my gear is probably working much faster. (Not always a bad thing!)
Watching the angle of your downrigger wires at different depths gives you an idea of your speed. The deeper you fish on your downrigger, the more angle you will have on your wires. I call this “the angle of the dangle.”

So in summation, choose where you want to fish in conjunction with the flow of the current, and try to spend more time fishing downstream. It will be worth it.

“Til next time….tight lines

Before I go any further, there are some methods of salmon fishing where this will not be effective. If you are fishing with bait that has no teaser head, or fishing with some types of spoons, then don’t rely on this “trick” to work. But if you are trolling with plugs, flasher and hootchie, or even flasher and herring strip, it can be dynamite.

There is this little known grease that you spray all over your lure and BINGO!! BANGO!! BONGO!! You will have more fish in your net than you will know what to do with. For only $39.95 an ounce….okay, okay.. I’m kidding. I’m sure some kinds of over-the-counter fish attracting oils can’t hurt, but in the saltwater, I still haven’t really decided how effective they are. I still spray my gear with WD-40 from time to time, especially if I think my lure has come in contact with a surface that has been exposed to gasoline. WD-40 works great for steelhead in fresh water, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

I want to discuss one of the most-believed but most fallacious adages of all time in salmon fishing. Here it is. “Fish fast and shallow for coho, slow and deep for the kings.” The first half can be true very often, but some days I’ll catch more coho at 200 feet than anywhere else. The second part, “slow and deep” for kings is based in the experiences of the old-timers and got passed down to us. Before the days of downriggers, to troll below 30 feet took a considerable amount of lead on the line or a planer, like a Deep Six or a Pink Lady. I remember as a kid fishing with a pound of lead on my line in the form of a slip sinker, attempting to get down to where the big one were.

The problem was, the faster the speed of the boat, the shallower the lines would fish. So if the fish happened to be swimming deep that day, it was necessary to slow the boat down and allow the lines to settle to a greater depth. We would putt-putt along, and every once in awhile, would catch a king salmon. We were ecstatic to have landed a king, and the logic seemed to hold true. Slow and deep for kings.

FISHING, 2010

Because of big advances in downrigger technology, I can fish at almost any depth I choose, at what ever speed I want. The latest upgrade I’ve done is to get rid of the stainless steel cable on my downriggers and replace it with 200 lb test Power Pro. The smaller diameter line coupled with a 15 pound cannon ball greatly reduces the amount of water drag, allowing me to troll deeper and faster than ever before.

Since I no longer need to go slowly in order to fish deep, my options are greatly increased. And here’s what I found. Generally, FASTER IS BETTER. Especially when you are fishing with plugs like a Silver Horde or Tomic model, make sure you are fishing at least 3 knots. If you aren’t hitting any fish, go faster. The same applies to fishing with a flasher hootchie. The more flash and dash, the better. The fish have less time to make up their minds and micro-analyze the color, shape, and action of your lure. The frenzy catches the attention of other salmon, and they will compete over who gets your lure first. I’ve caught 35 pound kings trolling at 4.5 knots (yes, that’s about five miles an hour) on flasher and hootchie. They hit so hard, it will straighten the hooks if your drag is set too tight.

Of course, there is still a place for fishing slowly for those big lunkers that don’t want to burn too many calories chasing a small bait. One of my favorite methods is slowly fishing a cut herring in front of kelp beds and shoals for mature king salmon. Too much speed in this case is detrimental, and slow usually rules the day.

But the next time you are trolling and not having much success, bump that speed up..way up. You will be pleasanly surprised.

For all the thousands of hootchie color patterns out there along with dozens of variations of each of these patterns, it is understandable why most fishermen carry at leat 40 different colors in their tackle box. A few years ago the Purple Haze craze swept the West Coast. It seemed like every other salmon was reportedly caught on some variation of the purple haze flasher or hootchie….

A few years later, the purple haze color was relegated to an interesting footnote in salmon fishing history. It still has a few diehard believers, but there are plenty of other must-have combinations that an “expert” fisherman mustn’t be without.

Here’s my opinion. I can walk down charterboat row and get the “inside” scoop from each charter boat captain, and 18 times of the twenty will each have a favorite color they swear by. Sometimes honest information can be a little hard to come by, as each fisherman has their closely guarded secrets. But the variation in colors leads me to the conclusion that there are as many “hot” lure colors as there are fisherman.

I can honestly say that I will consistently catch salmon on just about any hootchie you throw in my boat. I also say this without a touch of arrogance. I will probably add a few colored beads, and maybe some tinsel as well as my favorite hooks. I will also fish different colors at different depths. For example, if you challenge me with a straight black color, I would not fish it at 250 feet to start. Below 120 feet, I prefer at least some glow capabilities, depending on water color and light conditions.

In my books, leader length, boat speed in relation to the current, and flasher color rank more important than hootchie color. Is this to say that I don’t have my favorites? That I don’t have my “go to” setups for when salmon fishing is slow? Of course not. Every fisherman should have setups that they are confident fishing, or else they will spend more time changing gear and bringing their lines up and down than actually fishing. If you are continually doing this, then you have no time to effectively watch your sounder or GPS and fish the areas, depths, and structure that will produce results. If you are so worried about not having the right setup, how will you be able to keep track of staying with the current along a productive edge or shoal?

If you concentrate on the keys in Part 1, and fish with a simple white glow hootchie, you will measurable improve your success. More tips in the next edition.

Tight lines,

Ray Vandervalk

Every once in awhile, I manage to boat a salmon that is swimming exhaustedly on the surface, dragging a flasher/hootchie combination. It never ceases to amaze me the different setups a salmon will strike, especially when the bite is on. Combinations I would never dream of fishing somehow find themselves into the mouths of feeding salmon. Once or twice, I even tried pulling some of this gear for awhile, dubious as it looked before going in the water. I wasn’t surprised when it never got a bite, but then maybe it was because I never really expected one anyway. All this to say that there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to salmon fishing. One sure thing is that all fishing rules are made to be broken. But after thousands of hours guiding clients from all over the world, I have learned some things that have bailed me out when fishing is slow and wet nets are few and far between.

The first and most important thing to remember is: KEEP YOUR HOOKS SHARP. I know you’ve heard it before and are probably already going on to the next thing, but remember, razor sharp. I’m not going to say much about color selection; I’ll touch on that in Part 2. If you are in doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with a glow white with a splash of pink or green. Color can be important, but not nearly as important as other factors. Every fisherman has his favorite. Any one of hundreds of colors can work on any given morning. Flasher selection can also be important. There are dozens to choose from and a dizzying array of new colors and techno splashes out every year. I basically recommend a flasher that has good reflective capabilities when fishing the top 120 feet, and a flasher that has a glow side when fishing deeper. Obviously, these depths can be adjusted depending on light levels, but that is my rule of thumb.

Now for the good stuff. I consider the two most critical factors when fishing a flasher/hootchie combo is leader length and speed. When fishing for Chinook salmon, I generally like a 38” leader. That is measuring from the back of the flasher to the nose of the hootchie. Sometimes I’ll find that lengthening or shortening the leaders by only 2 inches will improve my results. But a 38 inch leader should get you going. Next, fine tune your speed. If you haven’t had a bite for awhile fishin different depths, try speeding up. A lot. When I first started salmon fishing professionally, I rarely fished over 2.5-3.0 knots. Having a good GPS really helps with setting the speed. Of course you won’t be trolling at 4.0 knots into a brisk current—trolling upstream is rarely as effective as trolling cross-current or downstream. I’m quite surprised to find how few sport fishermen actually know the direction of the current, especially when fishing offshore when land is not in sight. But it helps big-time to know the direction of the current and plan your first tack of the day fishing downstream or cross current along your favorite ledge or shoal.

So now that you have a good leader length…Oops I forgot to talk about leader strength. I’ve seen people fishing with 25 pound test leaders. You’re asking for broken line every time you hit a decent fish. The flasher blade turns sideways in the water when the fish makes its first run, and the strain on the leader is incredible. I recommend a minimum of 40 pound test, but my favorite is 50 or 60 pounds. I haven’t found that increasing test strength decreases the number of strikes, but don’t go less than 40. Also, the stiffer the leader, the better the action on the hootchie. A stiff leader causes the hootchie to dart through the water more like a real squid, thereby increasing the number of strikes.

Watch your sounder for feed or other marking fish, and if you aren’t getting bites, speed up! Many times, I have hooked 30 pound plus fish trolling in excess of 4.0 knots. There’s something about all the excitement of a wildly rotating flasher to cause a sleepy spring to wake up and chase it. These fish have less time to decide, especially if all the commotion is attracting other salmon, so often they speed up and STRIKE!!. So remember, better fast than slow.

In Part 2, we’ll cover lure color and depth..plus a few other things.

Tight lines and good luck!

Most people I know equate halibut fishing as plunking a 2-3 pound lead and spreader bar baited with herring, salmon bellies, or octopus off a sandy or gravelly bottom. Trolling for halibut can be more productive…, especially if the halibut are somewhat sparse or not actively feeding. It can also be a good way to stay away from the dreaded dogfish or mudshark. Most importantly, since using electric downriggers is a must, the overall personal effort is greatly reduced. Since I have met very few sportfishermen, aside from professional charter operators, who are proficient in the art of halibut trolling, let me offer a few pointers. Omission of even one of these techniques can result in severely diminished catch results.

Most of my halibut trolling experience has occurred off the Ucluelet and Bamfield coast, but it has also worked off Kyuquot and other points north. I see no reason why these methods would not be effective in other areas as well.

Of course, electric downriggers make the whole process much easier. I would highly recommend a set of reliable electrics, although often I will only fish one downrigger on the bottom. Sometimes when the wind or current is fast, fishing one downrigger is the only option. If possible, throw out all your old-fashioned stainless braided cable that have been a mainstay of downrigger fishing over the last decades. The new Kevlar products are much thinner, stronger, and not prone to kinking or rusting. I usually fish with 15 pound weights, but some charter operators go as high as 20. Less than 15 pounds of weight is almost impossible to stay on the bottom. Lastly, if you’re wondering how to attach your release clip to your new downrigger string, simply measure the linear distance of from the downrigger spool, through the end of the downrigger arm to the water surface. On my boat it is 6-7 feet. Find a stout piece of cord and attach it to the main downrigger line using a 200 pound test swivel or O ring with solid knots. Then attach the lead using a snap swivel to the bottom end of the cord. That way you have a built-in shut off for your electric downrigger, as well as a non-slip cord to attach you can attach your release clip.

Now that we have the downriggers geared up, any medium action salmon rod with 30 pound test mainline will work. Some charter operators prefer level wind reels because the gear ratio speeds up line retrieval, but it is your preference. I’ve found that pretty much any rotating flasher will work (yes, we’re trolling with flasher and hootchie). However, flashers that have one side in florescent glow always seem to work a little better. Take just about any glow hootchie, double it up on the leader-that’s right—two hootchies on the same hook. Sometimes I fish tandem 6/0 octopus style hooks, or a single 10/0 Siwash. Either is effective. Leader length should be about 42 inches.

Next, figure out your desired fishing destination. I don’t like to troll for halibut in more than 200 feet of water. With wind and current, it can be a little difficult with water that’s any deeper. If you haven’t fished the area before, try to find GPS coordinates from helpful fishermen. When I troll for halibut off Ucluelet, the most productive grounds are often at least 17 miles offshore, so this isn’t something you will attempt  in a car topper.

Once you arrive at your selected destination, the first crucial thing to figure out is which way the current is running.  It is much more difficult to fish directly into the current and keep your lures on the bottom which is usually an absolute necessity for halibut fishing. Sometimes you can tack cross-current, but it is still vital to know the current direction. The key element is fishing fast enough to keep the gear working, but not too fast so the drag increases and it sweeps your gear off the bottom. I have found that the ideal speed is between 1.8 and 2 knots according to the GPS. Any faster and the gear is fishing too high. Any slower and its not working right to trigger a strike. Generally, once I get the boat moving and the gear down, I’ll have out anywhere from 250-300 feet of downrigger line for a 200 foot depth. Every couple minutes or so, I’ll check my fishing depth by paying out some more line, just until I feel the lead “bump” on the bottom.

Watch the rod tips carefully. I generally set the release clips as tight as they’ll go, so the hook really gets set. When a halibut is hooked, unless it is really large, I keep the boat in motion as I “crank” it up. Not a lot of sport here, but the fish is at a significant disadvantage being pulled off at an angle instead of straight up. Even if you don’t crank up much line after initially hooking the fish, it is still planing towards the surface. Then all you do is scoot it across the surface and gaff it in the boat. Try to bleed it right away, and your fillets will turn out picture perfect. Good luck!

If you compare the filet of a 12-25 pound halibut to one in the 40-100 pound range, you will notice a difference similar to filet mignon and flank steak. Of course I prefer to eat halibut as fresh as possible, but a very close second is fish that has been vacuum packed and flash frozen. Most people who eat halibut (that I have prepared) are surprised when they don’t taste anything fishy and also experience the “melt in your mouth” euphemism that has been so overused.

Many fishing resorts on the north coast promote large halibut. Please do the halibut and yourself a favor by keeping the ones under 30 lbs. The larger halibut have tougher meat, but also have many eggs to lay. I know of one fellow who suggested cooking the larger halibut in a pressure cooker to tenderize the meat. I’ve never tried it, but it sounds awful. Generally I cook halibut in a skillet for just a few minutes on each side. I can’t imagine what a pressure cooker would do, but it probably wouldn’t be pretty. If you would like some of our favorite halibut recipes, send me an e-mail.

Upper scale restaurants that serve a premium cut of beef will often also have 2 or three halibut dishes on the menu. You will often pay close to the same price for a small piece of this tasty whitefish as you would for a New York strip or a good Rib Eye steak. Having sampled many different halibut recipes at these restaurants over the years, I have generally been disappointed with both the flavor and quality of the fish. To be fair, the chefs are probably doing an incredible job since the fish they have to work with are is less than desirable. As opposed to beef, fish does not age well. When restaurants advertise “fresh halibut”, they mean “never frozen. In most cases this “fresh fish” has been on ice on the fish boat for 10 days or more. Then it has to survive shipping while staying unfrozen, which means the halibut will often have that familiar fishy taste.