Identification

• Halibut are a large bottom feeding flat fish. Large halibut have the nickname "barn doors" because of their long but thin appearance, similar to a sliding barn door. Halibut often weigh in the 20- to 50-lb. range, but can reach sizes of over 400 lbs. They are very light in color and are mostly white, with some minor spotting in gray or green near the top and bottom of the fish, especially around the fins.
  
  

Licenses & Regulations

• A sports fishing license is required of any nonresident who wants to fish for halibut in Alaska. Residents between the ages of 16 and 60 are also required to purchase a sports fishing license. As of 2010, a fishing license for a resident cost $24 and is good for the entire calendar year. Nonresidents have a choice between one, three, seven or 14-day licenses. A full-year license is also available for nonresidents. Costs range from $20 to $135. In Alaska, the daily limit for halibut is either one or two full adult-sized halibut per person per day, depending on where you are fishing out of.
  
  

Peak Fishing Times

• Peak fishing times for halibut can vary slightly depending on what part of Alaska a person is fishing from. For example, peak fishing times around Sitka and Ketchikan are going to be the same because they're both in the Southeast, but the peak fishing time might be a few weeks different up around Homer, or out by the Aleutian Islands. According to the Alaska Outdoors Directory, in general the peak fishing time for halibut is June through mid-September.
  
  

Underwater Structure

• There are certain underwater structures that trophy halibut prefer over others. A ledge setup that quickly rolls into a smooth bottom is ideal halibut environment. These are the types of areas that professional charters will look for to increase the chances of clients making a good catch.
  
  

Chum Slick and Scent Field

• A classic strategy for drawing halibut toward the boat is to set anchor, put out the jig lines, and then a chum slick around the boat to attract hungry halibut toward the boat. Bait should be on the lines first, and if that doesn't work then there are several jig setups that are also popular with professional charter captains.
  
  

Top Halibut Baits

• The top baits for halibut fishing are salmon heads, salmon guts, mackerel heads, mackerel guts, octopus, herring, cod and squid. These types of bait are used by most professional halibut charters because of their effectiveness. Bait is most effective when it is changed every 15 to 30 minutes, as well.
  
  

Best Jig Rigs

• When bait isn't working, there are several traditional jig rigs that are also known for being effective in catching halibut, according to Halibut.Net. The six jigs that are heavily recommended for Alaska halibut fishing are lead heads, Private Wilson Darts, zingers, dungeness stingers, spinnows and B-2 squids. The best jig colors to attract halibut are white, orange, red, green and especially bright glow-in-the-dark versions of these colors.