MERLIN?????

[JETTYWOLF]

NICE>>>>could this be YOU, too?

http://www.rancholeonero.com

lots of sand!

[Merlin]

No, not me this time. That's a cool place, though. I've stayed there before and fished the area many times. Really outstanding fishing, beaches, scenery. The resort is really old but they remodeled it last year and I hear it turned out great. Airport is reasonably close too.

Of course, if you want a real adventure you'll have to take the plunge and come over here to my neck of the woods. There's no resort here but I rent out a couple of really nice homes and I'll take you fishing for beer money!

[JETTYWOLF]

Looks like a great place.

So it's not in your area?

Either way, I was thinking about you.

I've told so many people about those Halibut in the surf, the minute they say "last year I went to Alaska and caught me a halibut".

No one really knows they are that far south or in so close to the beach. I know it blew me away!

Seriously good stuff.

[welder]

Jetty , those are two different Butts [ AK. and the ones down south ] In AK. those are Pacific Halibut and the ones down south are California Halibut.
The AK. ones get HUGE and the CA. butts may reach 200lbs [ I have never seen one over bout 45lbs , personally ] My Uncle Paul did many dives out in San Diego at the reserve and hand fed a 5 footer and she was knocking on the 200lb mark.

Anyways there are also Sand dabs out there [ the west coast ] that are closer to the GOM's flatties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_halibut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_flounder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanddab

[Merlin]

Well, it is in my area - sort of. That resort is about 250 miles from me. And, it's on the east side of the peninsula in the Sea of Cortez. I'm on the west side in the Pacific.

Right again. I'm catching California Halibut. We catch tons of little flattie's right off the beach. Tons of 10 to 30 pounders, too. Pretty fun light tackle stuff. I'm sure there are some larger models around but I don't really target them off the boat. I guess I should, especially this time of year because they are in to spawn right now.

[goldenarrow]

Welder my guess is that your uncles 200lber was a pacific. I dont think I have herd of a calafornia halibut weighing more than about 60# or so. My personal best was a 37# 47" that I caught off my kayak.

[welder]

California halibut
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California halibut

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Paralichthyidae
Genus: Paralichthys
Species: P. californicus
Binomial name
Paralichthys californicus
(Ayres, 1859)

The California halibut or California flounder, Paralichthys californicus, is a large-tooth flounder that ranges from Quillayute River, Washington to Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur waters. It feeds near shore and is free swimming. It typically weighs 6 to 50 pounds (3 to 23 kg). It is much smaller than the larger and more northern-ranging Pacific halibut that can reach 300 pounds (140 kg).

A top level predator that hunts by stealth, it is prized by fishermen as great table fare.

Sport fishers typically use light fishing gear and live baits for this halibut. Baits include anchovies, sardine, squid, mackerel, and queenfish (brownbait). Some anglers use plastic lures and scampitype "lead heads" to fool a halibut into striking.

Mostly fishing from boats in the coastal regions, anglers catch good quantities of halibut in 10 to 80 feet of water. Sometimes the fish are caught from shore or by kayak fishermen in very shallow water. Slow trolling and drift fishing is the preferred method of bait presentation.

[goldenarrow]

Sorry to thredjack. The article says that pacific halis can reach 300lbs but californias can only reach 50 or so.

threadjack off.

[welder]

Merlin, your right .
I am awake now , yes , It must have been a Pacific .
My uncle said the fish does not leave the preserve and it's a MONSTER. Now that was about 20 years ago [ Dang I'm getting old]

[JETTYWOLF]

GOTCHA Merlin...East versus you west. 10-4

I don't care if they come from Kalamazoo.....catching that size to me "flounders" from the beach would be a thrill.

300 foot deep and 300 pounds.....not sure if I'm all into that. One time maybe, then it's on to light tackle wrangling, for me.