Halibut

Halibut Fishing the Alaskan Peninsula

Hook Bay is located about 12 miles from Chignik and provides some of the best halibut sport fishing in our region. We travel to Hook Bay on the 42-foot F/V Equator, often towing the Jetsled or lund to access the beach or fish out of. The trip across Chignik Bay to Hook Bay Point takes about one and a half hours and can provide surprise appearances of sea life ranging from pods or whales and other sea mammals (otters, sea lions, seals) to schools of sockeye salmon charging towards Chignik River, sometimes by the thousands. Entering the 10-mile long Hook Bay gives one the feeling of entering a fjord. Massive cliffs lead straight up from the water to the tops of the mountains. Caribou, bear, and moose consider this place home. The bay is shaped like a hook and provides shelter from most swells and wind once inside. Halibut rods rigged with 100 pound test are used to set circle hooks laden with octopus and salmon as bait down to depths ranging from 100 to 400 feet deep.

Halibut fishing is fun, safe, enjoyable and not extremely scientific. It is a great time for avid anglers as well as families. The wildlife and beauty of Alaska stands out and is a constant entertainment for all who see it. In Hook Bay, there is also great fishing for black rockfish, three to eight pound sea bass that give a scrappy fight on light tackle and taste delicious on the dinner table. Close by to Hook Bay we have ling cod holes that are so secret I don't even tell my wife.

Beach combing and river hiking in Hook Bay is a trip of its own. There is a game trail that portages between Hook Bay and Kujulik Bay, frequented by bears, caribou and moose. It is a short but interesting hike. In Hook Bay there is one of the few homestead cabins on the Alaskan Peninsula. An old time Swede named Smokey Chris arrived there years ago, and discovering his version of paradise proceeded to stoutly build a home there and stayed for the rest of his life.

It is impressive to see and imagine the work and effort that went into building his place in the wilderness with no power tools or hardware store. The Hook Bay River has runs of Coho and pinks that arrive in mid July and draw bears to their favorite feeding holes.

There is no shortage of fish, scenery or adventure in the trip to Hook Bay, it can be scheduled as a day trip or an overnight excursion and provides a fine setting for a great adventure.

Halibut fishing out of Chignik Bay offers truly unique and exceptional opportunities. We use traditional fishing techniques on trips to Hook Bay, as described below, but are also fortunate to have great success fishing in the shallow waters close to Chignik Bay. Most often we fish in less than 60 feet of water and are able to catch very nice halibut on light tackle. These fish put up a fantastic fight in shallow water and provide epic, exciting battles. Some of these spots provide excellent opportunity for fly-fishing halibut in 17-25 feet of water and we have had good success, especially in June and August.

Heavy weights and gear are required as the occasional "barn door" (large halibut) is hauled from spots along these bluffs. It is common to engage 30 to 60 pounders, however when the 200 pounder takes the bait the gear and the fisherman have to be ready for the battle. We gaff most fish aboard, bleed, clean and ice the catch to preserve the quality of the fish you want to take home and share with family and friends. We also have a harpoon for the barn doors, and if necessary are prepared to shoot the fish if it is too big to safely bring aboard alive.

E-mail : johnr@chignikbayadventures.com