When I Was A Younger Man

[gstours]

Attatched is a picture of a chance of a lifetime halibut my wife hooked about 17 or so years ago. We brought the fish home with us, I had the 3 gals with me that summer day.  Since this is behind me now I would not keep another really large fish, but now its still a great memory.....We used 80#tufline and a 4/0Avet 2spd.  and a handmade rod......and a 44mag.     its alaska they sometimes shoot fish to tame them down, before hauling aboard.     Enjoy my memory......gst.....

[erikpowell]

Whoa! Nice fish Gary... Truly a once in a lifetime catch!
I think that's the biggest halibut I've ever seen.
What does that scale read buddy?   

[Mandelstam]

It reads "60" if my eyes serve me right. So 260 lbs? With the tail still on the ground...

A monster! Nice catch!

[Capt Ahab]

WOW that is some big fish!

[HOLEINTHEWATER]

GREAT FISH AND MEMORIES.

[harryk3616]

boy  gary      lucky man you have four beauties there, three beautiful girls and a beautiful fish,  reel nice,  great memories.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

WOW...

[Keta]

Since this is behind me now I would not keep another really large fish, but now its still a great memory

Nice fish and I'm glad to hear you now release the large hens.  The largest I've killed was 5' 7" but right after that I too quit killing anything over 60#.  My preferred weight was 35-45.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

Since this is behind me now I would not keep another really large fish, but now its still a great memory

Nice fish and I'm glad to hear you now release the large hens.  The largest I've killed was 5' 7" but right after that I too quit killing anything over 60#.  My preferred weight was 35-45.

thanks to both of you! more should follow your examples...

[Keta]

I feel everyone should be able to kill at least one large one but I had a rule on my boat about keeping large hen halibut.  Even when they knew they were going to be cut loose some people got upset....they never got invited back.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

...they never got invited back.

i like that!

[Ron Jones]

I've been on boats that won tournaments with big fish, 180 plus, but I just won't do it anymore. The chikens taste much better anyways. Anything over 25 pounds or so is fine and I cut off at 60 or so.
Ron

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

Ron, i just added you to my hero list...

[Ron Jones]

In Wa. we only get 2 a week. It is hard (and I understand) to convince people to spend the gas money to get out past the "C" closure for 20 ponds of fillets, but when they realize it will be some of the best halibut they have ever had ( I personally prefer the Ca fish) you can usually get them to calm down. Then you go into the rocks and spend the day catching black rock fish and everyone is happy, happy, happy.
Ron

[franky]

Nice fish, awesome memories. 

Yes, I wouldn't mind one large fish, but for steaming whole with the ginger onion hot oil and shoyu sauce, I like fish between 3-5 pounds steamed whole.

For fillets, I like fish between 5 pounds up till 20 something pounds.