Homer halibut fishing is great fun and a fantastic way to load up on delicious fillets that you can enjoy all-year-long. Homer named itself the “Halibut Capital of the World”, and while this name is subjective, it illustrates the importance of halibut to the Homer community.
Homer halibut trips either end up heading north and fishing the waters of lower Cook Inlet, or head south and into the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Trips into the Gulf can yield phenomenal results, meaning big and plentiful halibut. Lingcod, rockfish and salmon can also be targeted by adventurous anglers fishing in the Gulf.
Trips into lower Cook Inlet target halibut and salmon. Heading out into the Gulf is our preferred program as the quality of halibut increases, as well as the range of species. But during bad weather days when wind, tide and waves make it challenging to fish, then trips into lower Cook Inlet are a fine solution. In addition to catching halibut, seasonal runs of coho and Chinook salmon can add to the fish box.
Halibut are apex predators, so anglers on Homer halibut fishing charters can target these fish in several ways. Some anglers prefer to send big baits on circle hooks to the bottom, weighted down with large lead weights, and call in halibut by sending out a scent trail. Some halibut studies suggest that halibut can smell one part in a billion, which means they have really good sniffers. Seasoned halibut anglers know that sending out a scent trail will bring in the halibut, and they endeavor to lay a scent trail down several hours before a tide change. That draws fish from one direction and when the tide changes and begins flowing in the opposite direction, the scent trail disperses in that direction to draw in more halibut to your baits.
Other anglers prefer to jig for halibut and anglers on Homer halibut fishing trips have the opportunity to do that. Jig preference is a personal matter, but common jigs like lead heads with grub tails, will often do the trick. Jig anglers know that halibut react to sight, smell and sound, and so jigs that are slathered in scent work on all three senses and are often very productive.
Pacific halibut are the largest flatfish in the world, and can reach large sizes. Fish over 100 pounds are caught fairly regularly by Homer halibut fishing enthusiasts. Our crew knows how to find quality halibut, so the chance to hook into a triple-digit flatfish is very real when you fish with Alaskan Fishing Adventures.