1st Halibut of 2024! Alaskan Halibut Fishing - Juneau, Alaska! April 2024  

Hey @roberta949 thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season adventure! Great to have you along for the trip! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @scottdenzin9124 thanks for watching and yes indeed Mary certainly catches her fair share! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Thanks Pamela I'm glad you enjoyed this early season adventure! Yes indeed - it is hard to beat fresh dungeness crab with butter, especially when halibut fishing! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi Dave thanks for the positive comment here and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Wayne thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! I appreciate the positive comment - we are very fortunate to have Alaska in our back yard! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Tim thanks for watching and I appreciate the positive comment! Glad you enjoyed this early-season action! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi @JerryFields-it3zq thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Haha yes I'm a Mary fan as well! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi Pamela thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad this halibut video brings back fond memories of when you went halibut fishing in Alaska! Halibut are a blast to catch and amazing to eat! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @NRALifer1 many thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! Catching a halibut this size is always a team sport! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey Bill thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut and cod action! Yes it is always nice to pick up a few cod which are really tasty to eat and help round out a nice "mixed bag" harvest. Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey John thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your positive (and first!) comment! Best of luck when your season starts in May - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

I'm goin like mad to clear my client list and have my gear in order by May1st.

Hey Tony many thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! I appreciate the positive comment - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey Kim wow that's awesome congrats on your early season halibut success! I'm glad to hear that the fire eye glow jigs delivered for you guys! That must have been a great stack of fillets, especially with a 40 pounder in the mix! Congrats again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey there Eric many thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Haha Actually, despite all the awesome fish she catches, Mary doesn't like seafood so she opted for a different snack other than fresh dungies! Rest assured, she'll be well-nourished enough to battle plenty of big halibut this season! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey there Geoff thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early-season adventure! Yes we love this crab cookin' pot - what a great tool for the boat! Thanks again! I'm looking forward to tagging up later this summer to chase some halibut, salmon and whatever else we encounter in the Southeast Alaskan waters! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi David thanks for watching and I appreciate the positive comment! Yes indeed the little halibut and pacific cod make great table fare - I actually did make some fresh blackened cod tacos within a few days of this catch! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Art many thanks for stopping by and welcome to the channel! I appreciate the sub and am glad you are enjoying this footage, all the way from NZ! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Thanks @davidsparrow1176! Yes indeed these are cool looking fish! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

@@CaptainZac Tight lines to you both also.

Hey Jonathan thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad to hear this early season action is getting you STOKED for halibut fishing! Yes indeed it is hard to beat fresh dugnies - especially while halibut fishing on a calm sunny Alaskan day! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey there thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Yes indeed Mary certainly catches her fair share! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Haha hey Phil thanks for stopping by not surprising that you'd bet on the Halibut Queen to out fish me! The season is still early - plenty of time left for that to happen! Yes indeed fresh dungies are hard to beat - super sweet even before dunked in butter! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @JT-py9lv thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Yes indeed - that is a beautiful area with some great fishing! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Great to hear from you Andy! Yes indeed we are off to the races on another season - halibut beware! I hope you are enjoying some cool adventures these days - any plans to be back in Alaska anytime soon? Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @EISAlaska thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! I appreciate the positive comment! Wow it looks like you have some awesome adventure on your channel - I'm looking forward to checking it out! Stay safe out there and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Joe welcome to the channel and thanks for the positive comment! I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action - great to have you along for these adventures! Very cool that you enjoy fishing with your wife as well! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Haha that's awesome! Many thanks for watching Charles and I appreciate the positive comment! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Haha hey @donaxe9246 if I didn't laugh it off I'd be crying too! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi @kpnitrl38 I appreciate the positive comment and am glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! We are very fortunate to have some fun adventures together here in Juneau! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi @louispavila6637 best of luck in Bristol Bay this season! I'll be posting plenty of halibut fishing videos this season so perhaps you can tune in from up there! Tight lines and stay safe on the water my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @mconard801 I appreciate the positive comment and am glad you enjoyed this early season action! Yes indeed fresh cod is super tasty - very mild, sweet and flaky! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Thanks Jon I'm glad you enjoyed this footage and I appreciate the positive comment! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi @Settlingintoalaskaliving thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! I appreciate the positive comment - tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Frank thanks for the positive comment an I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Ross thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! That's awesome to hear that you get after the So Cal fishery - you should definitely put Alaska on the bucket list for a future fishing trip! I appreciate the positive comment and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi @shayneyoung5394 thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! I couldn't have said it any better myself - we were very fortunate to have a great day on the water during this outing! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @robertleslie2467 yes indeed my mouth is watering just reading this! Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! Kings and Alaskans - I love it! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Try instant potato flakes for your batter. Really crisps nicely, no matter the fish.

Hey Mark it was great meeting up the other day and CONGRATS on your first halibut of the year! It is always rewarding to enjoy the first few fresh halibut fillets of the season! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey Peeling Line thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Haha Mary is choosing to use a manual reel - I offered an electric reel and she preferred to use the manual one. Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey Captain Alan thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Yes indeed those otters are always cool to see and in the early season they are a little less spooky. I'm using a Daiwa Seaborg 500mj and so far I really like it - small enough to be fished from the hand and powerful enough to crank on big halis! I'm still testing it out so I'll probably have more perspective after fishing with it a handful of trips. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @tho464 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season outing - especially that dungie crab feast while halibut fishing on a calm sunny Alaskan day! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey Steve thanks for stopping by and very well said - the perfect day! It is always special to land the first halibut of the year and the dungies and flat calm weather were a certainly a nice bonus! You called it - things would have got very interesting if we hooked up with a big halibut mid crab feast! haha Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Haha hey @SamuelGDM thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Congrats on the 3 blue cats! I fished for them years ago in Virginia and had an absolute blast - they get huge! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @RKMetalWorx thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action, even if it made you hungry in the process! haha Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi @rph3344 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! My spinning setup is a Penn Slammer IV 8500 reel w/ 80lb PowerPro on a Penn Carnage III Jigging spinning rod. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Haha hey Alan a lot to unpack here! Mary said that she isn't interested in trying an electric reel - she prefers the conventional gear. I'm still testing this electric reel out (in all depth ranges) but it will really shine on the super deep drops (400-1000ft) for halibut. Awesome that you saw the first black bear of the season! The humpbacks have been pretty spotty thus far in the early season but I understand that a few more moved into the area over the past week so hopefully the sightings will increase. There were some herring in Statter the other day so that's a good sign. Challenging Mary to arm wrestling would be just as unwise as challenging her to a halibut fishing competition! haha Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Carl thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! The pot comes with the stove - it is a Jetboil Half Gen Basecamp - www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5FWB85?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details. Tight lines! Captain Zac

I have the same question with handling the Dungies.

Hi @bmiller7710 and @240Turbo48 thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! The pacific cod have a soft flakey white flesh that is incredibly mild and sweet - very tasty. I actually know a few people who prefer cod over halibut! In terms of the dungies, I always clean them on the dock and bring just the clusters home. I'll most often cook them right away (steam them in my large propane crab cooker) but every so often will cook them the following day. When next day, I typically give them a rinse before steaming or boiling. I've used the "next day" approach occasionally over the years and never noticed a drop-off in meat quality. I've also never gotten sick from "next day" dungies. However, based on your question, I'm going to take a closer look into this and I'll let you know what I come up with. Thanks again and tight lines my friends! Captain Zac

We keep our Dungeness in a 5 gallon pail with salt water and cook them a whole day later and never had any issues. It probably depends on where you live, just like the psp shelfish poisoning, it's really location more than anything. Luckily where we live in Southeast Alaska it's never been an issue for us!!

Hey @codyledoux4338 thanks for the positive comment and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! This is a Daiwa Seaborg 500mj which I chose because it is small enough to be fished in-hand - many other models are much larger and are intended to be exclusively fished out of a rod holder. So far I really like it - it will enable much deeper drops - 400-1000+ft for deep water halibut and also black cod. Yes these are Toadfish crab tools - highly recommended! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi Gary I appreciate the kind words and am very sorry to hear about your grandson. Nobody should have to deal with such a devastating medical diagnosis, especially not someone so young. I'm glad this Alaska video was able to provide a brief distraction. Does your grandson enjoy fishing? All the best and thoughts/prayers for you, your family and your grandson - Captain Zac

@@CaptainZac Stetson loves to fish. He is wanting to go to my winter home on Lake Okeechobee Fl. to ride in Grandpa’s boat and catch some fish and see some gators. I’m pretty certain that won’t happen. The pressure on his brain stem has now caused both eyes to cross and he is losing mobility on his right side. But he is such a trooper as he is always smiling and laughing. I have come to accept the fact that the radiation is just prolonging the inevitable. Thank you and God Bless you.

Thanks Gary - he sounds like an incredible kid. Could you please drop me an email? If interested, I'd be happy to record an inspirational audio or video message for him (a fellow fishing enthusiast). With a little more context about some of his previous fishing adventures, I can tailor it to celebrate his awesome experiences. No pressure - just offering in case you think Stetson would get a smile out of it. My email is CaptainZacAlaska@gmail.com

Hey @benreich7315 - Penn Carnage III jigging rods! Thanks for stopping by and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @gentryandjill thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Mary still prefers a manual reel and was not interested in getting an electric one. I got the electric reel for deeper halibut drops (400-800 feet) and am still testing it out (getting a feel for hooksets, reeling, etc.) hence why I was using this reel in relatively shallow (less than 250 feet) water here. Tight lines! Captain Zac

Yes indeed dungies are very tasty and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @AKDivePro thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Yes you are right that cod is way under-rated by most. It is such a mild, sweet, flaky white fish - delicious! I always like to add a few pacific cod to the fish box to create a nice mixed bag harvest! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Haha hi @mapleholler9800 thanks for stopping by and you are probably right - those porpoises just couldn't resist the wonderful aroma! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Well said - sharp hooks are always very important! I sharpen my jigs often! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @sarahmacdonald5633 thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! The cod here in Juneau do sometimes have worms, especially the larger ones. It requires a bit more work at the fillet table to ensure that fillets are worm-free before vacuum sealed. I find that holding the fillets up to a light helps you find anything that you need to remove. Once you have clean fillets, the meat is very light, flaky and super sweet! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @ivanalagoz9469 thanks for watching and well-said! Mary usually out-fishes everyone in sight! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Haha hey Gregory thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! You are probably right that Mary would have out-fished me if she was using an electric reel (she out-fishes me on many days regardless of reel!) haha I offered but she doesn't want an electric reel. Once I get dialed in with the electric reel, I'll likely switch back to my standard gear for shallower drops to even out the playing field! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @ExcelRealEstateExperts thanks for stopping by - I'm using a GoPro 11 here. Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @froesenfish9062 this is a Daiwa Seaborg 500mj which I chose because it is small enough to be fished in-hand - many other models are much larger and are intended to be exclusively fished out of a rod holder. So far I really like it - it will enable much deeper drops - 400-1000+ft for deep water halibut and also black cod. Thanks for stopping by and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hy Jonathan - Usually June into early July. The run varies year to year. I've had "hot bites" in early June, mid-June and late June into the 1st week of July. Sometimes the bite will be automatic for a few days and then turn off for a week or so. The tides and the amount of rainfall can strongly influence when and how many fresh fish show up. Thanks and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi Jimmy thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! For the Juneau area, unguided anglers are allowed 2 halibut per day any size (4 in possession). For guided anglers, there is a reverse slot - see the regs below. Note that different areas of Alaska have different regs, especially in terms of what guided anglers can keep (both in size and quantity). One fish daily bag limit: Charter vessel anglers may catch and retain one halibut per day.  Reverse slot limits: From February 1 through July 14, retained halibut must be less than or equal to 40 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches in length. From July 15 until the end of the season, retained halibut must be less than or equal to 36 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches in length.  Friday closures. Charter vessel anglers in Area 2C may not catch and retain halibut (except GAF) on all Fridays beginning July 19, 2024 and continuing through September 13, 2024.

Hi Randy it is still early days since I'm still getting "dialed in" with it but thus far it has worked great and I would recommend it. It is a Daiwa Seaborg 500mj which I chose because it is small enough to fish out of hand (vs. the larger reels meant for rod holders) and still has line capacity to get down for the deep halibut drops. Thanks and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi @cherylannesmith8610 thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the concern. The gas tank cap is on the port stern. The cooker is sitting on top of the stern fish box / live well - probably about 4 feet away from the gas cap but you can never be too careful. Thanks again! Captain Zac

It is a Daiwa Seaborg 500mj - tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi Ray thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Yes it is - Seaborg 500mj. Small enough to be fished out of hand but plenty of power and line capacity for those deep halibut drops! Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

I just bought one was wondering if it was going to be good for halibut lots of people buy the 750 and 800 tanacoms but for me they just seemed huge almost pineapple size :) and the seaborg is just a very nice reel thanks for the reply and I enjoy your videos. @@CaptainZac

Exactly! The most common electric reels are enormous and really designed to be fished out of a rod holder. I personally like to work the jig and feel the STRIKE!!! So far I really like it. I'd love to hear how you like it once you get a chance to fish with it! Tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey John thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this footage! Trailer or stinger hooks are legal. Over the years I've occasionally used them. I find that although you sometimes get more hookups with a trailer hook, you also often get more tangles (which can leave you fishing with a jig tangled around the line instead of a properly oriented presentation). I'm always tinkering and plan on trying a slightly different type of trailer hook this year. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @Bo_in_Seattle thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season halibut action! Yes I am testing out my new electric reel (the feel when setting the hook, the drag, engaging and disengaging the electric reel assist, etc.). This reel will help me target deeper drops for halibut in the 400-1000 ft range. At any point in Alaska, you could catch a smaller fish like this little 20# halibut or you could catch a "barn door" weighing hundreds of pounds. In fact, I was out fishing yesterday and caught a much bigger halibut on this same reel - stay tuned for that video! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi @tho464 actually Mary didn't want to try an electric reel - she prefers the conventional gear at this point. Maybe after I land a few big deep water halibut on the electric gear she'll be open to giving it a try! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @katchfishy thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Yes indeed fresh halibut and pacific cod is hard to beat in terms of table fare! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hey @kenmichels7630 thanks for stopping by - "We Alaskans"?? I'm from Juneau and given how many halibut I catch I find it easier to just abbreviate it to "hali"... just like the pot fulls of "dungies" I harvest each season. Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hi @Trapper50cal funny you ask - after I recorded this video I actually did pull out the cheek meat before cutting up the rest of the remains for crab bait. On a fish this small, it is like getting one scallop per cheek. Great observation and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac

Hi @HughButler-lb6zs yes indeed the rules and regs can be pretty technical but they are ultimately designed to help preserve the fishery for generations to come - so I suppose we take the good with the bad. Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @Cowgirlthirty4 thanks for stopping by. While I agree that Black Cod are excellent eating, I know many people who enjoy eating pacific cod as well (I like to use the bellies and ribs for halibut bait). Pacific Cod is a very mild, sweet, flaky white fish and is very versatile in terms of the range of recipes it is ideal for. For those fortunate enough to have a steady supply of Black Cod, I realize why you may de-prioritize a Pacific Cod for bait. Tight lines! Captain Zac

A young man at the lodge took a slice out of a Pacific Cod and within seconds worms were wiggling their way to the surface. That left a lasting impression. The same might happen with other fish too but I don't want to know. (Covering eyes)

Hey William thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season action! Yes indeed - I know a few people who prefer cod over halibut and I will say that cod is one of my favorite fish! I always like stacking some pacific cod in the fish box while halibut fishing. Thanks again and tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @nalabadala22 thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this halibut action! Mary is choosing to use the conventional reel - she said she wasn't interested in an electric reel. That little hali did get away but that does happen sometimes on these smaller fish that I plan on catching and releasing. If I plan on harvesting the fish, I'd gaff it the split second it comes near the surface. When I'm releasing them, there is a little more commotion on top of the water which sometimes leads to a "quick release" - all good! Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey @tomkolomick6184 yes this electric reel is especially useful for deep drops when fishing 400-1200 ft deep where it is impractical or impossible to fish with conventional gear. Tight lines! Captain Zac

Hey Gavin many thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you enjoyed this early season adventure! Haha yes indeed something about fresh dungeness crab tastes EVEN BETTER when you enjoy them while halibut fishing! Best of luck on your upcoming trip this summer! Thanks again and tight lines my friend! Captain Zac