Kudos to you for NOT taking the shot on the big one. There are just a limited number of slow breeding halibuts in the sea, and there is at the moment a high pressure on the fish. It is of outmost importance to protect the big breeders. Unfortunantly there is a "big game" mentality strongly present among alot of sea anglers and spear fishers. I can absolutly understand the urge for catching the bigges of them all, but holding back is the responsible and most noble way to go. Preserve a healthy stock of fish, and you will be rewarded with nice eating size fish for your next trip to... :-)
I agree, but do question how many halibut they actually needed for themselves? Had they fished stand up rod & reel style, they could of released a few & only kept the largest.
Thanks for your comment. That free swimming one was truly a monster. The gopro really doesn't do it justice. It's hard to get a sense of scale but I have a feeling it was close to 100kg...
Not many divers and fishermen think about protecting the big breeders and taking the smaller fish. Worst of all, take only what you are going to eat. The endlessly providing ocean we once thought it was, no longer exists. It is time to start spreading the idea about the preservation of the big fish, and taking only medium to small ones, which of course are the best eating.
Glad you had an epic trip the second time round, seems to be a rite of passage for the Arctic! A most enjoyable video, a great reminder that I need to get back to Norway next year.
As a Florida man that loves to catch flounder, I'd love to catch halibut. But not with a spear because it's WAY too cold for me in that water. They're such interesting fish, jigging for them would be a good time to me. Thanks for showing us the hunt. And also thanks for not killing the big breeders. Small ones are probably much better to eat and the big ones need to make babies. I'm not into keeping huge fish, medium sized are much better.
I saw a video of Alaska halibut fishing, they were MEASURING a 20 inch fish. When I was a kid they caught 500 pounders and SHOT THEM WITH A HANDGUN before bringing them aboard. That is what killing off the big ones has brought them to. Catching the BABIES and fishing for a "slot" fish. Protect what you have friends because humans can so easily WRECK EVERYTHING. Remember those fish that are 5 feet long are probably 80 years old.
What a video. What a trip. Real touch of class letting that last giant halibut go, I think many others wouldn't. Shows real character. Keep up the good work.
84 cm minimum size. And the advice is to implement a quota on Halibut north of the 62 degree and full stop south of 62 degree. I agree its the best eater, but i doubt it was on the 85 mark. Looked more around 70. I am one of those who hope this sort of tourist fishery that widely impact local fisheries to the lvl of being extinct locally several places like wolffish AND halibuts. Pretty sad.
8 years of spearfishing in the northern parts of norway and i have never seen a halibut swimming, that must have been quite the experience ! great video !
I did all summer runs for 5 years scouring different kinds of location until I got my first one. It’s about finding the right place. I was confined to doing it from the shore, so it was a bit of research but actually really worth in terms of looking for the right circumstances. Once you find that good spot for the right time of the year - there is a lot more of a guarantee. In my experience it’s been best last half of august, when the water clears a bit from dying seagrass and algae and on into september or november. But I’ve heard old fishermen say differently also, this is off the shore, it may be different further out but they seem to come into the shallows to rest in warmer water after feeding or soak up some vitamin D. I’ve killed 20+kg halibut in just 2-3 metres of sea water. In the old days people would spear them with a long weighted spear from a boat spotting them by looking into the water with a makeshift telescope. Anyway - part of the trick seems to be that you want a patch of good sandy, rocky, gravelly seabed with at least periodically strong current going through and it can be sorta shallow in the 1-20 metre range, and then if there is some nearby deep water that drops to like a couple hundred metres or more that’s a good combination. They can hunt, lounge, rest, move according to temperature and water quality, they can escape seals etc. The good thing about doing it from the shore is that not a lot of boat fishermen usually hang out there. A few locals may, but the tourists tend to overlook it.
precioso vídeo y precioso ejemplo de pesca sostenible de autoconsumo, guarda esa imagen que en el próximo concurso "select and spear" seguro que se valora excelentemente, la pesca y el paiseje muy bonito para verlo comodamente en el sofá, pero muy duro soportar los -7º de temperatura exterior y los 7º del agua de mar, para un afincado canario como yo "misión imposible", para ti desde Inglaterra el contraste es algo menor. "Pescar lo suficiente" debería ser la imagen que debemos transmitir en estos tiempos que demandan más sostenibilidad, enhorabuena
¡Muchas gracias por su comentario! La pesca submarina en canarios parece un plan de futuro muy atractivo. Siempre he admirado tus videos y la misma forma de hacer las cosas: "Pescar lo suficiente"
That was a monster that you passed up and very worthy to let live. Conservation is the name of the game and many people would have probably just taken it. You guys had the trip of a lifetime and brought some of the best eating fish in the world home. Thanks for the epic video and chronicle. ❤
Hi joe, Great to meet you last year fishing on slapton. Something i forgot to ask, have you ever dived on the monument reef off the middle of slapton, start's around 170 yards out.
Nice, this is better then buying fish. The trick is not to get greedy. Support the stock of fish. Wish i had the constitution to spearfish. Not a diving suit in the world i think that fits me hehe. I am a land walrus.
Avete portato il ghiaccio per mantenerlo? Il pesce è delicato e si sciupa subito!😂😂😂 Comunque non mi immergerei in quel freddo nemmeno se ci fossero halibut a 18 k tutti d oro!
Insane mate ❤ i was thinking about the plan and going to do the same this year, but reality came around and stopped planning 😂 some year i will go. When i will be ready i will need some advice 🤜🤛 beautiful vid mate
Best video yet Joe. Well done for taking on the cold conditions for experiences of a lifetime. Fantastic decision on letting the big halibut go. Some of my best fishing experiences this year havent been taking huge fish to eat but taking the right sized table fish and putting some big ones back to keep breeding. Looking forward to more of your videos in 2024.
What mil wetsuit are you wearing? I'm in southeast Alaska and have a hooded 5/4? But I'm looking for some good gloves and booties. Any recommendations? Sick of frozen hands and feet in my too thin boots.
I'm not sure about the sea urchins. They may in fact be anemones! As for halibut, they are a different species to flounder. Slightly different shape and without rough scaly skin on the top. But yeah, basically are giant flounders!
The first halibut measured 85cm. We would have had to release it if it was undersize. The GoPro does have a habit of making things look much smaller due to the fisheye affect.
The only mistake you made was not taking the giant Halibut you decided not to shoot. Once in a life time opportunity MISSED! You guys are crazy diving in that water 🥶🥶 but great job!
That first one looks too small…kudos to you for not taking the big one, but the smallest halibut your allowed to kill is 87cm…and that first one looked a bit to small. But kudos for following the LAW and not shooting the big one. Halibut over 100kg are to ALWAYS to be released. Great vid!
I usually can only bring a single speargun but it’s a real good idea to always bring two for the bigger ones. Especially if you don’t get them in the heart region right away. Some of them pack quite a fight. A few can be more docile, but you never quite know if that’s gonna last, until you put it in a shot that will weaken it. Important to let time work for you with these, especially of you’ve only got that one gun. And just never skimp on gear with these, no small guns, no thin spearsk thin lines or worn lines you’re not entirely sure about and keep a properly sharp point. Really a slip tip seems to be the most economical solution, even if they can be a bit annoying because these fish can bend your spear completely out of shape - or hit you with it on approach. Also it seems they freak out less when they don’t feel the weight of a spear through them and when they don’t have that weight to work against, it’s harder for them to tear lose. I was sceptical about slip tips at first, but really it seems the best solution to me on the whole, at least for first shot. And when they’re in they stick. My buddy has killed a ton of these and he swears by slip tips. Only downside is you can’t control by grabbing the spear on both sides of the fish, but really I’d avoid having to if possible. We catch them off the shore, but it would also make it easier and less dangerous to haul on a boat that way. I’d never let it take of with my speargun on the line though. On a fixed line I shoot a size I can reasonably manage and still fight that way which is probably in the 20-30kg range. After that I’d go for a reel or set it up so the line detaches from the gun and just goes to the buoy. And I’d use a rubber coated line that offers some slack, it helps the fish relax when they don’t feel that hard counter-tug. But a reel is good for a big strong fish so you can work with it a bit and let it wear and bleed itself out without too much needless tug of war. In my experience they have some 3-4 good runs in them depending on size and how well you got them. Maybe more if it’s just a flesh wound and it’s still got all the fight in it.
Excellent vid, brother! I dive year round on the North Shore in New England, so conditions are fairly similar this time of year. 8° water maybe 10m vis last weekend with some cod hiding in holes around 15m. I mostly dive for lobster and keep the spear at home, but I've always wanted to land a Halibut. Do you have any specific knots you like to use for connecting shooting line to reel line, attaching floats, or for rubber bridles/saddles? I'm still stuck on bowlines, figure 8's, and those Rob Allen ugly knots he uses for bridles. Curious to know what knots are your go-to's. Thanks for the great watch and best wishes for New England!
This is the first one of your videos I've ever watched and it's a halibut video the first video I ever watched of Daniel was a halibut video. I have seen you before on Daniel's channel but a very well put together video and very good narration by you. I'd love to get one but F the cold lol
Madagascar to the Arctic. Excellent work fella. Its a bit of a bucket-list plan for me to take my own boat from the UK to arctic to hunt for Halibut, so saving your vid for research.
This has been a dream of mine for so long, got my diving license to help me climate to the water but being so small and living in Alaska I don't think I can handle the cold water.
@@JoePkSpearfishing That's crazy because its what I use most of the year in Scotland(apart from the 5mm gloves). I switch to my 5mm Startpoint suit for the summer All the best
Great adventure and content as always. Just curious but why pixelate the logo of the operator, that I suppose, you went with? I could speculate but that's not always a healthy exercise.
