The winter months from November to March are closed for Halibut fishing. That means that I can whack these monsters 7 months of the year. Of course there are certain months that the big guys arrive. May to October is known as the big months.
I use the bait and wait technique. That means dropping anchor and putting down some fresh bait on circle hooks. Usually 175 to 210 feet is the max depth I fish at. Sometimes down by the Skeena River we will sit on shallower holes. There is nothing like harpooning a big one after a great battle. These flatties will test your strength and perseverance to the limit. Sore arms are the norm on my boat. My big Halibut for 2005 weighed in at 290lbs. Multiple 30 to 70 pounders come to the side of the boat each year. The average size for Prince Rupert halibut is 20 to 50 lbs. In my books these smaller fish are the better eating. It is not uncommon to catch and release multiple Halibut throughout the day looking for the right ones to keep.