hi everyone, i was wondering what would be the best color and for a swimbait for halbut at the time of the year.im goin on my friends skiff and we are goin to fish for halibut,calicos, sandbass, and other fish in and around newport harbor.also does anyone know any sweet spots for those fish in or right out side the newport harbor???


thanks

from the guy who loves sculpin :)

Shallow water (under 6 feet) use Big Hammer 3 inch on light heads in Prizm Pepper Trout, Clear Red, Mackerel, or Bleeding Olive Herring

Deeper water use Big Hammer 4 & 5 inch baits on 3/8 - 3/4 oz. heads in Blue Green Sardine, Clear Red, Silver Sardine, Kei Lime, or Bleeding Olive Herring

Follow link to Big Hammer page to view colors:
http://www.fishcomfg.com

There are also a couple shallow water halibut articles in the techniques section.

4" green sardine Fishtrap is my halibut bait.

Brian,

Have you seen the Blue Green Sardine Hammer?

Pete

I think so. Got a picture?

http://216.157.37.69/bighammer/images/h34.jpg
Blue Green Sardine

http://216.157.37.69/bighammer/images/h51.jpg
Silver Sardine

Honestly Brian I know how you feel about the Green Sardine but once I saw the Blue Green Sardine and how it was like the FT Green Sardine but lighter (resembling a sardine or smelt more) I thought for sure it would be just as good if not better for halibut in shallow water.

The silver sardine combines the best of both worlds. It's a brownish type bait with a green shimmer to it (can't really see the green shimmer in the picture).

Bass like it too!

I gave the Blue Green Sardine (4 inch) a shot last Saturday with Larry (slow day) and it turned out to be my best color that day (4 out of my 8 legals).

Hi Pete, thanks for sharing your secret with me while we were on Larry's boat. :( I possibly could have caught more fish had I know what color you where using. I guess I should have asked you.

The Fishco web site is very nice. You did a great job!

JP

I thought you knew! Oh well Larry was using his standard reds and browns and outfished both of us!!!!

Looks pretty good. I bet the freshwater bass would like it too. Kind of like a key lime/silver sardine thing. Largemouth like the green sardine and key lime, so they'd probably eat that one pretty good. I'll have to try em out.
-Brian

Yep, that's exactly what I thought when I saw them - a hybrid between Kei Lime and Green Sardine.

Listen to Leapin Bass and Brian because they really know what they are talking about. I'll put in a word for clear/red flake because before I became converted to Big Hammer I was catching halibut and most everything else on clear/red flake Blams, and there were other guys getting multiple cnr limits of halibut on that color Blam. If a lowly Blam of that color works so well the BH in that color has to be a contender for top honors as well as the other BH colors mentioned.

Good luck, and tell us how you do.

Although he calls them "pesky" clear red is Larry's favorite color for halibut.

http://216.157.37.69/gallery/photos/port_17.jpg

Matt Russell got this pesky 36 pounder on Larry's boat at Ledbetter on a 5 inch Clear Red Hammer.

thanks everyone for the tips. hope i catch some monster halbut!

i have to say that my personal halibut favorites are 4inch green sardine or the 3 1/2 inch blue smelt. this color is especially good in harbors such as SB or Channel Islands harbor.