BIGGEST ALASKA HALIBUT EVER CAUGHT ON UNDERWATER CAMERA!
On the chum-bag camera we found a massive Pacific Halibut taking selfies! She rolled in to check out our chum, smelling the sweet scent of herring and salmon carcasses, and then tried snacking on one of our jigs. Measuring in at six foot nine inches, she weighed approximately 290lbs, or 131.5 Kg, and is the biggest verified halibut ever filmed in the wild.
These huge fish are native to the Northern Pacific ocean, ranging from the Bering Sea to California, but with the most and biggest fish located in Alaska and Canada. They migrate out deep to the continental shelf to spawn in the dead of winter, and then head to shallower waters to feed throughout summer.
Here in Northern Kodiak Island, we fish in the Shelikof Strait, known as the Halibut Highway, because of the huge numbers of Halibut that pass through here to their feeding grounds in the rest of Alaska.
These are my favorite fish to fish for, simply because you never know what you might hook!
If you liked watching this and want to see more of my fishing/wildlife footage, please subscribe and I'll get back to work on putting up videos!
Пікірлер: 318
So glad you released it. Those big fat females produce way way way more offspring than the smaller young ones. Research has shown that protected areas from fishing allow big rockfish and bottom fish to attain the large sizes needed to produce lots of offspring that seed the other locations with catchable fish.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
Absolutely why we released it!
Thanks for releasing that beautiful Barn Door Halibut!
Such an amazing fish and so stoked you not only got to encounter this incredible beast, but got video of it and chose to release it. Respect due!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Couldn't agree more!
Thank you for releasing her. Those big females are the future to maintaining good populations fir the future.
@benblazek3305
Жыл бұрын
By the time they get that size, they have already fulfilled their reproductive duty several times over. Those fish should be harvested before they die of natural causes and rot on the ocean floor for crabs to pick at....
@kennethmcdonald5278
Жыл бұрын
Hug a tree , and kiss a bunny , There are millions of egg layers , I shoot does , because they are tastier , and more tender , boo , hoo , hoo!
@Kusharksiel
Жыл бұрын
@@kennethmcdonald5278 😭😭😭
@bewareofsasquatch
Жыл бұрын
@@kennethmcdonald5278 you don’t get do you. You’re all about consumerism and don’t care cause probably going to die soon. Our children not allowed to eat the delicious food we got? Greed with you. The animal inside me wants to eat it but I wouldn’t kill it just cause it’s for a better future.
@timlager6125
Жыл бұрын
@@kennethmcdonald5278 😂😂
So cool actually seeing it swim under water, what a great video… thank you!!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
2 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching! I was soooo stoked watching the footage afterwards!
Man, that fish had me feeling uncomfortable. Anyone else keep tilting their head to try and get the Halibut to swim correctly
@erikdeeNOSPELLSNO
25 күн бұрын
Halibut, flounder etc. all start out like normal fish. Then they start leaning , and some lean left and some lean right. No Joke!
@IAPPEARINVISIBLE
16 күн бұрын
Yeah! It swims like my drunk roommate walks.
Not gonna flounder around or be shellfish or crabby. I'm just here for the halibut
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Was that pun on Porpoise or just a Fluke?
@popeyethesailorman7850
Жыл бұрын
guys. I didn't think it was crappie.
Respect that you released it
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
She’s a beauty and lived long enough to deserve a chance to live her life to the end. You guys are awesome! Liked & share and now following
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
We had a guest at The Highliner Lodge in Pelican pull up a 465 pounder in 2010!!! The cheeks were the size of basket balls.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
That's a huge fish!
She is a behemoth. Kudos for your respect of such a magnificent creature.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Hopefully she lasts a few more years; she was a great fish!
Glad to know you release her back to the water!
Awesome fish! Thanks for sharing!
She's beautiful. Thanks for releasing her
Halibut was the most delicious fish I have ever tasted, it was done in batter served with chips (french fries) and a pickled onion, used to be popular in the UK, I was on the ferry going over to Ireland so I couldn't try it again to see if it really is that delicious or if that was just a particular tasty fish.
Thanks for sharing. Amazing fish.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
W camera pose
right on Guys, the Big Girls go back, what a beautiful day and terrific photography
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you sir, that's the best for the fishery and for the dinner table!
I figured I’d watch this just for the halibut.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
12 күн бұрын
@@adambailes8241 it’s an EXCELLENT reason!
Respect on that release 💪
Nice catch and great release. Well done, guys.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
This is a bucket list fish of mine ! Great to see C&R of these fish
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
You should!
Smoked halibut on a buttered bread slice - best thing imaginable.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
It’s much better with a small halibut though, these big ones don’t taste as good or have as good of a texture!
Just Awesome. Nice job.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
7 күн бұрын
@@robertrabanal2195 thank you sir!
Beautiful fish, and I'm glad you let her go so she could keep spawning. I fish out of Homer, and would like to create a similar camera setup. Is your chum bag and GoPro on a downrigger, or a separate rod? How did you rig the camera to the line?
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
2 жыл бұрын
For sure! Big ones are best in the ocean! I had the Gopro attached to a wood L shape, with the camera on the upright, the weights attached to the bottom to make it float upright, and the chum bag off the end of the L. It was all attached to a rope I just pulled up manually.
@edreese2761
2 жыл бұрын
@@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours Thanks for the info!
For those of you who have never been deep sea fishing in alaska you don't want big halibut. You want the medium to small ones. Less toxicity in the meat an better firmer meat. Let the big ones go.
Good job! What a fish. Had one break 125lb stainless wire on a old bamboo rod with a big knucklebuster that had been In service for many decades and had mastered many 100lb flatties. First it broke the pole in half and it took two of us about 20 minutes to get it off bottom. And with a huge run the reel locked and I'm still amazed we kept hold of the pole. Couple weeks later in the paper was a article about a 159lb butt caught with 75 yards, spreader and a 4lb ball. Got crazy pictures of this classic tug of war ( good time's ehh?!). Anyways glad you released it. As you I'm sure are aware that all those biggies are female and regardless they have grainy meat and usually worms
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Those are the best stories! I know a guy who hooked into one that pulled his boat around for three hours before it broke off. And he was an Alaskan who has boated plenty of 200lb+ fish, so that must have been a MONSTER.
Very cool video!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much!
Awesome!
I worked at a couple of fishing lodges on the northern coast of BC. I heard some of the fishing guides talk about stories of 1500lb halibut. Don’t know how realistic that is - but I’ve seen some bizarre stuff pulled up from down deep.
@johnsheetz6639
Жыл бұрын
I remember going on shrimp boat fishing trips. The main question I had when we were culling bycatch was WHAat, the F!, Is that! I even got shocked one-time buy something called a skate. They told me it was a Mexican flounder. Took 30 years to find out what the hell that was.
@hiddenloaf2302
Жыл бұрын
I'm sure 100 years or so ago when they weren't being targeted nearly as much there could have definitely been some massive outliers.
@xelayutui5629
Жыл бұрын
True I went to live on bc island..sooke People were laughing at my 30poumd fishing rod... When i asked why. They told me up to almost a ton that fish can be.. And we had some in the sooke bay Such a beautifull place...
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
8 ай бұрын
I've worked on charter boats all my life, and while I haven't personally had any monster encounters, I know people who have. I know a guy who has personally landed over a dozen halibut over 250lbs, (Grew up in Alaska) who hooked into SOMETHING in Icy Strait Alaska. A 200lb fish normally takes him 20ish minutes to land, depending on depth. This fish fought him for OVER THREE HOURS. He could see it coming up on the depth-sounder, and the way it was swimming resembled a huge halibut, but he never got it to the top. His girlfriend was driving the boat as they followed and fought this fish, but she had a problem she needed help with, he turned a hair, and his rod slipped out of his exhausted hands and went over. Gone. Fish hadn't even gotten tired yet.
Awesome job guys!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Nice halibut, I just caught a halibut on my channel like a while ago
Thank you for letting her go.
Great capture and release chaps
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Thanks for letting her go ❤
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
11 күн бұрын
@@SRSR-pc8ti I hope I see her again someday! 😄
WHAT a Beauty, GREAT catch & release! ! !
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
13 күн бұрын
@@allensauler7960 thank you!!
Living in the hills of E. Tennessee I don't know if I could have released this nice fish, especially considering how much I love to eat fish. Well done guys.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Much appreciated!
@fishtail2616
2 ай бұрын
you can rest easy knowing that the bigger ones taste much worse than the smaller ones
Wow. What a beast. And so glad she was released. Kudos to all.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Nice conservation decision!! We need to hold ourselves to a standard of responsibility. And I applaud your actions. 👏👏
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
12 күн бұрын
Thank you sir! I appreciate all who value breeders being in the ocean instead of being trophies!
very good video
Hell yeah you gotta let that thing go, it has lived such a long life and deserves to continue it's journey. Im the last guy to be a "save the whales" type, but sometimes you just have to appreciate nature and let the next guy appreciate it too
I was worried you were going to kill it, but im glad to hear the beauty's safe and growing🙏
Wow, what a fish! 🙋
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
25 күн бұрын
She was a beauty!
That’s so awesome! Congratulations on capturing video of my favorite fish ever. Gotta Love Alaska. #Boutdoorsalaska
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
10 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
Its great to see they still exist and that they are not all hunted to extinction.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
15 күн бұрын
@@jeromedamian5740 they’re still out there! I wouldn’t say the big ones are abundant, but they’re out there.
The like I give is due to you released her. Respect the life 🙏
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Much appreciated!
Respect for relaeasing it
That's a pretty big Halibet harry
Nice job
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
26 күн бұрын
@@Joshua_Peller thank you!
They are a strange looking fish.......and amazing on the table.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely, there's so much about them that's odd!
holy shit. Amazing.
Holy moly
Amazing fish and also how loud the boat is!?
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
Thank you! Best halibut I’ve ever seen myself. It’s weird, we were actually anchored and our engine was off, but there were other boats passing by. The water was pretty shallow, only about 45 feet deep, so that’s probably why it’s easy to hear.
hmmm you took close up of her and where are they?
As much as i love to eat Halibut , that one would of been hard for me to release, but i do most of my Halibut fishing at Costco.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
@@kevincrain7499 it helps that there’s lots of smaller, tastier ones out there!!
Man I love fried halibut but one that size needs to be release to relish in its beauty. Your a good man!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
I totally agree, and thank you!
Good on ya and the Halibut...
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
The way they move is so strange, kind of like a flatworm.
What a strange and fantastic creature.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
17 күн бұрын
@@nathanscott1315 they’re one of my favorite fish to see, either fishing or diving!
Amazing, but where is the release footage??
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
17 күн бұрын
@@wunderglass777 I was too busy unhooking her without losing my hands!
Such a strange but tasty fish
When I was kid, We had a boat, So we went to Catalina Island every summer... Dad knew where the Sand-dabs spawned... Eight hooks to the line, squid as bait, drop to bottom... Wait a few... Reel it up... Two or three at a time... re bait...Drop... Reel it up... After a couple of hours, Lotza Sand dabs... Wrap in foil with lemon slices and spices, BBQ for a few minutes... Price at Restaurant in Avalon to eat: $$$$$ Price to fish for Sand dabs (all you can eat): Priceless.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
7 күн бұрын
@@slacker1 I love that so much. Memories fishing with dad? Also priceless.
That’s a big ass flounder!!!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Yep, quite the chonk!
Before being overfished, Halibut would reach weights of over 400 lbs.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
12 күн бұрын
They still do, it's just hard to find them in those sizes. I have a buddy, an experienced fisherman, who lost one after three hours of fighting. He's landed fish that were 250lbs+ without too much trouble in 30 mins, but this one never even came towards the surface. He could see it on his fish-finder though, and it was a monster halibut. Longline fishermen get hooks straightened out sometimes too, from fish that were just too powerful to bring up. Some of them just outclass the gear they're trying to catch them with.
Awww, you caugtht that fish and ate it?! But it was so nice and trusting! :) LOL I once caught a 40 pounder in Dutch, experience of a lifetime and I absolutely ate it! Not all at once but she was well consumed! Great video
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
8 күн бұрын
@@justlook.productions we actually released this fish, as the big ones are important breeding females and they don’t taste as good as those 40lbers!
@justlook.productions
8 күн бұрын
@@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours thanks for all you do. Hunters and Anglers are often misunderstood. Some of the most vigilant environmentalists I have ever known! ☺️👏 And to wit: you did say you caught it, you didn’t say you took it! And man a few days later I was at a BYO BBQ party in Marina del Rey grilling halibut steaks. I was asked, “where’d ya get that?!” “I caught it last week in the Bering Sea,” I told him matter of factly. It was very cool.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
8 күн бұрын
@@justlook.productions “caught it in the Bering Sea” what a flex! 😁👍🏼
Way to go!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
The thrill of the catch. And release her back great video
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
It was a most excellent day!
Barn door, as they say!!! 👀💪💯🇺🇸😎
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
That she was!
Evolution is crazy
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
23 күн бұрын
These fish are incredible! 😬
Had all that underwater footage and then nothing on landing the fish? Bruh 😂
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
17 күн бұрын
@@bobcat1933 it’s hard to be a cameraman and captain at the same time!! I had to make sure nobody got hurt or dragged overboard and I had to carefully release the giant fish without getting snagged on the hook.
Well the record is almost 500 lbs.Youve got your work caught out for you
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
27 күн бұрын
@@truewealth50 “biggest halibut ever caught on underwater camera” not “biggest halibut ever caught, on underwater camera” it’s the biggest halibut anyone’s ever filmed swimming around, not the biggest one ever period.
That's small comparted to 1700 pounder landed on a cable back in the 1940's...
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
4 күн бұрын
@@lag9765 but did they film it swimming underwater?
I caught 8k pounds of halibut in 24 hours out of Seward this is the finest eating fish on this plateau we live on. Exceptional
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
10 ай бұрын
It's awesome when they're on fire!
What kind of camera are you using?
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
GoPro Hero 8!
One of the VERY best tasting fish in the world
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Yessir!
The 'current price' of Halibut fillets here in the Portland area is $25 per pound. _Almost makes a guy want to book a charter!_
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
4 ай бұрын
Lol, right? The big ones don't taste very good though, but there's lots more little ones to go around!
Why use the same tune as amagansett press 🤔
My dad hooked into a 220lb halibut when went to Homer Alaska about 15 years ago and we kept that big butt! The deckhand shot it with this bang stick that had .44 magnum bullets in it and it took like 3 shots to kill it! Best halibut we ever eaten! It was a great battle to took over 45minutes to land it would come up see the boat and go back down 250 feet lol we also caught some monster dragon sized ling cods to 65lbs such a bad ass fish a king cod is! I need to go back to Alaska and fish the kenai and Seward or homer again.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
The fishing up here can be pretty epic! I love days when the water is flat, and I have the time and gas to get out past the regular fishing holes, out into the waters that never get hit, and go monster hunting.
We knew how big she was because she brought her own scales.🤣
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
LOL
Are they related to the Sunfish? They are flat, like thier orientation is 90º different then other fish.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
20 күн бұрын
@@ShowTheReal nope, totally different kind of fish. These are the largest of the Flatfish and Flounder.
happy to hear she will live to fight another day
Or alot of future babies. I prefer babies over fish and chips
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
28 күн бұрын
Yep, sustainable fisheries are a beautiful thing.
Glad you released her a true sportsman
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Translating out of their dialect, that is two meters five centimeters.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
20 күн бұрын
@@uncletiggermclaren7592 and 131.5 Kilos!
@uncletiggermclaren7592
20 күн бұрын
@@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours :) Yeah, I gotta say, I never got a fish that big. Biggest one I got was a hammerhead shark which I didn't boat, because it was half the length of the cockle I was fishing out of.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
20 күн бұрын
@@uncletiggermclaren7592 nice! I count it as caught if you have it by the boat and released it!
@uncletiggermclaren7592
20 күн бұрын
@@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours I'm a Kiwi. Fly fish both salt and fresh. We have a fish called Kahawai here, look similar to a salmon except they are more round in cross section. It is one of the strongest fighting sports fish in the world size for size, great fun on a fly rod. Considerably more fun, fight harder and longer, than a similar sized salmon or trout. When they are feeding, they will take just about any fly that they see too, which makes the thing much easier..
I hear they are very dangerous once landed on deck. They flop around and can seriously injure someone.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
6 сағат бұрын
@@Hawken54 absolutely. A 75 pounder could break your leg if it hit it right, and there’s a story here in Hoonah about a guy who caught a huge fish on a tiny skiff, and he brought it on board, and it smashed the boat into pieces and got away!
great catch and good of you to not kill such a nice fish
@johnc6228
Жыл бұрын
Yes, I've seen more than 5 times someone with a gaff who insisted on gaffing every fish no matter how small (A 14" mackerel, an 18" salmon for example) and I'm insisting let me net it.
Only 290 lbs ? That's a baby considering they been know to get upwards of 700 lbs in deep waters off Virginia Beach
Returning her gives your channel many KUDO'S
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
I hope so, I need more subscribers!
Great catch and release, something you'd don't see every day 😎
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Biggest Halibut of the season out of Larson Bay!
Class of you to let her go. What a specimen!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
10 ай бұрын
Thanks! She was a beaut! Hopefully she's still swimming and making little 'buts!
Just need a swimming potato and dinners ready
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Lol yep!
I'll have seen 304 lbs halibut at Saint Paul Alaska by local fishermen.
Why didn't you show pics of it on board?
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
Because the only way I would DARE to bring a fish that powerful and tough on board is if it was 100% dead! We never brought it on board, just reached over the side, measured it, and released it right in the water.
Keep those big mommas making babies. Well done!
I also hope you use circle hooks and not tripple prong hooks they tripple cause too much damage!
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
This exact fish was caught on a huge single-hook jig, and hooked neatly through the mouth, but we use the circle hooks most of the time for that exact reason. Never trebles though! There's plenty of fish out there, and you're absolutely right they cause a lot of damage on hungry fish.
Thanks for her safe release.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
:)
Biggest ? Ha ? Nice 👍 but not the nicest . Love halibut spire fishing !!!! Favorite thing to do !!!!❤🎉
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
12 күн бұрын
@@bravendyer9529 biggest Alaskan halibut FILMED
why couldnt we see pics of her/
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
Because we didn't kill her and lift her out of the water. The boat we were on, the only way to get her on board would have been to drag her up over the side, and the only way to do that with a fish that strong that weighed that much, would have been to kill her. I got the one picture, but my job was getting her measured and unhooked, and the other people took the pics of her in the water, and then never sent them to me. 😕
So where are the photos?
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Ай бұрын
I didn’t take her out of the water, so the photo of her on the surface is all ya get.
Awesome, thanks for releasing the beautiful girl.
@AlaskaWhaleanddronetours
Жыл бұрын
You're welcome!