How to Land a Halibut Safely

Originally published in 2018, this guide was fully updated in September 2026 with expanded halibut landing techniques, release practices and equipment recommendations.

Landing a halibut safely starts before the fish ever comes over the side of the boat. Halibut are powerful fish, and even a relatively small one can start thrashing violently when its head breaks the surface. With a larger fish, bringing it aboard before it is under control can damage equipment or seriously injure someone.

The right way to land a halibut depends on its size, whether it can legally be retained, and whether you intend to keep or release it. A smaller halibut can often be brought aboard without a gaff or spear, while a genuinely large halibut that will be retained requires a very different approach.

In this guide, I’ll walk through the methods we use to bring halibut alongside the boat, control the heavy weight, estimate the fish’s size before landing it, safely bring smaller fish aboard, release oversized fish, and secure much larger halibut where regulations allow them to be retained.

For more information on finding halibut, tackle and rigs, bait, fishing techniques, and current B.C. regulations, see the FishinBC.COM Complete Guide to Halibut Fishing.

In This Guide:
Before the Halibut Reaches the Surface
Bringing a Halibut Alongside the Boat
Estimate the Halibut’s Size Before Landing It
Landing Smaller Halibut
Releasing an Oversized Halibut
Landing a Large Halibut That Will Be Retained
Halibut Landing Equipment

Before the Halibut Reaches the Surface

Landing a halibut is much easier when everyone knows what is going to happen before the fish appears beside the boat. As the fish gets close, organize the crew, clear the landing area, and have the equipment you may need ready.

Position the Crew and Clear the Deck

Ideally, I like to have two or three people available when landing a halibut. One person stays on the rod while another prepares to handle the rig and fish. With a larger halibut, having a third person available can be helpful.

As the halibut approaches the surface, the person helping with the fish can move toward the side where it will appear and look for colour. The angler stays on the rod and can move toward the middle or opposite side of the boat if necessary.

On a smaller boat, avoid having everyone rush to the same side. Several people plus the weight of a large fish can affect the boat’s balance, particularly in rough water.

Clear the landing area before bringing the fish aboard. Move loose tackle, rods, and anything else that could become tangled or damaged if the halibut starts thrashing.

Prepare Your Landing and Measuring Equipment

Have the equipment you may need ready before the halibut reaches the boat. Depending on the fish and how you intend to handle it, this could include a measuring tape or marked pole, pliers or another hook-removal tool, a gaff, halibut spear, shark hook, and heavy rope.

Before fishing, I put a reference mark on the handle of my gaff at the current maximum retention length. When a halibut comes alongside the boat, I can hold the handle beside the fish and quickly estimate its length while it is still in the water.

The mark is only a quick reference. If the halibut is close enough to a legal size limit that the exact measurement matters, it needs to be measured accurately before deciding whether to retain it.

Bringing a Halibut Alongside the Boat

Once I see colour and know the halibut is getting close to the boat, I slow things down. There is no need to rush the last few feet of the fight. This is the time to get the fish into position and make sure everyone is ready.

Keep the Halibut Calm Below the Surface

As the halibut comes alongside, I try to keep its head just below the surface. Halibut will often begin thrashing when their head breaks the surface, so a fish that remains just underwater is usually much easier to evaluate and handle.

The person on the rod should maintain control of the fish while the second person handles the rig and prepares to deal with the fish.

Control and Remove the Weight

A one- or two-pound lead weight swinging from a rig attached to a thrashing halibut can become dangerous very quickly. It can strike the boat, damage equipment, or hit someone standing nearby.

While the halibut is still just below the surface, I grab and control the weight, disconnect it from the spreader bar, re-close the weight clip, and put the weight somewhere safe.

Re-closing the clip is a small detail, but it prevents the open clip from catching the fishing line or other equipment while everyone is concentrating on the fish.

With the weight safely out of the way, we can concentrate on estimating the size of the halibut and deciding what to do with it.

Estimate the Halibut’s Size Before Landing It

Before bringing a halibut aboard, determine whether it can legally be retained under the regulations where you are fishing.

With the fish still in the water, I hold the marked handle of my gaff alongside it to get a quick estimate of its length. A marked boat pole or similar rigid measuring reference can accomplish the same thing. This isn’t intended to replace an accurate measurement. It is simply a quick way to decide what should happen next.

If the fish is clearly over the legal size limit, there is usually no reason to bring it aboard, and I can leave it in the water and prepare to release it. If it appears to be within the legal size limit, or close enough that I need an exact measurement, I can bring it aboard without first injuring it with a gaff or spear.

Halibut regulations can change, so always check the current rules before fishing. If you also want to estimate a halibut’s weight from its length, see the FishinBC.COM article How Much Does a Halibut Weigh?.

Landing Smaller Halibut

The size of a halibut makes a big difference to how difficult it is to land. A 10–20 lb halibut is normally quite manageable, while a 20–40 lb fish has considerably more weight and power. Once you start dealing with halibut in the 40–60 lb range, having another person ready to help becomes increasingly important.

For smaller halibut, I prefer to avoid using a gaff or spear when I can safely bring the fish aboard using the heavy leader and spreader bar. This is particularly important when the fish is close to the legal size limit and may still need to be released.

Lift Smaller Halibut Aboard with the Heavy Leader

We normally fish halibut with approximately 200 lb monofilament leader. In addition to providing a strong, abrasion-resistant connection, that heavy leader is useful when landing a smaller fish.

Once the lead weight has been removed, the person assisting can take control of the spreader bar and heavy leader while the angler remains on the rod. A smaller halibut can then be lifted or dragged over the gunwale using the heavy rig. Never wrap the leader around your hand; maintain a grip that you can immediately release if the fish suddenly thrashes or takes another run.

This method lets us bring a smaller halibut aboard without putting a gaff or spear into it first. If there is any question about whether the fish is within the legal size limit, we can measure it accurately before making the final decision.

Measure a Halibut Close to the Size Limit

If the quick estimate alongside the boat isn’t conclusive, bring the halibut aboard without gaffing or spearing it. Lay the fish flat and take an accurate measurement before deciding whether to retain it.

If the measurement confirms that the fish can be retained and you intend to keep it, you can then proceed accordingly. If the fish is over the legal size limit, return it to the water promptly.

Control a Thrashing Halibut on Deck

Be prepared for a halibut to start thrashing as soon as it comes aboard. Keep people clear of the hook and other tackle, and get the fish under control as quickly as practical. With the lead weight already safely out of the way, there is one less hazard to deal with while the fish is moving around the deck.

Pro Tip: An angry halibut that is thrashing in the boat can often be calmed by rubbing the white side of its belly. I’ve found this can make it easier to get an accurate measurement or safely remove the hook.

Releasing an Oversized Halibut

If the initial estimate shows that a halibut is clearly over the legal size limit, I prefer to leave it in the water rather than bring it aboard unnecessarily. Keeping the fish alongside the boat also avoids using a gaff or spear on a halibut that must be released.

If the hook can be removed safely and easily, remove it while the halibut remains in the water. If removing the hook would require excessive handling or put the fish or crew at risk, cut the leader as close to the hook as practical and release the fish.

A halibut that was close to the size limit may already have been brought aboard for an accurate measurement. If the measurement shows that it cannot be retained, return it to the water as quickly as practical.

Landing a Large Halibut That Will Be Retained

A genuinely large halibut presents a very different landing situation. A fish in the 60–100 lb range has considerable weight and power, while halibut over 100 lb can become dangerous if brought aboard while they are still active. Fish approaching the 200–300 lb class are in another category altogether.

Depending on where you are fishing, regulations may allow retention of halibut much larger than those we can normally keep in the B.C. recreational fishery. If a large halibut can legally be retained, the important principle is to secure and subdue the fish before bringing it aboard. Do not pull a large, active halibut over the gunwale simply because you have managed to get it alongside the boat.

Secure the Halibut Outside the Boat

For a genuinely large halibut, my preferred tool is a halibut spear. Before using it, the spear tip should be attached to a strong rope that is already secured to a sturdy cleat on the boat. Another option is to attach the rope to a Scotchman buoy.

With the halibut positioned just below the surface, the spear can be used to secure the fish while it remains outside the boat. Once secured, give the fish room to thrash in the water rather than trying to bring it immediately onto the deck. Depending on the situation, a large shark hook with a 4–6 inch gap and its own securing line can also be used as a backup.

Bleed and Subdue the Halibut

Once a large halibut that will be retained is securely attached to the boat, it can be bled while it remains in the water. This helps preserve the quality of the meat and gives the fish time to become fully subdued before anyone attempts to bring it aboard.

Don’t rush this part of the process. A large halibut that appears exhausted can still produce an extremely powerful burst of movement, so I want the fish fully under control before moving to the next step.

Hog-Tie a Large Halibut

For a very large halibut, another option is to hog-tie the fish before bringing it aboard. A heavy rope can be used to secure the tail back toward the head, restricting the movement of the fish and particularly its powerful tail.

This can make a very large halibut considerably easier to handle once it reaches the deck. The objective is to have the fish secured before bringing hundreds of pounds of weight and muscle into the boat. This is particularly important if you have children or seniors on board, or are fishing in a smaller size boat.

Bring the Halibut Aboard

Only after a large retained halibut has been secured, bled, and fully subdued should it be brought aboard. Clear enough deck space for the entire fish and consider how the combined weight of the halibut and crew will affect the balance of the boat.

A heavy securing rope also gives the crew something substantial to pull with rather than trying to haul a large fish aboard by the fishing leader. Even after a halibut has been bled and appears dead, be prepared for powerful muscle or nerve twitches and keep people clear of the tail and other potential hazards.

Halibut Landing Equipment

There isn’t one landing tool that is ideal for every halibut. For the smaller fish we normally encounter, I prefer bringing them aboard with the heavy leader and spreader bar rather than putting a hole in the fish with a gaff or spear. When dealing with a large halibut that will be retained, a halibut spear becomes much more useful.

Gaffs and shark hooks also have their place aboard the boat, but each tool has advantages and limitations. What I use depends largely on the size of the halibut and whether I need to land, release, or securely control the fish.

Halibut Spear or Harpoon

For a large halibut that is going to be retained, a halibut spear is my preferred landing tool. The spear I use has a detachable tip attached to approximately 20 feet of strong rope, which can be secured to a sturdy boat cleat or attached to a Scotchman buoy before the spear is used.

With the halibut positioned just below the surface, I aim for heavy flesh near or just behind the gill opening. I try to avoid the cheeks and the main fillets when possible. I also avoid the pelvic fin. I hit it once with the spear and the tip did not penetrate through the fish.

Once the detachable spear tip is set, the halibut is secured by the heavy rope rather than relying on someone to hold onto a gaff while a large fish twists and thrashes.

Long-Handled Gaff

I carry a long-handled gaff on my boat and use it frequently for landing lingcod. For halibut, however, I don’t find it nearly as useful. A halibut’s broad, flat body can make it awkward to position the gaff, and a powerful fish can twist and thrash against the long handle. In my experience, halibut also have a tendency to pull themselves off a gaff.

For smaller halibut, I would rather use the heavy leader and spreader bar, particularly when a fish may need to be measured and released. For a large halibut that will be retained, I prefer the security of a detachable halibut spear and heavy rope.

Gaff length and hook gap should also be matched to the size of the fish and the boat you are fishing from. AFTCO has a useful guide to choosing a fishing gaff that covers both considerations.

Short or T-Handle Gaff

A short metal gaff with a T-handle is another option for controlling a halibut close beside the boat. The short handle gives the person using it direct control over the gaff and makes the tool much more compact than a traditional long-handled gaff.

I haven’t personally used this style of gaff, so I can’t compare it directly with the other methods I’ve used to land halibut. For the smaller halibut we normally retain, I prefer using the heavy leader and spreader bar. For much larger fish, my preference is a halibut spear and heavy rope.

Shark Hook

The shark hook on my boat is approximately 12 inches long with about a five-inch gap. It is attached to roughly 20 feet of half-inch rope, which gives us a strong secondary way to secure a large halibut outside the boat.

I primarily consider the shark hook an additional securing tool rather than the first tool I reach for. One method we have used is to pass the hook into the mouth and out through the gill opening, then pull the rope through and secure it back to the boat. This effectively puts the halibut on a heavy rope stringer.

When we’re anchored, we’ve used this method to keep retained halibut secured outside the boat while we continue fishing. The fish can then be brought aboard before we pull anchor and head home.

Firearms

Firearms have sometimes been used to subdue very large halibut, particularly in Alaska. For the size of halibut we normally catch and retain in Canada, I don’t consider a firearm necessary and don’t recommend bringing one as part of your halibut landing equipment.

If you are fishing in Alaska or another jurisdiction where firearms may be carried, check the current firearm, boating, and fishing regulations before your trip. Any firearm carried aboard a boat should be transported and stored safely and securely in accordance with the applicable laws. A firearm should never be treated as a substitute for having the proper halibut landing equipment and a safe plan for controlling a large fish.

Your Turn

Landing halibut is one of those jobs where experience on different boats and with different sizes of fish leads anglers to develop their own preferred methods. How do you land halibut on your boat? Do you use the heavy leader, a gaff, halibut spear, shark hook, or another method?

If you’ve dealt with a particularly large halibut, I’d also be interested to hear what worked—and what you would do differently next time. Share your experience in the comments below.