Dallas Bank is one of the more popular halibut fishing spots in eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. My favorite spots to fish Dallas Bank are any humps, bumps or bowls. Either of these areas will produce halibut. I’m also a fan of anchoring here but have spent hours drifting with high and low tides.

Two years ago I fished with a friend, who insisted on drifting the area instead of anchoring over the hot spot from the day before. We watched a boat anchor over our previous day’s hot spot and continue to catch fish, five of them by day’s end. Meanwhile we did not catch a fish or get a bite.

Best bait: Mackerel, Sardines, Herring, Squid and Salmon Bellies. On Saturday, may 17th I will use a combination of my 7.5 inch FAT Squid and a piece of herring.

Best lures: FAT Squids, Z2 Squids, Double Skirts over whole herring, sardines or mackerel.

Remember, to add a piece of bait to your lure and pinch down those barbs.

Sharpen your hooks too, to get that extra easy hook penetration.

This photo shows a 10-inch UV FAT Squid.

Saturday I’m going to use a 7.5 inch FAT Squid tipped with herring.

Keep your bait or lure two to four feet off bottom, but maintain contact with bottom by dropping your lead to the bottom every couple of minutes.

Circle hooks work great, even with pinched barbs. Take a close look at the photo to the right. Even with no barb on the hook, it would be close to impossible to lose the halibut while fighting it to the surface. Conversely, barbless J hooks will often shake lose from a halibut’s mouth.

So make your hook decisions wisely. If you like to feel the bite and then set the hook, choose J hooks. But remember, you will lose more fish.

If you like to watch your rod bounce up and down and practice patience, use circle hooks. When you see the bite, let the rod begin to load and bend, then count to three and slowly start reeling the fish to the surface.

Good luck this Saturday, May 17th. I’ll be on the water part of the day, with FAT Squid & bait four feet off bottom, with fingers crossed hoping for a bite.

John