Halibut Boats

Halibut boats should be able to handle big, rough water. When shopping for a halibut boat consider looking for a boat with ample power, and a secondary engine, just in case your main engine goes out on your way fishing offshore. I now own a 9.9 four stroke Honda kicker motor and love how it performs. My new Honda has a 14 amp charger which keeps my battery bank fully charged, especially when using my electric downriggers.

Lots of boats work great for halibut fishing. The debate of glass vs. aluminum still continues. The trend lately has been toward aluminum boats that have increased in price due to the high price of aluminum. There's still lots of great buys out there for used fiberglass boats. Shop smart and know blue book values before making your offer. Also note, with the U.S. dollar higher against the Canadian dollar, Silver Streak boats made in Sooke B.C. Canada are a good value. The Silver Streak is an amazing boat. You can shop for this brand at Port Angeles Power & Equipment in P.A.

If you plan on anchoring much, you should also look at boats with ample anchor pulpits and room to deal with the anchor pulling system.

The best size of halibut boat for Puget Sound, Straits and much of S.E. Alaska is something in the range of 20 to 28-feet with at least an 8-foot beam. This gives you enough room to fish as well as providing a safe, steady platform to traverse to and from the halibut fishing grounds.

If you have a smaller vessel, just watch the weather closely and try to buddy boat when possible. And always file a float plan and make sure to have your cell phone and working VHF radio. And always wear your pfd