My Top 3 Techniques to catch HALIBUT [SoCal Surf Fishing 2023]

A full breakdown of my 3 favorite techniques for SoCal Surf Fishing. I hope you find it helpful!
Special thanks to my friend Alan for the amazing camera work. Grateful for you bro. Onwards and upwards!
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[@AZTECB0Y]

Something about Halibut and white sea bass content is always entertaining to watch!

[@Fishingwithdaboys]

I agree !

[@BenjieKimFishing]

haha I think there is a certain mystique with both species and captures our minds. I'm not sure if it has to do with the cost per pound at the grocery store for both species or if it's because they are 2 of the better game fish you can catch from shore lol. Perhaps it's a little bit of both.

[@Sbsurfangler]

Awesome information Benjie. Thank you for sharing 🤙

[@Salty80556]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Keep up the good work

[@manamike13]

Awesome tips Benjie.! Love the depth of this video. Watching this just leveled up my halibut game.. 🤙🏽 tight lines Sir.!

[@SubmissionFishingCo]

Great info

[@Tight_Lines_Uce]

Great Video 👏🏼. Very informative for the beginner, novice or experienced anglers. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge for the fishing community. Tight Lines 🎣🤙🏼

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I appreciate the encouragement, thank you so much. Tight lines for sure!!

[@Insomniuhh]

Thanks for the video. I'm thinking about getting into surf fishing and your channel has been very helpful.

[@vnyden]

So helpful, thank you

[@dougheckathorn3925]

Excellent techniques. Thanks Benjie.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you, appreciate it!

[@Drago286v]

Fantastic video Benjie...great info...

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hi Leonard, thank you so much as always. My hope is that it can be helpful for someone starting out. I hope you are well, have you been out on the surf much lately??

[@ralphsaldana529]

Thanks for the footage!..🤙😎

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you always Ralph, appreciate you!

[@osidenica9798]

Excellent information. Keep doing what your doing bro!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you, I will certainly do my best! Tight lines!

[@outwestmetaldetecting6186]

Some great information, will be using it Saturday at the beach, thanks again.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Good stuff, wishing you great success out there, tight lines!!

[@marcoalmidani3727]

Best fishing 🎣 channel 👌

[@Fishingwithdaboys]

Great video benjie !

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Appreciate it, thank you so much!!!

[@ham5765]

hwaiting!!!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Woohoo thank you Francis!!

[@robvi7393]

Thank you very much!! I’ve caught fish because of your ideas choices and recommendations. Thank you for teaching me how to provide food for my family while making great memories

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Greatly appreciate your comment and encouragement! Take care of your family, enjoy what the earth provides (legally), and just be so very grateful that we get to chase fish! Sooooo fun and therapeutic. Tight lines!

[@cdeggs155]

Fantastic tips and what great timing... Nor-Cal die hard surf fishermen here heading down south this weekend, stoked to target some Halibut. Appreciate the vids, tight lines out there Benji!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Dude, I'm always so grateful and blown away to read comments from you NorCal slayers. Heck yea bro, get out there and slay em, hopefully the water will be clean, warm, and filled with flat ones!!

[@4theoutdooradventure]

Have you ever tried both of Chica Beach I got like 6 halibut and an hour in one was over 22 in the other five were shorties but caught him on the 110 Lucky Craft flash minnow all white and yes it was fun a high tide at 9:40 on a Tuesday like 2 months ago great times and fun times

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Awesome James, great job for sure. I've fished it a few times, I just don't film there. Tight lines.

[@adampaul5448]

This video deserves a like

[@gregnelson7545]

Benjie-thanks for the tips-always enjoy your videos!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Really appreciate the encouragement Greg, thank you!

[@gregnelson7545]

@@BenjieKimFishing Just keep them coming!

[@jtuck682]

Excellent tutorial Benjie! Looks like you spied out a mighty fine stretch of beach to shoot your video 😊

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you! haha it was just a random stretch of sand that we stopped at along the freeway.

[@JPNCSD760]

I like throwing the LC but your right rough water really does toss that LC around. I always switch to the handy dandy drop shot with a heavier weight to make up for the rough surf.

[@HouseHunterLA]

Great video

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Appreciate you so much Warren, thank you!

[@legitbetterthanvinny9725]

Awesome and informative video Benjie! I’ve only caught one fish on the LC so far, I think I just need to find a beach with good structure

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thanks Vinny, yea it's hard to explain but there seems to be somewhat of a learning curve for some folks when it comes to the LC. I know I had a LOOOOONNNGG learning curve lol but once I broke through, I haven't stopped catching. Location certainly matters along with our precision in swimming that thing in. Tight lines out there, you'll get em regardless!!

[@rkw221]

LC's are amazing...I've alsl really like, prolly since they work well for me, bucktails. They are a good compliment to other artificial options. Plus they're fun to learn .

[@addicted2fishing119]

Dope!! After this one I am hoping to see… Let’s target Striper… they are here Texas rig is my new favorite have to admit 🍻

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Ahhh yes, the SoCal unicorn! They are more present in SoCal than most people think. Tight lines!

[@VINCEGOESFISHING]

Three tips 1 - those rib baits are too soft for ewg hooks like that. You need a screw lock to hold onto the bait otherwise the bait will get pulled down the hook and fouled pretty quickly. 2 - those warbait swingheads are cool but it’s basically the same as using a bullet weight with bobber stopper. If you put all the weight up front line that, or nose dives into structure and snags more. Use a weighted swimbait hook with the weight as far back as possible. This is the most snagless design. 3 - don’t pop the bait a whole bunch. Pop and drop pop and drop pop and drop is too fast moving of a presentation. I say that because 2/3 of the halbit I catch are legal keeper size, not shorts. The shorts tend to chase fast moving baits. The big fat halibut are lazy and lay and wait for something slow moving to come right to them. So just drag your swimbait slow and low on bottom till you bump a big one in the head. You will catch less shorts and more legal keepers 👍 4 - the 110 only dives 1-2 feet. Use a jerkbait that dives 3-4 feet so you can fish the lower water column. The little shirts might chase a boat in the upper column but the big mamas are laying low looking for a low and slow bait. Slow low and steady is my mantra. I only pop to avoid snagging or shake weed. Great video Benjie! Keep ‘em coming! I hope we can collab one day on a video together!?

[@droidnewb]

❤ ya vids Benjie

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Greatly appreciate it, thank you!!

[@itiswhatitis...9648]

i can confirm that 2/3 methods have worked for me....still have never caught a fish on an LC lol Gotta change that sometime man hehehe

[@BenjieKimFishing]

haha yes Todd, we need to change that!! Dang man, time flies. Can you believe it's already almost September?? sheesh!

[@itiswhatitis...9648]

@@BenjieKimFishing yeah summer is already almost over....hoping maybe the dorado come around local waters so I can hop on a charter sometime soon.

[@fishdog001]

What knot rp our fg and how long of a leader do you use? Thank you for all the great videos it’s helped me so much

[@SpiderCents]

Been using the drop shot for a few weeks now at Oxnard Shores and nothing. So ready for a halibut but at the point of giving up.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Oh man, what a bummer but also kudos on getting out there and casting. So many variables that we are trying to piece together and understand.... Sometimes a beach that typically holds halibut, might be dry for a few weeks..or even a couple months. So if the beach you are working hasn't been hitting, perhaps they don't typically come in close there....or if they typically do come in, it's not abnormal for them to be absent at times. I hope you don't give up!! Tight lines....

[@Minhtieu619]

Benjie!!!

[@cn1fish]

I need to make a trip out there and fish some halibut

[@davidathay5793]

Been fishing the surf in San Diego for years but never seem to hook into halibut. Gotta try your Texas and Drop Shot approach. I've lost a small fortune in Lucky Craft through the years

[@CavemanCatching]

Great vid, bro! Just wondering what size fluke you are using for both T-rig and dropshot? Thanks!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hey brotha! I like 4" flukes, not for any good reason, just seems to be my sweet spot.

[@MrSuperchargedv8]

new subscriber. My problem is getting the casting distance when using the lures. Any recommendation or do you have any videos on long distance casting setups.

[@airguard2009]

Do we need to add weights on the Lucky Craft lures? Modify the middle hook?

[@spiros053]

What SoCal beaches do you recommend Ben?

[@rudyescobedo9820]

That's great information, thanks, but what's the name of the beach you're at?

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I believe this was filmed at Refugio. I can't even remember exactly because we randomly stopped off the freeway and a couple places were closed. Not my neck of the woods so I was just trying to find some good scenery lol.

[@JD.California_monkey_mackerel]

What fish scent do you put on the Lucky Craft for the halibut

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I don't use any scent. I believe it's primarily a reaction strike when it comes to the LC so not sure that scent would help. But it sure couldn't hurt so it's dealers choice on that one.

[@renato113]

What size is the hook? Thank you.

[@jjmycb]

👊👊👊🤙🤙🤙

[@jklo1313]

So isn’t the 110 going to be way up above the halibut? It seems like in deeper water that would be ineffective? How do you gauge when to use a jerk so they’ll come up to it? Would a 115 be better on a jerk bait? completely opposite of the drop shot or Texas rigs on the bottom. Thank you

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Most of the time I fish negative tides and shallow water structure. It's a very specific context. You're correct, for halibut, the 110 is best when fishing shallow water columns. For deeper water columns, yes, the 115 or various 130 are more than likely better options.

[@Fuzzie22]

my go to Reel ratio is a 6.1:1, 6.2:1 , 6.3:1 but i also use 5.2:1 if i want to pause a lot and jerk

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Excellent info, thank you for sharing. I'll be honest, I've long wondered about gear ratio when it comes to retrieval but I haven't really figured out how that affects my style. Right now my Certate is at 6.2:1 and it's been great. But I can't tell you how that gear ratio helps or hurts lol, though I understand that the ratio influences line per crank... haha anyways, great comment, tight lines!

[@DavidMorales-wm8os]

Do you use any sinkers? Sorry beginner asking 🤚

[@BenjieKimFishing]

For the drop shot and Texas rig, yes. For fishing the jerk bait, no. Thanks for the comment, no apologies necessary...we all started at the beginning and my heart is to help newcomers. Tight lines.

[@ronmodafferi8202]

Many good technical tips. How long is your leader on both LC and drop shot?

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you Ron, I'm a bit more liberal on my leaders - probably 8 to 10 feet, where the connection enters the spool is pretty much my limit. Tight lines!!

[@ronmodafferi8202]

I hate tying those wrap around knots and listening to them going out and back through the guides. Which way (one) do you tie yours? Is that length leader for finger on casting? Fish likley can't detect line to leader differences with much more than a foot or 2 or flouro??@@BenjieKimFishing

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hi Ron, I tie the RP and for whatever reason it hasn't been an issue for me casting through my guides. Perhaps I'm just oblivious or perhaps my rod/reel/line just works out that way. The reason I tie it longer is......not any good reason lol! If anything, it gives me the security that if I need to retie, I'll have plenty of real estate to work with. And I don't ALWAYS retie my leaders after every session...so the longer leader allows me to comfortably retie for future sessions.

[@ronmodafferi8202]

Thanks for added detail.@@BenjieKimFishing

[@ronmodafferi8202]

That RP knot looks simpler and as good as the more complicated braid to flouro/mono knots @@BenjieKimFishing

[@dexterfishing2370]

Quick question, regarding the LuckyCrafts, do you remove the original hooks and put on better ones? Also do you recommend removing the center hook on the LuckyCrafts?

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I only remove the hooks once they've started to corrode...so not very often. When I do replace them I use Owner Stinger ST-41 size 6 (2X). I know that in certain situations (for example NorCal Stripers), the stock hooks will bend out but that's just not something I've had a problem with, even when landing some decent sized halibut and White Sea bass. I personally don't remove the center hook...I'm sure that those who do have their reasons and I've got nothing against it. It's just not how I do it...who knows, we are always evolving and changing so perhaps one day I'll try it out. Tight lines!

[@dexterfishing2370]

Yeah I saw those techniques in another video, thought I might get your advice. Pretty hard to bend hooks out, I fish in SoCal so NorCal stripers are pretty rare 🤣. Thanks for the response and the advice.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

@@dexterfishing2370 gotcha, yea you should be ok. But other variables can influence one’s opinion. I use a softer rod and I keep my drag on the looser side so it’s been ok for me. If someone else has a stiffer rod and likes to fish a tighter drag, it might be a different result. Anyways, tight lines! Lol 😂

[@fishdog001]

So what knot fg our rp goes thru the guides with out hitting them? I been using a leader that I stretch my arms 3 time and that’s my leader length so my knot goes thru my guides . Thank you for all the great videos and the time you put in to them thank you.

[@funkehouse]

I believe he uses a much shorter leader only a 3 or 4 ft. And it doesn't go through the guides most importantly.

[@fishdog001]

@@funkehouse I thought on one of his videos he did three stretched out arm lengths, I could be wrong but iam like 90% sure. 3 to 4 feet would be easier

[@funkehouse]

@@fishdog001 there are definitely some types of fishing scenarios where you would want to do that, but I don't think this is one of them not when you are casting over and over like this. Every time you cast with the connection not that goes through the eyes it catches over and over again, overtime that can't be great for the not and it's certainly going to cost you some yardage in distance. I don't think he mentions it on this video but I'll see if he has any other surf fishing videos like this where he tells you how long the leader should be.

[@funkehouse]

@@fishdog001 In this video someone actually asking in the comment how long is leader is, he says he likes it about 5 ft long. She actually does mention three arms length but I think he's just talking about one arm not spreading his arms out across his chest, either way he gives you the exact number of 5 ft in the comments, And he does acknowledge that that might even be a little bit long for some people but he likes 5 feet

[@fishdog001]

@@funkehouse Sounds good thank you , I thought he would have responded by now. Thank you for your help

[@jimvalim1567]

Who sells Phoenix rods? I don't think they make trifecta anymore.

[@albertluera5215]

You forgot to tell us your fishing spots??