Wow, that's an absolute *monster* for the surf! And all those toad croaker to boot? That is a day for the books! Congrats and thanks for all the tips, I've learned so much from you.
Sweet Halibut and great fishing video bro. I'm up at 6:00am on a Saturday, getting ready to hit the beach up with my Lucky Craft Minnow! Thanks for the tips. Let's GOOOOOO!!
Thank you for the tips. Nothing betas time on the water. Although at 13:16 is a good way to wear some new hardware in your hands. Nice hali, that's a great fish from shore.
Thanks so much! I think I was secretly hoping my reel was seize afterwards so I could have an excuse to buy a new one lol. jkjk, surprisingly, its still humming and smooth. That reel has been a tank for me, its taken a handful of dunks over the years but this was the first time I intentionally took it under.
This is super late my apologies, not sure how I missed this comment. But WOW, congrats on that catch and I hope you've caught a bigger one since then! Tight lines!
Nice session. Good amount of fish for a beautiful Jan day. So in the east we call the entry and exits to the holes , we call them cuts. Usually it’s in and out of troughs. Great work on breaking everything down. Keep it up.
@@leoncorl9025 wow, that is awesome. One of my dreams is to be able to travel and fish other coastlines. Tight lines and maybe one day I’ll have the privilege of experiencing your fishery.
Hey Gary, I definitely appreciate your support as well as your passion for getting out there and slaying em! Wishing you tight lines and an amazing year of fishing this year. Its gonna be an amazing year for all of us!
@@BenjieKimFishing Thanks Benjie! Lost my PB Halibut today in Encinitas. Got it to the edge of the wall I was fishing and it snapped off and took my lure. Looked to be over 24 inches. :)
For sure man, I know the flat ones hang around there but given the bite this day, I had ZERO expectation of even getting a shaker...go figure that this one decided to bite lol!
Stud!!! Congrats brotha, such a well put together video and great information throughout from your setup, lure, and how to fish the surf! Have me amped to get out to the beach and give surf fishing a go! Keep up the great content my man!
Hey Michael, thanks so much for the positive words and encouragement, I appreciate that so much. Yes, get out there as you are able, so much fun and healthy too!
What a beast!! Went shore fishing this past weekend at bolsa and daughter brought in 2 baby leopards. Still looking to get that surf halibut thanks for the tips.
Kudos on spending quality time with your daughter, that's what its all about! Appreciate your encouragement brotha, stick with it and you'll get that surf hali in no time!
Great video and congrats on the Halibut Benjie! Every time I watch one of your videos, I have to hit the sand the next day. 😃 Time for a fully sealed reel!
Congrats brotha🤙 Right from the start of this video you can feel the energy and positivity that puts you in that fishing mood. I love the excitement you get on every catch. That's what fishing is about. It's funny how Hali's fight like that. Feels like dead weight but you're pretty sure it's a fish. Heck of a way to start the year off. 🔥🎣
Hey Jeoffrey, thanks so much for your positive stoke brotha, really appreciate it man. We're only 1 month in, hopefully 2022 will be filled with PB's for all of us!
Those days are what it’s all about! So stoked for you! I can’t wait to get back out there! Last catch was on my lunch break at work, 23” halibut on the LC 115 anchovy! But 32” ‼️🤩 can’t lie I’m a little jealous, game on🤣
Dang Daniel you're an absolute machine. This was just a lucky catch on my part. Appreciate the stoke brotha, get out there and beat it man, I have no doubt you'll do it!
Is there a cheaper rod you reccomend? I have a budget of ~$150 and I'm looking for a similar rod to use for halibut and other fish in the surf. I got a Lucky Craft fm110 metallic sardine and really want to give a shot at catching my first halibut, but only have rods ~7 ft.
Hey there, I apologize for getting back to this so late but there are plenty of good options out there. I've heard good things about the Okuma SST as well as the Daiwa Saltist. I believe both are less than $100. IMO the most important thing to pay attention to are the rod specs - medium to medium heavy, fast action, line rating between 8 to 15 lbs, and lure rating of 1/4 to 3/4 (all of these are general recs with room for wiggle room). Rod length in my opinion is not as important...even a 7 ft will do fine, though you may sacrifice a bit of distance.
@@BenjieKimFishing thank you for getting back with me! I found your video about the gear you use after writing this comment and picked out a good rod. I gave it a try recently but the ocean was still kind of crazy from the recent storm so I’m gonna try again once it calms down. Thank you for all the help and great videos, tight lines!
Wow that’s a cool Personal Best Hali Benjie. You are the King bro! I didn’t know croakers are bitting this early. I’m in HB and have only caught leopards sharks, surf perch from the sands. What area of CA is this? San Diego?
Hey thanks so much Andrew. I'm def no king...but I appreciate your encouragement brotha! Man, its been an odd January for me as last year I think I had zero bites from the surf. But the croaker have definitely been around it seems. I've been catching a few almost every session in December....but this day, they were definitely schooling up close. Wish I could have their behavior down to a science. This was in SD but pretty sure the croaker are around in OC as well. I think its just a timing thing and matter of being out there when they're in close feeding.
Hey Kevin, thanks so much for the comment. I have no idea when it will be in stock, I do know they get new shipments a few times per year. Its just a matter of staying in touch with a local shop that typically carries them. One idea might be to ask a willing shop owner to give you a call when they get a shipment...shops are super busy so it might be tough to rely on that call...but bottom line is just keep your eyes open and when you see one, grab it as they do sell quick.
What a great catch! The excitement and thrill was felt as if I was experiencing it firsthand. I'll be heading down to a 3 mile stretch in OC tomorrow to try out what I learned here. Thanks for all your guidance.
Thank you for the positive stoke and tight lines out there! It can be a grind but the payoff is worth it for those who stick with it!! I have no doubt it'll pay off for you!
Hey Alex, the one in the video isn't available at the moment but you can get one that is similar on www.ot-bp.com or there is also a link in my video description for a Rapala retractable ruler - amzn.to/3wmgOWv Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for all the info. I am a first timer at this. Your excitement and positive is so cool. I'm going first time surf fishing next week. Just outside of half moon bay. Now I'm pumped.
WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NICE FISH BENJIE!!! What an epic finish to that session! That fight to make sure you landed him was awesome. No regrets for sure thats a fish worth washing all the gear, getting soaked, whatever it takes to land it!
hahaha thanks so much Ken!!!! Broooo, it was truly a blessing to experience. Truly grateful to have had the chance. I hope you're well brotha, how's the fishing been for ya lately? I still need to get my butt up there some time!
@@BenjieKimFishing I'm good for the most part. I have had some medical issues keeping me from fishing. I had a wave hit my knee wrong while fishing and slightly hyper extend it, always keep the knees bent slightly to avoid that! Also I have anemia and I had to have IV infusions of iron recently which had my arm too sore to be casting a rod. Between the two I needed a bit of a break for a few weeks, doing much better now and will be fishing this weekend. You definitely need to get up here and spend a day fishing SB county! Lots of good spots, a few weeks ago guy to my left caught a 3'+ 'nice game fish' that I'm not going to name on the interweb, and the guy to my right a 26" halibut! I got skunked but they are both friends and I was stoked to see all the action!
Take that middle hook off and upsize your back treble one size up. The hookup:land ratio dramatically increases. Plus the chances of you getting a hook in your hand is decreased by 1/3 lol. Great video bud. Love your content
If you're on a budget, get boot chest waders...plenty of options for around 40 to 50 bucks on Amazon. Less comfortable but they get the job done. They seem to spring leaks fairly fast but at that price I think that its worth it especially if you only use them several times a year. Currently I wear Compass 360 deadfall with Simms Freestone boots. A bit pricier (not high end by any means) but I'm happy with this setup. The waders last a solid year or more and the boots I've had for 3 years running. I did a cheap vs. expensive video a couple years ago for waders that you might find helpful.
Thank you so much! I have actually not tried up there....YET. Definitely on my list of places to explore though...Hopefully will be able to invest some time up there this year.
lol!! I know right?? Surprisingly, its still humming along nice and smooth. That little thing has been a tank for me the past 3.5 years...its taken multiple dunks...but this was the first time I took it under on purpose haha.
Thank you for the great positive video, Benji! Don’t mean to interfere with your community and comments, however I have an extra Phenix Trifecta lite 903-ML2 - in case someone form your audience want to get a the same setup as you.
@@BenjieKimFishing thank you I think I’ll get out on the sand next week. hopefully this year i will be better than last year. And hopefully get a legal😊
@@dominicperalta6041 it’ll happen when the fish gods say it’s time. In the meantime, keep casting and improving your game. But trust me, your game is already good enough. 🤙
Nice catch benjie, Your lucky for halibut legal size and yellow croaker.. Can i ask a question, what is your complete set up from rod, line and reel? Thank you
Apologies on the super late response! 4k reel can be good but which one and how heavy is it? The Daiwa Saltist 4k is 16 ounces and the Daiwa 4k Certate LT is 8 ounces. 9 ft is great but what are the line and lure ratings and what are you planning on throwing? Most important thing is to match your reel to your rod appropriately with the application you are most likely to use - bait and wait, jerk baits, soft plastics, etc. Hope that helps and tight lines!
Congratulations man!!! That is exciting and great video. Quick question, what tide is best to fish and what type of beaches are best to fish? WhT are you looking for before you pick a spot. Thank you for all your knowledge.
Hey thanks so much Eddie! Brotha, we'll have to get together so we can chat in person...just kit as you've been doing and let's set something up. I hope you're all healed up as well! But in a nutshell....every beach is different for optimal tides when it comes to fishing. BUT, when it comes to halibut, it SEEMS that low to negative tides are best. This also coincides with the fact that I love looking for reefs and rocks. That kind of structure will almost guarantee there will be halibut, as well as other goodies...and it seems that those kinds of locations are best at a super low tide. In terms of picking a spot....it takes me a very long time to learn how to fish various locations, meaning I skunk a LOT before I start seeing consistent success. But for me, that makes it that much more rewarding. I'm rambling so I'll stop there lol. Appreciate you Eddie!!
Super stoked for you bro! I’ve been waiting on this video haha That was crazy! Amazing session that goes to show the grind absolutely pays off! I was nervous you might’ve got hooked in the melee… eeek Congrats brother! Amazing content, keep it up!!
Thanks so much Mike! 100% brotha, its all about that grind man. And the only ones who truly grind are the ones who truly love this sport. I only say that because you are truly one who loves this sport....which is why you're such a slayer!! Dude, I was willing to get that barb stuck in my finger if it meant I landed it lol. I did NOT want to lose that fish hahaha.
@@BenjieKimFishing thanks for the compliment and you’re absolutely right and I completely agree lol that would have been worth the hook in the hand , glad you evaded that though lol no fun. I’m just an optimist lol I believe every cast has a chance to turn everything around and shake the disappointment off with another cast and instantly forget and back to anticipation of my rod loading up… every cast has that small chance to catch the fish of a lifetime and that keeps the hope alive. So stoked for you bro! This year’s going to be fire 🔥 🔥🔥🔥
Excellent video and channel! You're providing quality and dropping good knowledge too. Wish you much success and hope to see you on the shore sometime. Cheers.
@@BenjieKimFishing Thanks Bro......Yes it is Lenard..Feb 1st starts the new Derby season....Got my PB at 27" last year. I want to brake 30" and win a couple of months this year. Thanks for keeping us all fired up Bro!!
SVENNNN!!!! I hope you're well brotha, you've been doing such a great job with your channel brotha, keep it up man! Would love for you to teach me jetty fishing some time this year. Tight lines!
@@BenjieKimFishing thanks Benjie :D lots have happened in the past year (bad and good) but I’d like to think things have been more good than bad so far c: Also sounds like a plan! Weather has been warming up, would be fun to see what’s out in the jetties this time of year c: let’s figure out a time to head out there for sure 👌🎣
Wow, beautiful halibut! I have yet to catch one. Is low tide better for halibut hunting with a LC since they stay on the bottom mostly? I noticed that they are caught on the LC mostly on the LC in southern CA.
I personally like low tide for what you mention and it also really depends on where you're fishing ie being able to hit the structure of that particular stretch of sand as all beaches are different. Higher tide can be good too, just a matter of adjusting to the conditions. LC115 is a great option if you're fishing deeper water columns.
Want to get into surf fishing, where can i go in the San Diego Orange or LA county coast ? Im told from San Onofre to New Port is all closed and in Imperial Beach is not safe to eat the fish cause is too close to Mexico where is not safe to eat fish or shell fish inshore due to suage and chemicals dumping near shore. ???? Thank you Great Cannel 👍
Hey there, I haven't heard of any closures, that's news to me! Dana Point/San Clemente/San O has good halibut fishing but you have to be willing to explore and experiment with tide swings. Same for San Diego/Carlsbad/Oceanside. I've heard similar regarding fish down south but I honestly don't know how accurate that is. For sure, you want to avoid the water and def avoid eating fish at all beaches after it rains. Depending on where you live, I recommend just going to beaches closer to you and exploring. Also looking at google maps satellite function to find nearshore structure/reefs can give you a fantastic cheat sheet for where to target. Find the structure, find the fish...that goes for virtually every single beach on our coast. Hope that helps, tight lines.
Super nice halibut, Benjie. love your excitement and energy for fishing and I can relate. I stumbled onto your channel while watching other clips. I love to fish the surf for halibut, perch, rockfish and striped bass. Got my PB of halibut last year at 14lbs from the surf in Monterey Bay. If you ever in Norther California look me up. Fish on Bro.
Hi Fidel, I am happy with my compass waders. I JUST threw out the one's I'm wearing in this video. They lasted about 1.5 years with pretty heavy use. The neoprene recently sprung a leak in my feet and I think I had a small hole in my waist area. I wouldn't have minded if they lasted longer but overall I'm happy with what I got out of them given how hard I fish when I'm out there and how often I wore them.
Love these instructional videos Benjie! Just a heads up, your Amazon short links all seem to go straight to the amazon homepage and not the product pages. Get that fixed and get you some more of that Amazon affiliate money.
Can you tell me where on the west coast of fishing? I just never heard of anybody catching a halibut off the beach. Flounder and soul yes. I'm in Astoria Oregon. If there were ever a place that you should be able to catch a halibut off the beach it would be here. But would appreciate it if you let me know about where you're fishing out of. Thx,
Hey brotha, lately I've been using 15 lb Fluoro leader, using the RP knot to connect braid to fluoro. And I use 30 lb braid. I made a video detailing how I set this up - ruclips.net/video/S2HVkQmgX2s/видео.html tight lines!
Absolutely inspiring. Thanks for all of this great info. Question... I once saw a video that someone suggested that the middle set of hooks on a LC lure be removed because it's safer for the fish and less snagging. I don't see that on your lure. It seems to me that that is part of the purpose of the three sets of treble hooks, to increase your chances of getting fish on. What's you take on this?
Hi Jesse, I don't have strong opinions either way. I fish my LC's stock until I need to change out the hooks when they start corroding. I release 90% of the fish I catch from the surf, but I guess I prefer to have a better shot at catching the ones that do bite.
Hey there, that M1 will definitely work. A longer rod will give you a bit more casting distance and sometimes that can be an advantage. But the rating on that M1 has everything else you'd want for throwing hard and soft baits.
there is no legal size limit for yellow fin croaker. Bag limit is 10 as part of the general fin fish category. Most importantly, please don't take anything I say as absolute truth, do your best to know the rules and regs for yourself on the CA DFG website. Tight lines!
Hi Benjie, are you fishing on low or high tide? Also are you which part of southern CA are you fishing from? You don't have to give us the exact spot :) I ask cause where I am from, I never seem to catch anything significant but perch and getting snagged a lot.
Hey brotha, I fish a lot of SD county. It's just a guess but if you're getting snagged a lot, it might not be a bad thing. Check out that area at a negative tide and see what's down there. If there's a lot of rocks and reef, you're in the right spot. Just need to dial in the process.
@@BenjieKimFishing I'm a bit too far from SD county to fish, so it makes sense to see all of these nice sandy beaches in your area. Where I fish, there's a lot of rocks and random seaweed which get me snagged. I'll have to see what's going wrong. Thanks for the reply
Hi Brandon, I use the RP knot for braid to fluoro. I did a full breakdown on my setup in this video - ruclips.net/video/S2HVkQmgX2s/видео.html tight lines!
![My Top 3 Techniques to catch HALIBUT [SoCal Surf Fishing 2023]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hRi0EUySynY/mqdefault.jpg)
![My Top 3 Techniques to catch HALIBUT [SoCal Surf Fishing 2023]](/img/tr.png)
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![Keeper Dropshot Halibut From Shore [Catch and Cook]](/img/1.gif)
Wow, that's an absolute *monster* for the surf! And all those toad croaker to boot? That is a day for the books! Congrats and thanks for all the tips, I've learned so much from you.
Thank you so much, I always appreciate your encouragement!
32" Sweet Benjie! That's a doormat...sir your videos commentaries and graphics are so spot on.
Thanks so much Michael! You had an OUTSTANDING DAY the other day, so good to see you back on the sand slaying!!
Sweet Halibut and great fishing video bro. I'm up at 6:00am on a Saturday, getting ready to hit the beach up with my Lucky Craft Minnow! Thanks for the tips. Let's GOOOOOO!!
Thanks so much for the stoke and excitement Justin. How'd you do out there??!!
Thank you for the tips. Nothing betas time on the water.
Although at 13:16 is a good way to wear some new hardware in your hands. Nice hali, that's a great fish from shore.
Thanks so much! I think I was secretly hoping my reel was seize afterwards so I could have an excuse to buy a new one lol. jkjk, surprisingly, its still humming and smooth. That reel has been a tank for me, its taken a handful of dunks over the years but this was the first time I intentionally took it under.
I just wanted to thank you for your tips! I caught a 34 incher from shore a couple weeks ago partially from tips that I learned in this video!
This is super late my apologies, not sure how I missed this comment.
But WOW, congrats on that catch and I hope you've caught a bigger one since then! Tight lines!
Pics or it didn't happen... 🙄
@@DUNGSTA Fishbrain @Think_Likea_Fish
@@Nigel_BCwhat bay did you go to ?
@@seizic89 sf bay. I’m from up north.
Congrats! Great video. The aerial views of the structure you were fishing was very helpful. Thanks for taking your great day and sharing it with us .
Much appreciated Kevin! Its gonna be a great year for all of us man, we just gotta keep getting out there and casting!
Wow 32”!! So stoked for you! Catch of a lifetime from the surf!!!! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Appreciate you Jimmy, can't wait to get out there with you brotha!
Nice session. Good amount of fish for a beautiful Jan day. So in the east we call the entry and exits to the holes , we call them cuts. Usually it’s in and out of troughs. Great work on breaking everything down. Keep it up.
Good word Leon thank you! Whereabouts in the east are you??
I’m in New Jersey. We fish for a lot of striped bass bluefish. And flounder. We call fluke. All off the beach for me.
@@leoncorl9025 wow, that is awesome. One of my dreams is to be able to travel and fish other coastlines. Tight lines and maybe one day I’ll have the privilege of experiencing your fishery.
Benji I’ll actually be moving to the San Diego area within the next month so I’ll be out your way learning your fishery.
Thanks for the video. I’m refreshing my surf fishing knowledge for spending the winter in Playa La Mision.
Great catch! Curious what part of California were you fishing in?
Great line. "If I can do it, you can do it." :) Liked.
Its definitely true as I'm just an average fisherman! Thank you!
Love your detailed videos and has been very helpful to my fishing for Halibut! Congrats on your PB Halibut!!
Hey Gary, I definitely appreciate your support as well as your passion for getting out there and slaying em! Wishing you tight lines and an amazing year of fishing this year. Its gonna be an amazing year for all of us!
@@BenjieKimFishing Thanks Benjie! Lost my PB Halibut today in Encinitas. Got it to the edge of the wall I was fishing and it snapped off and took my lure. Looked to be over 24 inches. :)
@@GaryGiffin oh no!! What a bummer but super dope have had the chance! No doubt you’ll get one even better next time out!
@@BenjieKimFishing what city beach was this
You put the capital E in Excited great job Benjie so fun. Great day. Again having my morning coffee. Thanks
Benjie-Great tips-makes me want to go out and hit the surf right now!
Thank you Greg, yes, get out there whenever you can brotha. Tight lines!!
Hey Kim, I’m new to the channel, just wondering what lure or lures you used during this video or in general?
Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110
@@BenjieKimFishing alright thanks for all the tips
A BIG congrats! Nice sesh for sur,e and to end the day with a 32, great job!! No Regrets...reels can always be worked on, lol
Thank you so much Dwayne! Haha, I agree brotha, I did NOT want to lose that fish!!
and this vid is a perfect example of fishing the hole even when yout think the target fish aint aorund! nice slab!
For sure man, I know the flat ones hang around there but given the bite this day, I had ZERO expectation of even getting a shaker...go figure that this one decided to bite lol!
Stud!!! Congrats brotha, such a well put together video and great information throughout from your setup, lure, and how to fish the surf! Have me amped to get out to the beach and give surf fishing a go! Keep up the great content my man!
Hey Michael, thanks so much for the positive words and encouragement, I appreciate that so much. Yes, get out there as you are able, so much fun and healthy too!
What a beast!! Went shore fishing this past weekend at bolsa and daughter brought in 2 baby leopards. Still looking to get that surf halibut thanks for the tips.
Kudos on spending quality time with your daughter, that's what its all about! Appreciate your encouragement brotha, stick with it and you'll get that surf hali in no time!
Great video and congrats on the Halibut Benjie! Every time I watch one of your videos, I have to hit the sand the next day. 😃 Time for a fully sealed reel!
Always appreciate it Eugene, thank you! And yes, get out there and get em!! Can't wait to hear the report!
I will definitely try your way of catching from shore I'm going out from boat this Thursday and I hope to get more than rockfish!
Omg what an absolute monster bro!!! Congratulations on the pb
Appreciate that very much Bob, thank you!
Wow i was waiting for it. Great job Benjie
Huge Benjie! Very nice halibut.
Thank you so much!
Congrats brotha🤙 Right from the start of this video you can feel the energy and positivity that puts you in that fishing mood. I love the excitement you get on every catch. That's what fishing is about. It's funny how Hali's fight like that. Feels like dead weight but you're pretty sure it's a fish. Heck of a way to start the year off. 🔥🎣
Hey Jeoffrey, thanks so much for your positive stoke brotha, really appreciate it man. We're only 1 month in, hopefully 2022 will be filled with PB's for all of us!
Dude! Wicked catch man! Well, you put in the time and now you reaped the benefits! Congrats Benjie!!
Thanks so much Joe, greatly appreciate the encouragement!
Brooo! Session of a lifetime right there! 👏🏼
Yes sir Josh, what a gift and blessing...totally grateful. Until next month and I start getting that itch for more lol!
Appreciate you brotha!!
What an epic session! Way to break it down on locating holes. Might need to drive up and join you 🤙
Thanks Dino. Yes brotha, we need to fish together soon, its been a long minute. I'll be in touch, let's set something up!
Those days are what it’s all about! So stoked for you! I can’t wait to get back out there! Last catch was on my lunch break at work, 23” halibut on the LC 115 anchovy! But 32” ‼️🤩 can’t lie I’m a little jealous, game on🤣
Dang Daniel you're an absolute machine. This was just a lucky catch on my part. Appreciate the stoke brotha, get out there and beat it man, I have no doubt you'll do it!
@@BenjieKimFishing got another tail shaped leopard shark today on the lunch break LC session to at least break the skunk 🦨🤙🏼
tips from the legend BKF! no better way to start the day! thanks for solid info and breaking it down!
Thank you so much for your support from up there, truly humbling!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and very helpful tips. Please make more videos your stoked is inspiring and your knowledge is priceless
Awesome video! Really nice Flounder (way South of you). Sure like the way you point out the structure!
Is there a cheaper rod you reccomend? I have a budget of ~$150 and I'm looking for a similar rod to use for halibut and other fish in the surf. I got a Lucky Craft fm110 metallic sardine and really want to give a shot at catching my first halibut, but only have rods ~7 ft.
Hey there, I apologize for getting back to this so late but there are plenty of good options out there. I've heard good things about the Okuma SST as well as the Daiwa Saltist. I believe both are less than $100. IMO the most important thing to pay attention to are the rod specs - medium to medium heavy, fast action, line rating between 8 to 15 lbs, and lure rating of 1/4 to 3/4 (all of these are general recs with room for wiggle room). Rod length in my opinion is not as important...even a 7 ft will do fine, though you may sacrifice a bit of distance.
@@BenjieKimFishing thank you for getting back with me! I found your video about the gear you use after writing this comment and picked out a good rod. I gave it a try recently but the ocean was still kind of crazy from the recent storm so I’m gonna try again once it calms down. Thank you for all the help and great videos, tight lines!
Well I was unsure whether or not I should try for halibut from the surf today..now I will! Nice video.
That's right! The biggest hurdle is getting out there and giving ourselves a chance!
Wow that’s a cool Personal Best Hali Benjie. You are the King bro! I didn’t know croakers are bitting this early. I’m in HB and have only caught leopards sharks, surf perch from the sands. What area of CA is this? San Diego?
Hey thanks so much Andrew. I'm def no king...but I appreciate your encouragement brotha!
Man, its been an odd January for me as last year I think I had zero bites from the surf. But the croaker have definitely been around it seems. I've been catching a few almost every session in December....but this day, they were definitely schooling up close. Wish I could have their behavior down to a science.
This was in SD but pretty sure the croaker are around in OC as well. I think its just a timing thing and matter of being out there when they're in close feeding.
Super informative video-thanks! Any idea when the Trifecta Lite 903 ML-2 will be back in stock?
Hey Kevin, thanks so much for the comment. I have no idea when it will be in stock, I do know they get new shipments a few times per year. Its just a matter of staying in touch with a local shop that typically carries them. One idea might be to ask a willing shop owner to give you a call when they get a shipment...shops are super busy so it might be tough to rely on that call...but bottom line is just keep your eyes open and when you see one, grab it as they do sell quick.
They are currently out of stock but I do have a brand new one with the tags on for sale.
What a great catch! The excitement and thrill was felt as if I was experiencing it firsthand. I'll be heading down to a 3 mile stretch in OC tomorrow to try out what I learned here. Thanks for all your guidance.
Thank you for the positive stoke and tight lines out there! It can be a grind but the payoff is worth it for those who stick with it!! I have no doubt it'll pay off for you!
Ben g smoked em today at cachuma wish u were here
Hey Peter, awesome brotha! Gotta love those slay days! Tight lines!
mad halibut inspiration. Cants wait to get back out there.
Love your videos - where can you get a fish ruler mat like that?
Hey Alex, the one in the video isn't available at the moment but you can get one that is similar on www.ot-bp.com
or there is also a link in my video description for a Rapala retractable ruler - amzn.to/3wmgOWv
Hope that helps!
Everyone’s been saying the big ones come out during the winter and this makes sense along that logic
Great video!!!! Wats the legal size on a Croker?
No size minimum on croaker 🤙🏽
Thanks Ramon!
Yes, as Jimmy said, no size limit on Croaker.
Thank you so much for all the info. I am a first timer at this. Your excitement and positive is so cool. I'm going first time surf fishing next week. Just outside of half moon bay. Now I'm pumped.
WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NICE FISH BENJIE!!! What an epic finish to that session! That fight to make sure you landed him was awesome. No regrets for sure thats a fish worth washing all the gear, getting soaked, whatever it takes to land it!
hahaha thanks so much Ken!!!! Broooo, it was truly a blessing to experience. Truly grateful to have had the chance. I hope you're well brotha, how's the fishing been for ya lately? I still need to get my butt up there some time!
@@BenjieKimFishing I'm good for the most part. I have had some medical issues keeping me from fishing. I had a wave hit my knee wrong while fishing and slightly hyper extend it, always keep the knees bent slightly to avoid that! Also I have anemia and I had to have IV infusions of iron recently which had my arm too sore to be casting a rod. Between the two I needed a bit of a break for a few weeks, doing much better now and will be fishing this weekend. You definitely need to get up here and spend a day fishing SB county! Lots of good spots, a few weeks ago guy to my left caught a 3'+ 'nice game fish' that I'm not going to name on the interweb, and the guy to my right a 26" halibut! I got skunked but they are both friends and I was stoked to see all the action!
@@AlohaMilton wow, wishing you a full and healthy recovery from everything Ken.
And that’s sooo awesome man, I def need to get up there!
Take that middle hook off and upsize your back treble one size up. The hookup:land ratio dramatically increases. Plus the chances of you getting a hook in your hand is decreased by 1/3 lol. Great video bud. Love your content
Can you comment on what type of waders/foot ware you recommend?
If you're on a budget, get boot chest waders...plenty of options for around 40 to 50 bucks on Amazon. Less comfortable but they get the job done. They seem to spring leaks fairly fast but at that price I think that its worth it especially if you only use them several times a year.
Currently I wear Compass 360 deadfall with Simms Freestone boots. A bit pricier (not high end by any means) but I'm happy with this setup. The waders last a solid year or more and the boots I've had for 3 years running.
I did a cheap vs. expensive video a couple years ago for waders that you might find helpful.
Thanks for posting another great How To vid. Have you tried fishing for halibut in Ventura or Santa Barbara? Congrats on your PB Halibut! 😀👍
Thank you so much! I have actually not tried up there....YET. Definitely on my list of places to explore though...Hopefully will be able to invest some time up there this year.
Woah! I just learned about this specific color yesterday and you are slaying with it 🔥🤯
Tons of great info ! Saved in the mental vault !
Thanks so much Shawn! Yea, I definitely love this pattern. Baitfish with pink bottom is definitely a good option to have. Tight lines!
rad!!! now a vid on maintenance for the ci4+ lol
lol!! I know right?? Surprisingly, its still humming along nice and smooth. That little thing has been a tank for me the past 3.5 years...its taken multiple dunks...but this was the first time I took it under on purpose haha.
Thank you for the great positive video, Benji!
Don’t mean to interfere with your community and comments, however
I have an extra Phenix Trifecta lite 903-ML2 - in case someone form your audience want to get a the same setup as you.
So many amazing tips i will definitely use the tips and great editing!
Much appreciated Dominic!! I hope you get out there soon brotha, can't wait to see what you catch this year, its gonna be epic for ya!!
@@BenjieKimFishing thank you I think I’ll get out on the sand next week. hopefully this year i will be better than last year. And hopefully get a legal😊
@@dominicperalta6041 it’ll happen when the fish gods say it’s time. In the meantime, keep casting and improving your game.
But trust me, your game is already good enough. 🤙
Love this video thanks for sharing your expertise!
Thank you for the kind words and positive vibes. Wishing you a terrific Thanksgiving week!
Fish the rips, baby! Excellent video!
Thanks so much and tight lines!!
Great session homie so proud of you
Always appreciate it Mo!! Sorry for making you wait for the end lol!! Much love brotha!
Nice catch benjie, Your lucky for halibut legal size and yellow croaker.. Can i ask a question, what is your complete set up from rod, line and reel? Thank you
Hey Rogelio, this video ruclips.net/video/S2HVkQmgX2s/видео.html covers everything I use - rod, line, reel, connection knot, and more. tight lines.
Have have a 4000 size reel and a 9 foot pole. That sufficient enough for all surf fishing applications?
Apologies on the super late response!
4k reel can be good but which one and how heavy is it? The Daiwa Saltist 4k is 16 ounces and the Daiwa 4k Certate LT is 8 ounces. 9 ft is great but what are the line and lure ratings and what are you planning on throwing?
Most important thing is to match your reel to your rod appropriately with the application you are most likely to use - bait and wait, jerk baits, soft plastics, etc.
Hope that helps and tight lines!
Congratulations man!!! That is exciting and great video. Quick question, what tide is best to fish and what type of beaches are best to fish? WhT are you looking for before you pick a spot. Thank you for all your knowledge.
Hey thanks so much Eddie! Brotha, we'll have to get together so we can chat in person...just kit as you've been doing and let's set something up. I hope you're all healed up as well!
But in a nutshell....every beach is different for optimal tides when it comes to fishing. BUT, when it comes to halibut, it SEEMS that low to negative tides are best. This also coincides with the fact that I love looking for reefs and rocks. That kind of structure will almost guarantee there will be halibut, as well as other goodies...and it seems that those kinds of locations are best at a super low tide.
In terms of picking a spot....it takes me a very long time to learn how to fish various locations, meaning I skunk a LOT before I start seeing consistent success. But for me, that makes it that much more rewarding.
I'm rambling so I'll stop there lol. Appreciate you Eddie!!
Congratulations buddy! That was a amazing video! Still waiting to break the 30" from surf.
Hey thanks so much Jimmie and I hope you're doing well brotha! You're a slayer man so its just a matter of time!
Wow epic session. Love how you break it down brotha! Keep up the great work, hwaiting!
Brotha, it was so awesome to fish with ya today. Let's do it again!! Thanks so much!!
Super stoked for you bro! I’ve been waiting on this video haha
That was crazy!
Amazing session that goes to show the grind absolutely pays off!
I was nervous you might’ve got hooked in the melee… eeek
Congrats brother! Amazing content, keep it up!!
Thanks so much Mike! 100% brotha, its all about that grind man. And the only ones who truly grind are the ones who truly love this sport. I only say that because you are truly one who loves this sport....which is why you're such a slayer!!
Dude, I was willing to get that barb stuck in my finger if it meant I landed it lol. I did NOT want to lose that fish hahaha.
@@BenjieKimFishing thanks for the compliment and you’re absolutely right and I completely agree lol that would have been worth the hook in the hand , glad you evaded that though lol no fun.
I’m just an optimist lol I believe every cast has a chance to turn everything around and shake the disappointment off with another cast and instantly forget and back to anticipation of my rod loading up… every cast has that small chance to catch the fish of a lifetime and that keeps the hope alive.
So stoked for you bro! This year’s going to be fire 🔥 🔥🔥🔥
wow!!!! congratulation brotha 🤙 big o slab🐟
Always appreciate it Eli, thank you!!
thanks for the sweet vibe some peoples call this 'happy'
gracias Caballo
Excellent video and channel! You're providing quality and dropping good knowledge too. Wish you much success and hope to see you on the shore sometime. Cheers.
Thank you so much for the encouragement and positive vibes. Greatly appreciated!!
Looks like Lowers in San Clemente. Nice catch!
Thanks so much!
I went out a day after you posted and got my first legal hali from surf thank u
HECK YEA!!! Huge congratulations!!!
so sick. i'm getting ready to start fishing the surf. gotta change it up from bay spotty fishing.
Very, Very nice video Benjie!!
Thank you so much Leonard (I think??)!! Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week and hopefully some good fishing time on the sand!
@@BenjieKimFishing Thanks Bro......Yes it is Lenard..Feb 1st starts the new Derby season....Got my PB at 27" last year. I want to brake 30" and win a couple of months this year. Thanks for keeping us all fired up Bro!!
Great video and nice work!
Appreciate it so much Derick thank you as always!!
All those croakers getting in the way of your halibut haha, but that 32-inch was HUGE! Nice video as always Benjie, thanks for the tips! c:
SVENNNN!!!! I hope you're well brotha, you've been doing such a great job with your channel brotha, keep it up man! Would love for you to teach me jetty fishing some time this year. Tight lines!
@@BenjieKimFishing thanks Benjie :D lots have happened in the past year (bad and good) but I’d like to think things have been more good than bad so far c: Also sounds like a plan! Weather has been warming up, would be fun to see what’s out in the jetties this time of year c: let’s figure out a time to head out there for sure 👌🎣
That’s rad, I just got one that fought the same exact way
That's awesome man, congrats. Yea I've heard several stories of bigger hali not fighting too much. I wonder if that's normal.
P.B. hali. on my Birfday......Nicely done Benjie!
NICE!!! Love your enthusiasm brother. Beautiful fish that would definitely be a personal best and very hard to beat. Bet it tasted good too!!
bro crazy hit man congrats!
much appreciated!
Wow, beautiful halibut! I have yet to catch one. Is low tide better for halibut hunting with a LC since they stay on the bottom mostly? I noticed that they are caught on the LC mostly on the LC in southern CA.
I personally like low tide for what you mention and it also really depends on where you're fishing ie being able to hit the structure of that particular stretch of sand as all beaches are different. Higher tide can be good too, just a matter of adjusting to the conditions. LC115 is a great option if you're fishing deeper water columns.
@@BenjieKimFishing Thank you. Now, I can go Hali hunting at low tide in Santa Cruz 😀
You made my day, will get out there soon thank you for your tips!!!
Want to get into surf fishing, where can i go in the San Diego Orange or LA county coast ? Im told from San Onofre to New Port is all closed and in Imperial Beach is not safe to eat the fish cause is too close to Mexico where is not safe to eat fish or shell fish inshore due to suage and chemicals dumping near shore. ???? Thank you Great Cannel 👍
Hey there, I haven't heard of any closures, that's news to me! Dana Point/San Clemente/San O has good halibut fishing but you have to be willing to explore and experiment with tide swings. Same for San Diego/Carlsbad/Oceanside. I've heard similar regarding fish down south but I honestly don't know how accurate that is. For sure, you want to avoid the water and def avoid eating fish at all beaches after it rains.
Depending on where you live, I recommend just going to beaches closer to you and exploring. Also looking at google maps satellite function to find nearshore structure/reefs can give you a fantastic cheat sheet for where to target. Find the structure, find the fish...that goes for virtually every single beach on our coast.
Hope that helps, tight lines.
UNCLE BENJIE YOU'RE MY HERO
haha thanks so much brotha!!
It was a good day!
Definitely grateful, thank you!
Dude! Congrats on the PB!
That’s an awesome fish!
Thanks so much Julian! Still can't beat your beast but man, so grateful!
Super nice halibut, Benjie. love your excitement and energy for fishing and I can relate. I stumbled onto your channel while watching other clips. I love to fish the surf for halibut, perch, rockfish and striped bass. Got my PB of halibut last year at 14lbs from the surf in Monterey Bay. If you ever in Norther California look me up. Fish on Bro.
wow nice fish coming over to s barbara in April really stoked and thx for the tips!
Amigo!! Can you tell me about good places to go fishing? I live at Costa Mesa California. Gracias!!!
Are you happy with the chest wader compass how long do it last? Great 👍🏽 video
Hi Fidel, I am happy with my compass waders. I JUST threw out the one's I'm wearing in this video. They lasted about 1.5 years with pretty heavy use. The neoprene recently sprung a leak in my feet and I think I had a small hole in my waist area. I wouldn't have minded if they lasted longer but overall I'm happy with what I got out of them given how hard I fish when I'm out there and how often I wore them.
Love these instructional videos Benjie! Just a heads up, your Amazon short links all seem to go straight to the amazon homepage and not the product pages. Get that fixed and get you some more of that Amazon affiliate money.
Can you tell me where on the west coast of fishing? I just never heard of anybody catching a halibut off the beach. Flounder and soul yes.
I'm in Astoria Oregon. If there were ever a place that you should be able to catch a halibut off the beach it would be here. But would appreciate it if you let me know about where you're fishing out of.
Thx,
and what leader weight....braid weight... do u use ... and what knot for leader???
Hey brotha, lately I've been using 15 lb Fluoro leader, using the RP knot to connect braid to fluoro. And I use 30 lb braid.
I made a video detailing how I set this up - ruclips.net/video/S2HVkQmgX2s/видео.html
tight lines!
@@BenjieKimFishing alright cool..will check er out..🤙🏼🤙🏼🔥
🙏🏼
Peanut butter and jealous! 🤣 Tight lines!
hahaha thanks so much Jason!!!
Absolutely inspiring. Thanks for all of this great info. Question... I once saw a video that someone suggested that the middle set of hooks on a LC lure be removed because it's safer for the fish and less snagging. I don't see that on your lure. It seems to me that that is part of the purpose of the three sets of treble hooks, to increase your chances of getting fish on. What's you take on this?
Hi Jesse, I don't have strong opinions either way. I fish my LC's stock until I need to change out the hooks when they start corroding. I release 90% of the fish I catch from the surf, but I guess I prefer to have a better shot at catching the ones that do bite.
love all tour videos.
Thank you Joseph, I appreciate you!
Can I use barbed hooks for California ocean surf fishing ?
CONGRATS MR. Kim!
I have a 7’3 M1 inshore phenix spinning rod from 8-20lb. You think that’s long enough for surf or should I get something longer? Love your vids man!!!
I use between 7'2" and 10' personally. You can definitely get away with 7'3!
Hey there, that M1 will definitely work. A longer rod will give you a bit more casting distance and sometimes that can be an advantage. But the rating on that M1 has everything else you'd want for throwing hard and soft baits.
What bait scent did you put on that Lucky craft luer
Nice Job Benji!!!
Appreciate it, thank you Rusty!
What's a legal size for yellow fin croaker ?
there is no legal size limit for yellow fin croaker. Bag limit is 10 as part of the general fin fish category. Most importantly, please don't take anything I say as absolute truth, do your best to know the rules and regs for yourself on the CA DFG website. Tight lines!
Yes sir I kind of new to take big fish only just had to double check before I hit the surf.. thanks bud 👍
@@henrym1535 🤙🤙🙏
Hi Benjie, are you fishing on low or high tide? Also are you which part of southern CA are you fishing from? You don't have to give us the exact spot :) I ask cause where I am from, I never seem to catch anything significant but perch and getting snagged a lot.
Hey brotha, I fish a lot of SD county.
It's just a guess but if you're getting snagged a lot, it might not be a bad thing. Check out that area at a negative tide and see what's down there. If there's a lot of rocks and reef, you're in the right spot. Just need to dial in the process.
@@BenjieKimFishing I'm a bit too far from SD county to fish, so it makes sense to see all of these nice sandy beaches in your area. Where I fish, there's a lot of rocks and random seaweed which get me snagged. I'll have to see what's going wrong. Thanks for the reply
awesome vid man, what a day!
Dude Ish, thanks for the comment brother. Humbled. I hope you're well brother!!!
Benji great job 👏
Thank you so much Jose, I hope you're well brotha!!
That’s awesome dude! Such a great catch! I’m curious, what knot did you use to connect your braid to your fluoro leader?
I recommend Alberto knot & also surgeons knot
Hi Brandon, I use the RP knot for braid to fluoro. I did a full breakdown on my setup in this video - ruclips.net/video/S2HVkQmgX2s/видео.html
tight lines!
Super nice catch
thank you!