Learn to Catch More Halibut with Glitter Butt Juice

By: Terry Wiest

Much of the West Coast offers quality halibut fishing. Halibut are most commonly targeted while anchored. Last year I blogged about my “Golf Ball Scent Bomb” that crushed halibut. This year on a recent trip to Alaska that same setup produced a 160lb fish and others. Click here if you’d like to review that blog.

To recap: The Scent Bomb consists of:

• A golf ball which produces sight and sound as it bounces on the bottom
• A paint roller which is used to soak up scent (Pautzke Nectar) to create a scent trail
• Emery cloth strips that look like squid or octopus tentacles, but will stick to the inside of the mouth, while the circle hook sticks in the corner of the mouth.

This blog, nevertheless, is meant to take that technique to a new level by adding my new Glitter Butt Juice to help entice more fish. This technique is effective anywhere halibut are found.

I’m not good at sitting around waiting for a bite. Unfortunately, while on anchor the idea is to draw the fish to you via a scent trail while the rod sits in the holder. The scent bomb I wrote about last summer is great for that. However, my new Herring Glitter Butt Juice (made with Pautzke Nectar) is certain to catch even more fish.

For anglers that need to keep moving (as I do) I prefer to jig. I want to feel the halibut grab the jig while the rod is in my hand. The Golf Ball Scent Bomb did produce a 160lb fish a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, jigging the setup described below accounted for many more fish, including many larger fish, and plenty of great eaters, too. Our jigging rods caught far more halibut than those resting in rod holders.

Making Glitter Butt Juice

What makes Glitter Butt Juice the choice for halibut is a combination of ingredients that take advantage of the two senses halibut use to seek out food, smell and sight. Pautzke makes a great scent in the form of the Pautzke Nectar. I however, like to add pure oil to the Nectar to leave a oil slick scent trail. I’ll match the scent to what I’ll be using for bait. Most the time I’ll use big black label or horse herring, so I add pure herring oil. If I’m using salmon bellies I use pure salmon oil.

For sight, the red color of the Pautzke Nectar helps, but I like a little flash. That’s where the glitter comes in. As the bait bounces along the bottom small flashes of light are reflected from the glitter, which hopefully will grab the attention of a nearby halibut that hasn’t been enticed by the scent yet. It worked for me and I’m sure it will for you, too.

Step 1: Pour a bottle of Pautzke Halibut & Rockfish Nectar into a clean squeeze bottle.

Step 2: Fill the squeeze bottle almost full with pure herring oil. Match the oil to the bait you are using. For example, use pure salmon oil when using salmon bellies for bait or herring oil when using herring.

Step 3: Sprinkle gold glitter into the solution (you can find in the craft section of most stores).

Step 4: After all the ingredients are in the squeeze bottle, tighten the cap and shake well. Store as you would all your scents.

The Jig

There are two ways to set up your jig. Below describes each way I prefer to do it. Option A & B work well.

Option A  (Everything is below the head of the jig)

Step 1: Thread the squid onto the jig hook

Step 2: Thread the sponge on the jig hook

Step 3: Thread the swim tail onto the jig hook

Step 4: Hook a horse herring (Black Label) onto the hook from behind the head on through the middle of the head and then between the eyes.

Step 5: Apply a generous amount of Glitter Butt Juice to the sponge, inside the mouth of the herring, and inside the body of the herring (either using the squeeze bottle nozzle to puncture the belly or using another injector of your choice).

Option B (Everything is threaded onto the jig head – can be tough to do)

Step 1: Thread the swim tail onto the jig hook

Step 2: Run a sponge down the line to the head of the jig. I like sea sponge. It holds up better in the salt.

Step 3: Stuff the sponge inside the head of the squid

Step 4: Put some herring oil on the jig head (for lubrication) and slide the squid onto the head

Step 4: Hook a horse herring (Black Label) onto the hook from behind the head on through the middle of the head and then between the eyes.

Step 5: Apply a generous amount of Glitter Butt Juice to the sponge, inside the mouth of the herring, and inside the body of the herring (either using the squeeze bottle nozzle to puncture the belly or using another injector of your choice).

Now it’s time to hold on!

 

Editor’s Note: Award winning author Terry Wiest is based in the Pacific Northwest. He’s the mastermind of Steelhead University. For more information please visit http://steelheadu.com.