Catching Halibut that weigh in the hundreds of pounds is not unusual.

The female Pacific Halibut can weigh over 470 pounds and can live to a maximum age of 45 years.  Females can grow up to 9 feet long and are substantially larger than their male counterparts. The male won’t weigh more than 40 pounds, and only grows to around 55 inches in length.  The males life expectancy is around 25 years, which about half of the females. The females are also known to be more abundant, and grow faster in all stages of life.  

The Pacific Halibut possesses strong teeth, and as young halibut, use them to feed mainly on small crustaceans.  Adults can consume larger crustaceans, are fast swimmers, and have a diverse diet, eating aquatics like turbot, pollock, squid, crab and shrimp.  They bury themselves in the sandy bottoms, allowing them to blend in with their environment.  When prey swim over, they explode off the bottom while grabbing their meal, leaving only a cloud of sand behind.

Most of the Pacific halibut live in the cold waters of the North Pacific from the Bering Sea south to California, and sometimes reaching as far as northern Japan.  They migrate often, many times crossing more than 2,000 miles to hunt or spawn.  In the more northern areas, they can be found swimming in the cold shallow waters of bays.

Even small Halibut have aggressive teeth, be carefull when removing hooks.