This Spring break, dad and I intend on making a "hobo-fishing trip" to Vancouver Island (as in, sleeping in the car, keeping costs to a minimum). I'd like to get dad into a hali as well as some other fish. The quesiton arises, in the unlikely event that we get a good sized hali (50+ lbs), what do we do with it ? I know how to harpoon and gaff a hali, but that's in the summer, when I have the gear readily available. I'll be purchasing a gaff prior to the trip, but am unsure whether or not to buy a harpoon. Is there the alternative to buy a large hook (with barb) and tie it off to the boat and simply hook the fish through the head and wait for it to die ? Call me cheap, but I can't see any major flaws in this idea other than you have to get close to the fish, but the accuracy would be better with the hook at close range.
Any additional thoughts ?