Halibut live on the bottom, and the bottom in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay is usually 70 to 200 feet down. Every time you check your bait, change spots or bring up a fish, that line and a weight of 4 or even 5 pounds have to come back up. Starting with the 2026 season, every Homer Halibut Hunters boat does that lifting with a Daiwa Tanacom 800 electric reel.
You still hold the rod, feel the bite, set the hook and fight the fish. The reel just takes the grind out of the parts of the day that aren't fun, so you spend more of your trip fishing and less of it cranking.
Why electric reels make a better halibut day
Less cranking, more fishing
On this reel, one turn of the handle brings in about 23 inches of line. Two hundred feet of water is about 100 turns, with a weight on the end, every time the line comes up. Over a full day of drops, bait checks and moves, that adds up to thousands of turns. With the Tanacom, a push of the lever brings the rig up while you catch your breath, and your bait is back on the bottom sooner.
Deep water is no longer a chore
Most of our halibut fishing is between 70 and 200 feet, but we have fished as deep as 400 feet when that's where the fish are. Electric reels let the captain go where the halibut are without wearing out the boat.
Easier for kids, older anglers and first-timers
Halibut fishing is still physical, but the hardest part of it, hauling a heavy weight up from the bottom over and over, is now the reel's job. Younger and older anglers can keep a line in the water all day, and first-timers can focus on the bite instead of their forearms. More on what to expect in our FAQ.
You still fight your fish
The Tanacom 800 is a power-assist reel, not a winch. It has a full crank handle and an aluminum knob as well as the motor, and the motor's speed is set by a lever under your thumb. Crank by hand, let the motor help, or mix the two when a big halibut makes a run. The drag goes up to 50 pounds, so a 100-pound-plus fish still has to be played, and the fight is still yours.
Meet the Daiwa Tanacom 800
We chose Daiwa's Tanacom 800 because it is built for exactly this kind of fishing: heavy rigs, deep water and big fish, in salt water every day of the season. Daiwa's specs:
- Maximum drag: 50 pounds
- Winding power: up to 22 pounds, from a 12-volt variable-speed motor
- Line capacity: 660 yards of 80-pound braid
- Motor: mounted with its gearing inside the spool, for more power and speed
- Electronics: fully sealed against salt water, with an LED screen that shows how much line is out
- Automatic stop: the motor stops the rig near the surface instead of winding it into the rod tip
The line readout helps on the water too: when the captain calls out a depth, you can see exactly where your bait is. The Tanacoms are on our halibut rods; for rockfish and salmon we fish lighter tackle with light weights, where a hand-cranked reel is half the fun.
How it works on the boat
- Drop. Your bait and weight free-spool to the bottom, just like a regular reel, and the screen counts the line going out.
- Fish. On anchor we fish bait on circle hooks; when the current is fast we drift and jig. Either way, you are holding the rod and waiting for the bite.
- Hook up. When a halibut takes the bait, reel down and let the circle hook set, the same as always.
- Fight. Crank by hand, use the lever to bring in line, or both. Your deckhand will be right there with you.
- Reset. Checking bait or moving spots? The motor brings the rig up and the automatic stop halts it near the surface.
Your captain or deckhand will show you how it works before the first drop. Want to know more about how we fish? Read fishing for halibut: how it's done.
Part of what's included
Electric reels are included on every trip at no extra charge, along with rods, tackle, bait and a crew that fishes Homer every day of the season. Pair them with one of our boats, which carry no more than six passengers, and you get a day on the water designed around catching fish rather than wearing you out.
Homer Halibut Hunters is a member of the Daiwa Guide Team.
Electric reel questions
Do your halibut charters use electric reels?
Yes. Since the 2026 season every Homer Halibut Hunters boat is rigged with Daiwa Tanacom 800 electric reels on its halibut rods, and they are included in every trip at no extra charge.
Do I still get to fight the fish with an electric reel?
Yes. The Tanacom 800 is a power-assist reel: it has a normal crank handle as well as a motor, and you control the motor with a lever under your thumb. Crank it yourself, let the motor help, or switch between the two during the fight. It is still your fish.
Are electric reels good for kids and older anglers?
They make a big difference. The motor does most of the work of winding heavy weights up from 70 to 200 feet of water, so younger, older and first-time anglers can fish all day instead of sitting out drops. Halibut fishing is still physical: see our FAQ on fitness.
What electric reel do you use?
The Daiwa Tanacom 800: 50 pounds of maximum drag, 22 pounds of winding power, room for 660 yards of 80-pound braid, sealed saltwater electronics and an LED screen that shows how much line is out.
Do I need to bring my own rod and reel?
No. Rods, reels, tackle and bait are all included, and every electric reel can also be cranked by hand.
Come fish the easy way
Big halibut, deep water and electric reels on every boat, out of Homer, the Halibut Capital of the World.