Recreational Halibut - Non-profit anglers

[Captain PartyMarty]

I see lots of you are for the 1/1, my guess is that most of you are close to the resource and hence the cost of catching that fish is relatively low. I think if you're going to apply a yearly limit then it's only fair that it should be the angler’s choice when and where he takes his fish. If he wants he should be able to take the entire limit in one day otherwise your discriminating between the local fisherman and rest of Canada. If your argument is that will eat through the TAC quickly then the only fair thing to do is to reduce the yearly take for everybody. As an out of towner I would prefer to see a Yearly limit of 3, 3 in possession and 2 under 1 unlimited in size.

Oh ya and More TAC!

 

[trophywife]

I fish for halibut both on charters and on my own boat. I always charter in a group of 4+ anglers. Everytime ive been guided for halibut we have limited out. We always split the catch evenly. So 1/1 would mean if 4 guys go out and 1 guy gets a 20 then next gets a 100 and then the other two get 50's each angler ends up with 55 pounds. Seems fair to me. If I go out in my own boat and fish for halibut Im never alone and whatever we catch is split evenly. To me 1/1 makes the most sense!

I also will say that if there was quota left over on Dec 31st then if our season doesen't open feb 1st would be considered a failure! Our season has to open feb 1st!

-KK

you would actually end up with hopefully 25-30 lbs of fillets..
fully agree that it should open feb1 as we should have access to our unused portion. With me having no more room
on my liscence, my wife and kids would like more for sure!!

 

[Fish Assassin]

1/1 I'll be lucky if I get 1 in my freezer then. Guys wanting 1/1 must have fish in their own back yard. 1/1 I could only see this bringing on high grading of fish for a bigger one. 1/2 with slot is better for most I'd think. I'll say again I'd rather 1/2 with a limit of 4 then 1/1.

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

I agree with FA if it's 1/1 unlimited size everybody will be high grading and many fish will die.

 

[the fog ducker]

you cant do this with other species , neither should we be able to with Halibut ???

most guys not living on the island are for 1/2 , the guys i know atleast ,
also as i said earlier , a 1/1 is fine with me , im there alot .
but not fair to the guys that only get out a few times a year , spend Rediculous amounts of money on your local businesses
in my earlier post , i also forgot ta say , " Lose the Slot " im onboard with leavin the big girls alone , but raise the max size slightly ,
nothing wrong with the meat on a 80 lb fish , and i see a few every summer around this size in my area , sux letting it go if it was the only fish hit all day
at the end of the day , its about havin enuff meat for your family for the season
weve restricted our table fare to six fish , if needed , most sportys i know are fine with that ,
lets make the playing field level for ALL USERS !!
1/2 and 6 no slot , slightly larger max size....

fd

I see lots of you are for the 1/1, my guess is that most of you are close to the resource and hence the cost of catching that fish is relatively low. I think if you're going to apply a yearly limit then it's only fair that it should be the angler’s choice when and where he takes his fish. If he wants he should be able to take the entire limit in one day otherwise your discriminating between the local fisherman and rest of Canada. If your argument is that will eat through the TAC quickly then the only fair thing to do is to reduce the yearly take for everybody. As an out of towner I would prefer to see a Yearly limit of 3, 3 in possession and 2 under 1 unlimited in size.

Oh ya and More TAC!

 

[Samnjoe]

1/1 I'll be lucky if I get 1 in my freezer then. Guys wanting 1/1 must have fish in their own back yard. 1/1 I could only see this bringing on high grading of fish for a bigger one. 1/2 with slot is better for most I'd think. I'll say again I'd rather 1/2 with a limit of 4 then 1/1.

I agree.
High grading for sure.
Everyone would be throwing back fish they would normally keep looking for the big one.
All I am looking for is 2 in the 30 to 40 range per trip.
6 per year is plenty.
We put back at least 4 overs this year and to let you the truth I was fine letting them go.
That said I do not begrudge a guy wanting one fish of a lifetime.
He likely wont keep another one once he eats it!

 

[Purple Hazer]

Personally I am against any slot, we as rec fishers are the only user group that has to let the big ones go. I see how 1/1 might be an issue for out of towners, and I did ask a question about packaging your first fish(St. Jeans) is it legal, if so case solved. As for high grading if I catch a 35-40lb fish would I be throwing it back to try and get a bigger one, not in your life that is a beautiful fish. So if the out of towners are fishing for the day, 4 people on board well then you have the chance to catch a bigger one, maybe release a 15 lber if not hooked to bad, easy to deal with, is that high grading, I think not. Otherwise we are all high grading when it comes to salmon fishing, throw back a 15 in hopes of a 20+. Also I do not care if we get 11 months of the year to fish, by the estimates the tonnage taken early and late is minimal and only certain areas can fish at these times due to weather, these are my opinions and am not bashing anyone if theirs is different.

 

[vic-tory]

I agree with FA if it's 1/1 unlimited size everybody will be high grading and many fish will die.

That's ALREADY happening!!! You get one under 83cm, that's a ping pong paddle, maybe 4-5lbs of meat off it at best, you think people don't already say, let's get the biggest one we possibly can for their second fish? Of course they do as they have jack **** for halibut meat already. Nothing would really change in terms of the high grading. Plus we are already killing hundreds of 60+lb halibut!!!

One thing no one has brought up is killing all these smaller fish...what happens when the breeding stock we currently have is gone? Well we have been killing so many of the smaller fish there won't be nearly as many as in the past to replace the current breeders...then we are even in a larger hole!

 

[Fish Assassin]

One thing no one has brought up is killing all these smaller fish...what happens when the breeding stock we currently have is gone? Well we have been killing so many of the smaller fish there won't be nearly as many as in the past to replace the current breeders...then we are even in a larger hole!

If the commercial boats catch larger fish and we all catch smaller fish that's going to leave zero fish. It's completely stupid.

 

[tubber]

In the 80's I caught lots of halibut with Norwegian jigs and buzzbombs because the commercial boat I worked on was anchored and what else was a guy to do but jig and wait for a net opening. Few people targeted them. But, thanks to this forum I have gps spots, proven gear for achoring, drifting or trolling, and I can catch a halibut most times I try now that I have more knowledge.
I am not a smart man. If I can do this, can't most other rec fishers?

To extrapolate, the limit inevitably will be 1 fish annually, anything over 5 lbs needs to be released. +/- 250,000 rec fishers X 5 = over TAC. Or a moose type draw where if you are lucky you can keep one any size every few years.

Meanwhile I travel and would prefer 2/1. 6 annual was fine for us and all of ours were chickens last year. I don't give halibut to friends and family.

 

[wolf]

Ok im going to chime in here hold on while I put my non guide hat on ok LOL............................................................................................................

OK im ready WE ARE ALL recreational fisherman (sport fisherman) call it what you want we are all together. dont look at as guide versus noon guide we are all sport fishers..... period
I love to fish is as well so when I dont have a client am i still a guide when I go with my buddies???? NO........ im sportfishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when I do have clients do i get to keep the fish??? NO .........one look in my freezer will tell you that!!!!!! people that hold a Canadian fishing licence has bought one for the means of catching fish be it a cod,halibut,salmon flounder etc im am just a means for anyone and some with there own boats to go fishing .... no different if you get on a plane or a taxi to go somewhere we are a mode of transportation. Im not eating up the TAC sportfishing does............. that's what its there for.......again look in my freezer not much in there.......

you go to any place on this coast and look at the ratio to guides to non guide boats..... its amazing how many non guide boats out number guide boats when I go out halibut fishing I look on west constance and count sometimes close to 50 to 75 boats out there there are only about 6 to 10 charters that run out of victoria ......do the math

ill use vic/sooke waters for example and the halibut derby ok they sell on avg 400+- tickets(depending on weather) and say 3 people per boat that equates to about roughly 133 boats and how many guide runs out of vic/sooke??? maybe 20 at most so 113 are NON GUIDE but you still want to point the finger well might want to point alright but point it back at yourselfs ..... quite blaming us "Guides" to taking all the fish we cant EVEN compete with what the NON profit angler takes

You of all people should know that finished business you hired me last year and we went fishing had a GREAT time got fish ....did i get any?? no look in my freezer LOL LOL And I go fishing again with you if you wanted it was a blast and we had good conversation most importantly it was FUN and thats what its all about isnt it???

One last point so you say non profit angler?? ok ummm how many of you go out with a buddy who owns a great boat you go fishing for the day you toss him a 100 bucks for gas bait etc you bring a lunch and some beers guess what??? you just paid for a trip didnt you .... splitting the cost its now a profit sharing venue isn't it.........you got to go fishing you got to keep some fish (hopefully) and you went home with out having to maintain a boat except the guy who owns that boat has to do all that .....hhmmmm sounds kinda like a sportfishing trip to me......... you see NO difference.

How many NON profit anglers call there relatives friends etc and say HEY im going to the west coast on vacation on this date to this date want to come???can pencil you in for these dates as uncle tom is coming on these dates and then cousin bob is coming from these dates but can fit you in on these dates just help by paying the gas,bait,oil,gear.moorage etc but you get to take home a whack of fish....

bye for now

Wolf

 

[Purple Hazer]

Hey Wolf do you make a living off of the resource? Do you consider yourself a commercial operation (C#)? Are 100% of your clients Canadian? Paying a $100 dollars to a friend for gas, is chartering, good one, hell I am lucky to get a fiver of gas from my friends when they go out with me. You own a boat and know what it costs to keep it going. Also your math is a wee bit flawed, average rec fisher maybe might fish 30 days in a season (with the exception of Craven ), plus we are not that good at it don't catch as many fish as the experts, as you have stated in a previous post about the rec angler not catching many fish must not know what he is doing. So a guide fishes 100 days a year x 4 guests, probably limits out 90% of the time a few more fish caught then projected. Wolf seeing as you are a longtime member why don't you start another thread and people can post on that and agree to disagree. Sorry to the poster of this thread (hijacking/off topic) just though Wolfs post needed a rebuttal, now back on track to the original topic, Rec Fishers and halibut .

 

[wolf]

I am a rec fisher too you apparently cant read too well as you dont get it what I was saying after 7 posts your going to call me out cmon man!!!!!
and if your only getting a fiver out of your friends thats YOUR fault isnt it.

MATH is bang on man Ive seen it for many many years im the one that is a dooer not one that says they are ...

Wolf

 

[GDW]

I haven't read all the BS up to this point but its time to chime in.

I'm a rec fishermen and for me the most important factor is a long season. I feel I invested so much in fishing that I should be able to choose when I go. It benefits locals AND out of towners to have a long season. This year any family visiting around Christmas could get out halibut fishing. Lots of guys seem to think since summer is prime vacation time that's when all the fish should be caught but what about all those people who visit in the off season? Sorry no fishing for you?

Lets use what TAC we have to get a season that runs feb 1 - dec 31 and then do whatever limits we need to in order to make that happen. Yes last year I got my early but I could still take friends out and that's what it's all about. Fun times with friends and family - NOT slaughter the biggest fish that swims.

 

[CCB]

Oops lol

1-2 limit 6 one over buy hey that's just me.

Early season benefits only locals and very few non locals a longer season benefits only locals and even fewer non locals.

I fish for Hali in July and maybe August and along with 30 people. I take out.

An earlier season I can see but into mid Sep , oct, nov, dec . There's no point it's hunting season.

Cheers

 

[Purple Hazer]

Wolf no need to shout but you did not answer one of my questions and I am not calling anyone out. GDW good post.

 

[calmsea]

I didn't like the maximum size limit and I did like the longer season although past end of October I usually do not fish for hali anymore so if it gets cut off there I would not argue. Yearly limit at 6 + is acceptable for me. So, there you have my season conclusion.