60lb/15lb Halibut Limit - Let's Discuss

[wolf]

Cmon Steve thats as bad as the regulation WHY do you need or should but a tag when its "canadians fish" a tag system is dumb IT will not go back to the fish!!!! one only has to look at the salmon stamp to figure that out we get a whole 1 buck back from DFO and more hatchery cutbacks dams being destroyed figure it out man......
They are not for us trust me on this one

 

[Deewar25]

So can I get a clarification again on the rule - 15/60 meaning halibut only between 15 and 60 lbs right? Not rational one bit - I think about Renfrew - high % on the ranch are around 15 at best - are you really going to be able to establish a size different between a 13 and a 15? They all look the same at that size. That said, yes, they certainly can be released with ease when obviously small (which I'd prefer when with charter as I am not a fan of bonking the first little flattie that comes on board that ends up weighing a whooping 8 lbs!) Problem being, if circle is the rule, that is now a harder exercise and will take a serious hit to survival rate of the ping pong paddles. That is only done efficiently with J hook. Maybe they need to define regions (banks) where J hooks are acceptable?

Releasing over 60 - yeah, good luck for all those solo fisherman trying to measure as said. While that is fine for an obvious 150lb+ and you can just quick glance and cut the line and move on, I ask if any studies have been done tracking large halibut bought to the surface, thrashed around, measured, then cut with hook inside. What IS the survival rate on catch/release? How hardy are the big girls? Wouldn't approve this suggestion without any proven studies of survival.

Now the 6/year. I am totally fine with that 'as a south islander', but how realistic is that for someone that only fishes Renfrew? That isn't that much meat unless people stop fishing the banks and stick to anchor spots. Since a 'limit' is really only by honor system anyway, I would much rather see them do away with this 15-60 crap and circle only then just set an annual weight limit. 200lb max limit, end of story. Then Renfrew isn't screwed, Joe Blow doesn't die trying to release that pig in 8' swells, and heck, us Sooke types may only take 3 a year and be done. It's not like halibut is a sport fishery - its meat and all, so I'd be more than happy to have my weight limit and be done. Don't use 200 as an exact limit, but more like, you currently have 150lbs on your license, you catch what looks to be 100lb...u keep, your done. BTW, 200lbs of undressed would be a generous 50 days of halibut for a family 4. DO we really need more than that?

Thats my take on this apparently whole fiasco, unknowing how written in law it may be already!

 

[Cuba Libre]

SFAB has been tasked by DFO to come up with a decision that's going to be tough to take.
Nice.... Now they (SFAB) look like the bad guys.... Well played DFO....

Exactly.................

 

[Deewar25]

duhhhh, the slot thing again....wasn't thinking as the '60' threw me off

 

[GDW]

I don't like the rule but a few of your arguments I don't buy.

"higher mortality on big fish" - FALSE. Some might die true - but way more will be left in the ocean. Plus Hali eat tons of critters with spikes and claws I bet they would survive a deep hookset but even if they don't fewer will die if they are all released vs all bonked. Plus how many big ones won't even get hooked because they are not targeted.

"somebody will get hurt trying to measure" Might be true but anyone who brings a 5ft halibut on board alive with the intention on keeping it if it's 60 inches and releasing it if it's 61 inches deserves a Darwin award. Make your decision in the water if it's coming on board kill it first. If your off by a couple inches I really hope DFO would understand but if they don't it's better to pay a $200 fine then bring a 65lb Hali on board a small boat alive. Safety first a fish isn't worth damaging your boat or getting hurt. I know some won't be able to resist those people will probably just poach it anyways.

How long do they think the season will stay open? I read proposed march 15th opening so we loose two weeks off the start as well?

 

[Fish Assassin]

Does the SFAB make change or do they not just discusses what DFO is stuffing down our throats? Seems to me the last two years they have made the SFAB look like puppets.

Last fall when halibut topic started I said why are we starting so late. Now look new licenses come out next month and we are taking it up the azz again as sport fishermen.

 

[Doug]

How long do they think the season will stay open? I read proposed march 15th opening so we loose two weeks off the start as well?[/QUOTE]

I sure hope this quote is wrong (March 15th) or I'm going to have to start calling clients.

Has anyone else hear March 15th opening???

 

[hali hunter]

Last year we had the one over one under to extend our season,it didnt.Reason according to dfo there were more bigger fish .Now we reccomend a 15/60 to extend this season.How are we all gonna feel when it closes in early september again.Dfo will come up with an excuse . To reccomend this would be crazy because as soon as you give something too them they will never give it back.

 

[Tailspin]

Complete Cluster F@#k!

 

[sawbill]

The downward slide continues and were pickin up speed. Be nice if he average joe could vote on this crap. Put the proposals out there and let us fill out our ballots.

 

[trendsetter]

It seems this topic is discussed in great detail with many different suggestions and options for regulations to manage the TAC we were allocated. Somehow the final decision is for a solution that almost no one in the rec sector wanted. Honestly who was pushing for a 60lbs size limit? Ridiculous.

 

[steel_dreamin]

if a halibut comes into my boat it is going to meet it's maker - if I need to mark it down, so be it... If it is not 60lbs, so be it... these guys are off the rocker if they think a 60/15lb limit is pragmatic and manageable. A restriction of 6/year is also bollocks.

 

[GDW]

I guess we can all get an experimental license and pay $5 per pound to keep that trophy fish. A little more expensive then the $50 trophy tag suggested earlier (both are terrible ideas).

Doug I read march 15th on another thread here so it could be BS.

Maybe the bannana cup can go back to the original weekend what's the point of the just for the halibut derby now?

 

[Optimist]

Hey Mike ,6 works fine for me i was trying to say that if you give DFO a number it seems that you never get it back,why not make it 20 on your license and in low yrs like now a yearly annual limit can be put in place and ajusted accordingly,but like you said with guys loosing licenses and starting fresh hard to control March 15th is SFAB reccomended start date to DFO from the horses mouth

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Hi guys,

The SFAB has everyones best interest in mind. They had a very tough to decision to make. They made a very bad decision in 2012 that did not work at all. And to make up for that they made an even worse one in 2013. This decison will not only put south and north island halibut guides out of work, but it will increase mortality on the breeding fish. Thier is a slew of other things this will do, but those are top for me. By 2016, i cant imagine what our fishery will look like if we continue to give these guys the reigns. If it is truly thier fault....

I would love to here the anglers coalition offical press release on this. I very much would like to join this organization, as i think would many. But before jumping in with both feet, I want to make sure they are not only 100% against this decision, but against the SFAB process as a whole. The way i understand the process to work, after reading as much as i could over the last week, is each seperate SFAC holds meetings, then the SFAB takes the recommendations weighs out all in the input and makes a decision. I could be wrong, but i cant imagine, any local SFAC said they would like this 1/2 slot with max size and annual limit. This is probably the stupidest desicion in the history of fisheries.

So in closing, is all the SFAC stuff just lip service? Does the DFO already have thier mind made up and all these meetings are just for nothing? I would like to think the group that is tasked with representing our entire fishery is not as foolish as this decision. I hope, there is more to this story, but fear based on history, there is not. Sometimes when things dont add up as many times as they do, you need to look deeper. Maybe the SFAB is not to blame for all of this, and they are just set up to take the fall?

Hi Sculpin,

I have asked over 8 times where this meeting was. All i got was a response that it may be somewhere in richmond and that was from GLG whom i wasnt even asking but at least took the time to respond. Thank you GLG. I dont know alot, but it does not seem this process works for anyone. I cant think of a single person or fish that can benefit from this. Hopefully this will be enough for people to wake up.

Central coast sfac did suggest max size limit of 70lbs and annual limit if 5. This sfac is headed by Sid Keay of Duncanby lodge. This sfac is also a joke...

 

[Fish Assassin]

as well in haida gwaii where thier entire marketing is geared on the chance to catch a bruiser halibut and where most halibut caught are over 60bs.

You don't know what you are talking about. That is complete BS. They don't want the guides taking guests to catch bruisers cause they have to fly them out. At least that was the case at Langara and WCFC.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

I know one train of thought was that this would extend season so that guides and lodges wouldn't have to buy in to the experimental license, but this in fact has done the exact opposite. A lot more will. Just wait and see. The sfab had a few goals from my understanding going into this and literally did not accomplish one of them...they just smiled and nodded at dfo, ok, that sounds great...

 

[chevyshaulass]

a lot of greed and a bit of plain stupidity in this thread. how much hali meat does one person need? 75-100 pounds of white isnt enough? as for you guys saying a lot more fish are going to die, get a grip. theyre halibut not salmon. incredibly tough fish especially the large ones.

 

[profisher]

I have no problem with 6 hali a year, that is ample for anyone. I do agree with most on here that it is going to be almost impossible to measure halibut in the water to avoid taking an oversize illegal fish. You can't bring them on board to do it without gaffing them....not the best scenario for any hope of survival. Hooks are also often taken deep down the throat and also almost impossible to deal with while the fish is thrashing in the water. That part of the proposal needs some more thought.
The 6 fish a year that I believe in was further re-enforced in the past few days. I was talking to some customers (not fishing customers) the other day and the topic about halibut came up. She commented that the price of halibut is through the roof right now. She then said even her friend that she has bought from now wants almost the same price per pound for his fish. She says I'm not paying him the store price so I haven't bought any for awhile. Unfortunately rules are created as a result of the few who abuse the system and screw the rest of us and the resource.

 

[Optimist]

You bet Mike ,these ideas are in the works already for the derby ,they just got there 400 hats ,as Darren said and i quote,we will have to re-invent the wheel