Halibut 2017

[GLG]

As Dave said.. we have a couple issue in play that have impacts.. IREC has now been increase to a 50p level ..last season irec was a 25p level.. so to put in perspective...if we ran IREC 50p on last year catch...it would have ate up another 42,000 plus pounds... Yellow eye at this time who knows.... everyone that hali fish should be looking at descending devices to be on your Riggs this coming season for sure....

We reported to IPHC on 2016 catch at the iRec 50p and the amount that was left was 5,489 lbs ( I looked it up). That does not leave much wiggle room for keeping the same slot limits for this year even with the additional TAC.
http://www.iphc.int/meetings/2017am/IPHC-2017-AM093-AR08b.pdf

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Roger. Hope sfab takes into account September funny numbers (ie areas 10-12 caught more halibut in September than August and almost July? I fish there in September. Maybe saw 2 boats over a week fishing out. In July and August quite the opposite) as much as they will august.

And sure dfo will give us wiggle room after leaving 650,000 lbs in water over a few years. Mind boggling like I think my head changed shapes here to think there's consideration to reduce limits and that dfo wouldn't give leeway

Take away September funny numbers and have closer to 60,000 lbs left over.

 

[GLG]

I see what your saying..... on page 11 and also Note: 1. Data in shaded cells are average iREC estimates from the 2013 and 2014 survey. Maybe that's what Derby was saying about 42,000 plus pounds if we used last years iRec. This is going to be a challenge to keep the season open and have a decent slot limit. As for the past underage... that's biomass left in the water to spawn or maybe we did catch it but it was never recorded. Either way I think it's best not to dwell on it.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Not trying to dwell on it Just believe that DFO would realize this and allow for fall fishery. Sure they would. Don't they also take iRec off at very end? So kind of mute point or was I mistold by someone? So they are using those iRec estimates for area 10-12 and totally screwing it up as I'm on the water and see...so what does that tell you about iRec? Why is that not brought up by sfab? Cause that is another reason to push for 25p and not 50 from it...apparently it's full of **** for some areas anyway.

133/83 or 90 is 100% doable. Honestly GLG, do you really think people will be ok with this with an increase, although slight, in TAC and funny numbers from September? It is already a competitive disadvantage for fishing tourists to come to BC with that 83cm...nevermind lowering the upper...with area 3A having one a day any size, and 4 possession of that any size for tourists, that'll push more people north if we keep lowering. Make it 5 halibut per season as that really only affects the local who can get 5 fish to the upper slot limit and 5 30-70lb halibut are a crap ton of meat. I'd be ok with 5.

If we are 20,000 lbs over you honestly think DFO will shut us down early? When in past years they have let us go over to make it to Sept long weekend and left 600,000 lbs in water over past few years, not dwelling on it but you know it will come into the decision tree and they know the economic value of rec sector.

 

[papalorge]

Sooo it's February 1, did halibut open? I haven't seen an update from dfo. What about sizes? Same as last year?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Sooo it's February 1, did halibut open? I haven't seen an update from dfo. What about sizes? Same as last year?

Its going to open for Feb. Announcement from DFO this afternoon apparently.

 

[GLG]

For 2017, the recreational fishery allocation is 1,118,029 pounds.
The following measures will be in effect as noted below.

Further updates on the fishing regulations for April 1, 2017 will be provided
later in February following meetings with the Sport Fishing Advisory Board
(SFAB).

Coast-wide:
Open time:
Effective at 00:01 hours February 1, 2017 fishing for halibut will be opened
coast-wide until further notice.

Licensing:
The 2016/2017 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licences and Conditions of Licence,
remain in effect until 23:59 hours March 31, 2017.

Limits and sizes:
Effective February 1, 2017 until further notice:
-The maximum length for halibut is 133cm.
-The daily limit for halibut is one (1).
-The possession limit for halibut is two (2), only one (1) of which may be over
83cm in length.
-The annual limit is six (6) halibut per licence holder, as set out on the
2016/2017 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.
-All halibut retained by the licence holder shall be immediately recorded on
the 2016/2017 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence. The area from which each
halibut is caught and its length shall immediately be recorded on licence.

The exceptions to these openings are:

Areas 121:
No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121
outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees
34.000 minutes and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes W and continues south easterly at
a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes and 125
degrees 01.687 minutes W.

Area 121:
Closed to all finfish, year round in the waters of Swiftsure Bank, inside a
line from 48 degrees 34.00 minutes N and 125 degrees 06.00 minutes W, thence to
48 degrees 34.00 minutes N and 124 degrees 54.20 minutes W, thence to 48
degrees 29.62 minutes N and 124 degrees 43.40 minutes W, thence following the
International Boundary between Canada and the U.S. to 48 degrees 29.55 minutes
N and 124 degrees 56.20 minutes W, thence in a straight line to the point of
commencement.
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=193069&ID=all

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Any news? 2016 was also a big down year for salmon for most areas so many, many more targeted halibut...hope SFAB considers that as well as the essentially made up Sept numbers and not just the factors that would increase TAC caught.

 

[GLG]

Any news? 2016 was also a big down year for salmon for most areas so many, many more targeted halibut...hope SFAB considers that as well as the essentially made up Sept numbers and not just the factors that would increase TAC caught.

No news yet but are you talking about the IPHC 2016 September numbers because if so I pointed out that the where from previous years on post #23 on this thread.

 

[Derby]

any news as in what...hali size from April 1st on ward for 2017?

 

[ArimaDave]

Looking for a little help here. Planning on skipping the halibut fishing on the US side because we only get 3 (yes 3) days of halibut season. If quota remains, they will add more, but who can plan on that?

So, my buddies and I are buying BC licenses. Will do the trip up to get the paper license (bit of a hassle, for sure), but it's worth it so that we can actually plan a couple of weekends targeting halis.

Looking at the regulations, it appears as if there's a new closure at Swiftsure? I've fished on the US side and seen the line of Canadian boaters, but it almost seems like the area we've targeted before is now closed? Any thoughts on whether there is a part of the bank to target halibut outside of the closure?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

 

[michael_reiber]

Most people fish the NE corner of the closure for halibut, if you're planning on going in the summer you'll see a lot of boats anchored up there, it can be very hard to miss on some days.

 

[ArimaDave]

Thanks!

 

[ArimaDave]

Hey there, I'm planning on crossing the Strait next weekend and fishing for halibut either in the Strait or on Swiftsure Bank. I've been looking in the regulations and can't seem to find clarity on one question-- we no longer can use treble hooks in Washington, even for halibut. We are limited to two single point hooks per line. Also, inside the Strait the hooks need to be barbless. Can someone point me to the regs or tell me if I can run more than two hooks while fishing in BC? Like if I want to run two separate halibut rigs, can I have double hooks on each? I'm pretty sure that they don't have to be barbless based on the wording on the difference between salmon and halibut... but I'm not sure about the total number of hooks allowed.

Also, is anyone fishing on Swiftsure yet? Haven't seen ANY reports on the reports page... I'm wondering if maybe the fish aren't there yet?

Thanks!

 

[trophywife]

throw on what hooks you want. yer rig can only be made to catch one fish.... thats the way i read it.

2 lbs of weight.

and no electric reels or we make fun of ya.

 

[ArimaDave]

Thanks! Finally found it in glossary of the regs-- I can have one hook on each of my two rigs, but those hooks can be trebles, I guess

Bar rig
A line or leader with a weight no greater than 1 kg attached at the end, and from which no more than two lines are attached by means of one or more swivels, spreader bars or other means. Each of these two lines may have only one hook attached.

 

[tubber]

Thanks! Finally found it in glossary of the regs-- I can have one hook on each of my two rigs, but those hooks can be trebles, I guess

Bar rig
A line or leader with a weight no greater than 1 kg attached at the end, and from which no more than two lines are attached by means of one or more swivels, spreader bars or other means. Each of these two lines may have only one hook attached.

Keep searching. Bar rigs can have two separate hooks to catch two fish, but that is only used for bar fishing in places like the Fraser River.

For bottom fish in the ocean, you can have multiple hooks including trebles with barbs in most places, but the hooks need to be close enough together to hold your bait while you are trying to only catch one fish.

 

[trophywife]

Thanks! Finally found it in glossary of the regs-- I can have one hook on each of my two rigs, but those hooks can be trebles, I guess

Bar rig
A line or leader with a weight no greater than 1 kg attached at the end, and from which no more than two lines are attached by means of one or more swivels, spreader bars or other means. Each of these two lines may have only one hook attached.

good luck deciphering our regs... just ask

your use of kg's already shows your intelligence.

 

[ArimaDave]

Ha! I was just copying and pasting from the regs... so, I can't claim credit for my knowledge of conversions.

I only have sinkers that say 2 lbs. but I'm pretty sure I could do that math in my head if checked by enforcement!

I think I'm going to call someone at your Fisheries Dept. to get a firm answer on my double spreader bar set up. Want to be legal!!!

Maybe this is too much to ask, but I'm looking at the Swiftsure chart and it seems like there is a good looking area to the SW of the closures in Canadian Waters that we might target. But, someone else said that typically people target the NE edge of the closure. Anyone have coordinates that they use to fish halibut... if you would be willing to share? I'm assuming that Swiftsure halibut is not a secret spot... on the US side it's sure not.