ODFW halibut date(s)available info

Just received this via e-mail and wanted to share ;

ODFW Staff Recommended Halibut Dates Available
02/19/2013
After a lengthy discussion, and reviewing the input received via phone, e-mails, the public meeting, and the online survey, ODFW staff are recommending the following dates for sport Pacific halibut all-depth seasons between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mt:
 
 
 
 Spring all-depth “Fixed Dates”:   May 9-11; May 16-18, May 30-June 1, and June 6-8
 
 
 
Spring all-depth “Back-up Dates”, if quota remaining:   June 20-22, July 4-6, and July 18-20
 
 
 
Summer all-depth:  opens Aug 2-3, every other Friday and Saturday until quota is attained
 
 
 


Staff was initially concerned about having an opening during June 20-22 due to negative tides, but most anglers we spoke to throughout the coast indicated that the negative tides wouldn’t be an issue those days because the strong outgoing current will occur before first light and that the current will be slack or incoming during first light, which is when nearly everyone departs.  This included small boat anglers from ports with rough bars, such as Garibaldi and Bandon.
 
 
 
The staff recommended season dates map for all Oregon subareas can be found at:   http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/seasonmaps/2013%20recommendation.pdf   The season dates and regulations will be finalized by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commissions (OFWC) at their April 26 meeting.

What is up with the Thurs - Sat only for Nearshore fishing?!?!!??
This puts me out of the game entirely............. 

-Spot-

What is up with the Thurs - Sat only for Nearshore fishing?!?!!??
This puts me out of the game entirely............. 

-Spot-

I was bummed too cause you damn well know any incidental halibut I hook will be on a Tuesday.  They hope it will make the quota last longer

What is up with the Thurs - Sat only for Nearshore fishing?!?!!??
This puts me out of the game entirely............. 

-Spot-

If I am looking at the calendar correctly, Thursday/Friday/Saturday are all depth fishing.

What is up with the Thurs - Sat only for Nearshore fishing?!?!!??
This puts me out of the game entirely............. 

-Spot-

If I am looking at the calendar correctly, Thursday/Friday/Saturday are all depth fishing.

Maybe this will make things a bit more clearer... from the link in the original post.

CAPE FALCON TO HUMBUG MT.

Nearshore Season..................................................... Quota = 23,038 lbs.
Open May 2, three days per week (Thursday-Saturday), inside the 40-fathom
line (defined by waypoints) through the earlier of 23,038 lbs. or Oct. 31.

All-Depth Seasons.......................Combined Quota = 168,942 lbs.
The Stonewall Bank YRCA (about 15 miles west of Newport and defined by
waypoints) is closed to Pacific halibut fishing. Anglers on vessels possessing
Pacific halibut are prohibited from fishing in the Stonewall Bank YRCA, even
when targeting legal species.

Spring:  Open May 9-11, May
16-18, May 30-June 1, and June
6-8. Backup days are June 20-
22, July 4-6, and July 18-20. 
Spring limit = 120,947 lbs.

Summer:  Open every other
Friday and Saturday (Aug. 2-3,
Aug. 16-17, Aug. 30-31, Sept. 13-
14, Sept. 27-28, Oct. 11-12, Oct.
25-26) until the quota is taken.

Thanks - I missed the link in the OP and didn't understand Spot's post. I do now.

I was reading about this on the ODFW site and there were a couple of things I wasn't entirely clear on. One of those things was if the possession of "other legal species" restriction is for everyone or only the deep-water fishermen? In this message it seems obvious but on the ODFW site it did not.

I'd really like it if they would post a version of the rules that is like a decision tree... this is what licenses I have, this is where/when I am fishing. What rules apply to me?

As I understand it right now, I can currently (until October) fish for and retain halibut nearshore Thu-Sat only. Great. Now what about those "other legal species" issue...

I was reading about this on the ODFW site and there were a couple of things I wasn't entirely clear on. One of those things was if the possession of "other legal species" restriction is for everyone or only the deep-water fishermen? In this message it seems obvious but on the ODFW site it did not.

I'd really like it if they would post a version of the rules that is like a decision tree... this is what licenses I have, this is where/when I am fishing. What rules apply to me?

As I understand it right now, I can currently (until October) fish for and retain halibut nearshore Thu-Sat only. Great. Now what about those "other legal species" issue...

It's for everyone. Basically if you have a ling, rockfish, or a cabezon on board you can not retain a halibut. You can however, catch your halibut, land, unload, and head back out for bottomfish.

One other one to be aware of. If you catch a salmon and have it on your boat, you can fish for and retain bottomfish, but you have to do so with barbless hooks. I'm sure it's buried in the regs somewhere but it was news to me this spring.

I was reading about this on the ODFW site and there were a couple of things I wasn't entirely clear on. One of those things was if the possession of "other legal species" restriction is for everyone or only the deep-water fishermen? In this message it seems obvious but on the ODFW site it did not.

I'd really like it if they would post a version of the rules that is like a decision tree... this is what licenses I have, this is where/when I am fishing. What rules apply to me?

As I understand it right now, I can currently (until October) fish for and retain halibut nearshore Thu-Sat only. Great. Now what about those "other legal species" issue...

The "other legal species" thing applies to everyone on "All Depth Days", regardless of how deep you are fishing.  So what Noah said and the opposite applies as well: if you have a halibut on board, you cannot retain any lings, rockfish, cabs, etc..

Thank you for your replies - that helps clear it up!

I am really supportive of fisheries management but I wish they could explain the rules in such a way that people (like us) who are trying to follow the rules could actually do so easily.

Anyway thanks for the clarification - might have to try this halibut thing.

This PDF was the clearest explanation I've seen so far, maybe it will help someone else.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/finfish/halibut/seasonmaps/2013_hbt_map.pdf