What's the deal with your guys halibut regs?

Man you guys have some stuff to deal with! Invasive permit? What's that? You actually have depth limits to halibut fish? Why? What's your limit? Is it a slot?

Probably the way things are gonna end up here if we don't start watching the resource

Probably the way things are gonna end up here if we don't start watching the resource

That is exactly what will happen.

Have you looked at the Washington Regs?  It's open 2 days a week, for 2 weeks, with further days possible.  (This year it was a total of 7 days for our Area 4, Neah Bay fishery)

Yeah it's scary how many fish get taken each day. I bet hundreds of halibut are caught each day in the summer here.

And it seems that our fish and game department really likes to drive things into the ground before any action is taken.

Right now we are experiencing dismal king returns. Instead of shutting it down they just put a bunch of
Restrictions on which I don't think help all that much.

The thing is, if we buy a Canadian lisc and cross the border here in the strait we get several hundred more days to fish halibut.  Somebody is clueless don't know if it is us or the Canadians but it's crazy, course I'm not gonna paddle to cananda to fish.  But m PBer friends head over the boundary and catch the fish and come home with it, no problem. 

I think the regs in WA favor the commericial harvest bottom line.

I think the regs in WA favor the commericial harvest bottom line.

I think you're right

Man you guys have some stuff to deal with! Invasive permit? What's that? You actually have depth limits to halibut fish? Why? What's your limit? Is it a slot?

Probably the way things are gonna end up here if we don't start watching the resource

From what I have heard, halibut is managed by an international committee.  and the North American stocks are very healthy, esp. when compared to other species.  I'm no expert, but I'm sure the halibut resource is scrutinized in Alaska, and your generous sportfishing regulations reflect the very healthy numbers up there.  Which is awesome...for you!!!

Man you guys have some stuff to deal with! Invasive permit? What's that? You actually have depth limits to halibut fish? Why? What's your limit? Is it a slot?

Probably the way things are gonna end up here if we don't start watching the resource

I'm curious about that too.  I downloaded the Oregon fishing reg, but couldn't find it spelled out...just that there's an "all-depth" special season? 

I believe it's because of the bi-catch at those depths pretty much kill any rockfish.

Its quota driven.  Sporties get X number of landed pounds. They break this up into two slices.   "Nearshore" ( sand to 40 fathoms) and "The All Depth" (sand west) days as a way to extend the season.  Most of Oregon's guaranteed "fish in a bucket" halibut fisheries are about 30+ miles out and very deep, but if you go everyone will get fish .  The quota would be gone in a week or so if it was left open.  So they close it West of 40 fathoms on all but a handful of "all depth" days ( in the early spring, with bonus days in the summer as quota allows) and they leave it open 7 days a week inside 40 where there are halibut but they are much harder to come by. This allows anglers longer to target them and it also gives smaller vessels who can't go 30+ miles out and must wait for better conditions a shot at them.  Once the all depth quota and the nearshore quota are used up Halibut closes for the year (early August)

I believe it's because of the bi-catch at those depths pretty much kill any rockfish.

Noah.. Thats why rockfish is closed outside 40 Fathoms and outside 20 fathoms later in the year as we get close to the rockfish quota. Its to protect the threatened Orange Rockfish (canary and yellow eye). If the Orange rockfish quota gets exceed all rockfishing closes along the entire coast.  They extrapolate orange rockfish by-catch based on "angler days" and thats the main reason there are fish checkers on the sand in PC and  in the main ports.  Its a numbers game and if the numbers get used up we're done fishing.

From what I have heard, halibut is managed by an international committee. 

The committee you refer to is the International Pacific Halibut Commission, or IPHC.  These guys have some serious political pull with regard to both commercial and recreational halibut management.

Careful.  See here for Oregon sport fish groundfish depths this year.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/reg_changes/marine.asp

Most of Oregon's guaranteed "fish in a bucket" halibut fisheries are about 30+ miles out and very deep,

Wow, 30+ miles out?  How deep are the waters there?  We never fished deeper than around 40 fathoms up in AK (Cook Inlet), usually less than 30 fathoms.  Then again, the tide runs so strong up there keeping a bait on the bottom while hanging on anchor took a minimum of 2# weight in really slack running tides, and more often than not 4# to keep it on the bottom that deep with tides of 15+ feet; forget about fishing that deep when the tide runs over 20 feet.

Careful.  See here for Oregon sport fish groundfish depths this year.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/reg_changes/marine.asp

Wow, y'all are restricted to, what, 2~3 miles off shore?...not that I'd really want to that far out with a yak, but on a charter boat that would make you feel really restricted.

We'd run for 50 miles out of Homer, AK; when the tide/wind/weather cooperated, but on Dad's 41' charter boat was an easy thing to do...with the exception of paying for fuel.

Two words... they suck!

So...how deep do folks fish during the "all-depth"?