Come on guys...the halibut stocks off our coasts are not in danger. The "good old days" are now for halibut. In Canada just a few miles away the season is open 7 days a week. In Washington out of Neah Bay the lion's share of this fishery is taken by the tribes and commercials. Electric reels have nothing to do with it at all. Even though I don't own an electric reel they are used in all sorts of fisheries and allow a fisherman to fish bait on the bottom at 400+ feet and reel up dogfish after dogfish without getting exhausted and still fish for halibut. Halibut fishing is not catch and release fly fishing but a meat fishery. Don't kid yourself that this is some esoteric fishery where heavy gear is to be scorned. I do agree on the female release though. Too bad that halibut "trophies" are always females. They might be caught after spawning though. By the way this year's sports quota is larger than last year.