FP,

okay, say you get rid of the charters from the sport quota. the private boat angler currently takes between 70-75% of the poundage. based on last year's season... you'd gain a full 4 days (130% of 14 days) of fishing, which is not even a full week of fishing. to me that seems like an insignificant gain to restrict access to those who own boats (is that what you meant by "pay-to-play"?)

what i do like is that there is some agreement in going to an annual limit on halibut. this is a positive first step that i believe we can agree on, especially if we add fisheries like many are suggesting. imo, without an annual limit, any earlier openings (if the poundage would allow it) would just focus fisheries inside and then the pressure would just move, and not be reduced, to neah bay and la push.

the weather arguement is again imo total nonsense. there is a long history of halibut fishing in may, and it's a good thing to not have overlapping fisheries. may weather can be bad, but i've seen later openings marred by terrible weather.

fishinut,
i don't have all the info i would need to decide if halibut should be opened inside earlier. my first question would be what impact would that have on north coast quotas. if there's no impact, i could care less. let's also not forget the economy on the north coast if there would be a reduction. areas 3-4 have no winter blackmouth fishing, or other winter/spring opportunities. halibut fishing is the most important fishery to the port and town of neah bay. i'm very cautious when any proposals that might impact us come out. i see a concern among some private anglers to make their fishing easier (later openings, close fisheries, opening the strait in the winter)... and while i understand, i see the health of a town i live half the year in and am going to fight to protect it as best that i can. that means longer seasons, and i'm willing to make some sacrifices (which the charters have been taking with new open areas and later opening dates).

i remember events a little differently, but we have different perspectives. the charters did not want the c-spot opened... but the private interests pushed hard on it (and there are quite a few yelloweye in that open area.)

i did miss one thing on your original post.... i think it's odd to single out one and only one charter as the only one who cares and lets up on the fish. from what i see, when halibut is open... every boat targets halibut... even those associated with RFA.

and to those who are concerned about the sampling program for halibut. please contact the department and let them know, also demand qualified personnel be hired. the new hires last summer did a terrible job (measuring fish wrong, not checking boats, etc.).

chris bellows
http://www.fly-fishing-neahbay.com