Since the Washington ocean Halibut fishery is managed by the IPHC with a quota system, I'd like to hear some opinions concerning the allowable use of electric reels in our waters.
Personally, I am all for their use by anglers who hold a disability lisence. But what about everone else that uses them?
Despite the fact that the regulations say that electric reels must be mounted on hand-held fishing rods, is this still "sport fishing?"
I say this because I observed more than one boat full of anglers, in recent years, winch up 'butt after 'butt with them from their rod holders, until they were happy with the size of the fish. Then out comes the harpoon. And these were big females. (The largest male Pacific Halibut ever recorded was 74lbs.)
My concern is not just the impact to our quota, but also the impact to the stocks of this resource.
Any opinions are appreciated.

J.D.

How can it be a "handheld rod" if you are reeling while the rod is secured in a rodholder? That seems like the problem right there.

Seems to be a gray area.

Okay, black or white.
Do you think that electric reel should be legal, or illegal? Why?

illegal, no question. of course, there should be a waiver for those who are truly disabled... but imo electric reels should be banned.

first, because the seasons are getting shorter on the north coast and the best holes are often over 400 ft. deep, electric reels give people the option of sorting fish that they otherwise wouldn't if they had to actually crank up their own fish (not that it's that hard).

secondly, this is sportfishing, and to me electric reels are not sporting or necessary.

we're seeing a dramatic explosion in pressure on the north coast (and the resulting shorter seasons).... for the sake of the economy, the state should make some moves to save our halibut fishery, and one step would be to make fishing deep water harder.

the charters don't fish them, and there are tons of inexperienced anglers that reel up their own fish. imo, if you aren't disabled and using an electric reel, you're a bit of a puss.

chris

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.

Well Grandpa beat me to it. Don't knock electric reels until you have tried them. Reeling up dogfish is a pain. I just bought my first electric reel after many years of hand cranking. The last two years I have used a friends Fishing NG reels. There is still sport to it as you still have to pump the rod. Its not like it is a winch. The great part about them is you can fish deeper waters. I have hand reeled up 50 pound halibut from 650+ feet like everyone else. We are not the ones wiping out the fish. Watch the big mother processor ship out at Neah Bay with the three smaller ships feeding it on a daily basis and tell me a couple of hooks and lines per boat are wiping out our fish. Have you ever seen them open up the gates and dump the bycatch? Its discusting and never gets easier. In fact I get madder everytime I see it. We ran through thousands of sable cod floating on the surface a couple of years ago. The ones that weren't dead were belly up dying. I am sure that the tribes beat us to it before it opens. The reason they shrimp before us is because they beat BC to the market. I am sure it is the same with halibut. Tr

Holy Shiatt I'm sore just thinking about that.

Funny story from my Alaska trip last year -- after our first afternoon of bottomfishing in 300', one of our gang remarks that he pretty much hated it, and could we please just fish salmon all the next day. Well, the next day we head back out to the deep after lunch for more bottomfishing, this time in 400'. He's not at all pleased. His plan is to just not pay attention to what he is doing and try his darndest to keep the halibut off his rig. Well sure enough, his rod is the first to start banging, and after some good-natured kidding, he finally begins to reel up his halibut. Here it comes, it's a ... it's a ... it's a great big dogfish

Its a meat fishery, if a guy wants to use electric reels, I say, go for it.

All this talk of fishing butts in 400'-500'-600'+ sure makes me appreciate Ak. I rarely see 300' and some of our best halibut grounds are 180' that can easily be fished with salmon gear.

I have fished halibut in Cook Inlet near Homer and it is true that shallow water halibut fishing is alot more fun.

I was out at Neah 2 years ago when I saw a couple of acres of floaters from that mother ship. We made the move from the halibut meat sticks to Loomis 930's with Bantam 50's and fish Pt. Wilson darts for the butts. Our bycatch is kings on the drop. I think what is shortening the season in areas 3 & 4 are the charters out of the south (Westport etc.) I've seen mostly older folks using the electrics and for them I'm all for it.

OH Boy JerryG....Ron isn't that old? I use Kunan Hot Rail rods with Shimano TLD 25 reels filled with TuffLIneXP...I think they hold 3000yds of that line. I like to fish large white darts at slack tide. Fishing with 4# or lead and herring in 500 ft of water is a pain in the butt.

first of all, nobody has said that sportfishing has caused the decline? of halibut. but the fact is that even with a higher quota this year, imo this will be the shortest halibut season ever in areas 3-4. first, we are losing the first 11 days of may... and then a big chunk of quota is given to a mid-june opener (if that quota was left in may it would last longer... ie more opportunity).

with shorter and shorter seasons, why should we sacrifice the economy of these coastal ports to make it easy on people to reel up fish (if you're catching dogfish, change what you're fishing, and you won't catch them).

yes, halibut stocks are doing well off the washington coast, but the halibut fishery isn't healthy.

btw, well over 70% of the quota is caught by private boats, not charters.

the biggest problem is wdfw is being pressured to change seasons by those who care more about the day or two they want to fish than the health of the sportfishing economies of the north coast.

chris

We do the same Grandpa, 8 oz. white Pt Wilson darts

They should be allowed for anyone willing to pay for one. Many days I would have killed for one when fishing 500 ft plus.

They should be allowed for anyone willing to pay for one. Many days I would have killed for one when fishing 500 ft plus.

What Grandpa has said!

? whats wrong with waiting till the 11th to start the season.....maybe nicer water.first of may last year was tough fishing in rough water.so how do we lose?

now i've heard it all. may 1, 2003 was rough?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? it was one of, if not the flattest day of the season last year (a year which had very little rough water).

i've looked at the weather data for may, and there is little statistical difference between the beginning and end of the month. good weather and bad weather happen regardless of the time of month. trying to craft seasons based on good weather is silly.

but thanks for bringing up last may 1. a flat,calm day and big halibut attacking pipe jigs. too bad it will probably never happen in washington state again.

chris

I heard that they are banned in Canada.