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.

News to me about these being banned in Canada. Where did you read this?

Fishing with an electric reel didn't appeal to me at first. I thought the same thing-no way, there is no sport in it. This is not the case. Give it a try. I think some people think you are bolting on a winch to a cable. Not the case. First I don't have any halibut fishing reels that will fit in any of my rod holders. Second I use the Fishing NG electric reels that are about $400 each and alone weigh five pounds. This is just the motor set up. Then I have Penn 340 and 345 reels on short 5'6 sticks. I take my kids, wife, friends, and relatives to Canada and U.S. halibut fishing. When a halibut hits, you set the hook and fight it just like normal. If you just hold down the button to reel up it will just burn up the drag on your reel. You have to work it just like you do with a handle. It basically bolts on to the shaft where your handle was. I fish halibut, salmon, and bottom fish more than 99% of the people I know. I am a huge sportsfisherman and love my electric reel. My wife doesn't like them because of the weight. She would rather do it by hand than jig that rod with the electric reel. The nice thing about it is you can fish bait and when you do bring up a dogfish its no big deal. It really is a lot of fun and you would easily fish water that you might not without one. The Fishing NG motors are a lot heavier duty than the electramates. I have been fishing Neah Bay for years and it is my favorite place on earth. It is MY vacation every year. I normally spend two straght weeks out there fishing everyday. I also fish it several other times a year too. Another tip for you guys is what I saw John Beath with. A sumotackle reel handle on his shimano reel. It is a handle that has an adjustable length on it. It is sweet. You push in a spring loaded button and you can shorten the handle or lengthen it for reeling in a fish. It was well made too. I found them on the internet. They are made for Shimanos and Penn Senators only. Take a look http://sumotackle.com/products/handles/

I talked to my halibut fishing buddy from PA and he said that electric reels in Canada have been okayed for about 10-12 years or possibly longer.

What's it all coming to? Before long they'll be lashing spreaders directly to Electric Mag Mondo Scottys and when the fish hits or they pick up to move it'll be a mere flick of a switch from the comfort of a heated captains chair.

But I say, REAL men, a dying breed for sure, will carry on the tried and true tradition of fishing for 'butts using mean green dacron hand lines. For these guys fishin' anything less than a 5# ball and live bait in under 300 is women's work.

Now, heave to m'hearties, it's back to the top of the drift.

Arrrghhh.

Electric reel or not it's ALL WORK!

I might not be retired yet but chasing chickens out there is a young mans game. And the quickest way to get myself tossed overboard would be to take my wife out there for butts again, with or without an electric reel.

Fishinnut, man I gotta hand it to you, you and yours have got some pluck.

Well I had shoulder surgery last May and I had to have an electric reel with rod in rod holder to go halibut fishing. This year I have to have the same shoulder worked on again and I will probably do the same. They are great especially when you are fishing 600ft of water. I think that everyone should be able to use them not just people with handicaps.

I think they should be illegal just as I think the gas shrimp pot pullers should be illegal.

Ha!

That would certainly fix the short-season problem.

"New Hood Canal shrimp season announced -- 7 days/week, May through April. Must use at least 10# of ballast. No motorized devices allowed."

It's possible, BTDT, but a real PITA unless you are a big honkin' specimen or a glutton for punishment. I also think most of the buggers manage to find their way back out of the trap during the puller's inevitable rest stops.

I think they should be legal. Some people just can't crank a sheet of plywood off of the bottom of the ocean. Halibut are for meat and although it's fun at first the fun is quickly turned into work and a lot of it. I love to catch and release steelhead and salmon and other species of fish but they are more of a sportfish. If I get a 'but in the boat it stays in the boat unless it is small. I just look at them as a meat fish not a true sport fish. As far as gas pot pullers are concerned, well, when I was 16 I started shrimping on the Hood canal and me and my buddy did it all by hand. Back then it was two pots each and we pulled three times a day shrimping in about 180 feet of water. I really learned to appreciate larger diameter rope back then. I then went out with a motorized puller and quickly thought to myself where is the sport? Then I saw a full pot and said oh there it is!!! I enjoyed the shrimp just as much, they tasted just as good and I was way way less exhausted which made the experience even more enjoyable. Am I older and lazier or older and wiser?? LOL probably a little of both but for sure I'm older