We do. First time out last year, & did not catch anything. Can't wait until this season starts.

I got the Puget Sound Quota. It is MA 5-13. Quota was 76220 # for Puget Sound for 2004. 2005 s/b 10% less. I don't know anybody that fishes this any more. Maybe PA or Sekiu. I really doubt that quota gets used. I was told data is = - 25%. This quota should become another fishery.
Ron

I love laying on my bed after surgery and hunting and pecking the keyboard. Mistake after mistake. That was supposed to be + or - 25%.

I have never seen a halibut fish from a private boat............ :p

However, if someone wants to take me out...hint hint....I have the gear.....(let me get a pfd and then talk about 17 miles out)

Steve

However, if someone wants to take me out...hint hint....I have the gear.....(let me get a pfd and then talk about 17 miles out)

PFD = Puke Free deck

I get the hint, call in sick for a few dazes in May

Jim

Here is an email from a friend on the halibut board.
Hello all,
Appears I lied, sort of. The quota set for Puget Sound is not a quota per se. The 2004 halibut fishing rules (Federal Register Vol 69 pg 24525 item (i)) states "there is no quota. This area is managed by setting a season that is projected to result in a catch of 76220 lb (34.6 mt).

What this means is there is no way for WDFW to monitor the catch in season therefore they set the lenght of the season by using amount of catch/day type figures gathered from previous years (three year average I think) crc records to not exceed the 76220 lb for 2004. Expect the quota (not) to drop for 2005 but not necessarily the number of days.
WDFW also conventiently uses the argument that as long as you're getting the quota (not), why do you need earlier openers?
Keep in mind, even WDFW admits their data is only +- 23% accurate, therefore requiring them to err on the high side to be sure and not exceed the quota (not).


I asked for catch card reports next.
Ron

Could we get some halibut fishermen to attend the January 6th halibut meeting at 10:00 AM in Montesano? This is a halibut meeting only and not a commission meeting. Opening up the straights for Halibut could be a great win for us. Hein, Partridge, Coyote, Eastern, 31-36, Rockpile, Admiralty, Dallas, and others are loaded with Halibut during Feb-April. We should attend and rally for this opener to take the halibut fishing pressure off of Neah Bay. Did you know there is a picture of a 300+# halibut on the wall that was caught and released on Admiralty? This would have been the new state record had the season been opened. I believe this fish equated to 312 pounds.

as i said before, without some kind of yearly limit on halibut statewide, what kind of impact would an earlier opening in the strait have for the neah bay season? let's say the inside opens in the feb-april timeframe, what would keep people from catching fish inside and then just moving to the ocean when we open in may.

also, all this talk of big halibut is interesting. why should we set seasons that specifically target large halibut? aren't most of the big halibut large females? wouldn't it be better to protect to the best of our ability the larger halibut? i'm not in favor of maximum size limits and i have kept some large halibut out in the ocean, but the eating quality of those halibut just don't measure up and we really should lay off the big ones by not specifically targeting fisheries at them.

just some thoughts.

chris bellows
http://www.halibut.fishingneahbay.com