CDFW Considers CaliHali Limit Reduction

I guess if I get itchy for a hali full of freezer I'll go past the mason Dixon line and grab 5 for a limit ...2 20lbers'll do though a day if I dream big...

Yes!

Anyone who supports this should write a quick letter to the DFW and/or FGC and express your thoughts.

I think a barbless hook requirement will be critical ESPECIALLY now, since anglers will be even more inclined to "throw" back little ones. Those fish get ripped apart by those barbed stingers. For the same reasons we have barbless hooks for salmon, let's use barbless for halibut.

I also support the idea of an annual punch card limiting a season's catch to 12 or 15. (I met a kayaker a couple of years ago who had taken 28 in Tomales Bay that season - one guy, 28 fish!) But I don't think the DFW will bother with so much work. 

People who endorse this should stay focused, in my opinion - 2 fish limit, barbless J hooks.

(If you fish with live bait, maybe use a piece of biodegradable thread to keep the fish from sliding off. Or just troll or mooch dead baits. Or even lures. They work well.)

I think they should leave the halibut limit at 3 in the ocean and make it 2 in the bay. The success rate seems a lot lower in the ocean, and when that once-per-season hot bite happens, it would be nice to have the higher limit.

In any case, last year, I was surprised at the number of boats that were fishing commercially for halibut in SC. A lot of days, I’m sure they’re taking the majority of the fish…

What happens if you fish for hali in the ocean then come back into the bay with limits. You're gonna have some issues

Maybe, but I think there would be a lot less issues than the new RF depth rules are likely to cause.

Change the Halibut limit to 1.  Change the Ling limit to 1.  Cut the RF limit in half to 5.

I would add 1 cabezon take to that list.

I also support the idea of an annual punch card limiting a season's catch to 12 or 15. (I met a kayaker a couple of years ago who had taken 28 in Tomales Bay that season - one guy, 28 fish!) But I don't think the DFW will bother with so much work. 

People who endorse this should stay focused, in my opinion - 2 fish limit, barbless J hooks.

Punch card would be great, we have a guy in humboldt (who makes great reports) but slaughters 100+ in a season, I would be worried about mercury poisoning at that point just doesn't seem super healthy, but heck he is eating good while he is here!

On your point about J-hooks, I understand that if they swallow a treble that is stressful for the fish and dangerous to the fisherman trying to get it out, but that hook and line survey posted by DFW didn't see increased mortality from their study using trebles, most damage was from banging on the boat (or enclosure) and trauma to their internals so they didn't recommend a change in leader gear to the regulators. (They did recommend a soft landing net which has become common knowledge now)

I have just missed so many strikes and we don't have the best hali fishing up here so I try to increase my landing success w a small treble, but if I noticed a bunch of shorts choking down that treble in an area I would definitely consider changing out gear.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwikwo3G4an-AhWAMDQIHXznBhwQFnoECBMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnrm.dfg.ca.gov%2FFileHandler.ashx%3FDocumentID%3D33774&usg=AOvVaw1WGPuiQRvLVF_P2AhbuZ5g

This is great! I've been thinking about this for a long time. It's just me and my partner, so usually, one halibut is enough for the two of us for a good several weeks. Last summer, we also had that harmful algae bloom that killed god knows how many fish in the bay. I don't know why so many people fish for limits instead of what they need.

On a separate note from the halibut, I was talking to DFG scientists, and they determined we lost about 1,000 sturgeon at least in that algae bloom. They estimate only 30,000 slot-sized sturgeon are in the bay/delta region.

It could also be wise for them to change the regs on the sturgeon, too, at least for a bit.

but that hook and line survey posted by DFW didn't see increased mortality from their study using trebles, most damage was from banging on the boat (or enclosure) and trauma to their internals so they didn't recommend a change in leader gear to the regulators. (They did recommend a soft landing net which has become common knowledge now)

Barbless J-hooks would allow in-the-water releases. The reason fish get so banged up is that they need to be brought aboard to remove those trebles.

I’m onboard with barbless, let’s treat them with the same respect we give salmon.  I really like the punch card idea but let’s be honest, people aren’t honest.


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I’m onboard with barbless, let’s treat them with the same respect we give salmon.  I really like the punch card idea but let’s be honest, people aren’t honest.


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Yeah the punch card is too complicated. I think making the rules the same as for salmon would be simple and effective.

I’m onboard with barbless, let’s treat them with the same respect we give salmon.  I really like the punch card idea but let’s be honest, people aren’t honest.


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Yeah the punch card is too complicated. I think making the rules the same as for salmon would be simple and effective.

I think we should have lunch cards for salmon too FWIW

Can someone please post the email address for proposing regulations?

Change the Halibut limit to 1.  Change the Ling limit to 1.  Cut the RF limit in half to 5.

I would add 1 cabezon take to that list.

I’d like to see an increase in the min length for lingcod to, say, 26”. Not sure about the limit as there seem to be a lot of them where I fish (mostly, SC south), despite tons of fishing pressure.

Change the Halibut limit to 1.  Change the Ling limit to 1.  Cut the RF limit in half to 5.

I would add 1 cabezon take to that list.

IÂÂ’d like to see an increase in the min length for lingcod to, say, 26”. Not sure about the limit as there seem to be a lot of them where I fish (mostly, SC south), despite tons of fishing pressure.

I wonder about a window of size to keep people from taking the larger breeding females.  From what little I know, 22-26” might be the ideal range.  Takes a long time for them to grow once they reach around 20”” and males reproduce at around that size, that window would keep people from taking 30”” mature breeding females.  Course thereÂ’s always the argument that they eat everything in sight and reproduce efficiently.


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I gotta say what really bothers me is the commercial fishing to be sold with a lot going off shore to other countries. I would like to see," if you want to eat it, fish it" period. At least not to send any out of the country. Pretty soon there will be no fish in the sea, so sad but we are almost there.

Change the Halibut limit to 1.  Change the Ling limit to 1.  Cut the RF limit in half to 5.

I would add 1 cabezon take to that list.

IÂÂ’d like to see an increase in the min length for lingcod to, say, 26”. Not sure about the limit as there seem to be a lot of them where I fish (mostly, SC south), despite tons of fishing pressure.

I wonder about a window of size to keep people from taking the larger breeding females.  From what little I know, 22-26” might be the ideal range.  Takes a long time for them to grow once they reach around 20”” and males reproduce at around that size, that window would keep people from taking 30”” mature breeding females.  Course thereÂ’s always the argument that they eat everything in sight and reproduce efficiently.


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I think a slot reg for lingcod would be a great idea.

I personally have not caught many lings at the SWS area the last few yrs.  but i have not targeted them aggressively as well. I enjoy trolling around with light gear until i find larger schools of rockfish in the upper water column. Usually around 10 to 20 feet. I then start throwing small swim baits on light tackle. So much more enjoyable. Still nothing like the tug of a ling or cabezon though.