Halibut changes… permanent?

Here are my thoughts…

I think halibut should require a report card and tags. Limit to 1 a week with 10 tags per year.

Barbless single hook with artificial only. 

That way there will be halibut left for people who have limited fishing opportunities.

And 10 per year is plenty of meat!

 

Not sure if you're joking or not. Why artificial only? And why one per week?

Anyway, I'm all for two per day, but I think a report card would be a good idea, too. With less to fish for and more people fishing, a reduction in take seems like a good proactive measure.

I don’t mind John’s suggestion. What about commercial? What can we do there? What would folks recommend for balance?

Eh I’m just joking with what I said.

The SF bay charters are going to pound them again next year with nothing else to fish for.

It bothers me that we tend to see things that are “temporary” become permanent without doing any more research or thought. The “Temporary” 2 will surely become permanent and we will never get to keep 3 ever again.

Halibuts have been targeted heavily for the last few years,  I think the 2 per day limit makes sense and gives them a break before "real" damage happen.

I remember when they increased ling take to three to help the rockfish population. Not sure that was a great idea? Lingcod size seemed to drop considerably in the Monterey area.

"Sorry hon, due to the continued limit reduction, I need to increase my halibut fishing days per year by 33%."

That’ll never work, as I’d have to fish more days than there are in a year…

Haha. Move to a planet that has a longer year.

I don’t mind John’s suggestion. What about commercial? What can we do there? What would folks recommend for balance?

commie hali has 0 quota. none. maybe that's a more effective and higher-impact strategy to save the fish than giving the dudes on kayaks and skiffs catching 2 to 3 fish a trip another hit to the face

Here are my thoughts…

I think halibut should require a report card and tags. Limit to 1 a week with 10 tags per year.

Barbless single hook with artificial only. 

That way there will be halibut left for people who have limited fishing opportunities.

And 10 per year is plenty of meat!

I'm totally with you. An annual limit on rec anglers would be great. That would be the most effective and meaningful way to reduce take. There are people who do almost nothing but fish, and even with a daily bag limit of 2 CA halibut, they will take dozens per year. I say cap them with a 10 or 15 fish yearly limit.

And it's easy to catch halibut on barbless hooks. I'm all for it.

Finally, commercial fishers need to have a limit, too. I don't have the background knowledge to know what would be reasonable, so I would leave specific numbers up to someone else. But any commercial limit would need to be stiff enough that it actually limits take. Otherwise, it's not really a limit, just a feel-good measure.

It bothers me that we tend to see things that are “temporary” become permanent without doing any more research or thought. The “Temporary” 2 will surely become permanent and we will never get to keep 3 ever again.

Feel the same, because I supported the idea that they were doing the right thing due to the circumstances.  To say those circumstances will never change is totally different from an emergency.  I'd be completely fine with another emergency closure with the same reasons.  But to make it permanent seems like lazy management.

It bothers me that we tend to see things that are “temporary” become permanent without doing any more research or thought. The “Temporary” 2 will surely become permanent and we will never get to keep 3 ever again.

Feel the same, because I supported the idea that they were doing the right thing due to the circumstances.  To say those circumstances will never change is totally different from an emergency.  I'd be completely fine with another emergency closure with the same reasons.  But to make it permanent seems like lazy management.

This sums up how I feel 100%

"Sorry hon, due to the continued limit reduction, I need to increase my halibut fishing days per year by 33%."

That’ll never work, as I’d have to fish more days than there are in a year…

God I love this guy.

Halibut limit decreased because no salmon and limited rockfish increasing pressure.

Almost certainly no salmon next year.
Sturgeon curtailed and possible closure incoming
Nearshore rockfish will HOPEFULLY be April 1 - Mid August next year (based on PFMC projected values used)

Why increase halibut limit again? I support an extension to 2 fish limit because personally I would rather keep 2 fish forever than have to sit through a halibut closure in the future. Especially paired with a salmon and rockfish closure

two fish per day is plenty. Yearly qota is bad idea I think. Maybe reduce bag limits in the BAy but not open ocean. So many guys brailing the hot spots in bay, taking lots of fish that are barely legal.

Bushy

Halibut limit decreased because no salmon and limited rockfish increasing pressure.

Almost certainly no salmon next year.
Sturgeon curtailed and possible closure incoming
Nearshore rockfish will HOPEFULLY be April 1 - Mid August next year (based on PFMC projected values used)

Why increase halibut limit again? I support an extension to 2 fish limit because personally I would rather keep 2 fish forever than have to sit through a halibut closure in the future. Especially paired with a salmon and rockfish closure

two fish per day is plenty. Yearly qota is bad idea I think. Maybe reduce bag limits in the BAy but not open ocean. So many guys brailing the hot spots in bay, taking lots of fish that are barely legal.

Bushy

Totally agree. 

I've pretty much stopped using bait and just use swimbaits, with the rare exception one or two times a year. Could easily see dropping the bait...weird in saltwater though.

Two fish is plenty, maybe even make it 24 inches as 22 is barely a couple tacos, by 24 they are starting to thicken a bit. And 24 is way fing easier for my brain to remember.  Though I never bother to keep anything that is even close to having to measure, and still get plenty

I think a yearly quota is the only way to effectively limit the number of halibut caught.

And for those of you who like to say, "Show us the data", two can play this game: Why don't you show us the data that supports the higher take? Until then, perhaps it would be wise to lean toward a conservative approach to this. After all, we are approaching the point of having nothing left to fish for.