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Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of JdF

5K views 29 replies 13 participants last post by  pijon 
#1 Ā·
I would like to catch my first halibut. I am tentatively planning to go to the Port Angeles/Ediz Hook area of the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The regs say the season opens April 14-June 20.
Any information would be appreciated. Is it better early or late in the season? What kinds of crowds to expect? Favorite lures? I found a good map of the area and fishing locations on the Salmon U. website. But the halibut info is 4 years old. Also is there a preferred campground and or launching facilities? Thanks.
 
#3 Ā·
I would like to catch my first halibut. I am tentatively planning to go to the Port Angeles/Ediz Hook area of the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The regs say the season opens April 14-June 20.
Any information would be appreciated. Is it better early or late in the season? What kinds of crowds to expect? Favorite lures? I found a good map of the area and fishing locations on the Salmon U. website. But the halibut info is 4 years old. Also is there a preferred campground and or launching facilities? Thanks.
:yeahthat:

I am looking to head up there too. When your plans are more concrete let me know maybe we can caravan.

I second Tomictime's suggestion on Batin's book. It's good and can be found on amazon.

As far as I know the info on Salm. Univ. website is not dated as buts will use the same habitat year after year. Also look into getting a chart of the area to show you the various banks people are talking about. The charts and viewing software can be downloaded free from maptech's web site.

Finally you might want to look at Pilars posts in the Tech section on how to make Halibut rigs.

Good luck!!!
GRIFF
 
#4 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I have all of the above. Maps, book, bookmarks. I am wondering what kind of fishery to expect as far as crowds, success ratio's. What is a typical size fish, etc. Should I moor the boat or trailer it?
Paddler is also contemplating a trip up there. Maybe we could have an Ifish fish-in. We just need at least one person who has been there and done that. Every fishery has its quirks. And different stuff works different places.
 
#6 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

Ok..Ok..Ok...I have put in some time out there..not claiming expertise..just time paid and fish in the box...and am planning a two day early season trip. I have fished places like rockpile out of PA w fish per boat per day which was better than creel survey..but worse than expectations..1st day was a nice 48# fish..strts Hali are less common than say Neah but tend to the bigger..tend. Put in your time at the hi % or open spots. As to moorage, I have done and had to do both. John wayne marina in sequim has decent qty of transiet moorage..but they also have a super ramp w floats and parking. In PA I tend to launch and pull each day. IF the weather is good and I want to live on boat - which I am getting to old or spoiled to do, I may run to Port Townsend, great place to stay is the lil marina and resort at the end of town, boathaven I think it is called. early season pressure can be highly variable..this year w neah so honked (day on day off)..I can see pressure going up. Wind and weather will cut that back down.

Jim
 
#9 Ā·
I'm in!!

John Wayne is a great marina. They also have a great place to eat right by the "big" ramp. I eat there about once every other month. If your into the Duke that's the area to be. Some local boards seem to think the humps will do better this year but you just don't know until the season starts. I like fresh water bay alot. Ther's alot of other fishing to do in the area but 'butts will be what it's about that time of year.
Ron
 
#10 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I have a membership at a campground in Sequim. Never been there! It may be too far off the beaten path.
I think a road trip is in order to check out the local facilities and launches. Lets put together a list of launches and campgrounds within short distance of PA. Looking at the fishin map it looks like PA or Dungenous Spit are fairly close to most of the fishin areas. Freshwater bay would be a long run from Dungenous though.
The season is set for thursdays thru mondays. I will probly make a three day weekend out of it.
 
#11 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I am pretty sure that the straight opens on the 9th of April this year. I launched from Cornet Bay in Deception Pass on Sunday and ran over and fished the Canadian side of Coyote bank and worked all over Constance bank. We didn't even get a bite. However there are a few people that hooked up with some nice fish on Hein and Eastern banks a few weeks ago, while trolling for salmon at the discovery bay blackmouth derby.

Bob
 
#12 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I am looking at the regs and each marine area opens different dates. Area 6and 7 (PA)on April 14th. Area 5 Sekiu is may 26, and Neah bay area 4 is may 10.
I checked WDFW online and so far there are no changes? Maybe I am looking in the wrong spot? It gets more confusing every year.
We need some more local input as far as campgrounds and lodging and what appears to be good dates.
From Fastwater, "first week in may" as far as tides.
Maybe we can have the first annual Ifish Port Angeles Halibut fish-in.
 
#13 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

:dance: :pray: Can I get in on this action? The wife has no desire to make the trip :grin: and I have a big cooler that holds alot of adult beverages :cheers: I have never caught a halibut and would love to give it a go :food:
Might have a place to stay for those on a budget :wave:
 
#14 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I fished with brother last May out of Squim and we fished a 200 foot hump out of there. It depends on the tide, we used the motor to control our drift and fished in front of the hump with the tide going into the hump.
We landed a 95 pounder and it was full of spot prawns, but we were using large herring. We thought this year we would try some sopt prawns this year. Hope this helps!
OB1
 
#16 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

Ahhhmmmm, I believe you are looking at last years regulations. Check the WA News Releases for the lastest news. Area 6 opens April 9 this year. Here is the news release for those that are interested: :smile: :smile:

March 03, 2006
Contact: Michele Culver, (360) 249-1211
Halibut season limits anglers to 3 days a week on north coast

OLYMPIA ā€“ Recreational halibut fishing off the coast of Neah Bay and La Push will be limited to three days per week when the season opens there May 9, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.
The popular sport fishery in marine areas 3 and 4 will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until the catch reaches the first of two quotas, as prescribed in the catch-sharing plan adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC).

The new fishing schedule for those areas marks a change from previous years, when the north coast was open to fishing five days per week, said Michele Culver, WDFW halibut fisheries manager.

ā€œOur goal for the north coast is to slow the pace of the fishery and spread out the fishing opportunity so more individual anglers can participate,ā€ Culver said. ā€œLast year, the initial quota was gone seven days after the season opened.ā€

This yearā€™s initial recreational quota for the north coast is 85,856 pounds, compared to 83,115 pounds last year. Another 33,388 pounds is reserved for a late season scheduled June 22 and 24, with the possibility of additional fishing days if the quota for the north coast is still not met.

In other marine waters, halibut seasons for 2006 will be similar to last yearā€™s, although most areas of Puget Sound will open five days earlier this year, Culver said.
Marine areas 6-11 and 13 in Puget Sound will be open from April 9 through June 18, five days per week, Thursday through Monday, Culver said. Last yearā€™s fishery in those areas started April 14.

ā€œWe had one group of anglers pushing for an April 1 start and another that wanted more fishing time in June,ā€ she said. ā€œAs a compromise, we settled on April 9 as the opening date this year.ā€

Recreational halibut seasons in other areas are as follows:
ā€¢ Western Strait of Juan de Fuca: The fishery will run from May 25 through Aug. 5, Thursday through Monday, in Marine Area 5 off Sekiu.

ā€¢ South coast: The fishery in Marine Area 2 (Westport) will run five days a week, Sunday through Thursday, from May 1 until the quota is reached. During that time, fishing will be open seven days a week in the special nearshore area south of the Queets River.

ā€¢ Columbia River area: The season in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will open May 1 and run seven days per week until July 16 or until the quota is taken, whichever comes first. If the quota is not taken, the season will reopen in August on a Friday-through-Sunday basis. Anglers fishing in this area cannot retain bottomfish, except sablefish and Pacific cod, if they have a halibut onboard.

As in recent years, Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) will remain closed to fishing for halibut and a number of other species due to low dissolved-oxygen conditions. Culver noted that fishing seasons for all areas of Puget Sound and the Pacific coast were designed around halibut quotas established by the PFMC for the West Coast. Under the PFMCā€™s catch-sharing plan, Washington anglers will be allowed to catch 262,973 pounds of halibut compared to 242,579 pounds last year.

In addition to the 85,856 pounds allocated to the north coast, the plan provides 68,607 pounds for sport fisheries in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 53,952 pounds for the south coast and 21,170 pounds for the Columbia River area.

There is no minimum size limit for halibut in Marine Areas 1-13, which includes all waters from the Columbia River through Puget Sound. All regions have a one-fish daily bag limit and two-halibut possession limit, regardless of whether those fish are fresh or frozen. As in previous years, a portion of the coast off La Push will be closed to fishing for halibut and bottomfish to reduce the likelihood that halibut anglers will unintentionally catch yelloweye rockfish, which are the focus of a long-term rebuilding plan. Coordinates for the conservation zone will be published in the 2006-07 Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet.

Culver advised anglers that new yelloweye protection measures also will be in effect this year that restrict retention and possession of rockfish and lingcod in deep coastal waters. From March 18 through June 15, it will be unlawful to have rockfish or lingcod on board a vessel seaward of a line approximating 30 fathoms in Marine Area 2. A similar restriction will be in effect from May 22 through Sept. 30 in waters deeper than 20 fathoms in marine areas 3 and 4.

Anglers can still retain halibut caught in deeper waters, but must release any rockfish or lingcod they encounter during those periods, Culver said.

ā€œLast year, the Washington sport fishery exceeded its harvest target for yelloweye rockfish, despite the various protective measures in effect,ā€ she said. ā€œThe target is the same this year, so weā€™re hoping the new restrictions help reduce impacts on these depleted stocks.ā€

Culver recommends that anglers check the WDFW website or Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500) for the latest sport fishing rules before going fishing.
 
#17 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

Yup! I have last years book. So april 9th. My boat wont be ready that soon but I do want to get out there. Is there a big difference between the beginning of the season vs the end?
 
#18 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I would say there is a pretty big difference. Fishing groups have been working to get the season opened earlier for quite some time now. The halibut have already started leaving the sound and as the season progresses, more and more fish move offshore. There are 6-7 main spots in the straight that are pretty heavily fished, so I would definitely try and get in on the action as early as you can.
 
#19 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

We'll be up there ~May 17-23, due to time constraints can't get up earlier. Hope there are some fish left by the time we arrive. Can't wait to get fish slime on the new boat, hopefully from some 50 pounders.

I still need to get more info on terminal tackle. I plan to make some Mudraker style pipe jigs, and maybe a few spreader bars to fish bait or plastics.
 
#20 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

I don't claim a ton of knowledge but I have pulled a bunch of them in the last three year out of there. Don't want to post a bunch of crap on the net PM me and I can get you some info.

Alternitivly I will be up at a campground up there for almost every weekend for the first two months. For the first two full weekends I will be there all three days. May have some open seats, expessially if you guys put together some kind of Ifish thing. But I have a smallish boat for now till this fall, 16 ft welded aluminum.

I don't fish the Rockpile often because I don't launch down there. Have taken some nice fish there though as well as the 31-36 hole and the flats outside the hook. Heck a buddy of mine got a real nice one inside the hook last year in the wind break on a day too rough for us to poke out too far. So they are almost everywhere.
 
#22 Ā·
Tomictime, Nahhhh...Freshwater bay has a lousy boatlaunch, it's too windy, dogfish are thick, and the locals break into your vehicles :wink: :grin: I need to change my location...I think I will... :cheers:
There is a hump when the tide is right you can launch and get stuck behind. Smallish boats only though.

Twin Rivers huh? I have probably seen you or your boat out there at one point in time. Off those or another of my favorite spots which I am sure you know right inside 6.
 
#23 Ā·
The surfers at fresh water bay have caused problems in the past. Besides, even for a small boat, the hook is a very short run away and a much nicer ramp. I will be out there alot this year, whenever this shin-dig materializes, I'll probably have a couple seats open. I live just down the road and am in town 1-2 times a week, so PM me or post questions here.

If this happens late enough there is some dinomyte steelhead fishing at the mouth of the Elwah river (dumps into FreshWater Bay.) Not necessarily salty but a table full of steelhead and halibut is a beautifulk thing.
Ron
 
#24 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

Which campground? What kind of facilities? I will either be towing with an rv on a van.
 
#25 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

There are national park campgrounds with showers but no pumpouts both in PA and Sequim (about 25 miles from the hook.) Sequim has a few rv parks but I don't know about boats. Plenty of places to buy gear (Swain's is pretty much a one stop shop.) I am about an hour away but if it comes down to it your welcome to leave your boat on my land and drive to a local hotel.
Ron
 
#26 Ā·
Re: Halibut info for Port Angeles and Straight of

Which campground? What kind of facilities? I will either be towing with an rv on a van.
PM Sent your welcome to fish with me, email me to the PM I'll give you the name and phone of the campground. Unfortunately Pijon your boat is too big to launch there. Want to keep it kind of quiet so it does not get over crowded and over fished. Hope all you guys understand, anyone can PM me and I can be helpfull, would be nice to see an Ifish get together.

Me and my son (All these pictures from last year), the 30#er was his first Halibut, Ling was all his and he "helped" on the 50#er. this ws his first trip ever Memorial Day Weekend last year. Prior to that he was too bored with Halibut, now he is fired up for this year. If only his grades will allow, which is a great incentive. (30#, 50#, 5# Ling)



Another me and a buddy same weekend (37#, 47#)



One out of my Father in Laws Boat ( big one is 175#)



Me in my boat, Buddy from above taking pictures this was another day the different weekend fishing with me. Small fish 25# and 15#.

 
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