2006 Halibut Regulations, Dates, etc.

[Boatdog]

Statewide daily bag limit is one fish with no minimum length. Possession limit is 1 daily limit at sea and 3 daily limits on land.

LEADBETTER PT.(WA) TO CAPE FALCONN Opens May 1, seven days per week, through the earlier of 14,819 lbs or July 16. Reopens Aug. 4, Fridays-Sundays, through the earlier of 6,351 lbs or Sept. 30. When Pacific halibut are onboard the vessel, possession and/or landing groundfish pecies, except sablefish and Pacific cod, is prohibited.

CAPE FALCON TO HUMBUG MT. When Pacific halibut are onboard the vessel, possession and/or landing groundfish pecies, except sablefish, is prohibited on all-depth halibut days.

Nearshore Season Opens May 1, seven days per week, inside the 40-fathom line (defined by waypoints) through the earlier of 20,345 lbs or Oct. 31.

All-Depth Seasons:
ALL-DEPTH DATES ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY NMFS IN MARCH OR APRIL.

The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank (about 15 miles west of Newport and defined by waypoints) is closed to Pacific halibut fishing.

Spring Season: Proposed open dates are May 11-13, 18-20, 25-27; and June 1-3 and 8-10. If quota remains, the fishery may continue until the quota is taken on June 22-24; July 6-8 and 20-22. The catch limit is 175,474 lbs.

Summer Season: Proposed open dates are Aug. 4-6, 18-20; Sept. 1-3, 15-17, 29-30; and Oct. 1, 13-15 and 27-29 until the quota is taken. If, however, the spring season exceeds both the spring and summer catch limits, then the summer season will not occur. Additional days may be opened in-season. The catch limit is 58,491 lbs.

Open dates will be announced on the NMFS Hotline (1-800-662-9825) and posted at www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP

SOUTH OF HUMBUG MT. THROUGH CA Opens May 1, seven days per week, through the earlier of 8,293 lbs or Oct. 31.

Groundfish species include all species of rockfish; lingcod; kelp greenling; cabezon; Pacific cod; sablefish; flounders and soles; Pacific sanddab; Pacific whiting (hake); leopard shark; soupfin shark; spiny dogfish; big skate; California skate; longnose skate; ratfish; Pacific rattail; and finescale codling.

Link to official Document ->>> 2006 Halibut Regs
Mmmm, white gold!

[flapbreaker]

I printed the waypoints for the 40 fathom line. I take it you just draw a straight line between the numbers provided?

[Boatdog]

Yup, connect the dots for a closed rectangle-type shape.

I have the waypoints entered in my GPS as a route. When I turn on that route, the closed area becomes visible as an outline on the GPS screen, and my position is shown relative to the closed area. Pretty handy.

[ron m]

Yes, and you can do the same thing, put in as a route, that Tom suggests for the closed area. Took me a long time to get it done, but it's easy to see on the chartplotter. It gave me a specific task to do that helped me learn a little about my plotter. Reading isn't enough for me (or for most people) to learn, gotta practice it too.
ron m

[boonedogn]

thanks for the report, theres about 4-5 of us wanting to plan a trip out and good charters you guys recommend?

[fishboys]

Nalu is a great charter out of depoe bay, good guy and also a ifish sponsor

[Orca]

I second that recommendation.

[Boatdog]

"Bait boil" for people still looking for the Halibut regs :grin:

[Boatdog]

Breach, still some folks looking for Halibut regs...

[Aqua-Holic]

I need a clarification...can't seem to find it in the regs..
Inside 40 fathoms on days other than all depth, is it legal to have a Halibut on board along with a limit of rockfish and lings?????

[Mark Mc]

Yes Dean, absolutely. I guarantee it. And if I'm wrong, I'll bail you out. If you loan me your credit card.

Really, it is legal on non-all depth days.

[pnwcoast]

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources...006-marine.pdf


I read it as open inside 40 fathoms except for all depth halibut days.

[Aqua-Holic]

Good answer Mark...thanks IDEJ<<<<<Jedi backwards... :grin:

[Aqua-Holic]

Can you be more specific pnw....

[pnwcoast]

[salmon15]

I think I had better take my lawyer (bloodsucker) with me to translate the regs

[bigjake_888]

Any one kind enough to give a coordinate or two to a halibut fishing spot out of Geribaldi?

Also a short tutorial on how to fish for them. Sorry to be the rookie, but you got to start somewhere.

[roughwater]

Don't have coordinates, but if you go to the Halibut Hole its about 26 miles outa Garibaldi; no cell service out there either. You're fishing ~800 ft deep with ~3 lb lead using big herring and squid for bait. Get some halibut leaders and spreaders for starters, and it's best to have 80 lb Tuff-line or equivalent for line. You want minimal drag, so braided dacron and mono aren't the best choices when you go that deep. When you get there, you'll likely have to fight the drift, so keep your engine in gear to hold your position - you don't want to get tangled up with other boats. :depressed:

[Bigmaverick]

any one with gps spots of the light house in Newport inside the 40???

[flapbreaker]

Bigmaverick, The there is no "spot" so to speak. I'm sure people of gps numbers to where they picked up a fish but there doesn't seem to be any one consistant "spot". From what I can gather you can catch halibut from the 200 foot mark all the way out to the 40 fathom line. It's just not red hot fishing. Seriously just go to the 200 foot mark off the lighthouse and drift. Then move out to 220 and 240 ect... hope this helps.

[Bigmaverick]

That's what I picked of from a friend also, he seems to get two or three hali there every year and then its over.

[earlybird007]

I picked up 15 off the lighthouse this year.....in all different areas.

Like they said it is hit or miss.....but I had my best luck here.

44 40'56
124 15'00

We put 10 in the boat 1 day for our 4 keepers.

[Bigmaverick]

Thanks for the help, I will head out there and play with those numbers. Thanks!!!

[Boatdog]

9/6/06 ACTION NOTICE: The recreational Pacific halibut quota in the area between Leadbetter Pt., Washington and Cape Falcon, Oregon (Columbia River Area) has been met and the fishery will remain closed for the remainder of 2006.

The recreational Pacific halibut fishery between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mt. will reopen in all depths each Friday through Sunday beginning September 8 with a 2 halibut bag limit.

[Serious Fun]

We took advantage of the new limit last Friday and the four of us got our 8 halibut, then rolled west and got a half dozen tuna before heading back in. Getting two halibut really makes me feel a whole lot better about the price of fuel!

[flyingfish1]

and what an easy way to fish. not to mention how they eat.

[Bigmaverick]

Dang, I was just starting to have fun!!! Oh well I am already looking forward to 2007.