WARNING on Halibut/Salmon Fishing at Newport

jacksalmon · 05-11-2005, 04:55 PM

This afternoon I spoke with two ODFW guys at Newport and a problem was discovered. It appears that it is not legal to troll for salmon in the Stonewall Banks Conservation Area on all-depth days (like tomorrow 5/12 and 5/13 and 5/14 and all other all-depth days) with a halibut on board. This is despite the fact that in other places on the ODFW web sites, it appears that by saying one can troll for salmon in the Conservation Area, it is implied that it does not matter if you have a halibut on board.
IF YOU HAVE A HALIBUT ON BOARD, YOU CANNOT FISH FOR SALMON IN THE STONEWALL BANKS CONSERVATION AREA. However, it would be legal to troll for salmon in the Conservation Area before halibut fishing and then go catch a halibut ELSEWHERE and then head for home or troll for salmon in another area. As long as you do not go back to trolling in the conservation area with a halibut on board there should be no problem about having both species on board.
I hope this saves a few people a problem. It might be wise to check with the OSP guys at Newport, but this info I got was obtained by ODFW through Dave Cleary of OSP-Salem.
I know it gets harder and harder to figure it all out, but what I am telling you all here appears to be true.

lor · 05-11-2005, 04:58 PM

If they keep writing regulations like this.
We will all need law degrees or have to hire a lawyer to be eligible to buy a license.

retaliate · 05-11-2005, 06:04 PM

Other than the Notch area, most salmon are outside the closed area, but like Halibut all around the edges, I've been avoiding the shallow areas of the Rockpile anyway, since alot of Yelloweye, & Canary rockfish reside there. We need to follow the boundry rule as much as possible, to avoid any widening of the boundry line. If you build a route
with the waypoints given by ODF. & activate route when out there, it shoud be easy enough, if nothing else watch your depth finder and stay 200' or more.

NorthRiverRick · 05-11-2005, 06:21 PM

Thanks for the clarification! May have saved me some problems.

wak'm&stak'm · 05-11-2005, 06:42 PM

If they write stupid laws, then they need to enforce them.

It should be a big headache for the OSP also....at least I hope so.

90% of the boats returning from the ranch go right thru the closure area....hee hee hee...

FishGitter · 05-11-2005, 07:14 PM

From the ODFW Sport Fishing Regulations

Quote:

The Stonewall Bank conservation area is closed to Pacific halibut fishing.

View a map of the Stonewall Bank conservation area

Stonewall Bank is located about 15 miles west of Newport.

The conservation area encompasses the high-relief area of Stonewall Bank where yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish are often caught incidentally by halibut anglers. Retention of yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish is prohibited. The conservation area will reduce mortality associated with handling and releasing these two species, which have been declared overfished by NOAA Fisheries.

Halibut fishing will be allowed outside the conservation area in the low-relief and sandy areas around Stonewall Bank on all-depth halibut days.

Trolling for salmon will be allowed inside the conservation area when the salmon season is open.

The conservation area is defined by the following waypoints (in decimal minutes) in the order listed:

Latitude N Longitude W
#1) 44� 37.46' 124� 24.92'

#2) 44� 37.46' 124� 23.63'

#3) 44� 28.71' 124� 21.80'

#4) 44� 28.71' 124� 24.10'

#5) 44� 31.42' 124� 25.47' and connecting back to #1

Now I know this is nitpicking but... Nowhere in the regs does it say that Halibut can not be on board while trolling for Salmon in the conservation area. If I were catching Halibut to the West of the conservation area then opted to troll for Salmon through the area on the way back it should be OK.

Chum King · 05-11-2005, 07:30 PM

The regulation that is the basis for the interpretation that it is illegal to troll through the Stonewall Banks Closure Zone with a halibut on board can be found on page 95 in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (Marine Zone) where it states under the header of Regulations for this zone:
"8. It is unlawful for any person to fish for, or take and retain any species of salmon or Marine Fish while possessing on board any species not allowed to be
taken in the area at the time."
Since you can't take halibut, sablefish, sanddabs, etc. within the Stonewall Banks Closure Zone on an All Depths Halibut day, then you cannot have them on board and have a line in the water even if you are targetting salmon.

Chum King out.

OceanBlue · 05-11-2005, 07:42 PM

Thanks for clearing that up, Eric. It would be good to get that into the all-depth hali regulations for a cross-reference. Will you let the right folks know? Should I alert Don?

Thanks again!

blubeast · 05-11-2005, 07:45 PM

So if I follow this logic... you can have halibut & salmon IF you do NOT go inside the closed zone.

Correct?

Chum King · 05-11-2005, 08:50 PM

Blubeast,

That is correct. You can also troll for salmon inside the zone on your way out, and THEN go fish halibut anywhere outside of the closure zone on the all depth days.

Chum King

wthr4d · 05-11-2005, 08:51 PM

that is correct as I read it. stay out of the closed zone while fishing (or travelling possibly) if you have a restricted species on board.

Paul

fish-on · 05-11-2005, 08:58 PM

why can you catch your salmon before then go for halies, you havr the two on board isnt that the same is if you go vice versa? whats the diff? how do they know which you caught first? :whazzup: :whazzup:

jacksalmon · 05-11-2005, 09:08 PM

Chum King is absolutely right about why you can't have a halibut on board while trolling for salmon in the Conservation Area. Page 95 of the regs, paragraph 8 is the reason. The reason you can troll in the Area for salmon when you don't have a halibut on board is because paragraph 8 only prohibits trolling for salmon when a species is on board which cannot be taken within the area being fished. Since you cannot catch halibut in the Area on all-depth days, paragraph 8 says you cannot fish for salmon there as long as you have a halibut on the boat. This is despite the wording from the paragraph on the Conservation Area which says you can troll there for salmon. Yes, you can but only if you don't have a halibut on board. The problem is that the paragraph on the Conservation Area does not say that. In other words, paragraph 8, page 95 trumps the language from the Conservation Area description of permitted activities because paragraph 8 is the actual regulation. Hope this helps you guys out. Good luck to everybody.

fish-on · 05-11-2005, 09:16 PM

i'd say just go with what the book says , seems like there is a new last min reg about this , but i hear ya on what ya say and will abide. Thanks for the headsup

jigmaster · 05-11-2005, 11:48 PM

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING....

StickFish · 05-12-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote:

The regulation that is the basis for the interpretation that it is illegal to troll through the Stonewall Banks Closure Zone with a halibut on board can be found on page 95 in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (Marine Zone) where it states under the header of Regulations for this zone:
"8. It is unlawful for any person to fish for, or take and retain any species of salmon or Marine Fish while possessing on board any species not allowed to be
taken in the area at the time."
Since you can't take halibut, sablefish, sanddabs, etc. within the Stonewall Banks Closure Zone on an All Depths Halibut day, then you cannot have them on board and have a line in the water even if you are targetting salmon.

Chum King out.

That seems pretty straight forward - its like bear hunting during Elk Season without an Elk tag