Halibut fishing straight of Juan de Fuca 2011-how was it.

[Fishinnut]

Hello from your southern neighbros in Washington. I was curious how your 2011 halibut season was in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, mainly inside or east. Last year was our worst season and lowest quota since we were able to get it opened earlier in 2004. 2008, 2009, 2010 were spectacular years with lots of halibut. Last year we really struggled. Does this fit hyow your guys season went? Just curious. I work on our season setting here in Washington and thought I could get some kind of reference to what happened here compared to yours. Thanks in advance
Ron Garner

 

[scott craven]

Last year was pretty bad over this side as well, we open up March 01 this year
so we'll see what 2012 brings.
We also expect an early closure this year due to the reduced TAC as imposed by the
IPHC.

In 2008 and 2009 Halibut numbers were much better gauging by the number of incidental hookups
while salmon fishing.
Last year we had none.

 

[Fishinnut]

Thanks Craven,
Sounds the same as us. We get 17 days inside on the east end providing the feds accept our plan. Last year was 13 days and my worst yet. We have already seen three halibut caught while salmon fishing in the Puget Sound. Good luck to you this year.
Ron

 

[searun]

Lots and lots of fish further north on the outside. Most were smaller in size, although if you went looking around there were some bigger halis. Think the IPHC research shows the size is getting smaller, thus the lower catch quotas. The number of fish we are allowed to catch is directly related to the size of the fish on average given we are measured in pounds of fish, not numbers caught.

 

[Tailspin]

Last season was one of the best in JDF IMHO, with exception to a short lull in April, it just kept on producing, with June & July JDF fishing being some of the craziest Halibut fishing I have experienced on the Coast. March stands out as pretty epic as well. Sure hope to see more of the same this Spring.

 

[Aces]

Last year was pretty bad over this side as well, we open up March 01 this year
so we'll see what 2012 brings.
We also expect an early closure this year due to the reduced TAC as imposed by the
IPHC.

In 2008 and 2009 Halibut numbers were much better gauging by the number of incidental hookups
while salmon fishing.
Last year we had none.

Has there been an OFFICIAL notification of Halibut opening March 1st from DFO?? I can't find it anywhere.

 

[bananas]

I'm with you Justin, march was epic!! April was not as good but still limits daily and may and june were crazy good!!

 

[Karma-Kazi]

Last year I only had like 4 skunks and more multi fish days then ive ever had. Id say it was the best ive seen in sooke/victoria.



-Steve

 

[Fishinnut]

Thanks for the feedback on your season last year. We don't get to fish March at all for halibut. We had to forego April or we would lose half the days. Last year would have been 6 days if we took April or 13 days in May. So we took May. We caught tons more fish earlier on the previous years.

I wrote the proposal that moved our season from June/July which was a dead fishery to April and May which is a much better fishery. I used the lodges off of the bottom of Vancouver Island season timing to help move the season foward. They showed Feb-April as the best time for buts. Maybe we just missed them and they were already headed back to the west last year.

We were doing really well in the beginning and as more people started fishing the straits, we took more and more fish, so it has been backed off and gotten later to slow us down.
Thanks again.
Ron