Last weekend of halibut season [Archive]

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Play N Hookie II

06-01-2009, 10:49 AM

When I was a kid we used to go to Seiku every year to go salmon fishing. Sometimes we would limit out and do some halibut fishing. Sometimes we would catch halibut my mistake trolling for salmon but never did we go fishing for halibut. The last time we went I was about 9. Nevertheless I had never actually caught a halibut myself.

My dad and I had been planning to go fishing several times throughout this season but had been stopped with issues with the boat. Finally this weekend we made it up to Port Townsend to give it a go. Had all the gear packed and on the boat Friday morning about 8 am we headed out. Beautiful run up to Port Townsend. Only took us an hour and forty five minutes from Dagmar's. Found ourselves getting into shorts by about 9:30 am. Great day to skip out on work. Kristen usually gets Fridays off and I run the office but this week she came in and covered for me.

I called Point Hudson early Thursday morning to see if we should reserve a slip and got the old, oh no there will be lots of room just show up and we will find a spot for you. About AM that same morning I get an email from Paul (Voyager) telling me he just took the last 40 ft slip and I better call them. I call them again and they tell me that in the last couple hours they filled up and they had one slip for me but only for Friday night. Furthermore they wanted a $7 reservation fee that is not applied to the moorage. $40 for one night on a 28 foot boat was almost double Boat Haven so I decided to go there instead. Got to Boat Haven got our slip assignment and were out around Pt Wilson fishing by about 11:30.

We fished several spots with no luck and kept chasing new spots. All of a sudden the weather started picking up and quickly. Soon we were one of only two boats left out there and were in 5-6 foot chop. It was the biggest water I have run in so far. It was a bit nerve racking. We were about 16 miles out of Port at the time so we had a bumpy ride back. Got back to Port about 5:30 and by now we were seeing some really heavy winds. It stayed that way all through the night. Huge gusts and heavy westerly winds.

Saturday morning the tides looked to be changing at about 6 am so we rose early and headed out at first light. We had nice blue skies...right until we rounded the corner at Pt Wilson. There we saw a very thick fog bank. It kind of looked like a low cloud and we thought that it would probably burn off right away or we could run through the other side of it. I have no radar so it was a bit of a pucker for me. The worst conditions I have been in for sure. We made the run about 10 miles out to Dallas Bank where we saw a 60 pounder taken the day before. Slow and steady we finally got there and got to fishing. Fished for hours and hours and the fog never cleared. So no we are low on fuel to boot. The slow tumultuous trip out burned alot more fuel than it should have. By about PM we realized that this fog was not going anywhere and we were just going to have to brave it to get back. Slowly and low on fuel we headed back to port with a careful eye on the other few brave souls that made it out into that garbage. Visibility was really bad.

Made it back to port and refueled and talked with the store owner who told us they had been taking most fish in 50-90 feet of water. We had been fishing banks that dropped from about 100 down to 300 off steep canyons. We went back out and decided to stay in really close. By now it was bright and beautiful and sunny. Until we got back to PT Wilson. The thick dark fog cloud was still there. This is about 3:30 in the afternoon on a bright sunny day. We chose not to go back into it and fished inside Marrowstone (I think). After a little while of getting gear caught there the wind picked up and in no time started to clear the fog bank and we made it around the corner. Decided to stay really shallow. We up to McCurdy Point and let down in 60 feet of water.

My line hit the bottom and my dads had not even gotten there when it hit. It hit hard and fast and we knew for sure it was a fish. Quickly got it up near the boat. My dad had the gaff at the ready but the fish had other plans. The moment he saw us he left and went due west and down. I had tightened the drag as far as I could and was trying to slow it down but it ran and ran and ran. I thought it was going to spool me and I have 300 yards of line. Finally I managed to stop the run and started the slow tedious process of getting all that line back. We had sat in the boat the night before studying the art of boating a halibut from Salmon University and were all ready to take this fish on as a team. Got the fish to the boat, my dad got the gaff on it and got it drug onto the swim step and into the boat. Once it was actually in the boat I was so excited I was shaking. I thought it was bigger than it was. I put a 50 lb scale on it and lifted its head and the scale maxed out. I ended up taking it to the fish store at Port Townsend and they were nice enough to weight it for me. 72 lbs and 54 inches long. Good first halibut.

We ended up with lbs of dressed meat for the freezer. Split it with my dad and had a great dinner last night. I decided to cook the Anthony's recipe that was on the Salmon University website "how to boat a halibut" Seemed appropriate.

Here are some pics of the trip.

<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009074.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009074.jpg" border="0" alt="Play N' Hookie II"></a>

My pop
<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009061.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009061.jpg" border="0" alt="My pop"></a>

This is right after getting it bled and my arms were still tired
<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009056.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009056.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009058.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009058.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009060.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009060.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

There was some kind of wooden boat festival going on. Neat to watch him maneuver that in the port. 110 feet long
<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009070.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009070.jpg" border="0" alt="110' wooden boat at Port Townsend"></a>

The run home
<a href="http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/?action=view&current=May2009088.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x172/Granroth43/May2009088.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Great trip!! looking forward to opening salmon next weekend!

Go Aweigh2452

06-01-2009, 11:09 AM

Great story, great trip! It all came together in the end! Thanks for the photos... ya done good...

Tedster

06-01-2009, 11:13 AM

Now that is a nice BUT! Great pic's!

Randygh

06-01-2009, 12:05 PM

Nice fish. Halibut and salmon Sounds like a great trip except for sloppy water and fog. Now you have to convince the Admiral that radar is a necessity. I've only ran in pea-soup one time, but I'm glad I had radar. With radar and GPS, I felt comfortable that I wasn't going to run aground or hit another boat.

voyager

06-01-2009, 01:34 PM

Play N Hookie II

06-01-2009, 02:04 PM

Eric congrats again on the fish. It's a nice one plus it makes up for me not remembering you do not having radar when I left Saturday morning. If I had you might have been following me and missed your fish.

Did you end up cathing another one? Did you have halibut for dinner last night? Sorry we didn't get to hook up all weekend. Next year we will have to plan better.

voyager

06-01-2009, 02:23 PM

We only got the one but he was around 45 pds so split three ways everyone still got a decent fillet. I need to figure out a way to get some Coordinates out of Spud. I always feel like I am just guessing on locations. Like everyone else I can find the banks but that does not mean I am in the right spot on the bank. I either need so spots to fish or a better map that actually shows some bottom features.

Next year lets plan in advance and get into the same marina. I know Point Hudson is more expensive but it is nice and it is close to town. Maybe we could get several boats and all go the same weekend. Any of you other guys interested?

Nehalennia

06-01-2009, 02:41 PM

Play N Hookie II

06-01-2009, 03:00 PM

Dale Earnhardt Lives!!!!
Erik that's fantastic. Great looking fish, but you're straining hoisting that big pig that Daddy had to come help.

Seriously man, that's an awesome fish. I'm jealous.

Great smooth water heading home too. Simply great.

I don't know why it was so heavy. I am not a weak dude and it was only 70lbs but it felt like 100+. I am strong I swear!!...lol

Play N Hookie Admiral

06-01-2009, 03:39 PM

I don't know why it was so heavy. I am not a weak dude and it was only 70lbs but it felt like 100+. I am strong I swear!!...lol

He picks me up all the time and I know I weigh more than that fish...I think he just wanted to make it seem bigger than it really was. :eek:

Play N Hookie II

06-01-2009, 04:22 PM

He picks me up all the time and I know I weigh more than that fish...I think he just wanted to make it seem bigger than it really was. :eek:

I am not that crafty or thoughtful. If I had been it would have been a manlier look instead of a weak creepy look. What you see is what you get.

fishaman

06-01-2009, 05:31 PM

Great story, and excellent fish! That's the same docks in the photos where we stayed for 3 nights on Memorial Day weekend. But we were not that lucky, the currents were ripping, fishable time was about one hour a day, so we got only one fish, about 30 pounds.

Because of work, I could not go this Friday and Saturday, looks like I have missed all the fun with high winds and fog. Yesterday, we left Edmonds at about 6.30 a.m., weather perfectly calm and sunny, excellent currents. 90 minutes later we were fishing the area just west of Point Wilson. At about 11.30 (early outgoing tide) we landed the first one, 27 pounds... uneventful. Then, in half an hour, my rod arches, we get ready, other rod out of the water, but this thing on the other end of the line just would not stop. After about 25 minutes of spooling, I see no end of it, and tighten the drag a bit... wrong decision, my 3 seasons old line breaks. I could not talk for at least 15 minutes. Lines back in the water, current gets stronger, less chance to catch fish, but we keep trying. At about 3 pm, as the flow gets slower at the other end of the outgoing tide, I hooked up again. As before, line just flies off the reel, but no more drag tightening this time, rather let it spool me than break again. At 3/4 spool out, it slows, and inch by inch, starts to come up. I realized that I need to do it as gently as I can, otherwise after gaining a foot, it gets annoyed and I loose 5. After 40 minutes and a couple of runs, we finaly harpooned it, and brought in the boat. The scale at Edmonds showed about 80 pounds. My buddy was not eager to put the slimy monster in his brand new Pathfinder bought a month ago, so we cleaned the fish at Edmonds fishing pier amidst the Edmonds Festival with all the tourists and visitors walking by. I never heard so many "Oh my god, is it a fish? How did you catch it?" After the 25th time we started to answer that we just caught it from the pier on a nightcrawler...

It was an unbelievable "Season Finale", a very rare combination of:
- weekend;
- still open halibut season;
- perfect weather (sunny!);
- perfect weather (wind calm!);
- perfect weather (no fog!);
- perfect currents.

Congratulations to all who were able to get out halibut fishing, this coincidence does not happen very often!

Play N Hookie II

06-02-2009, 06:50 AM

Nice fishing! I wish we could have caught more...and some lings to go with it. Just getting dialed in for next year.

Chass

06-02-2009, 12:10 PM

Thats exciting! Very nice fish :)

I was planing on going out for Halibut this weekend but when I learned how they were catching them it became clear that I don't have the right gear. 700ft of water, 48 to 64 oz of weight in a 3 kt drift 33 miles off shore. I'm just not set up for that right now :(

We may hit the shallower depths where they catch some of the smaller ones but it looks like we are going for Ling, Rocks and crab this weekend unless we get a wild hair and head up to Toledo for some sturgeon fishing.

Chass
ct

Play N Hookie II

06-02-2009, 12:24 PM

Chass

06-02-2009, 01:24 PM

You are lucky though that you get such a long crab season and the ling and rock fishing is much much better than here.

Thats true. We currently have a limit of 7 rock fish and two ling cod year round. Halibut is open inside 40 fathoms pretty much all spring and summer too. Crab is open all year too.

I just need some gear to go out for the big halibut!

Chass
ct

fishaman

06-02-2009, 04:27 PM

voyager

06-02-2009, 06:52 PM

Chass:
You can try Canadian side of the Strait, like Constance Bank, during your San Juan cruise. It's open year round for halibut, and is not that deep. And you can buy the Canadian license online. You dont need big weights, if I remember correctly, Canadians do not allow to use more than 35 ounces (1 kilogram) of lead, except for downriggers. Also, halibut in the Strait on average is larger than in the ocean.

Wow I did not know that. I will have to check that out, I could certainly drift over the line a few times this summer and try for a halibut, especially since the license is available on line.

Go Aweigh2452

06-02-2009, 06:53 PM

Wow I did not know that. I will have to check that out, I could certainly drift over the line a few times this summer and try for a halibut, especially since the license is available on line.

That has to be a new thing. I have always been told we had to land in Canada to get the license in person. Good to know they have joined the modern world...

fishaman

06-02-2009, 07:13 PM

They still require to buy a license in person to fish Swiftsure (areas 23, 121and 123) but for the Strait the license is availble online at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Acquiring_an_Online_Tidal_Licence

SomeSailor

06-02-2009, 07:15 PM

Unless you have a printer onboard, you won't be able to print the license. :)

We got ours in Ganges last year.

Go Aweigh2452

06-02-2009, 08:12 PM

I am sure you could find a hotel with internet and print services for a couple of bucks... beats going to CA to get it in person...

SomeSailor

06-03-2009, 05:54 AM

Yeah. We went into Ganges, but I have a beater epson printer I'll throw in a locker somewhere for the next trip over. :)

Chass

06-03-2009, 09:58 AM

Thanks for the tips!

I've been pouring over the canada fishing website. Looks like area 19 is where I'll be fishing if I head over to Canada for the day.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/areas-secteurs/19-eng.htm

Anybody know if you have to go through customs if you don't land on Canadian soil off hand?

I've been looking for an online resource for finding places like Constance Bank but I'm coming up short. I can find it on the charts at the house but I don't have those here at work. Anyone have a good online resource for marine charts?

This website has a pretty good report of how the fishing has been in BC.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/areas-secteurs/19-eng.htm

Thanks!
Chass
ct

Chass

06-03-2009, 10:10 AM

I found what I was looking for here:

http://www.fishingvictoria.ca/fishinglocations.html

Chass
ct

fishaman

06-03-2009, 10:11 AM

From what I remember, you do not need to go through customs on either side if you do not come to Canadian port, drop anchor, or come in touch with other vessel. It might be a problem for me because I anchor for halibut fishing. Drift fishing should be all right.

Chass

06-03-2009, 10:15 AM

From what I remember, you do not need to go through customs on either side if you do not come to Canadian port, drop anchor, or come in touch with other wessel. It might be a problem for me because I anchor for halibut fishing. Drift fishing should be all right.

Interesting. I'll call customs to be sure. I like to anchor for halibut too.

Thanks,
Chass
ct

SomeSailor

06-17-2009, 04:01 PM

Just found this on the Fisheries Canada Site:

(http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Tidal_Licensing)Important Note Regarding Fishing for Halibut: (http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Tidal_Licensing)

Only a Canadian resident may fish for or retain halibut under an electronic licence in management areas 23, 121 and 123 as described in Schedule II of the Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations. If you are a non-resident and wish to fish for halibut in management areas 23, 121 and 123 you must purchase a paper license from a vendor in Canada. Refunds will not be issued, so please ensure your licence selection is correct before you complete your transaction. (http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Tidal_Licensing)
(http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Tidal_Licensing)

I guess that rules out simply fishing halibut across the line with an online license. :(

Go Aweigh2452

06-17-2009, 04:24 PM

ahhhh, so they did not change the rules that you buy in person... Wonder what the fine on that one is...

"honest officer, I saw it with my own eyes on IBoatNW..." :eek:

voyager

06-17-2009, 05:10 PM

Just found this on the Fisheries Canada Site:

[/URL]

I guess that rules out simply fishing halibut across the line with an on line license. :(

Those areas are off the west side of Vancouver island. The are the areas out of Port Renfrew and pretty much cover Swiftsure Bank. The area around Victoria covering Race Rocks, Constance bank, etc is open to electronic licenses.

Here is the link to the page that shows the areas. [url]http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/index-eng.htm (http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.htm#Tidal_Licensing)
Most of the areas in the straight are in area 19.

SomeSailor

06-17-2009, 06:41 PM

Very cool!

fishaman

06-18-2009, 02:08 PM

fishaman

06-18-2009, 02:27 PM

Here's some pics from the last weekend of the season:

http://www.iboatnw.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=748&stc=1&d=1245363860

http://www.iboatnw.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=749&stc=1&d=1245363891

Tedster

06-18-2009, 02:36 PM

Now that is a whole lota butt, that dock looks very familiar since I was a racker for many years!

fishaman

06-18-2009, 02:45 PM

That's exactly the dock, I have just gotten into a bad habit of "racking" after years of trailering. No more need to be back before the sling closes, hence more fishing time.

voyager

06-18-2009, 03:19 PM

Nice fish, next year I'm following you :lol: