SquidPro Tackle's Halibut Fishing Chronicles

Fish checkers counted 24 halibut Friday, May 25th for the Strait of Juan de Fuca Areas 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9. That’s the “Puget Sound Inside” waters halibut fishery. Weather was less than desirable and down right miserable. Many halibut anglers, including me, opted to stay ashore and not fight wind, waves and currents. I spoke with several anglers that did go halibut fishing and they reported four foot seas which made it difficult to anchor or drift.

Approximately 632 anglers braved the wind swept rough seas with dismal catch rates equaling just 3.8 percent catch rate. Let’s face it, that’s less than terrible, it’s a complete failure for Day 3 of our inside waters halibut fishery.

Let’s do the math to figure out how the WDFW’s “Mystery Math” will account for Day 3.

Here’s the math with the increase factor “multiplier” WDFW uses to grossly “guesstimate” our halibut catch.

24 halibut x 2.4266 = 58.2384 halibut x 23 pounds = 1,339.4832 pounds.

Prior to Day 3 we had 45,116 pounds of halibut left in the sport quota. After subtracting May 25th’s catch plus multiplier factor it leaves 43,776.52 pounds of quota going into Day 4 May 27th. Given low catch rates I’d wager we should get more days to fish halibut. I can’t imagine the WDFW fisheries managers could possibly justify not giving us more days, but I’m constantly flabbergasted at the level of incompetency at the WDFW.

If you think I’m wrong, ask yourself how this department has managed our fisheries resource over the past 30 years. I could name dozens of examples of wrong guesstimates, wrong policy, hidden agendas and commercial over harvest.

The first two days of halibut fishing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound were dismal at best, and largely viewed by sports anglers as the worst opener in recent memory. On day one Tribal longlines were spotted at the 31/36 hole out of Port Angeles and day two longlines spotted on the west side of Tongue Point. Pillar Point, a local favorite for anglers out of Sekiu was a bust with few halibut caught.

Our fisheries managers at WDFW have always claimed that their fish checkers do a great job of counting the sport caught halibut and I agree, they do a pretty good job of getting the actual count of sport-caught halibut. This year fish checkers in the Strait and Puget Sound counted 279 halibut. But, as usual, WDFW uses a catch factor number to arrive at an estimate of sport caught halibut.

“Sampling programs rely on expanding the number of actual fish and effort counted by our samplers to produce an estimate of total catch and effort,” says Heather Reed, fisheries manager at WDFW.

Let’s take a look at the numbers again, fish checkers visually saw and recorded 279 halibut and then fisheries managers used a formula to estimate our catch to a total of 676 halibut. That’s a multiplier of  x 2.4266

That my fellow halibut anglers is an multiplier WDFW loves and we hate. They say their numbers and formulas are “Peer Reviewed.” I say the public needs to peer review these idiotic numbers. There’s no way sport halibut anglers caught 2.4266 times more halibut than the fish checkers saw. If that is correct their fish checking program is a failure. Can anyone tell me of another industry, sport, fishery that has this kind of crystal ball mystery math that is acceptable?

Next year’s halibut catch record card, (HCRC) was suppose to help fisheries managers get a better idea of how many halibut are really caught, but WDFW fisheries managers say they won’t be changing their formulas or methods and don’t seem interested in a more immediate system to report actual catches from halibut catch cards.

If you are as outraged as I am, please let your state senators and representatives know how displeased you are with the current fisheries management and lack of progress to accurately monitor halibut catch rates without using “Mystery Math.”

Oh Canada, here I come. At least we still have opportunity across the border. Hopefully WDFW fisheries management will change when we get a new director, but not likely, as the current managers and methods are so ingrained and accepted not much will likely change.

Good luck over the Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully we get a few more days of halibut fishing if the mystery math allows it.

John L Beath

4-25-2018 — Update: Today a friend called Canadian Customs and was issued a clearance number with no problems and was able to anchor without going to the Canadian Customs dock. It seems different agents have different rules or they are randomly, day to day requiring anglers to report to Customs if they are going to anchor. At least there’s hope. If you have not read yesterday’s post below, please do. Be prepared and know that when you call Canadian Customs for anchoring they might require you to go to the Canadian Customs dock, in which case you can tell them you will not anchor. Be ready to drift for halibut if they do.

If you have not read my previous post, please do. With regards to that post, dated April 23 2018, about anchoring for halibut in Canadian waters, I called Canadian Customs today and they indeed told me anyone who anchors MUST report in person to a Canadian Customs port, be inspected and then can go and anchor. I even asked about Nexus Cards, stating that was not the requirement in the past and that Nexus Cards should prevent having to report in person. No they said, “Even with the Nexus Card you will have to report in person to the Customs Dock,” the agent told me.

Another friend also called with the Canadian Custom’s reporting number with the same questions and he received the same answers. This could change in the future, but who knows, we are dealing with governments, foreign governments at that.

I think this new policy is in response to the conflict between the United States and Canada during this years International Pacific Halibut Commission. I was there, as part of the Conference Board, voting on proposals that would go to the six commissioners, three from the U.S. and three from Canada. For the second time in 94 years the two countries did not agree on proposals dealing with cuts because of lower halibut numbers.

Canadian fisheries managers did cut quotas for both sport and commercial. The sport maximum size reduced from last year’s 133 cm to 115 cm on April 1st this year. With less quota, I believe the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is putting pressure on their Customs and Border Patrol to enforce the anchoring rules, which have always been in effect. Obtaining a Nexus Card use to enable anglers to simply call CAN PASS (Canadian Customs) and obtain a “Clearance” number without having to physically report. Please keep in mind, this is my opinion on their motives, but it makes sense. Why else would they suddenly change policy. Why else would they suddenly send their Customs and Border Patrol vessel to Coyote Bank (also known as Border Bank) demanding anchored vessels, whom already called for clearance numbers, to report to a Custom’s dock?

I will keep everyone posted as updates/changes occur. Next time I plan to go salmon fishing across the border I will call for a clearance number for anchoring and see what they say. Who knows, they might issue a number. If they say I must report in person I will tell them no thanks, I will just fish for salmon. Their new law, as of last July, allows U.S. boats to troll or drift without calling to notify Canadian Customs.

John L. Beath  4-24-2018

Today a friend decided to go fishing at Coyote Bank, aka “Border Bank” in Canadian waters. Upon calling into Canadian Customs because they were planning to anchor, the Custom’s agent on the phone told them they would have to report to either Victoria or Sydney for inspection, even though they had their Nexus cards and all paperwork in order.

They told the Canadian Customs official on the phone they would drift, which would not require them to report in person to a Canadian port.

I also just received an e-mail from another friend in Anacortes who went to Coyote Bank today. Here’s what he said.

Hi John, fished Coyote, was on a drift today other boat was anchored. Canadian Border Patrol came out, told boat on anchor to report to Victor customs, all paper in order made all call to custom with BR #. No guns / drugs / alcohol only fish gear. I know the guy they did this to, we went out together. Have Not herd from him yet. Any Idea why?

I have no idea why.

Today the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol boat, with three BIG outboards fueled up at John Wayne Marina, so obviously both sides of the border are watching. Just not sure what is going on with Canadian side of border.

Just remember, if you plan to anchor you MUST call into Canadian Customs and receive a clearance number. If they request you report to a port just tell them no thanks, you will just drift or troll and you should be fine.

Borders are getting less restrictive and more restrictive at the same time. Go figure.

I recently fished Canadian waters and upon re-entering U.S. waters, as required by law, I called the US Custom’s Small Vessel Reporting Center in Bellingham. All aboard my vessel had Nexus cards, but they asked for our BR numbers (Boater Registration). The officer told me that a BR number MUST be associated with the Nexus card. They had a BR number on file for me, but as a passenger on my friend’s boat. Interesting.

The officer told me to call after 5 pm to get a BR number linked to my Nexus, which I have now accomplished. The phone call took a few minutes, but will save time in the future when I call the US Customs Small Boat Reporting number at 1-800-562-5943

If you currently have an I-68 your BR number is on the upper right hand portion of the document, just below your boat’s registration number. In short, if you have a Nexus card simply call the above number and get a BR number linked to your Nexus card.

Here’s what you need to fish Canadian waters and re-enter U.S. waters after fishing in Canadian waters.

Fishing Canada — What You Need To Know

1. You MUST have a Passport, Enhanced Drivers License, or Nexus Card. Everyone aboard, including kids must have one of these.
2. If fishing for salmon you MUST register online with WDFW at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/canadian_catcphp to retain salmon. If halibut fishing only, you do not register online with WDFW.
3. You MUST call 1-888-226-7277 CAN PASS if you plan to anchor or go ashore and obtain a clearance number from Canadian Customs. Write this number down, as U.S. Customs will need this number upon re-entering U.S. waters
4. You MUST have an I-68, Global Entry or Nexus Card to re-enter U.S. waters. When re-entering call 1-800-562-5943 Make sure to get a BR number linked to your Global Entry or Nexus card
   
5. Do not have guns aboard your vessel while in Canadian waters.
6. If you have fish aboard from Canadian waters you can’t fish U.S. waters unless your Canadian caught fish is legal in Washington waters, but you must still clear U.S. Customs before fishing U.S. waters