Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable opening day

Don Stokes · **Posted:** Fri May 05, 2006 9:10 pm

I just wanted to pass on my wishes that everyone has a safe and enjoyable opening day on Quinte.

My only recent outing was a trip, that saw me looking at the Pacific Ocean while a major storm came in. I was supposed to be fishing the Port Hardy area of Vancouver Island, but alas my halibut adventure is still waiting for me at some future date. Depths would have been 250-300 ft. apparently, with the target size by locals being 15-55 pds, with the larger ones (80-200+ pds) being regarded as poor table fare. I have yet to catch one making me most dissapointed to be off the water, yet again due to weather. Better safe than sorry I suppose......

Regards
Don Stokes

polliwogg · **Posted:** Sat May 06, 2006 4:05 am

Thanks Don

Ive been waiting for Dad to fall out of bed for an hour now, we decided to give up onthe night fishing on the bay and plan to fish west lake this morning.

I trie to talk Dad into going west to bring me back a hallibut last year , what is the season for them or do they fish them all year?

Don Stokes · **Posted:** Sat May 06, 2006 9:40 am

Hi Polliwog
Prime season for halibut seems to be early in the year from what I can tell. (Mar- June). Apparently the larger females spawn in shallower water and the smaller and moe ideal eating fish are in the deeper water. The equipment I have seen used for them is huge, with jigs and plastics being around 1-1.5 pds and line being 80-100 pd non stretch being common. The limit is 2 from what I have been told.

Some locals seem to love it and others regard it as boring. Being from the Quinte area, I am perfectly fine with jigging and am curious as to the sensation the locals describe as "pulling a 4 * 8 piece of plywood off the bottom". They do thrash around a lot when on deck with gaffing being common and I believe that some actually shoot a .22 to ensure that the harvest is fast and safe.

I have now been blown off the water twice now, skunked more or less twice (4 outings in total...expensive learning) with me getting to observe a few caught and that is about it. It is all just an experience to me of course with the long term objective being to actually catch one. Hopefully next time, with my work at least taking me to places that allow such unique fishing opportunities.

Regards
Don Stokes

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Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable opening day

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