Santa Monica Bay Halibut

[Scuba Fever]

An article in the La Times reported that after a one year hiatus from the Annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby because only "SEVEN" legal halibut were caught during the two day tournament, this year only "TWO" legal Halibut were brought in! Third place was given to a catch of ROCKFISH! (In a Halibut Derby!)

Has this been everyone's experience lately?

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-halibut-derby-20110513,0,348410.story?track=rss

:mad:

[Ethan kills]

An article in the La Times reported that after a one year hiatus from the Annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby because only "SEVEN" legal halibut were caught during the two day tournament, this year only "TWO" legal Halibut were brought in! Third place was given to a catch of ROCKFISH! (In a Halibut Derby!)

Has this been everyone's experience lately?

[url]

:mad:

too many bubble blowers shooting them up!

[toptuna]

I can't find one for the life of me. This year.

[ralphthehalibut]

I think it has more to do with there being so much bait the fish are stuffed. Makes it hard for rod and reel guys to catch 'em.

Me, I saw more in a 3 hour dive a week or so ago than I saw in the entire previous year combined.

[YakAtak]

Last year (when they had to have a hiatus) I dove up that way, and saw more Halibut in one day than I've seen the rest of my life combined. On average a fish every other dive. Hiatus??? Are you kidding me?

[saltierdog]

very nice piece of enviro propaganda

[ksquared]

La nina.

Seriously, like everything in life its probably a cyclical phenomenon.

[FIT4FISH]

very nice piece of enviro propaganda

Exactly.!!! Well, they didnt mention the winning fish was 43.7 lbs.............. This was also a one day event as opposed to two days in the past. and this years top prize was a fishing reel and not a brand new Ford truck,like in the past. Rules were Changed to actually put Less pressure on the fish. Many were fishing for rockfish . less pressure = less fish .Many landed limits of halibut and many fish were released.................. Fish Move, conditions change, cycles are prevalent, OH! and lets not forget about the Water Quality of the bay again!

[El Cazador]

It seems that the only hiatus I've seen lately is a hiatus of the truth from these enviro nutjobs. What a bunch of idiots. There's no more fish in the ocean so everyone please stop looking:rolleyes:

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc478/rmcdennon1/IMG_4742.jpg

[Grumblefish]

Wow. That's a lot of halibut.

[yellowtailslyer]

It seems that the only hiatus I've seen lately is a hiatus of the truth from these enviro nutjobs. What a bunch of idiots. There's no more fish in the ocean so everyone please stop looking:rolleyes:

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc478/rmcdennon1/IMG_4742.jpg

dick, jk nice man

[Chris Oak]

I'd hate to have to have been the one to filet those out! Nice haul Pricks, I mean guys ;)

[unkabonka]

I think the halibut just moved on from these guy's honey holes that they fished year after year and they need to update their GPS coordinates. They might be successful if they followed some divers around ;)

The LA times article, as expected, draws the reader into making the conclusion that recreational, private boater fishing during a once a year tournament has caused this "devastation". I doubt it.

[saltierdog]

The LA times article, as expected, draws the reader into making the conclusion that recreational, private boater fishing during a once a year tournament has caused this "devastation". I doubt it.
wonderful to see our old MLPA steakholder friend sarah stitch from steal the bay getting some face time while she pumps more mis-information out there :rolleyes:
I remember having her on my boat and showing her all the plentiful fish and habitat around Portuguese bend and then listened to her join the rhetoric of how sediment in the area caused it to be a barren wasteland
I stopped my subscription to that newspaper long ago

dont you love how these articles come out before a big steal the bay fund raiser

[juanfighter]

That's a halibut orgy cazador!!!

[So Cal Shaggy]

I came across the article the other day on the Save Laguna facebook page, this is what they had posted regarding the article

Fishing derby running out of Fish. The Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby is now a Save the Halibut Derby. Another example of the importance of Marine Protected Areas to back up poor fisheries management . See http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-halibut-derby-20110513,0,187394.story

Funny how it is the fishermen's fault there are no fish yet even in the article it states pollution might be one of the big causes.

[Bob Ballew]

plenty of halibut.but, the boats often can't get up shallow where the fish are spawning or the flatties are so full of bait, they don't bite the hooks..quite a few big ones taken so far this year..