Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pike Eating A Perch

There is zero problem in the halibut population with recruitment (spawning) all of the studies prove they are prolific as can be. At the smaller sizes they do okay.

Far bigger issues include arrowtooth flounder competition for food. Arrowtooth are the the biggest biomass in the Gulf of Alaska and virtually unused commercially. They have an enzyme in the meat which turns the fish to mush when heated. After much money spent on research they found a way to make surimi with it. Problem is it competes with the front half of pollock in that market. Filleting machines take the back half of the pollock to make fish sticks and the fronts go into a huge pot to cook into a protein paste...

Temperature cycles in the Gulf are linked to population swings. Look up "Decadal Oscillation" for the long answer there.

In many areas the sea otter population explosion in the last 40 or so years has hammered the sea urchins. The urchins kept the kelp beds healthy by nibbling on the holdfasts. Without them the kelp beds are shrinking rapidly. This reduces nursery areas for many, many species and increases all kinds of predator issues. Net result is a decline in feed for halibut and others. Suddenly, "chalky" fish became an issue.

More halibut are known to be killed and wasted as bycatch than the entire subsistence, sport, personal use, and charter fleet combined. We are supposed to feel guilty about our 5%!

Pissed off because someone wants to keep and eat a probable "fish of a lifetime" sounds more like jealousy.

🙀

I saw this was still on the first page and wondered, How the hell is a pike eating a perch still on page 1?

Now I know😂

Speak for yourself!

I would like to catch one of the monsters someday, but I would not keep it. I would take pictures of it in the water before I released it though.

For me the fun is in the catching, not the keeping, nothing to prove here. I have been fishing for Halibut for years. As others here have said, I prefer Ling Cod over Halibut and I only keep Halibut < 40 lbs.

Every Halibut fisherman knows the hens are the large Halibut, and they do produce millions of eggs over their life cycle, and they are Stringy and not good to eat IMO.

I’ve hauled a few around the 300 mark over the rail. Big stinky sob’s.

Sportfishing, never caught one over 50. One I caught was so small, when the fish checker at the dock saw it, he chuckled and asked if I was taking it home to my aquarium.

I hauled it up and a guy on the boat decided to gaff it. WTF? I guess where keeping it now.

Must be why the Japanese buyers pay a huge premium for "whales."

They and the Chinese also pay a huge premium for Chinook, which is NOT GOOD for people like me who fish the Skeena River in BC.

A couple of years ago they completely shut down the Skeena River to Sport Fishing, and with The Skeena River being one of the premier rivers in the world for Chinook runs, that's not good!

Canada has a rich history of destroying our fishers on both the east and west coasts, commercial fishing is a curse.

Back to pike.

I watched a duck with about 10 small ducklings in tow swim across the Cosna one afternoon, in line.

At the back of the line, there was a quiet swirl. Then another.

Poor mama duck was frantic when she turned around at the shore and only had 4 babies left.

Some animals definately have a sense of count, even without fingers.

And the Innoko, Porcupine, Dall, have caught a few toothy bastards

Some of the best was up the Dall and a small stream off the Black.

They were hungry and active, I would remove all the treble hooks and put on one siwash hook with the barb crimped.

Caught a few right at 40", they were hawgs.

The natives dont mess with them and those pike on the Black hadn't been fished for years!

And your connection to logic is where?

Yeah I bet

I grew up on the East Coast and watched Trawlers decimate the Cod Fishery, and watched Over Fishing for Atlantic Salmon destroy the stocks as well.

Sport Fishing does not decimate fish populations, commercial fishing does. Not to forget the kill rate on the bycatch is horrendous.

That is the fact and I base my logic on Facts Not Fiction. Just Saying

I have ZERO argument with anyone who wants to kill giant Hen Halibut, I say Fill your Boots and whatever turns your crank, go right ahead!

I don't understand it and you will not be seeing me to it.

I would like to catch one of the monsters someday, but I would not keep it. I would take pictures of it in the water before I released it though.
KillerBee that is your choice and it was their choice to keep it. I guess that doesn’t count in your courtroom though. The fish were caught legally and if you don’t like the law get it changed (Oh wait you’re from Canada.)I’m curious if you’re fishing in Canadian waters or US waters? as a lot of Canadian fishermen I know fish our waters.

Again, your connection to logic is where?

Are you a commercial fisherman?

No, but have 30+ years ago. Had a charter boat for 27 years and sports fish only.

Obfiscating to avoid displaying the first logical connection in your rants is not going anywhere...

Yes Sir, the Yukon, and there is no shortage of 50s and a few beyond 60 inches every once in a while.

Ted

No, I am not (Obfiscating) the correct spelling is Obfuscating. Ranting? Pfffffff, I am not ranting!

I have been fishing for salmon since 1974. Are you saying that Commercial Fishing is not the culprit for decimating fish stocks Globally? If so where is your logic? You sound uninformed to me buddy.

You did read that I have no issues with anyone keeping Giant Hen Halibut right? The only thing I have said about that practice on this thread is that "I do not understand it" and that if that turns your crank, FILL YOUR BOOTS!

I am not looking to argue with you, I have done my research and have nothing to prove to you or anyone else.

If you are saying that Trawlers on the East Coast did not decimate the Cod fishery on the East Coast to the point of collapse, I suggest that you do a little research, because you seem to be clueless.

Want another example? Here is a freshwater example. Where I fish for Sturgeon, the commercial fishing for Lake Sturgeon almost drove them to extinction.

Are you saying that the bycatch involved with Commercial isn't horrendous?

Anyhow, no hard feelings Sitka deer. I am planning on fishing off of Prince Of Whales Island in 2025. I can not wait, I have heard that the number of salmon in that region is still fantastic!

This year I will be fishing for Salmon, Halibut, and Cod off the coast of Prince Rupert BC. I am a dedicated fisherman and hunter and believe in conservation, of basically everything.

Here is a picture of my freezer after a four-day fishing trip. Two days on the Skeena and 2 day on the ocean, I love it! 🎣😉

My Fish freezer is 4'L x 3.5' D and 3' wide, that freezer is exclusively fish from 1 trip to BC, so I know a little about fishing, obviously more then you seem to know.

Anyhow, I am watching the Trump Rally now, have a great day!

You freeze them whole? Guts and all?




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