Keith Lusher 02.06.26
Ice fishing and halibut aren’t two phrases you often hear collectively in the identical sentence. Atlantic halibut are saltwater giants most anglers affiliate with deep offshore water, not frozen bays. However that’s precisely what occurred in Quebec’s Saguenay Fjord, the place Alain Hamel hauled a large halibut by the ice after a marathon battle.
The fish measured greater than 6.5 ft lengthy, weighed 244 kilos, and was later confirmed by scientists as the biggest Atlantic halibut ever recorded within the fjord, and one of many greatest ever caught by the ice wherever.
For anglers, the main points are what actually stand out.
Hamel battled the fish for roughly two and a half hours earlier than his crew was in a position to get it topside. In response to biologists concerned with the challenge, that battle time isn’t uncommon. Some anglers in this system have spent six to 12 hours related to halibut that in the end broke off. These aren’t fast tug-and-reel fish. They’re endurance contests that demand heavy gear, endurance, and a coordinated crew on the ice.
The document Atlantic halibut was formally weighed, with the meat later shared amongst fishermen concerned within the scientific challenge. Photograph: Musée du Fjord.
This catch was made below a particular scientific allow tied to a winter halibut analysis challenge run in partnership with the Musée du Fjord. The Saguenay is likely one of the solely locations in North America the place Atlantic halibut could be legally caught by the ice, because of its distinctive mixture of freshwater influx and deep, chilly saltwater beneath the ice.
Solely about 35 particular licenses are issued every winter, and strict guidelines apply. All halibut below 33.5 inches should be launched. Bigger fish are harvested for science, with heads and abdomen contents analyzed to assist researchers perceive development charges, weight loss plan, and motion patterns. Hamel’s fish yielded roughly 170 kilos of meat, which shall be shared among the many fishermen concerned.
One fascinating word for anglers who love fish habits particulars. Scientists discovered a crab within the halibut’s abdomen, reinforcing what many saltwater fishermen already know. These huge flatfish are opportunistic backside feeders that can crush absolutely anything they will pin down.
Atlantic halibut are family members of the Pacific halibut many West Coast anglers are accustomed to, however they develop considerably bigger. The all deal with world document acknowledged by the Worldwide Recreation Fish Affiliation is just below 419 kilos, caught in Norway in 2004. A specimen reported off Sweden as soon as weighed greater than 700 kilos.
Maybe probably the most encouraging takeaway for fishermen is what this catch says in regards to the fishery itself. In response to challenge leaders, Atlantic halibut had been not often encountered within the Saguenay a decade in the past. Over the past 4 years, numbers have elevated sufficient that this winter’s scientific quota was reached early and the fishery needed to be shut right down to keep away from exceeding limits.
For now, this stays a tightly managed analysis program, not a public ice fishing alternative. However for anglers who respect huge fish, lengthy fights, and the science behind wholesome fisheries, this 244 pound halibut is a reminder of simply how a lot remains to be taking place beneath the ice.
