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Cleaning The Halibut
July 2007
Grosse Isle, Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada


Credits:
Glen Clarke

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On a codfish trawl you can put anywhere from 55-75 hooks. The more baited hooks you have on a trawl, the better the chances are of attracting more codfish. The size of hooks for codfish are 12 gage and that of halibut are 14 gage. You can use both size hooks for codfish and halibut but by using the size 12 gage hooks you will get more codfish. If you are fishing halibut only, it is best to use size 14 gage hooks in order to avoid codfish. On a codfish or halibut trawl, you begin with cutting the bait in smaller pieces to put on the hooks. There is a buoy on each end along with a weight for anchors to hold the trawl in position. Upon catching a halibut, it is best to immediately open it up and clean out all debris and wash it to ensure better quality of fish. There are certain times of the year when halibut or codfish can be caught. It is determined by Fisheries & Oceans when it opens, how long it stays open and how much the annual quota will be.