January | 2016 | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Storms likely to blow out Smith, Chetco

Richard Burrow of Eureka landed this beautiful winter steelhead last Sunday on the Mad River. The Mad, as well as all of the coastal rivers, are expected to see significant rises by the weekend due to the incoming storms. Photo courtesy of Scott Grant

Mother Nature provided just enough time in between big storms to drop the Smith and Chetco rivers back into pristine shape. The break, however, was short-lived. Another wet storm is on the way, which is forecasted to blow out the two quick-clearing rivers as well as insuring the other coastal streams won’t be green and fishable any time soon. The good news is the two rivers – during their brief driftable stint – were loaded with fresh steelhead. Hopefully when the rivers recede and clear, we can pick up right where we left off.

Weekend Weather:
The forecast is calling for the next couple of days to be very wet say’s Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We’re expecting a pretty good shot of rain on Thursday and Friday. The Smith/Klamath basin will see from three to five inches with two to four inches falling in the Humboldt area. Saturday will be a showery day, with rainfall totaling another quarter to half inch. Snow levels will be in the 2,500 to 3,000 foot level. Sunday will be mostly dry, with a few lingering showers that will give way to a dry day on Monday. An unsettled pattern will begin on Monday night into Tuesday, bringing with it more showers. Wednesday is looking dry, but another half inch of rain is forecasted for Thursday.” Kennedy added.

Salmon/steelhead report cards due
CDFW would like to remind sport anglers that the 2015 sport fishing report cards need to be submitted by January 31, even if divers and anglers were unsuccessful or did not fish at all. Anglers and divers can go online to submit their abalone, lobster, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon report cards required by the CDFW. Reporting requirements for anglers and divers have not changed, but this online submission option makes the reporting faster and easier. For additional information on harvest reporting requirements, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing#758846-harvest-reporting

Humboldt Steelhead Days weekend events
CalTrout brings The International Fly Fishing Film Festival to the Eureka Theatre this Friday, Jan. 29 as part of the Humboldt Steelhead Days. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival consists of shorts and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. Humboldt Steelhead Days registrants get $5 off at the door. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Join CalTrout for a pre-film social hour. For more information, visit http://www.theeurekatheater.org/upcoming-events.

On Saturday January 30, free family events will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Learn how to rig, tie flies, and cast for steelhead and then practice in the 5-hole casting course – fun for all ages and all skills! Learn about your local watershed restoration and fish population status. This event is being offered in partnership with the Eureka Crab Celebration.

HASA membership meeting coming in February
HASA (Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers) will be having their general membership meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Grace Baptist Church, 220 Buhne Street, Eureka. They will be taking nominations and voting for board members. Other business will also be discussed. For more information, contact Scott McBain at hasa6191@gmail.com or 707-845-0101.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
After a long spell of unfishable conditions, the Chetco dropped back into fishable shape on Tuesday reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The river was in pristine condition on Wednesday, and there were lots of fish around. I saw fish caught from the top to the bottom, with quite a few hatchery fish mixed in as well. If the forecast holds, it looks like the Chetco will blow out sometime on Thursday. Hopefully we can get back on the water by early next week.”

Smith River
The Smith fished really well all week reports guide Mike Coopman. “During last weekend’s high water, we put some real good days together plunking on the lower river. We were back to side-drifting on Monday, with most of the guide boats landing between three to four fish per day. With more rain on the way, it looks like we’ll be off the water for a couple days, but hoping to get the weekend in,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, all three systems remained unfishable. With more rain on the way, it will be some time before they get anywhere near green. The Van Duzen is expected to surpass monitor stage on Friday afternoon, but it’s predicted to drop quickly. Same story for the main Eel as it’s predicted to reach monitor stage at Fernbridge on Saturday.

Mad River
After dipping below 5,000 cfs on Wednesday, the Mad is predicted to head back towards monitor stage following the rain on Thursday and Friday. We’ll need at least a solid week of dry weather before it becomes bait fishable.

Trinity
Above the North Fork is your best chance at finding some good water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “With a bunch more rain coming, the entire river could blow out again. I haven’t heard any reports, but the upper section down to Junction City should have some fish in it,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #wintersteelhead

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Humboldt Steelhead Days begin Saturday

Ashley Kay from Arcata landed this big hatchery buck on a recent drift down the Chetco River while fishing with Tony Sepulveda of Green Water Fishing Adventures.

The 3rd annual Humboldt Steelhead Days will take place this weekend — fishable rivers or not. Parties and demonstrations will kick-off the event this Friday near three watersheds — the Mad, Eel and Trinity rivers. Register for the fishing and photo contests and learn more about all the events going on during the two-week period at either the Mad River Brewing Co. Tap Room in Blue Lake, the Fortuna River Lodge in Fortuna or at Coho Cabins in Willow Creek. All three kick-offs begin around 5 p.m. and each event is slightly different. For all the details, visit the Humboldt Steelhead Days website (humboldtsteelheaddays.com) or the HSD Facebook page.

Demonstrations will be held in Fortuna, along with the kick-off party where the theme is “What’s happening in the Eel River?” HSD guests can walk through the River Lodge and take a virtual tour of the Eel River watershed. Speak to the people who work on restoration of fish passage, improvement of fish habitat, recovery plans, monitoring Eel River fish, and learn the latest information about catching Eel River steelhead. Catch the film “Wild Reverence, the wild steelhead’s last stand,” by Shane Anderson from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The HSD prize pool is nearly $4,000, with two guided river trips (Klamath and Eel) as well as an ocean trip (Trinidad) going as the top prizes. Enter your steelhead photo (please keep the wild ones wet) by sending it to the HSD Facebook page with the hashtag #humboldtsteelheaddays anytime during the contest (Jan. 23 to Feb. 6). Anglers will also have a chance to win rods, reels, fishing lures, boat heaters, a Thule car rack, Kokatat life jackets and propane. Gift certificates totaling $250 were donated by Pacific Outfitters and Mr. Fish Seafood.

Weather update
After a small break in the storms, more rain is on tap beginning Thursday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Light rain will fall on Thursday, but a wetter system will arrive in the evening and last into Friday. Rainfall predictions range from one to two inches in both Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Another system will roll into the area on Friday night, bringing with it another one to two inches. We’ll have a brief dry period beginning Sunday and lasting through Monday. A weak system will move in on Monday night into Tuesday, dropping up to three-quarters of an inch. At this point, next Wednesday is looking dry, but more storms are forecasted for Thursday through Saturday,” Kennedy said.

Input wanted on Klamath River sport fishing regulations
At the February 11, 2016 meeting, the Fish and Game Commission will determine which options to include in its notice of proposed changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations for 2016.

In April 2015, the Commission adopted changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations, including seasons, bag limits, possession limit, a prohibition on catch and release fishing of legally caught salmon in the Klamath River spit area, and closures to all fishing in the Klamath River between June 15 and September 14 from 500 feet above to half mile downstream of the mouth of Blue Creek and from September 15 to December 31 within 500 feet of the mouth of Blue Creek.

The Commission is interested in receiving specific recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek or any other specific recommendations concerning Klamath River Basin sport fishing. You may submit your recommendation in writing to the 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1320 Sacramento, CA 95814 or to FGC@fgc.ca.gov. Written recommendations are requested by 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2016, but must be received by noon on February 5, 2016. While the Commission will also accept recommendations presented in person at its February 11, 2016, meeting, early submittal of recommendations is most effective. The meeting will be held in Sacramento on February 10-11 in the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA.

Spawning begins at the Mad River Hatchery
Following a two-week delay due to a budget issues, spawning season is now underway at the Mad River Hatchery. On Tuesday, hatchery employees and volunteers sorted through hundreds of steelhead with the goal to gather roughly 20 pairings. Each pair will include a native origin steelhead to help with the gene pool in the Mad River. Spawning season on the Mad will last through the middle of March with the goal to mate 124 pairs.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Running at 8,800 cfs on Wednesday afternoon and dropping. It’s forecasted to dip down to 5,400 cfs early Friday. If the river is anywhere near green, the plunkers should be out in force.

Smith River
The Smith remains just about the only game in town reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “When the rivers been at a fishable height, the plunkers have been doing well. There’s seems to be quite a few fish in the river, even with all the high water we’ve had. Looking at the forecast for the next few days, we should get a couple days of side-drifting in.”

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem Eel was running at nearly 60,000 cfs and starting to drop. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to jump up to over 90,000 cfs by Saturday. The entire South Fork is still high and muddy, and flowing at 12,000 on the Miranda gauge as of Wednesday. The incoming storms will likely push it to 20,000 cfs. After reaching flood stage last Friday, the Van Duzen has dropped back down to 5,700 cfs on Wednesday. The reprieve will be short lived, the next round of storms should put it right back 20,000 cfs, which is near monitor stage.

Mad River
After reaching 41,000 cfs on Sunday, the Mad was back down to 9,000 cfs on Wednesday and dropping. It should drop low enough for the liners to get back on the water Thursday, but we’re a long ways away from anything close to green water.

Trinity
The very top of the Trinity is the only place where you’ll find green water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “It’s really only fishable from Lewiston Bridge down to Rush Creek. Both Rush and Weaver Creek are full of mud, making fishing below tough to impossible,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #Steelhead #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast

Heavy rains blow out North Coast rivers

Hannah Whitely of Laytonville landed this bright Chetco River hatchery steelhead last Sunday while fishing with guide Brice Dusi. The Chetco, along with all of the North Coast rivers, is currently blown out due to the storms that hit the region on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Brice Dusi’s Guide Service

Domoic acid levels in crab declining

The parade of storms currently pounding the North Coast has brought a sudden stop to the winter steelhead season. From the Chetco south to the top of the Eel River system, there isn’t a patch of green water to be had. And the dirty water conditions may be with us for an extended period of time. Storms are lined up one after the other off the coast, each bringing the potential for one to two inches of rain. There’s real good possibility that neither the Smith nor Chetco could drop back down to fishable levels until late next week. For the other coastal rivers that aren’t so quick to clear – it could be a couple weeks before they resemble anything close to green.

Weather outlook
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see one system after another through at least next Thursday. “We’re expecting to see heavy rain on Thursday, with one to one and a half inches falling in the 24-hour period. We may have a little break Friday morning, with the rain expected to return in the evening and into Saturday. Another one to one and a half inches is expected. Another wet storm will arrive Sunday that could dump up to two inches. Depending on how fast the system moves through the area, we could see a break on Monday though another system will arrive Monday night and stick around into Tuesday. Again, another one to one two inches is expected. Following a short break on Wednesday, rain again is in the forecast for Thursday,” Kennedy added. Snow levels will remain in the four to five-thousand foot range for the week.

Crab domoic acid levels on the decline
Domoic acid levels are finally beginning to decline along the North Coast, providing hope that both sport and commercial crab seasons will open soon. The California Dept. of Public Health released lab results on January 8 from samples taken from December 26 to the 30th.

Two areas were tested in Crescent City. In the north area, six samples were taken with an average domoic acid level of 17ppm, with no crabs tested above the federal action level of 30ppm. In the south area, six crabs were tested with an average domoic acid level of 23ppm. One crab tested above the 30ppm action level.
Two areas were tested in Trinidad with an average domoic acid level of 20ppm. One crab tested above the action level.

Fort Bragg tested two areas, Usal and Manchester. The average domoic acid levels from six samples were 26ppm and 28ppm with two crabs from each area testing above the action levels. For the latest test results, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/Pages/fdbDomoicAcidInfo.aspx

Mad River Hatcher to remain open
Rumors have been circulating this past week that the Mad River Fish Hatchery is once again on the chopping block due to lack of funding. Not so according to Fishery Hatchery Manager, Shad Overton. “The hatchery is not closing. We are funded and we do have fish on hand. We are just not being allowed to take eggs right now from our steelhead.”

California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Sacramento is going through a budget exercise and until that’s ironed out, it will hold off on spawning. The ladder at the Hatchery is flowing but the gate at the bottom is closed. Normally the first week of January it’s open and fish are taken into a trap and on Tuesdays they are sorted through to be spawned. The Hatchery says however, the delay is only expected to last another week and the public has nothing to worry about.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco blew out on Wednesday, and it could be done for awhile reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “With how much rain is expected and how the creeks looked on Wednesday, my guess is it won’t be fishable until mid next week. Prior to blowing out, the fishing was really good. There were lots of fish around, with some real decent schools of hatchery fish mixed in. The influx of water should allow the fish to push into the creeks, and will likely bring in some fresh ones from the ocean. We may even begin to see a few downers.”

Smith River
It could be awhile before the Smith is back down to a driftable level reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “The river blew out on Tuesday night and it was still rising on Wednesday. If the snow level drops, we may get a few plunkable days in. If the storms continue to drop a couple inches of rain a day, it could be late next week before we’re back on the water. Before blowing out, the fishing was steady, with most boats getting between four to five opportunities per trip,” Coopman added.

Mad River
The river is big and dirty after jumping from 2,600 cfs to 8,200 cfs overnight. With more rain on the way, it will awhile before it comes back into shape. In the meantime, liners are still catching their share of steelhead.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem was running at nearly 26,000 cfs and still going up. It will take a couple weeks of dry weather, which isn’t in the forecast, to drop back into shape. The upper end of the South Fork was just starting to turn green when the latest rounds of storms hit. It jumped from 3,000 cfs to over 10,000 on the Miranda gauge in 12 hours. Like the South Fork, the Van Duzen jumped from just under 2,500 to over 10,000 cfs overnight on Tuesday. With more storms on the way, it won’t fish for the foreseeable future.

Trinity
The entire Trinity blew out on Wednesday reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “Almost all of the creeks I looked at on Wednesday were dirty; the only exception was the North Fork. If we don’t get a bunch more rain, the top of the river could fish in a couple days. It just depends on how quickly the creeks clear up,” Huber said. As of Wednesday, flows were 1,400 cfs on the Douglas City gauge and 16,000 cfs at Hoopa.

#NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver

Smith, Chetco best weekend options

Dick Bruce of Trinidad landed this bright steelhead while drifting the Smith River on Monday. Also pictured is Jon Stocum of Bayside. The Smith and Chetco rivers are still in good shape and will be the best options for the weekend. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

Public meeting on Klamath fishery coming next week

And then there were two….as in the number of coastal rivers that still have a hint of green. The Smith and Chetco were the sole survivors of the storms that pounded the region earlier in the week. All stretches of the Eel, Van Duzen, Mad and Redwood Creek are currently blown out, with very little relief in sight. Rain is in the forecast almost daily for the next week or so, which is great news for the quick-clearing rivers to our north. The Humboldt rivers on the other hand, won’t likely have enough breaks in the rain to drop back into shape in the next week or so. If you’re looking to fill your steelhead fix this weekend, your best bet lies to the north.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the current wet pattern we’re experiencing now will stick around through Saturday. “The heaviest rain will be from Friday night into Saturday morning. Rainfall totals for the region will range from one to one and a half inches. Sunday is looking dry, but a weak system will move in on Monday dropping another half to three-quarters of rain. Monday night into Tuesday looks dry, but a fairly wet system will hit Tuesday and hang around into Wednesday. Precipitation totals could be as high as two inches,” Kennedy added.

CDFW to hold public meeting on Klamath River sport fishery
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is inviting the public to attend an informational meeting to review regulatory options and receive public input for the 2016 Klamath River sport fishing seasons, area closures and bag limits.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers in the Del Norte County Administrative Building, 981 H St., Suite 100, Crescent City.

One focus of the meeting will be the current sport fishing closure at the confluence of Blue Creek. The public is encouraged to provide input regarding this closure.

Regulatory options for the Klamath River will be considered at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting in February 2016 with the official regulatory notice of proposed change being distributed to the general public afterward. Klamath River regulations are slated to be adopted by the Fish and Game Commission in April 2016.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The water color on the Chetco is beautiful reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The color is perfect, but the flows were a little high on Wednesday. The few boats on the water all landed a couple, but I thought it would fish better. It’s possible the extra water moved the fish around a bit. The river is dropping very slowly and there isn’t much rain in the forecast, so the conditions should be ideal through the weekend.”

Smith River
The Smith is in excellent shape and there’s plenty of fish around reports guide Mike Coopman. “It looks like the river will fish through the weekend. There’s some rain in the forecast, but no enough to hurt anything. Right now, the river is loaded with fish from the top to the bottom and the boats are really doing well,” Coopman added.

Eel River (main stem)
“The main stem was just starting to come into real good shape, but with the rain we’ve had to our south, we’re back to square one,” said Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. As of Wednesday, flows were above 28,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork blew out on Monday and doesn’t look like it will fish until late next week at the earliest. It fished well from the top to the bottom from last Friday through Sunday, with scores ranging from two to four fish per trip. As of Wednesday, flows were at 6,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge.

Van Duzen
Flows were good, but it was still a little off color before it blew out on Monday reports Grundman. “Yager Creek was dirty, which kept the lower river murky. I think it was fishable above, but I didn’t hear of any reports,” Grundman said. As of Wednesday, flows were nearly 4,500 cfs on the Grizzly Creek gauge.

Mad River
Jens Hansen of Arcata’s Mad River Tackle & FeelFree Kayaks reports prior to the Mad blowing out on Monday, the river was full of steelhead. “I was on the river over the weekend and saw lots of hatchery fish landed. There were quite a few boats out as well, and I heard they did really well pulling plugs. With rain in the forecast for the next week, it looks like it will be awhile before the river is bait fishable,” Hansen added.

Upper Trinity
The Trinity is in great shape from top to bottom reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “The majority of the boats are still working the Junction City area and landing quite a few fish in the four to six pound range. We’re still seeing the last of the late fall run fish, and a few winter fish are starting to trickle in. The entire river is green, though it’s a little clearer on the upper end.”

#fishingthenorthcoast #wintersteelhead #smithriver #eelriver #chetcoriver