Author: fishingthenorthcoast

Despite some pretty tough fishing conditions, a good number of halibut were landed out of Eureka earlier this week. On Monday, only a couple boats made it across a very nasty bar. Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing each stuck it out and landed two and three halibut respectively. A few more boats made it out on Tuesday, and most of them landed at least one halibut. “Conditions are definitely challenging right now — the current is absolutely ripping which makes it difficult to keep your baits in the strike zone,” said Klassen. “The fact that this many fish were caught despite the conditions tells me there’s quite a few fish around. Unfortunately, the ocean is looking to get really rough beginning Friday, but Thursday is looking fishable.

Weekend marine forecast
As of Wednesday, the weekend forecast for coastal waters out 10 nautical miles is looking pretty ugly for halibut and rockfish anglers. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 30 knots and waves N 11 feet at 8 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is looking slightly worse, with winds out of the north 20 to 30 knots and waves N 12 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan or check out the bar cam located at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar
You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Trinidad
The rockfish opener was reportedly on the slow side for the kayakers, but picked up on Tuesday. Most of the action was around Flatiron Rock, and it sounded like a few lingcod were caught and there were lots of black rockfish willing to bite.

Shelter Cove
Despite the wind, the Shelter Cove boats had a pretty successful rockfish opener. “It was a little rough, so we stuck to just rockfish,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The lings bit like crazy, but we had to work for the rockfish. We were blown off the water around 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, but we’re able to get limits for our clients.” Mitchell also reported that no halibut were caught over the weekend but one salmon was caught on Tuesday.

Crescent City
Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports the rockfish season got off to a slow start, but it picked up on Wednesday. He said, “One of the local charter boats went out to Big Reef and did really well on lingcod. They caught a few over 20 lbs, and had three limits of nice fish within an hour. I didn’t hear of any halibut being caught as of yet,” Hegnes added.

Redtails bite is wide-open
The redtail bite has been wide-open all up and down the North Coast. I’ve been hearing reports of limits coming from the usual spots: Samoa, Centerville, Dry and Stone Lagoons, Gold Bluff, and the south spit. Inside Humboldt Bay at the mouth of the Elk River (Stinky Beach) and King Salmon have also been giving up plenty of fish. Redtail Perch have a minimum size limit of 10.5 inches and a daily bag and possession limit of 10.

Sport-Harvested Mussels quarantined
In a press release issued on April 28, The California Department of Public Health announced the annual quarantine of sport-harvested mussels gathered along the California coast. The quarantine begins May 1 and applies to all species of mussels that are recreationally harvested along the California coast, including all bays and estuaries. The quarantine is in place to protect the public against poisoning that can lead to serious illness, including coma and death.

In addition to this annual quarantine, consumers are urged not to eat recreationally harvested razor clams from Humboldt and Del Norte counties due to continued high levels of domoic acid. To read the entire press release, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR17-041.aspx

Ruth Lake Bass tourney this Saturday
The Southern Trinity Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 11th annual Ruth Lake Bass Tournament on Saturday, May 6. Blast off begins at 6:00 a.m. Entry fees are due May 1. Entries are $150 per team (includes Big Fish). First Place is $1,500 and second place is $1,000. Big Fish will win $100. One in five payback based on full slate of 40 boats. This is a catch and release tournament, live wells and life jackets are required. Check in is Friday at Journey’s End at 4:15-5:30 p.m. or Saturday 4:45 a.m. at the Marina parking lot. For more info call Todd Perras at (707) 273-9621.

Main Stem Eel update
“The main stem Eel is still big, but the color is finally starting to come around,” said Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. If the rain doesn’t fall as they predict and the snowmelt slows, it should be fishable by next weekend. When the water’s big like it is now, the fish will be hanging on the edges and back eddy’s out of the current.” As of Wednesday, flows were hovering around 8,300 cfs on the Scotia gauge.

River openings
Sections of the main Eel (South Fork to Cape Horn Dam), South Fork Eel (South Fork Eel River from mouth to Rattlesnake Creek) Van Duzen, Mad, Mattole and Smith will re-open on Saturday, May 27th. On most rivers, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. For a complete list of river openings and regulations visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/2017-Regulations

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

For North Coast saltwater anglers, the first of May couldn’t get here soon enough. Since the beginning of the year, it’s been nothing but doom and gloom for the fishing community. Our ocean salmon season out of Eureka, Trinidad and Crescent City has been shut down, Klamath salmon numbers are at an historic low, razor clam season remains closed due to domoic acid, and the abalone season was pushed back one month and shortened by two. With multiple fisheries finally set to open on May 1, it’s time to put all the bad news behind us and get back to doing what we do best — fish.

May 1 openers:
Pacific Halibut: One of the bright spots to our saltwater season as our quota was increased by 4,940 pounds over the 2016 quota, allowing us 34,580 pounds in 2017. The season will  run from May 1 to June 15, July 1-15, Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The limit remains at one, with no size restrictions. No more than one line with two hooks attached can be used.

Rockfish: Numerous changes were made within the Northern Management Area, which runs from the Oregon border to Cape Mendocino. The season for boat-based anglers will now run from May 1 through Oct. 31 within 180 feet and Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 with no depth restrictions. For the first time in more than a decade, anglers will be allowed to retain canary rockfish beginning in 2017.

Additional changes include: A new sub-bag limit of one canary rockfish within the 10-fish Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling Complex bag limit; a decrease in the sub-bag limit of black rockfish from five to three within the 10-fish RCG Complex bag limit; elimination of the sub-bag limit of bocaccio within the 10-fish RCG Complex bag limit; a decrease in the lingcod bag limit from three to two fish; allowance of petrale sole and starry flounder to be retained year- round at all depths. For more information about recreational groundfish regulations, please call the hotline at 831-649-2801 or visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/groundfish

Important reminder:
When fishing for halibut, rockfish and salmon (Shelter Cove), or any combination of the three, the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. When targeting salmon, or once salmon are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to using barbless hooks (barbless circle hooks if fishing south of Horse Mountain) when fishing for other species.

When targeting rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod, or once any of these species are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to fishing in waters shallower than 120 feet when fishing for other species.

Abalone: Abalone season will open on Monday, May 1 along the North Coast from the San Francisco Bay north. The season runs from May 1st through October, excluding the month of July. Fishing for abalone will be allowed from 8 a.m. to one half-hour after sunset. What you’ll need:
1) Fishing license (not required for 15 years old and younger)
2) Abalone report card (must be in your possession while diving. Also required for those 15 years or younger)
3) Fixed caliper measuring device

Limit and size restrictions: Three per day, three in possession and no more than 12 per calendar year. Must be seven inches or larger. As in the past, no more than nine abalone may be taken south of the boundary between Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

The complete list of ocean sport regulations can be found at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Sport-Fishing

Big Halibut Contest
Don’t forget, Eureka’s Englund Marine will be holding its BIG FISH Halibut Contest this again year. The annual event runs from May 1 to October 31, 2017. There is no entry fee and you can enter as many fish as you’d like. Fish do not need to be gutted and gilled. Prizes will be awarded to the top three fish. A complete list of rules and regulations are available at Englund Marine, 2 Commercial St., Eureka, 707-444-9266.

Weekend marine forecast
For the coastal waters from Crescent City to Mendocino out zero to 10 nautical miles, Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots with waves out of the N 6 feet at 8 seconds. On Sunday, winds will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with waves N 5 feet at 6 seconds and NW 4 feet at 10 seconds. For Monday’s halibut and rockfish openers, the winds will be increasing, blowing from the north 10 to 20 knots. Waves will be N 4 feet at 6 seconds and NW 4 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change. For an up-to-date marine forecast, visit http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/

Monday, May 1 tides – Humboldt Bay
For anglers who aren’t aware, extreme caution should always be used when crossing the bar. The combination of large swells and outgoing morning tides could make for a dangerous bar crossing. If you’re planning on hitting the bar at daylight, always check the conditions first. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan or check out the bar cam located at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar

Monday May 1 (High: 3:48 a.m. (6.9 ft.) and 5:41 p.m. (5.5 ft.) (Low: 10:45 a.m. (-1.0) and 10:53 p.m. (2.7 ft.)

Trinidad Harbor information
The Trinidad launch should be open on Monday, but it will depend on the ocean conditions if they’ll be launching. The Gift and Tackle shop will be open beginning on Saturday, April 29. Best to call ahead at 707-677-3625 if you’re planning on launching on Monday.

Shelter Cove update:
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the salmon has been belly up for the few people who’ve been trying. “There hasn’t been a whole lot of sign around lately, which isn’t very encouraging. The rockfish opener is looking fishable at this point, but it doesn’t look like it will be real nice. Fishing will likely be tougher as we probably won’t be able to hit all the good spots. We’ll just have to wait and see.” Mitchell added.

Humboldt Bay dredging meeting
A public meeting will be held on Wednesday May 3 regarding the Humboldt Bay maintenance dredging and disposal options. The meeting will run from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina way in Eureka. For more information, email districtplanner@humboldtbay.org or call 707-443-0801

Lower Rogue
A real good push of fish moved into the lower river earlier this week reports guide Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “Quite a few fish were caught this week, but the majority of the fish were wild and had to be released. Fishing was a little better on the lower river, and boats were averaging about a fish per trip. The pressure hasn’t been real heavy yet, probably due to the weather. Once the river starts to drop from the rain, fishing should really improve.” Huber said.

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

The fall-run Chinook fishery on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers will be closed in 2017. The California Fish and Game Commission last Thursday voted to close both rivers to the take of any size Chinook salmon after the fall seasons begin — Aug. 15 on the Klamath and Aug. 31 on the Trinity. Many factors led us to this point, but it’s hard to imagine that just five short years ago the number of fall kings returning to the Klamath basin was well over 300,000. This fall, roughly 12,000 spawners are predicted to come back, an all-time low. To help protect the stocks, ocean salmon fishing will also be closed in the California and Oregon KMZ zones, which run from Humbug Mt. south to Horse Mt.

In the meantime, spring-run regulations are in effect on both rivers. Chinook fishing will be allowed through Aug. 14 on the Klamath downstream of the Highway 96 bridge. On the Trinity, fishing is open downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River through August 31. The limit is two kings of any size on both rivers. After these dates, both fisheries will be closed for salmon for the remainder of the calendar year. Important Reminder: During the salmon season closure, steelhead angling will still be allowed in both the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

Weekend marine forecast
The weekend forecast for Shelter Cove doesn’t look to enticing as of Wednesday. On Saturday, winds will be out of the W 10 to 15 knots with W waves 10 feet at 14 seconds. Winds will pick up on Sunday, coming from the NW 10 to 20 knots. Waves will be from the NW 7 feet at 6 seconds and W 9 feet at 13 seconds. Conditions can and will change. For an up-to-date forecast, visit http://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-124.49013&lat=40.37055#.WOLb6eQ2yUk

Tough salmon bite continues at the Cove
Six boats and a handful of kayakers came up empty trying for salmon last weekend at Shelter Cove. It sounded like conditions were good, plenty of bait and birds, but no biters. “A friend of mine went out on Tuesday and got a nice 18 lb. salmon, and had a couple more good take downs,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.

Proposals on the table for Oregon’s ocean bubble fishery
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will adopt regulations for the ocean sport terminal areas at their April 21 meeting in Klamath Falls. Elk River Ocean Terminal Fishery: The 2017 forecasts for Elk and Sixes River Chinook are expected to be about the same as recent years. In 2016, the sport season was November 1-30 with bag limits of two Chinook per day, but no more than one wild Chinook per day and ten per season. The ODFW is recommending the Commission adopt the same sport season regulations for 2017. Chetco River Ocean Terminal Fishery: The 2017 forecasts for the Chetco and Winchuck River Chinook are reduced from recent years. As a result, ODFW is proposing continuation of a shortened season for the recreational fishery compared to prior years. Proposed seasons for 2017 are: October 7-8   and 14-15, encompassing two weekends. One Chinook per day, minimum size 28 inches.

Increased flows coming down the Trinity
The Trinity River flows will begin to increase on Saturday as releases from Lewiston Dam rise to hit a spring-high flow of 11,000 cfs after a determination that this is an “extremely wet” year for the basin. The flows will peak on Wednesday, April 26 at 11,000 cfs. Residents near or recreating on the river can expect levels to increase and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases. A daily schedule of flow releases is available at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/current/

Ruth Lake Bass tourney coming in May
The Southern Trinity Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 11th annual Ruth Lake Bass Tournament on Saturday, May 6. Blast off begins at 6:00 a.m. Entry fees are due May 1. Entries are $150 per team (includes Big Fish). First Place is $1,500 and second place is $1,000. Big Fish will win $100. One in five payback based on full slate of 40 boats. This is a catch and release tournament, live wells and life jackets are required. Check in is Friday at Journey’s End at 4:15-5:30 p.m. or Saturday 4:45 a.m. at the Marina parking lot. For more info call Todd Perras at (707) 273-9621.

The Rivers:
Main Stem Eel
The main stem Eel remains big and off color, and it looks like it may be that way for some time. Wednesday’s rainfall is expected to push flows back up to nearly 25,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge by Thursday evening. It will take a solid 10 days for it to clear; it’s starting to look like that won’t happen this season.

Smith River
“I haven’t been on the water in a while, but I’m hearing a few fish are being caught,” reports guide Mike Coopman. “The fishing pressure is light, which is typical for this time of the year. But there’s still fish around and the few who are out there are catching a few downrunners each day,” Coopman said.

Send in your fish photos
Land a big salmon, trout or perch lately? Or maybe your friend or relative has reeled in their first fish. Email your fishing photo to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com and I’ll run them with the “Fishing the North Coast” weekly column and also post them on fishingthenorthcoast.com. Just include the name of the person in the photo, where and when it was taken and any other details you’d like to share.

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

The axe officially fell on Tuesday — Salmon ports from Eureka to Gold Beach will remain off limits for recreational salmon fishing this year.

Because of the historically low numbers of adult Klamath River fall Chinook, a lingering effect of five years of drought water mismanagement and poor ocean conditions, the PFMC reaffirmed their decision to officially close recreational salmon fishing within the California and Oregon KMZ areas.

Fisheries to our south, which have far less impact on the Klamath River salmon, fared much better. From Horse Mountain south to Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the recreational season runs from April 1 through May 31 and August 15 through November 12.

On the commercial side, fisheries from the Florence South Jetty to Horse Mountain will be closed for the entire season to reduce impacts on Klamath River fall Chinook. Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, there will be a 3,000 Chinook quota ocean fishery during the month of September, after 2017 Klamath River fall Chinook spawners have entered the Klamath River.

Still to be determined is the in-river fishery on the Klamath River. Within Alternative 1, which was the plan selected by PFMC, it states that Klamath River recreational fishery will have an allocation of 129 adult Chinook. This extremely hot-topic will be discussed and a decision could be reached during Thursday’s Fish and Game Commission meeting held in Sacramento. Locally, you can participate via teleconference at the CDFW office in Arcata at 50 Ericson Court. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. and the agenda and meeting documents can be found online at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2017/index.aspx#apr

Shelter Cove/Marine Forecast
Since the opener, there have been just a couple of fishable days due to the wind and only a handful of salmon have been landed. Hopefully that will change in the next few days as the ocean conditions are forecasted to improve. On Friday, winds will be out of the northwest at 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves of two feet at three seconds and northwest at eight feet at 13 seconds. Winds will be similar on Saturday, with waves out of the north of two feet at three seconds and northwest at seven feet at 13 seconds. Winds will pick up on Sunday, coming from the southeast 10 to 20 knots. Waves will be southeast of five feet at four seconds and northwest of five feet at 12 seconds. Conditions can and will change. For an up-to-date forecast, visit http://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-124.49013&lat=40.37055#.WOLb6eQ2yUk

“Extremely Wet” year designation for Trinity River
The official water year designation for the Trinity River in 2017 is “Extremely Wet” as determined by the April 1st reservoir inflow forecast of 2,265,000 acre-feet, which allows for releases to the river of 815,000 acre-feet according to the Trinity River Restoration Program.

The recommended flows are expected to increase beginning April 21, reaching their highest levels on April 26-29. Flows will then gradually decrease through August. The Trinity Management Council flow-release hydrograph recommendation is awaiting approval by the U.S. Department of Interior. For more information, visit www.trrp.net/restore/flows/current

HASA dinner on Saturday
The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held from 6-9 p.m. Saturday at the Arcata Community Center located at 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and there will also be a raffle and auction at the event. Tickets are available from the following Eureka merchants: Bucksport Sporting Goods, Englund Marine, Pacific Outfitters, RMI Outdoors, W&W RV & Sporting Goods, and Mad River Tackle located in Arcata. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

Rowdy Creek Hatchery Fundraiser coming April 29
The Lucky 7 Casino’s Tolowa Even Center will be hosting the annual Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Fundraiser Dinner and Auction on Saturday, April 29. There will be a cocktail and appetizer social hour at 5:30 p.m.,with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and must be purchased before April 17. Discounted rooms are available courtesy of Lucky 7 Casino located at 255 N. Fred Haight Drive, Smith River. For more information, contact Susan at 707-218-7523.

The Rivers
Main Stem Eel
As of Wednesday, the main Eel was running at 17,500 cfs on the Scotia gauge and predicted to rise overnight to over 25,000 cfs. It remains high and dirty, and will need a couple weeks of dry weather to clear.

Smith River
“I haven’t been fishing much over the last week, mostly due to the weather,” guide Mike Coopman said. “The reports that I have been getting is there are still a lot of down-streamers in the system. The water is still high, and with more rain in the forecast, it looks like it will remain high through the weekend. With a couple weeks left in the season, it looks to be good fishing if we can get some good conditions.”

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

 

Saturday’s recreational salmon opener at Shelter Cove was much as advertised, a very windy day on the salt with a little fishing and not much catching. Four boats launched into some pretty rough water and howling winds and the report was only one shaker landed. The ocean calmed down on Tuesday, and a few boats took advantage. The scores weren’t much better however. Two keepers were landed amongst the eight boats that launched. I’m sure better days lie ahead, but it may not be this weekend. Saturday’s forecast is calling for NW winds from five to 15 knots and W waves 10 feet at nine seconds and SW two feet at 15 seconds. Conditions improve slightly on Sunday, with S winds to 10 knots and W waves 9 feet at 12 seconds predicted. For an up-to-date Shelter Cove marine forecast, visit http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-123.82128&lat=39.44792.

Weather ahead
“After a brief hiatus, the wet pattern is returning to the North Coast,” said Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The rain will return on Thursday and will continue through Friday. We’ll likely see some pretty decent totals, with up to three inches falling in both Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. Another quarter to three quarters is predicted for Saturday. During the day Sunday looks to be dry, but another system will move in starting in the evening and will be with us through Monday. Rainfall totals will range from a half to an inch, with the higher elevations seeing the majority of the rain. The next system is forecasted for Tuesday evening on into Wednesday, with a half to an inch predicted.”

Trinity River flows on the rise
The federal Bureau of Reclamation has increased the release of water from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity River starting on Wednesday, April 5. The releases are for Trinity Lake storage management purposes. The release will begin increasing up from 300 cfs at 2 a.m. Wednesday; reaching 1,500 cfs at 2 p.m. Reclamation will be continuously monitoring daily and making adjustments to the releases as necessary. For more information, visit http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/current/

Perch’n on the Peninsula coming April 8
The Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be hosting their 8th Annual Perch’n on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry Fundraiser on Saturday, April 8 at the Peninsula Elementary School. This is a fun filled family-oriented fishing event that benefits the Samoa Peninsula Fire District Volunteer Organization. Fish Fry Fundraiser admission is only $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for juniors. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20.00 and junior fishing tournament entry (under 16) is only $10.00. Fishing tournament entry includes admission to the fish fry fundraiser. Tournament day registration is available at the Peninsula Elementary School in Samoa beginning at 6 a.m. or you can pre-register until April 6 at Mad River Bait and Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters, Englund Marine and Shafer’s Ace in Eureka. Online signups will be available until 10 p.m. on April 7 at samoafire.org. For registration and door prize information, visit samoafire.org or call 707-443-9042.

Fish and Game Commission meeting on April 13
The California Fish and Game Commission will meet on Thursday, April 13 in Sacramento at 10 a.m. to adopt and discuss changes to the upcoming sport fishing seasons. Members of the public may participate in the teleconference at the CDFW Conference Room, 50 Ericson Court in Arcata. The meeting will be live streamed at http://www.cal-span.org, for listening purposes only. If you’re interested in the Klamath River fall salmon fishery, you’ll want your voice to be heard. On the table currently are three alternatives, including one in which no in-river salmon fishing would be allowed. Also on the agenda is the adoption of proposed changes to recreational Pacific halibut fishing regulations and the proposed changes to season dates, size limits and daily bag limits for May to November 2017 recreational ocean salmon fishing. To view the entire agenda, visit http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=141385

HASA dinner April 15 The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held Saturday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and some great items will be auctioned and raffled off. Tickets are available from the following Eureka merchants: Bucksport Sporting Goods, Englund Marine, Pacific Outfitters, RMI Outdoors, W&W RV & Sporting Goods, and Mad River Tackle located in Arcata. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

The Beaches
When the ocean’s been calm, the redtail perch action has been excellent along the beaches. There are some spots that are typically better than others, but you can catch them just about anywhere. Conditions don’t look good for the next several days, with swells in the 8 to 13-foot range along with heavy winds. A couple of good spots to get away from the rough seas are inside Humboldt Bay at the mouth of the Elk River (Stinky Beach) and King Salmon Beach.

The Rivers:
As a reminder, the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, and the Chetco all closed to fishing on March 31.

Main Stem Eel
It’s been the same ole’ story for the main stem Eel all season; just as it’s started to turn green, another storm comes along and turns it back into a raging, muddy mess. As of Wednesday, flows were down to 9,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge and dropping. The next round of storms that begin on Thursday are predicted to push flows above 53,000 cfs by Saturday.

Smith River
Fishing remains tough on the Smith,” said Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “I was out the last couple days and we landed three fresh ones and one downer. For whatever reason, the downers are staying upriver. We’ve got a pretty good storm coming this weekend where we could see up to a four-foot rise, hopefully that will be a start. There should be plenty of good fishing to come.”

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

On Saturday, California’s recreational ocean salmon season will open from Horse Mountain south to the U.S./Mexico border. The area to the north of Horse Mountain, which includes Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City, will be sitting on the sidelines this season due to a record low 54,200 Klamath River fall Chinook salmon forecasted to be swimming in the ocean. The ocean abundance of Sacramento River kings is also low, but there’s enough to give the anglers to our south at least a limited season.

Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook per day and no more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. The PFMC will meet April 6-11 to determine the season lengths. The three options on the table are:

1) April 1-May 31 and August 15-November 12;
2) April 1-May 31 and July 1-12;
3) April 1-30.

For more information, visit pcouncil.org. For salmon regulations for the month of April, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon

Shelter Cove outlook
“It’s going to be a pretty tricky launching situation this weekend with big swells and low tides.” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “I would try to avoid coming or going during low tide. My guess is it will be fishable on Saturday and questionable on Sunday. The cove can surprise you quite often, for better or worse, and you never really know until you see it. The launch hours have yet to be determined, but they will be there at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. They won’t be launching boats without side bunks during big swells as it’s too dangerous.” Anglers are encouraged to call Matt Kempe, who operates the Shelter Cove launch for the Humboldt Bay Harbor District, ahead of time at 707-223-3399. Cost to launch is $35.

“With all the rough weather we’ve had, there hasn’t been much time to go scouting,” said Mitchell. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out, but there was some good sign down on the inside near the crab gear. Also, there seems to be quite a few whales hanging around on the outside of the whistle so that may be a good spot to go look as well. And it’s been a good spot the past few years on the opener.”

As of Wednesday, winds were forecasted to blow from the N 10 to 20 knots on Saturday with NW waves 12 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday is looking worse, with winds out of the NW predicted at 15 to 25 knots and waves out of the NW 14 feet at 15 seconds. Visit http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-123.82128&lat=39.44792 for an up-to-date marine forecast. On Saturday, a low tide of -0.4 will be at 9:35 a.m. and Sunday’s low will be -0.34 at 10:40 a.m.

Upcoming steelhead river openings/closures
The main stem of the Smith will remain open through the end of April from its mouth to the confluence with the Middle and South Forks. The Middle fork will also remain open through April from its mouth to Patrick’s Creek. The South Fork is open through April as well, from its mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craigs Creek to Jones Creek. Bait can be used and barbless hooks are still required. The main stem Eel, from its mouth to the South Fork is open to fishing all year. From the mouth to Fulmor Road, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from April 1 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in May. From Fulmor Road to the South Fork, it’s open from April 1 through September 30. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers are open to fishing, but are subject to in-season changes. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations and click on the Freshwater Sport Fishing link.

The following rivers will close to fishing on March 31: the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, and the Chetco.

Reminder: Abalone Season Opens May 1 in 2017
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds divers and rock-pickers gearing up for the start of the red abalone season that the season has been shortened by two months, with an opening date of May 1 instead of April 1, and a closing date of October 31 instead of November 30.  In addition, the annual limit has been lowered from 18 abalone to 12. The California Fish and Game Commission approved a shortened season and reduced take limit at their Dec 7, 2016 meeting due to concerns about the declining health and number of red abalone on the northern California coast. For more info, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/north-coast-abalone-season-dates-regulations-change/

Perch’n on the Peninsula coming April 8
The Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be hosting their 8th Annual Perch’n on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry Fundraiser on April 8 at the Peninsula Elementary School. This is a fun filled family-oriented fishing event that benefits the Samoa Peninsula Fire District Volunteer Organization. Fish Fry Fundraiser admission is only $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for juniors. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20.00 and junior fishing tournament entry (under 16) is only $10.00. Fishing tournament entry includes admission to the fish fry fundraiser. For registration and door prize information, visit samoafire.org or call 707-443-9042.

HASA dinner April 15
The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held Saturday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and some great items will be auctioned and raffled off. Tickets are now available from the following Eureka merchants: Bucksport Sporting Goods, Englund Marine, Pacific Outfitters, RMI Outdoors, W&W RV & Sporting Goods, and Mad River Tackle located in Arcata. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
The Chetco was still too high to fish this week and will probably be above 4,000 cfs through Friday, the last day of the season,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The river has been blown out for the past two weeks, pretty much ending steelhead season early. The river re-opens in late May for cutthroat trout. The Elk River dropped to a fishable 4.9 feet on Tuesday. It should be low enough to fish for the last few days of the season. There should still be a few late steelhead around. The Sixes is still high and muddy and will probably remain so through the week.”

Smith River
“Fishing is pretty tough on the Smith right now,” said guide Mike Coopman. “For whatever reason, we haven’t seen a good push of downers in the lower river yet. They’re getting some upriver, but they seem to be just trickling down. We’ve been getting one to two hookups per trip this week.”

Eel River (main stem)
“The main stem is still big and brown,” said Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “We’ll need a couple weeks of dry weather before it drops into shape.”

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is fishable above the East Branch, and should fish below Benbow on Friday if the rain doesn’t pan out. You’ll want to take advantage as the South Fork will close on Friday, March 31.

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

It appears this steelhead season is going to end much like it began. All of the coastal rivers, other than the Smith, are currently high, muddy and not fishable. And more storms are lined up offshore. I swear I’ve written that same sentence about a million times since mid-January. But here we are in late March, with roughly a week left before most of the rivers close, still talking about high water and rain on the way. It’s been that kind of year, and let’s give thanks. Not only did we have plenty of water, we also had plenty of steelhead. When they were fishable, both the Smith and Chetco gave up some pretty good scores. The other coastal streams came into play only a handful of times, but they too fished very well. But now as the rain continues to fall and the rivers rise, it looks to be over for the South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and the Mattole. The Smith will remain open through April, and the main stem Eel is open year-round. It would be nice to get a couple more days on the river, but I’m not holding my breath.

Weather ahead
“Thursday should be a nice day, but clouds and rain will return sometime in the late afternoon or evening,” said Ryan Alward of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Thursday’s system will linger into Friday and the rainfall totals are looking pretty decent. The mountain areas of Del Norte County could see up to three inches and we may see two inches locally. Very light rain is in the forecast for Saturday, giving the rivers a chance to recede before the next storm arrives on Sunday. This system could bring another inch and a half to Del Norte and up to an inch in Humboldt. Light rain is predicted for Monday giving way to a dry Tuesday. The models are showing a weak front moving in on Wednesday, but that could change.”

HASA dinner April 15
The annual HASA fundraiser dinner will be held Saturday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Arcata Community Center, 321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Arcata. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Food will be provided by Ramone’s and some great items will be auctioned and raffled off. Tickets are now available from the following Eureka merchants: Bucksport Sporting Goods, Englund Marine, Pacific Outfitters, RMI Outdoors, W&W RV & Sporting Goods, and Mad River Tackle located in Arcata. For more information, email hasa6191@gmail.com

Shelter Cove/Fort Bragg salmon season to open April 1
The recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain, Humboldt County south to the U.S. – Mexico border will open on Saturday, April 1. Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except Coho. The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through various dates in April through Nov. The alternatives can be found at http://www.pcouncil.org and will be finalized by the council in Sacramento on April 6-11, and submitted to the NMFS for adoption by May 1.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
“The Chetco blew out again this week and looks to be too high to fish through the weekend,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “If it comes back into shape before it closes March 31, there may be a few down-runners left, but I expect fishing to be fairly slow. The last few days of the season may fish, but there is still a lot of rain in the forecast.”

Smith River
“The Smith isn’t red-hot, but we’re still catching a couple fish a day,” said guide Mike Coopman. “The majority of the fish we’re catching are fresh ones, there’s only been a trickle of spent fish coming down. It’s possible after the next big rise we’ll see more downers, but there has yet to be a mass exodus. When they do start to come down, we should see some pretty good fishing.”

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem was starting to come around last weekend, but it’s now back up to 28,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge. It will take a couple weeks of dry weather for it to turn green, but that’s not in the foreseeable forecast. The main stem will remain open through April.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork fished late last week and into Saturday all the way to the forks. Most boats landed between two to four fish, with some fresh bluebacks in the mix. On Wednesday, it was back up to 6,000 cfs and predicted to go higher with the storms coming. It closes on March 31 and is likely done for the year.

Van Duzen
Flowing at just over 5,000 cfs on Wednesday with more rain on the way, it probably won’t turn green prior to closing on March 31.

Mad River
The Mad was just starting to turn green on Saturday, but the rain put an end to that quickly. Quite a few fresh fish were reportedly caught on Saturday near the hatchery. With the river now back up to over 12 feet and more storms on the way, the chances of green water before is closes on March 31 are slim.

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.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council on Monday provided three options for recreational salmon fishing within the Klamath Management Zone. Unfortunately, all three included the words “closed.” In an unprecedented decision, the PFMC was left with little choice but to close the recreational salmon fishing this season from Humbug Mt. in Oregon south to Horse Mt. near Shelter Cove. The driving force behind the closure is the lack of Klamath River salmon swimming off our coast, which was primarily caused by poor river conditions brought about by years of drought. The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife forecasted there are only 54,200 Klamath River adult kings in the ocean this year along with roughly 230,700 Sacramento River fish. The Klamath numbers are the lowest on record, and the number of Sac fish is the lowest since 2009. Pretty easy to see whey the council made the decision.

On a positive note, the upcoming rockfish season, which opens May 1, will have a longer season and less depth restrictions allowing boats to fish depths they haven’t touched in 10 years. We also had an additional 5,000 pounds of Pacific halibut added to our annual quota this season, which is expected to also open on May 1. See, the news isn’t all bad…

Shelter Cove/Fort Bragg salmon season to open April 1
The balance of the west coast, from the Mexico border to the Columbia River, will also have very limited ocean salmon opportunities. The Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg area, which runs from Horse Mt. to Point Arena, will open on April 1. Season lengths and end dates are still up for debate. The three alternatives on the table are:

1. April 1-May 31 and August 15-November 12
2. April 1-May 31 and July 1-12
3. April 1-30

All three alternatives include two salmon per day of any species except Coho, seven days a week, with a 20-inch minimum size. To see all the season proposals, visit pcouncil.org.

All season alternatives will be publicly aired March 27 in Coos Bay and Westport, and March 28 in Fort Bragg. Final season decisions will be made by the council in Sacramento on April 6-12, and submitted to the NMFS for adoption by May 1.

Weekend weather
According to Ryan Alward of Eureka’s National Weather Service, rain is in the forecast off and on for at least the next week. He said, “Following Wednesday’s rain showers, Thursday should be mostly dry with a little sun in the forecast. A 20 percent chance of rain is forecasted for Friday, but Saturday is looking mostly wet. One and a half inches is predicted for the Smith basin and the Eel could see up to an inch. A very slight chance of rain is in the forecast for Sunday, we may see a tenth. The next storm will move in on Monday night and into Tuesday. This will be a much bigger storm with up to two inches predicted.”

Redtails are biting
Right on cue, last weekend’s calm ocean put the redtail perch on the bite. Word has it they’ve been chomping baits at all the local beaches. I’ve been hearing reports of limits coming from the usual spots: Samoa, Centerville, Dry Lagoon, Gold Bluff, and the south spit. Inside Humboldt Bay at the mouth of the Elk River (Stinky Beach) and King Salmon have also been giving up plenty of fish. Redtail Perch have a minimum size limit of 10.5 inches and a daily bag and possession limit of 10.

Perch’n on the Peninsula coming April 8
The Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be hosting their 8th Annual Perch’n on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry Fundraiser on April 8 at the Peninsula Elementary School. This is a fun filled family-oriented fishing event that benefits the Samoa Peninsula Fire District Volunteer Organization. Fish Fry Fundraiser admission is only $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for juniors. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20.00 and junior fishing tournament entry (under 16) is only $10.00. Fishing tournament entry includes admission to the fish fry fundraiser. For registration and door prize information, visit samoafire.org or call 707-443-9042.

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco came back into shape on Monday, and has been fishing well for a mix of bright steelhead and spawned out fish heading back to the ocean,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Just a handful of boats are on the river each day right now, so the fishing is pretty good. There are a lot of downers in the upper section of the river. From Ice Box down to Social Security, there are a few bright fish and more downers. Most boats are getting four to six fish a day right now. It looks like the river will remain in good shape for the next few weeks. The Elk and Sixes are both fishing, and have fresh steelhead and downers. With the Umpqua still a little high, the boat traffic remains heavy for this time of year.”

Smith River
The Smith is still full of fresh steelhead reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “We’ve been averaging anywhere from three to five fresh steelhead a day this week. The downers have yet to show up in any numbers, it’s been pretty amazing. With the rain on Wednesday, we should get a little bump in the flows but the river should be in great shape by the weekend. Quite a few rivers are fishing right now, so the boat pressure has been pretty light.”

Eel River (main stem)
Still running at 12,000 cfs as of Wednesday, the main stem is dropping and starting to turn olive, but won’t likely be fishable prior to the next round of storms.

Eel River (South Fork)
The Miranda area of the South Fork and above is in perfect shape. Flows were right around 1,700 cfs on the Miranda gauge and dropping slowly. Saturday’s rain could blow if out for a few days, but more rain is in store for early next week. Thursday through Saturday is the time to be there.

Van Duzen
Flowing at just above 1,400 cfs on Wednesday, it’s very close to fishable, if it isn’t there already. It’s predicted to bump up to over 2,000 cfs overnight on Wednesday. Definitely worth taking a look at for Thursday and Friday.

Mad River
The Mad remains off color, flowing at just over 9 feet on Wednesday. With water coming over the Ruth spillway along with the snowmelt, it doesn’t look like it’s going to turn green anytime soon. According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the fishing really fell off this week and not many anglers were still trying.

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

 

 

 

The miracle winter of 2016/17 has been very stingy when it comes to providing us with extended periods of dry weather. I think I can probably count them on one hand. So when the rain relents, even for a few days, you best make the most of it. If the weather forecasters are true to their word, and I mean that with all due respect, a small window is set to open up. Very little rain is predicted to fall between Thursday and next Wednesday, especially south of the Mad River. The South Fork Eel will drop into fishable shape this weekend and the Van Duzen may come into play sometime early next week. Same goes for the Mattole. The Smith should be in good shape by the weekend, and the Chetco should come around by Sunday. With only a few weeks left in the season, it would be wise to take advantage of the next few days as the rivers will be back on the rise before we know it.

The weather ahead

Scattered showers and periods of light rain are in the forecast for the next few days, but it doesn’t look like it will do much to the river levels. “Light rain is in the forecast for Thursday, with the majority falling in the Smith basin,” said Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The Smith could see up to a half an inch, mostly in the mountain areas. In Humboldt, we’ll see anywhere from a tenth to a quarter. Lingering showers will persist in mountain areas of Del Norte on Friday and Saturday, but everywhere else looks dry. Sunday and Monday are looking dry, but scattered showers are forecasted to return to the Smith basin on Tuesday. By Wednesday, we’ll begin to see a series of storms move in that will stick around through Saturday. It’s a little far out for predictions, but the models are showing two to four inches in the Smith basin and one to three inches in the around the Eel.”

USCG Boating Class coming March 18

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a one-day “Boating Safety” class on Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be held at the Woodley Island Marina conference room and the cost is $20 per person. For more information and to pre-register, contact Maggy Herbelin at 707-445-2401.

Humboldt Steelhead Days Fishing Contest Leader Board as of 3/6/17

Mad River

in FIRST PLACE: John Boak, from Fortuna

INCHES: 36” × 19” = 18.8 lb native caught on 3/1/17

in SECOND PLACE: Wyatt McBroom, from Willow Creek INCHES: 35 inches

in THIRD PLACE: Eddie Vandenbossche, from Hydesville & Brian Larsen, from Eureka are tied INCHES: 32 inches

Honorable Mentions:

Mark Aviles, from Arcata: 31 inches

Charlie Holthaus, from Arcata: 30 inches

Jean-Christophe Worth, from Arcata: 29 /14 x 15 inches = 8.8lbs

Eel River

in FIRST PLACE: Corey Adams, from Arcata INCHES: 27” caught and released on 3/3/17

in SECOND PLACE: Chris Vela, from McKinleyville INCHES: 26” caught and released on 3/3/17

Trinity River

in FIRST PLACE: Wyatt McBroom on 3/3/17 near Salyer INCHES: 16.5 inches

Honorable Mentions:

Andrew Rossow, from Palo Cedro, 30” x 16.75 (he didn’t photograph his fish with a measuring tape)

The Rivers:

Chetco/Elk/Sixes

“The Chetco was fishing well at the end of last week before it blew out again over the weekend,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Now it looks like it will be too high to fish through Sunday. Before it blew out, there was a mix of fresh and spawned steelhead and bluebacks. The fish also were spread throughout the entire river. The run is winding down, but with less boat pressure catch rates are still good. The Chetco remains open through March 31.

The Elk and Sixes are still fishing well between storms, but spawned out fish are now outnumbering fresh fish. Generally there are some big steelhead that show up through the end of March, so there will still be decent fishing there for the next few weeks.”

Smith River

The Smith was blown out on Wednesday, but is on the drop and should be in good shape by the weekend reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “Before this last high water, the fishing was still really good. We’re still seeing more fresh fish than downers, which is excellent for March. That, however, could change once the water comes back down from the last rain. Boats have been averaging three to five hookups per trip, and the fishing pressure hasn’t been bad at all.”

Eel River (main stem)

“The river was headed in the right direction, but yesterday’s rain put the main stem back on the rise,” said Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods.

“On Wednesday, it was big and muddy. It needs a solid 10 days of dry weather before it will get close to fishable.”

Eel River (South Fork)

The South Fork was at 4,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge on Wednesday, and dropping. It’s predicted to be around 2,000 cfs by the weekend, which should be fishable. The stretch above the East Branch should drop in by Thursday or Friday.

Van Duzen

Flowing at roughly 3,500 cfs on Wednesday, it too is dropping quickly. It’s predicted to be below 1,000 cfs by late Sunday, and should drop into shape by Monday. The wild card is the amount of dirty water coming from Yager Creek as well as all of the snowmelt.

Mad River

“There’s been a lot more fish around this last week,” said Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. “The last week to 10 days the fishing has really improved. Most of the action is coming right in front of the hatchery, with the anglers on the opposite side of the river doing a little better. There aren’t many fresh ones around; most have been in the river for a while. The river is currently big and muddy, and looks to stay that way with all the snowmelt and water spilling over Ruth dam,” Kelly added.

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

It appears the five-year drought has finally taken its toll on the Sacramento and Klamath River king salmon. In a press release issued on Wednesday following the annual Ocean Salmon Information Meeting held in Santa Rosa, some unwelcome news was delivered on the predicted returns of Chinook salmon to California waters in 2017.

Forecasters are suggesting 230,700 Sacramento River fall run Chinook adults are swimming in the ocean this year, along with 54,200 Klamath River fall run adults. Both forecasts are lower than those of recent years, with the forecast for Klamath fall run being among the lowest on record. Salmon from these runs typically comprise the majority of salmon taken in California’s ocean and inland fisheries.

“With a poor forecast for Klamath fall run and continued concerns over the winter run, California anglers will see reduced Chinook fishing opportunity as compared to last year,” said Brett Kormos, a senior environmental scientist with the CDFW.

Ocean kings harvested in 2017 hatched two to four years ago, and were deeply affected by poor river conditions driven by the recent drought.

The 2017 forecasts, in addition to information on endangered Sacramento River winter Chinook, will be used by fishery managers to set sport and commercial fishing season dates, commercial quotas, and size and bag limits. Season dates and other regulations will be developed by the PFMC and California Fish and Game Commission over the next two months. For more information, visit the https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean or call the salmon fishing hotline at (707) 576-3429.

The weather ahead
What was once a promising weekend forecast for steelhead anglers went south pretty quickly. “Rain will return on Friday evening, and we’ll see off and on showers through Monday,” said Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Over the four-day period, the Smith basin could see up to four and a half inches of rain. Down in the Eel and Mad basins, two to three and a half inches is predicted. The heaviest rainfall is expected to hit on Saturday. Next Tuesday and Wednesday are looking dry, but the Chetco and possibly the Smith, may see some rain on Thursday. Dry weather is on tap for Friday and Saturday, with the next system arriving on Sunday the 12th. The models are showing the rain will begin to taper off after this weekend’s rain, with larger breaks in between systems forecasted for the rest of March. ”

USCG Boating Class coming March 18
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a one-day “Boating Safety” class on Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be held at the Woodley Island Marina conference room and the cost is $20 per person. For more information and to pre-register, contact Maggy Herbelin at 707-445-2401.

Potter Valley Project Relicensing Public Meeting
Pacific Gas and Electric Company will be holding two public, stakeholder meetings on March 9, 2017, to discuss the initial required steps being taken to obtain a new FERC license for the Potter Valley Project, FERC Project No. 77 (Project), located in Mendocino and Lake Counties. To accommodate your availability, one meeting will be held in the afternoon and one in the evening. Meeting times are 1p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 S. School Street, Ukiah. The purpose of these meetings is to acquaint interested parties with FERC’s Integrated Licensing Process (ILP), including key milestones and opportunities for stakeholder participation. For additional information on the meetings or the Project, please contact Susan Kester, PG&E Relicensing Project Manager at (415) 973-7202.

The Rivers:
Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“The Chetco has fished well since last Friday,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “During the first day of the Rowdy Creek derby, the upper section of the Chetco produced most of the fish. By Saturday the entire river fished well. Fishing continued to be good Monday and Tuesday, although a slide above the South Fork has dirtied up the water at times. The upper end of the river was fishable on Monday, while the only section not blown out on Tuesday was the lower end below Loeb. By midday, the entire river was muddy, although the South Fork area was clear by late afternoon. Another big storm expected this weekend looks like it will blow the river out again.

The Elk River was down to 4.2 feet on Monday and Tuesday, and it fished fairly well considering how crowded it was. The edges of the river have been clear, although the middle, as well as the deeper runs, is still nice and green. The Sixes should be in shape for a few days before this next storm arrives this weekend. These two rivers are really snaggy, so bring lots of leaders.”

Smith River
The Smith continues to kick out fresh, quality steelhead. Boats drifting the forks to Ruby are getting up to five hookups per trip. With rain back in the forecast starting Friday, the Smith will likely blow out on Saturday. It’s predicted to peak at just under 13-feet early Sunday morning. If the color holds, it could be plunkable on Sunday.

Eel River (main stem)
The main Eel is still big and brown, and not close to being fishable. As of Wednesday, flows on the Scotia gauge were roughly 11,500 cfs. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to jump back to 27,000 cfs by Monday morning.

Eel River (South Fork)
As of Wednesday, the South Fork was hovering just under 2,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge and dropping. According to reports, the water is nice and green in the Leggett area, and starting to get that way below Benbow. It should be fishable around Redway on Thursday and Friday, but is forecasted to blow out again sometime Saturday morning.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen dipped under 2,000 cfs on Wednesday, but it’s still a little big and off-color. It may drop down to a fishable level by Friday, but that will be short-lived. It’s predicted to jump back to nearly 5,600 cfs starting early Saturday morning. A special note regarding the Fisher Rd. access: Fisher Road is closed to vehicles at the county railroad tracks until further notice. There is currently no access to the parking area or river due to the damage caused by high water. The road will be opened back up to the public once it’s deemed safe.

Mad River
The Mad remains high and off-color following the latest storms. It’s forecasted for a steep rise on Saturday, peaking at 11-feet on Sunday morning. According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the fishing pressure has been light. “The liners are catching a few older ones, there isn’t a lot of fresh fish around right now,” added Kelly.

Upper Trinity
The upper Trinity is in great shape and a nice shade of steelhead green reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The water flows are good up and down the river, with most of the boats concentrating from Lewiston to Douglas City. Conditions should be excellent this weekend to find some of the last wild steelhead of the season.” Huber added.

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