Author: fishingthenorthcoast

Bringing Oregon Salmon Back to CA – Here’s How

Carl Santo of Redwood City with a king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke out of Brookings, OR over the weekend. Photo courtesy of Brooking Fishing Charters

With the Oregon salmon season starting to heat up and California anglers making plans to get in on the action, here’s a reminder for CA anglers who plan to fish and harvest salmon in Oregon and bring them home to CA. Back in May, CDFW issued a press release reminding California anglers of important rules relating to transport of ocean and river salmon taken from Oregon.

The press release states:

“In ocean waters, any salmon taken in Oregon fisheries may not be brought to shore in California. However, it is legal for Californians to trailer their vessels to launch and fish from Oregon ports under applicable Oregon fishing licenses, regulations and reporting requirements. Salmon harvested in Oregon may be brought into California over land if also accompanied by a California Declaration for Entry Form. The declaration must be completed at or prior to the time of entry. After the time of entry, a copy of the completed declaration shall be submitted to CDFW within 24 hours.

On May 16, 2024, the National Marine Fisheries Service on advice from the Pacific Fishery Management Council and West Coast fisheries agencies, including CDFW, took in-season action to implement a landing boundary at the Oregon/California state line for recreational ocean salmon fisheries in Oregon waters just north of California. The new requirement states that any salmon taken under Oregon sportfishing regulations in the area between Humbug Mountain and the Oregon/California state line, also known as the Oregon Klamath Management Zone, must be landed north of the Oregon/California state line for the 2024 fishing season.”

More information about ocean salmon season closures and regulations can be found on CDFW’s ocean salmon web page at wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon.

Marine Forecast
Northerly winds will persist through the weekend, but offshore waters should remain fishable. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 3 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 4 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at nine seconds. Winds will increase slightly Sunday, blowing 10 to 15 knots from the north with waves north 5 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Klamath/Trinity Chinook salmon regulations
The California Fish and Game Commission acted unanimously to enact a full closure of California’s recreational salmon fishing season in the Klamath River Basin rivers through its annual process for adjusting seasons and bag limits, planned effective August 15, 2024. Below are the 2024-2025 sport salmon regulations as listed in the California Supplemental Sport Fishing Regulation booklet dated July 1, 2024.

  • Klamath River from Interstate 5 bridge to the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec: Aug. 15 through Dec. 31, 2024. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
  • Klamath River downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
  • Trinity River main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
  • Trinity River main stem downstream of the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar: Jul. 1 through Aug. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon; Sep. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to all fishing.
  • Trinity River main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River: Jul. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.
  • Trinity River main stem downstream of the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River to the confluence with the Klamath River: Sep. 1 through Dec. 31. Closed to the take and possession of Chinook Salmon.

In waters where the bag limit is zero, fish for which the bag limit is zero must be released unharmed, and should not be removed from the water.

Eel River Pikeminnow fishing derby starts Saturday
To help aid in the pikeminnow suppression efforts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CalTrout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences are hosting an Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby that will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. This derby gives awards to anglers who want to enjoy sport fishing for Eel River pikeminnow while simultaneously helping our native fish populations

Sacramento pikeminnow are a native fish to California but were introduced to the Eel River watershed in the 1970s and can have a significant impact on native fish populations. Therefore, suppression of Sacramento pikeminnow in the Eel River is a tool managers can use to aid in the conservation of our native fish.

To enter into the contest, you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish. Contest rules are as follows:

  • Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
  • Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
  • Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
  • Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
  • This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

Prize categories:

  1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest.
  2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo.
  3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo.
  4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest.

(prize structure still being finalized)

Eel river regulations currently state there is no bag limit on pikeminnow. Retention of salmonids is strictly prohibited. Strict compliance with Fish and Game Code Section 1.87: WASTE OF FISH; it is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.

Suggestions for fish use: consumption, gardening fertilizer, crab bait, or research. Fish to be donated for research purposes can be dropped off in the cooler at Dimmick Road, Highway 271, Piercy, CA or at the Wiyot Tribal Office during business hours.

Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish. Any violation of Fish and Game Code Section 1.87 will be subject to law enforcement prosecution.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The last few days saw plenty of options out of Eureka reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. He said, “Boats fishing 25 to 30 southwest of Eureka found a wide-open albacore bite Wednesday. Conditions were just about perfect, and the boats took advantage. Scores were really good, with one of the boats landing 40. It sounded like you could catch all you want. The Pacific halibut bit good as well with some limits reported. Boats were fishing off the stacks as well as the Eel River Canyon area. Both locations gave up good numbers. There’s been some nice fish caught lately, with quite a few over 50-pounds and some 70-pounders in the mix. We were down at the Cape chasing rockfish and the bite was a little slower than we’ve seen. The fish we caught were absolutely plugged with some type shrimp, so I think that slowed the bite. We did get a few nice lings.”

Shelter Cove
“The weather gave us a few-day window and we took full advantage,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.  “We were able to fish Gorda three days in a row. The Pacific halibut bite was pretty good and the rockfish and lingcod bite was lights out. One boat ran for albacore Wednesday and boated 26.”

Jared Morris, left, of C’Mon Sport Fishing holds a monster 80-pound halibut landed by his customer this week out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of C’Mon Sport Fishing.

Crescent City
“Not much has changed up here, the rockfish bite is still going strong,” says Britt Carson, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Most of the guys are going to the North Reef or the Sisters. The ling cod bite is excellent as well, with some nice ones being caught. The California halibut bite was good this week along south beach for anglers trolling anchovies. The Pacific halibut bite remains slow, I haven’t heard of any being caught this week.”

Brookings
Fishing remains good for hatchery coho salmon out of Brookings, with a few kings mixed in reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There is a large school of coho 4-5 miles offshore, and some fish scattered closer to shore,” said Martin. “Bottom fish anglers are also encountering kings and coho on the shallow reefs. Halibut fishing was good over the weekend. Lingcod and rockfish action remains solid. Brookings anglers are still waiting for tuna to get closer to the port.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay was fair over the weekend and early this week, but action has been spotty. “Traffic has increased, but the number of boats is still well below 50 a day. Warm water is pushing salmon closer to the tips of the jetties.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Tuna Fever Arrives on the North Coast

John Anderson of Fortuna with a 40-pound Bluefin tuna landed Sunday aboard the Reel Steel. Photo courtesy of Lonnie Dollarhide.

What’s the best way to shake off the doldrums of another salmon-less summer? How about a red-hot tuna bite? That’s just what we needed, and just what happened. The games began last Friday, with fish being caught out of Fort Bragg, Shelter Cove, and Eureka. For the Eureka fleet, the action started down off of Cape Mendocino where a lone boat did some scouting Friday and found the fish. He boated 16, and then the word was out.
With the conditions perfect for Saturday, quite a few more boats made the run roughly 25 miles southwest of Eureka and found the schools. It didn’t seem to matter what time you showed up as the fish reportedly bit until sunset. There were quite a few boats who made their way to the tuna grounds and boated double-digits having already limited on Pacific halibut. Now that’s a good day!
By Sunday, the word was really out and again the small fleet of eight to 10 boats headed south where the conditions had deteriorated. After bouncing around in rough, but fishable conditions, boats reported some pretty low scores. The top boat reportedly had six, but there were lots of ones and twos. There was one Bluefin landed aboard the Reel Steel.
By Monday, boats were back to halibut fishing, finding a pretty decent bite straight out. More magic was in store for Tuesday, but no one was around to see it. A lone boat saw conditions were lining up straight west of Eureka. Running just 20 miles offshore they landed right on top of a school of albacore and immediately starting putting fish aboard. After couple hours of non-stop action, they had 25 mix-grade albacore on board and called it a day. Trinidad also got in on the action, though the scores weren’t as high. Two boats fishing just 20 miles from Trinidad Head boated 5 and 17.

Now the wind has once again returned, and is forecast to blow hard through Saturday. Conditions will begin to improve starting Sunday, hopefully the warm tuna water isn’t too far out of reach.

Weekend marine forecast
Gales force winds will likely subside by the weekend, though northerlies will remain elevated. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 10 feet at nine seconds. Saturday forecast is calling for north winds at 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 9 feet at nine seconds. Winds will be out of the northwest Sunday 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at eight seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby July 20 – Aug. 31
To help aid in the pikeminnow suppression efforts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal-Trout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences are hosting an Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby that will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. This derby gives awards to anglers who want to enjoy sport fishing for Eel River pikeminnow while simultaneously helping our native fish populations

Sacramento pikeminnow are a native fish to California but were introduced to the Eel River watershed in the 1970s and can have a significant impact on native fish populations. Therefore, suppression of Sacramento pikeminnow in the Eel River is a tool managers can use to aid in the conservation of our native fish.

To enter into the contest you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish. Contest rules are as follows:

  • Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
  • Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
  • Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
  • Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
  • This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

Eel river regulations currently state there is no bag limit on pikeminnow. Retention of salmonids is strictly prohibited. Strict compliance with Fish and Game Code Section 1.87: WASTE OF FISH; it is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.

Prize categories:

  1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest.
  2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo.
  3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo.
  4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest.
    (prize structure still being finalized)

Suggestions for fish use: consumption, gardening fertilizer, crab bait, or research. Fish to be donated for research purposes can be dropped off in the cooler at Dimmick Road, Highway 271, Piercy, CA or at the Wiyot Tribal Office during business hours.
Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish. Any violation of Fish and Game Code Section 1.87 will be subject to law enforcement prosecution.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite is not red hot, but still decent according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The fish seem to be scattered between the second and third channels. Live bait or trolling dead bait seems to be the most productive now. The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The Eureka fleet finally strung together a few consecutive days on the water, and were treated to some good fishing with quite the variety.  Let’s start with the good stuff. Warm water pushed in close late last week, coinciding with calm seas, and tuna were hitting the deck at a pretty good clip. “The tuna bite on Saturday was wide-open,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sportfishing. “The action was 12 miles straight off Cape Mendocino. It didn’t seem to matter when you showed up as plenty of boats motored south after halibut fishing and boated double-digit scores. Sunday was a little different story. The weather wasn’t nearly as nice, and the bite was tough. I think the top boat had six, and there were a lot of ones and twos. We had one bite and it turned out to be a 40-pound Bluefin. Monday, most of the boats opted for halibut, where the fishing was pretty good, but not great. Boats were back to halibut Tuesday, where the fishing remained solid. One boat decided to try for tuna. They ran straight out 20 miles and found a wide-open bite. They only fished for a couple hours and put 25 mixed-grade albacore on the deck. Overall, the halibut fishing was good over the weekend, and the rockfish action at the Cape was excellent. It looks like we’re stuck with more wind through at least Saturday.”

Shelter Cove
“The weather finally laid down and we were able to travel for the first time in a while,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We finally got to fish Rodgers Break and Gorda and it was easy limits of rockfish and lingcod. The Pacific halibut bite was slow overall, but there were a handful caught over the weekend. Boats ran for tuna Friday through Sunday up off Gorda with the high boat getting 36 Saturday. After halibut fishing Saturday morning, we ran to the tuna grounds in the afternoon and quickly put 11 on board.”

Livermore resident Michael Hollingshaus holds a pair of Albacore tuna caught Saturday while fishing with Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. Photo courtesy of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.

Crescent City
“The rockfish action is still going strong when the boats can get out,” said Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The lingcod bite has been really good as well. Most of the boats are targeting the North Reef and the Sisters. The Pacific halibut bite, however, is still really slow. I heard of a couple caught this week. The California halibut has been excellent, with trollers along South Beach catching quite a few. Anchovies have been the bait of choice. Quite a few are also being caught off the rock wall and the pier. The redtail bite remains steady at Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
“Brookings anglers are waiting for a break in the wind to venture offshore for tuna, following good reports out of Charleston, Winchester Bay, Newport and Astoria,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There is a warm water pocket around 30 miles off of Brookings, but wind has kept anglers in close. Salmon fishing remains decent, with lots of hatchery coho and a few kings. The coho are just a couple miles out from the harbor, and are being caught close to the surface. Some salmon have been encountered by bottom fish anglers. Halibut fishing was good over the weekend, with a few dozen fish brought in, including a 74-pounder weighed at the dock.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing busted open on the Rogue Bay, but warm water from the inland heat wave slowed action Tuesday. “Water temperatures hit 80 degrees in Agness, sending salmon held up in the bay back into the ocean.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Offshore Anglers Take Advantage of Calm Seas

San Jose resident Jeff Ewing boated this 50-plus pound halibut Tuesday while fishing aboard the Shellback out of Trinidad. Photo courtesy of Tony Sepulveda/Green Water Fishing Adventures

Ocean conditions can make all the difference when it comes to catching – or not. And favorable conditions have been few and far between this season. But when the stars align like they did Wednesday, good things happen. The Eureka fleet took full advantage and boats made their way to the halibut grounds while some pointed south to Cape Mendocino. Both locations provided anglers with plenty of bent rods and coolers full of fish. The halibut bite was some of the best we’ve seen this season, with lots of boats headed in early with limits. The boats who made their way south also reported some wide-open fishing, with plenty of rockfish to fill the buckets. The lingcod bite was red-hot, providing some of the best action in a couple years. But just as soon as the ocean calmed, winds will once again pick up starting Friday and the weekend and into next week look iffy.

Weekend marine forecast
Following a few days of calm seas, near gale to locally gale force gusts is possible across the outer waters Friday. This will generate steep seas, with short period seas picking up to around 8 to 10 feet at 8 to 9 seconds Friday afternoon. Winds will diminish throughout the weekend as another upper level trough moves over the area. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds at 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at seven seconds and northwest 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday forecast is calling for north winds at 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 5 feet at seven seconds. Winds will be out of the north Sunday 10 to 15 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

July 6 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 6, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Eel River fish counts
As of May 26, 2024, the final counts for salmonids and lamprey are: 270 steelhead (97 female, 83 male, 38 unknown adults, 52 subadults). 255 Chinook (73 female, 72 male, 21 unknown adults, 89 jacks). 1,827 Pacific lamprey. These counts don’t reflect the entire population; only the fish who travel over 150 miles to the fish ladder at Cape Horn Dam. Historic fish count numbers can be found here.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite has been slowed this week according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The big tides at the end of last week and earlier this week are the culprit. Humboldt Bay is pretty dirty as well. Live bait, swim baits or tube jigs seem to be the ticket still. The second and third channels seem to be the most productive.” The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The ocean finally laid down for a few days, and the catch rates for rockfish and Pacific halibut both soared reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Conditions were decent Tuesday, and quite a few halibut were caught by the handful of boats who made it out,” said Klassen. “On Wednesday, the seas were really calm and we made the run south to Cape Mendocino where the rockfish and lingcod bite was excellent. The area was full of life, with lots of bait on the surface and the fish plugged full of krill. Half of our catch were blacks, but we also had some good variety. Vermilion, coppers, yellowtail, and some cabezon rounded out the limits. The lingcod bite was the best I’ve seen in a couple years. Wednesday’s halibut scores were also good. Lots of limits were reported by charters and private boats fishing off the stacks in 300 feet of water. There were also a couple caught down at the Cape.”

Shelter Cove
The rockfish bite remains a little tougher than usual according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’re still getting limits, but having to work at it with all the brown water,” said Mitchell. “The lingcod bite continues to be hit and miss. A couple days we got easy limits, and others we struggled to get just a few. We’re spending our days fishing around the whistle and Old Man.”

Crescent City
“The rockfish bite is still going strong,” said Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The lingcod bite has also really picked up and we’re seeing some nice ones caught. The Pacific halibut bite, however, is still really slow. Very few have been caught since the season opened. The California halibut action is heating up, with trollers along South Beach catching quite a few. The fish have been bigger this year, with plenty of fish over 30 inches being caught. Anchovies have been the bait of choice. The redtail bite remains steady at Kellogg Beach.”

Chris Cooke, a deckhand for Brookings Fishing Charters, holds a pair of hatchery coho salmon from earlier this week. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has improved in the ocean out of Brookings, even as windy weather has kept boats in close,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few kings and big numbers of coho salmon are being caught. Plenty of hatchery keepers are in the mix. A big return of coho is expected on the Columbia River this fall, and those fish first appear on the southern Oregon Coast. Trolling anchovies behind Fish Flash flashers and divers close to the surface is working best. Better weather is expected this week. A few halibut are being caught, and catches should improve with the calmer conditions offshore.”

Lower Rogue/Chetco
According to Martin, a few kings are now being caught in the Rogue Bay. “Water temperatures are close to 70 degrees, which will force salmon to hold up in the bay, where kings begin to stack up where the warmer water from upriver and cooler ocean water mix. Summer steelhead are biting near Agness. A few sea-run cutthroat trout are being caught on spinners in the Chetco tidewater.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Pacific halibut bite remains slow off the coast

Tristan Clewell landed a 42.5-pound Pacific halibut Wednesday fishing out of Crescent City. The big fish is now atop the leader board in the Crescent City Englund Marine Pacific Halibut Contest. Photo courtesy of Englund Marine/Crescent City.

The Pacific halibut bite continues to be slow along the North Coast, but it is showing signs of life. As conditions improved mid-week, boats out of Trinidad and Crescent City both saw an uptick in fish coming back to port. The same cannot be said for Eureka. Persistent wind and sloppy conditions have kept boats mostly tied to the dock. Boats finally made it offshore Wednesday, but there weren’t many biters to be had. Marginal conditions are in the forecast for the next several days, so that means consistent time on the water will be hard to come by. But there is a silver lining to all this wind. The halibut catch has been so minuscule CDFW has yet to update the in-season catch estimates. At this rate, there may be enough quota to get us to the mid-November season closure.

Weekend marine forecast
Northerlies will continue to decrease into Wednesday, but will remain in small craft criteria for all zones except the northern inner waters. Each afternoon there will be a slight uptick in winds coming from the north. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 6 feet at seven seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves north 6 feet at seven seconds. The winds will be out of the north Sunday 15 to 20 knots, with north waves 5 feet at six seconds and west 2 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

California halibut bite remains steady
The California halibut bite has been good lately, but not wide-open. According the Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the quality of fish has been good, and there hasn’t been many shakers. “The best bite has been in the second channel and third channels in the north bay,” said Kelly. “Shiner perch and herring seem to be the ticket right now.” Minus tides with big swings are forecast to begin this weekend.

As a reminder, the California halibut bag and total possession limit was reduced from three to two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County last June. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length. The reduced California halibut limit is designed to protect the resource amid increased recreational fishing pressure due to limited fishing opportunities and changes in other ocean fisheries including salmon.

July 6 is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday, July 6, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Freshwater Lagoon/Sequoia Park Pond trout plants
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website, Freshwater Lagoon has been planted with trout weekly beginning with the week of May 19 and will continue through the week of June 23. The Sequoia Park Pond was planted during the week of May 16. Both are open to fishing year-round and the limit is 5 trout per day and 10 in possession. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/Default.aspx?county=Humboldt&time or call (530) 225-2146.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Boats finally got back offshore Wednesday, but the Pacifici halibut bite continues to be slow. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, only a handful were caught. “There were quite a few boats out, but it sounded like scores ranged from zero to two per boat,” said Klassen. “The water was pretty choppy and dirty, which doesn’t help the bite. Ocean conditions look marginal through Saturday before the wind returns Sunday. Hopefully having a few days strung together will help our chances.”

Shelter Cove
Not much to report out of the Cove this week. Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing was able to get out just one day due to the weather. “We fished around the whistle, but it was kind of slow,” said Mitchell. “We were able to get limits of rockfish, but just two lingcod.”

Crescent City
The Pacific halibut bite has finally picked up this week,” said Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “We’ve seen a few come in, which has been good to see. The rockfish bite is still good and should only improve as the conditions get better. It looks like the California halibut are finally arriving in better numbers. There were several caught this week by anglers tossing jigs off the rock wall across from the boat launch. The redtail perch bite has picked up as well with Kellogg Beach being the top spot.”

Capt. Mick Thomas holds a hatchery king salmon caught last week on the Miss Brooke by Robert Timm, trolling an anchovy behind a Fish Flash flasher. Photo courtesy of Brooking Fishing Charters

Brookings
“Salmon fishing has improved out of Brookings, although it is still fair to slow,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Hatchery coho, along with wild coho, are being caught three to five miles offshore. King fishing is best at first light near the buoys and mouth of the Chetco. The water is still cold, less than 48 degrees, which has slowed the bite. Halibut fishing is still slow. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing is slow on the Rogue as anglers transition from upriver anchor fishing to trolling the bay. “A few kings are being caught. Upriver near Shady Cove and Lost Creek Dam, springer fishing is good for anglers back-bouncing roe in the deeper holes.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Gusty Conditions Continue on the North Coast

A nice lingcod was caught by Aiden from Utah on a recent trip out of Crescent City with Steve Huber of Crescent City Fishing. Photo courtesy of Crescent City Fishing.

Gale-force north winds in May and June are historically common along the North Coast. But this year seems to be bordering on excessive. The Eureka fleet is having to pay the heaviest toll following another week of rough seas, managing to only get offshore once since last week. Shelter Cove, Trinidad, and Crescent City, with much shorter runs to the fishing grounds and no bar to tackle, are having a better go at it. On most days they’re able to get out in the mornings and put in quick limits of rockfish.

But Eureka does have a pretty good plan B. And that would be California halibut within Humboldt Bay. The bite is heating up, with a few more caught daily. There aren’t a lot of anchovies in the bay yet, but there seem to be plenty of shiner perch for those wanting live bait. Anglers fishing dead bait and even jigs and swimbaits are having success as well. The fishing seems to really improve when we have the smaller tide swings, which are happening now. The minimum size is 22 inches and the daily bag and possession limit is two.

Weekend marine forecast
Hazardous seas and gusty winds will relent starting Friday, but conditions still look pretty rough through the weekend. On Friday, north winds are predicted at 10 to 15 knots and waves from the north 7 feet at seven seconds and west 4 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and north waves 4 feet at five seconds and west 3 feet at 10 seconds. The winds will increase slightly Sunday, blowing 15 to 20 knots out of the north. Waves will be from the north 6 feet at six seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
There was a brief break in the wind last Saturday, and a few boats made it to the halibut grounds where a few halibut were caught. By Sunday we were back to terrible offshore conditions, and the Eureka fleet has been tied up since. It looks like we’ll have more of the same through at least Monday.

Trinidad
“The rockfish bite has been a little hit or miss,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “If you land on em’, you can do really well. But some days it’s been a little more of a struggle to get limits. The lingcod bite hasn’t been very good the last few days out, but that can change quickly. Especially if the ocean conditions improve. The crabbing is still good, with easy limits each day.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it’s been pretty much the same story this week. “On the days we can get out, we’ve been greeted by dirty water,” said Mitchell. “This has made the fishing challenging, but we’re still grinding out limits. We’ve only caught three Pacific halibut this season, and all have come while targeting rockfish. We’re spending most of our time around the whistle and the Old Man.”

Crescent City
According to Benjamin Ferguson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, limits of rockfish are still being caught despite the wind. He said, “When the boats can get out, the rockfish limits are coming pretty easily. If they’re able to stay out long enough, boats have been able to get their lings as well. Most of the action has been in the vicinity of the North Reef and Pt. St. George Lighthouse area. There’re still a few California halibut being caught off the rock wall, depending on the water temperatures. The redtails are biting too, with Kellogg and South beach being the best spots. There were a few stripers caught last week toward the end of South Beach.”

Knox Barcelos of Eureka caught a couple nice trout while fishing the Sequoia Park Pond in Eureka. The small, spring-fed pond nestled in an old redwood forest grove. The pond was last stocked with rainbow trout raised at the Mad River Hatchery by CDFW on May 24. It is a good place for young anglers to catch trout, given most of the shoreline is accessible. Photo courtesy of Doyle Miller

Brookings
A few salmon were caught in the ocean out of Brookings over the weekend and again on Monday reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Kings from 10 to 20 pounds were biting from Salmon Rock to the red buoy, said Martin. “Windy weather prevented boats from getting offshore, although nicer conditions are expected this weekend. Big schools of bait are balled up near the mouth of the Chetco. The salmon caught in recent days have been on anchovies fished with spreaders and lead, or divers, within 25 feet of the surface. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, while a few halibut showed up in the catch over the weekend.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue River has slowed for spring salmon, but a few fish are still trickling in. “Action is slow on the bay, but anglers are now trolling, encouraged by hot weather inland, which has warmed river temperature. Wild kings may now be kept.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Boats Capitalize on Break in the Wind

Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, far right, and his customers had a great day Sunday with limits of Pacific halibut out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Reel Steel Sport Fishing.

Last Sunday provided offshore anglers along the entire North Coast some of the best ocean conditions since the rockfish and Pacific halibut seasons kicked off. And plenty of boats took full advantage. Leaving Humboldt Bay, there were a steady stream of boats headed south, reacquainting themselves with Cape Mendocino. Reportedly, the fishing was excellent with lots of rockfish and lingcod coming over the rails. A good number of boats chose to head west and take a go at Pacific halibut. That move paid off as well as boats were met with cleaner water and hungry halibut. By Monday, conditions were starting to change for the worse, again, but there were a good number of halibut caught. Tuesday saw the wind return, and it looks like it will stick around through the work week. Saturday looks to be fishable, but by Sunday winds up to 20 knots will return.

Weekend marine forecast
Seas will continue to be rough through Friday, but Saturday looks like it will be fishable. Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 10 knot winds out of the northwest and waves north 8 feet at seven seconds and northwest 4 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday looks better, with northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at six seconds and west 4 feet at 11 seconds. The wind will pick back up Sunday, coming from the north 15 to 20 knots. Waves will be out of the north 7 feet at seven seconds and west 7 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka starting June 17
Canopy Wind and Vineyard Offshore have teamed up to provide up to 15 full-tuition scholarships for the upcoming OUPV/Master up to 100-ton Captain’s course being held in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. This course is not typically offered in Northern California, so this is a great opportunity to help educate some local folks who are looking to increase their employment opportunities. Please be sure you meet the requirements of the course before applying. These seats will be first come first served. Feel free to pass along to anyone you think may be interested. For more information, call 866-300-5984.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Sunday provided the best offshore conditions of the season, and the Eureka fleet took full advantage. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, it was probably the best day weather-wise of the season. “Conditions on the halibut grounds were much-improved, and the scores reflected that. Quite a few halibut were caught off the stacks in roughly 300 feet of water. The water cleaned up a little and there wasn’t much swell, so that made a big difference. The conditions weren’t quite as good Monday, but there were some fish caught by the boats that tried. There are some really nice fish around, with quite a few in the upper 60’s to 70 pounds. Plenty of boats made their way to the Cape for rockfish, and I heard it was good fishing. Sounds like there were more lingcod around too. It looks like the wind will keep us off the water at least through the week. There is some warm water starting to show off the coast. It looked like we had 60-degree water within striking distance. Fort Bragg has some tuna water sitting off their coast as well, so hopefully we’ll get an opportunity for some albacore soon.”

Trinidad
“The flat ocean on Sunday provided some much-improved rockfish action,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The water cleaned up just enough and the rockfish bite was much better. The calm seas helped as well. There were some Pacific halibut caught Sunday, mostly straight out in 300 feet of water with a few coming in deeper water.”

Shelter Cove
Fishing out of the Cove has been hit and miss according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve had a lot of dirty water, which has made the fishing slower, said Mitchell. “On the days when the water is cleaner, we’ve done much better. We’re getting limits of rockfish every day but lingcod limits have been harder to come by. We’ve been spending most of our days at the Old Man.”

Crescent City
Sunday’s break in the weather provided anglers the opportunity to finally get out and hit some of their favorite rockfish and lingcod spots reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The Sisters was one of the areas that saw a lot of action, and the fishing was good for both rockfish and lingcod. I didn’t hear of any Pacific halibut being caught. The California halibut bite is still pretty slow, but a few have been caught by kayaks and small boats trolling anchovies or herring along South Beach.”

Brookings
“Salmon action is still slow in the ocean out of Brookings,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few halibut are being caught. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good on calm weather days. Nice weather is expected this weekend. Surfperch action remains good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing is hit-and-miss on the Rogue, with good catches one day followed by a few days of slow fishing. “Wild king salmon may now be kept. Hatchery springers are still showing in the catch. A few boats are now trolling the bay, but best catches have been upriver still.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Wind Continues to Hamper Offshore Anglers

Dave Dadua of Lodoga, CA landed a nice cabezon on a recent trip out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.

It’s been another quiet week for offshore anglers along the North Coast. The north winds have been howling for nearly the entire month of May, but it looks as though we’re about to get a reprieve. The wind is forecast to come down starting Saturday and it looks like we’ll get a few consecutive days on the water, something that hasn’t happened much this month. To date, both the Pacific halibut and rockfish fisheries haven’t offered much in the way of excitement. Hopefully that will change starting this weekend.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions will be much improved beginning Saturday. Looking towards the weekend, winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 knots Saturday with waves northwest 5 feet at six seconds. Sunday is looking really good, with northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 2 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Oregon salmon must be brought onto Oregon shores
In a CDFW press release issued May 24, they are reminding California anglers of important rules relating to transport of ocean and river salmon taken from Oregon.

The press release states:

“In ocean waters, any salmon taken in Oregon fisheries may not be brought to shore in California. However, it is legal for Californians to trailer their vessels to launch and fish from Oregon ports under applicable Oregon fishing licenses, regulations and reporting requirements. Salmon harvested in Oregon may be brought into California over land if also accompanied by a California Declaration for Entry Form. The declaration must be completed at or prior to the time of entry. After the time of entry, a copy of the completed declaration shall be submitted to CDFW within 24 hours.

On May 16, 2024, the National Marine Fisheries Service on advice from the Pacific Fishery Management Council and West Coast fisheries agencies, including CDFW, took in season action to implement a landing boundary at the Oregon/California state line for recreational ocean salmon fisheries in Oregon waters just north of California. The new requirement states that any salmon taken under Oregon sportfishing regulations in the area between Humbug Mountain and the Oregon/California state line, also known as the Oregon Klamath Management Zone, must be landed north of the Oregon/California state line for the 2024 fishing season.”

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming this Saturday
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

California halibut bite heating up
The California halibut bite is starting to pick up as quite a few were caught late last week and into Saturday. According the Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the best bite was in the second channel in the north bay. “Swimbaits seem to be the ticket right now, with chartreuse and white being the most productive,” said Kelly. “The bite has slowed this week mostly due to the wind. You can do ok in the mornings if the tides are right.”

As a reminder, the California halibut bag and total possession limit was reduced from three to two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County last June. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length. The reduced California halibut limit is designed to protect the resource amid increased recreational fishing pressure due to limited fishing opportunities and changes in other ocean fisheries including salmon.

Fish for free this weekend in Oregon
Oregon will be having a Free Fishing Weekend June 1 and 2. On those two days, no license, tag or endorsement is required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. This applies only to waters already open to fishing, crabbing or clamming. All other regulations, such as bag limits, still apply. Visit www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/05_May/052324.asp for more information.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Excessive winds are keeping the Eureka fleet from putting quality time on the water. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, Friday and Tuesday were the only fishable days in the past week. “The halibut fishing remains slow, but we haven’t had much time to look around yet,” said Klassen. “And when we’ve gone out, conditions have been tough. We’ve had some big tides and the water has been dirty. There’s been a little bite right at the tide change, but that was about it. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been good, but we’ve only been down there a couple days. The lingcod bite has been slow, but there’s plenty of blacks, vermilions, and canaries. The wind looks like it let up this weekend, right now Sunday and Monday are looking fishable.”

Trinidad
“The rockfish bite has been a little on the slow side so far,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “We’ve been able to get limits, but you have to keep at and really know the spots well. We’re working spots from Trinidad Head to Patrick’s Point. The Pacific halibut bite hasn’t taken off yet, I’ve only heard of one caught so far. The crabbing has been excellent. There’s lots of them, but they aren’t in the greatest shape right now.”

Shelter Cove
“Rock fishing has been good and the lingcod bite really picked up over the weekend,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Dirty water moved back in Tuesday and the bite slowed. Most of our effort has been at the Old Man.”

Crescent City
The wind continues to blow, keeping most of the boats off the water reports Britt Carson, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “There were a couple days with decent conditions, but the rockfish and lingcod bite slowed just a little. There have been a few more California halibut caught off the rocks this week. There’s also been a few stripers caught at the very end of Enderts Beach. The Pacific halibut bite is still slow, mostly due to lack of effort. I’ve heard of just the one caught since the opener.”

Brookings
​“Salmon fishing continues to be slow out of Brookings, mainly because of cold water temperatures of 45 to 46 degrees,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Even with calm conditions over the weekend, very few salmon were brought in. Halibut fishing has improved, while lingcod and rockfish action is good. Windy weather returns Tuesday afternoon.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, a few springers are still entering the Rogue, but most anglers are waiting for fish to begin holding up in the bay. “Wild fish may be kept beginning June 1.”

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

Kenny Priest (he/him) operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Numerous Options for the Holiday Weekend Anglers

Theodore Laszczewski, right, along with Chase Engberg landed a pair of limits of California halibut while fishing Humboldt Bay last Saturday. The halibut bite is finally starting to show signs of life and should be a good option for the holiday weekend. Photo courtesy of Chase Engberg.

For anglers across the North Coast, Memorial Day weekend provides an excellent opportunity to try your luck at a variety of fishing locations. With plenty of options on the table, the biggest decision might not be if you want to go, but where. Here are a few of the options that will hopefully make your decision a little easier this holiday weekend:

  • Jetties for rockfish and lingcod —When the windisn’t howling, the jetties have been providing excellent rockfish and lingcod action. Small swimbaits or scampi jigs are catching fish as well as herring fished under a float.
  • California halibut —If bank angling is your only option, check out Fairhaven Beach on the bay side of the Samoa Peninsula. Fishing is best a couple hours before and after high tide. Swimbaits attached to a ¾-ounce jig head is a good bait choice. If you have a boat, fish have been caught in the middle channel the last few days, with swimbaits working best.
  • Freshwater Lagoon trout —Planted regularly with catchable-sized trout, there should be ample opportunities for shore-based anglers as well as boat fishermen. An easy rig to fish is a Berkley PowerBait with an egg sinker.
  • Ruth Lake trout and bass —Nice weather and a family-friendly atmosphere make this a great spot for the weekend. Reportedly, the trout and bass bite are heating up.
  • Elk River redtail perch —If it’s perch you’re after and the ocean is too rough, Elk River Beach is a great spot to target redtails. Two hours prior to high tide and an hour after typically are the optimal times. Shrimp, clams, swimbaits and sand crabs all work.
  • Trinidad Harbor rockfish —A great option for rockfish and crab, especially if the ocean is rough. Launching a small boat from the beach is fairly easy. You’ll want to get an early start before the afternoon wind kicks in.
  • Dungeness Crab —Anglers dropping pots outside of the bay entrance are still catching a few Dungeness crab when the weather cooperates, though there hasn’t been a ton of effort. If it’s too rough, there’s some good locations inside Humboldt Bay. Out in front of the PG&E plant is a good spot as well as the flat off the South Jetty parking lot. Another top location is either side of the channel leading into the South Bay.
  • North Coast rivers —Many of the local rivers will re-open to fishing beginning Saturday, May 25. Rivers that will open include 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, Little River, Mattole and Smith. Be sure to check the regulations prior to fishing.
  • Fisheries currently closed: Red Abalone, Mussels, Razor Clams (both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties), Ocean and River Chinook fishing.

Weekend marine forecast
After a couple weeks of gale-force winds, we’ll finally get a break Friday. Winds will pick back up slightly over the weekend before they come back down Monday. Friday, winds will be out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is looking a little windier, with north winds 10 to 15 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at seven seconds. Sunday, the wind will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at eight seconds. Monday is looking better, with north winds 5 to 10 knots forecast along with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 3 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Weekend tides
The latest round of minus tides will begin Friday, but low tides will occur in the mornings over the holiday weekend when boats could be leaving the bay. Coupled with decent-sized swells, this could create a dangerous Humboldt Bay bar crossing. Saturday May 25: Low: 8:12 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Sunday May 26: Low: 8:56 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Monday May 27: Low: 9:42 a.m. (-1.29 feet)

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming June 1
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

The Oceans:
Eureka
It’s been nearly two weeks since boats have crossed the bar out of Eureka for Pacific halibut and rockfish. The weather for Friday looks doable, and I expect quite a few boats will give it a go. Saturday and Sunday don’t look as good, but Monday is looking good as of Thursday.

Trinidad
Ocean conditions are looking good for Friday and Monday out of Trinidad. It looks like small boats and kayakers will have a window of opportunity to launch off the beach to target rockfish and crab. The boat launch will be open Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesdays. The launch fee this season is $45. For updates and current information, you can call the bait shop at 677-3625.

Shelter Cove
“We haven’t been out since last Saturday as it’s been very windy,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.  “Due to the conditions, we just fished right out front. Fishing was slow but we managed limits of rockfish and two lingcod. The forecast doesn’t look to get better anytime soon but I’m going to try a few times this week.”

Crescent City
Like everywhere else along the North Coast, Crescent City has been dealing with wind for close to two weeks. A few of the bigger boats have got out for quick trips in the morning, but that’s been about it, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Friday’s forecast is looking much better, so I’d expect lots of boats to be out. Some warm water pushed in close to the beach last weekend and brought with it some California halibut. Anglers fishing from the rocks across from the boat ramp with some good timing landed a few. But the bite went south quick as the water cooled.”

Brookings
“Windy weather has kept boats close to the harbor in Brookings, limiting success for salmon, halibut and even rockfish and lingcod,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A brief early morning window has allowed boats to get an hour or two of bottom fishing in before the gale-force winds arrive each day. Calmer weather is expected this weekend. Early in the season, salmon tend to be offshore, in 200 to 300 feet of water, three to five miles offshore.”

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, Little River, Mattole and Smith will re-open on Saturday, May 25. On most rivers, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Click here for a complete list of CA river openings and regulations. The Chetco opened to trout fishing Wednesday.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, Rogue springer action is hit and miss, with a few salmon now being caught by trollers in the bay. “Wild salmon can be kept beginning June 1.” 

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Slow Start for Pacific Halibut Anglers

The Pacific halibut season is off to a slower start than usual, mostly due to rough ocean conditions. There are a few being caught out of Eureka, like the one pictured here from Alec of McKinleyville who landed his first halibut last weekend. Photo courtesy of Micah Woolworth/Lost Coast Sport Fishing

Ocean conditions, lack of effort, or lack of fish, whatever the reason may be, it’s contributing to a much slower start to the Pacific halibut season than in years past. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a combination of the first two. Since the season opened on May 1, there’s been just a handful of days which boats were able to get far enough offshore to where the halibut frequent. And Eureka isn’t alone, anglers from Shelter Cove up to Crescent City have been stymied by conditions which are leading to the lack of success. But don’t expect this trend to continue. Once we get a steady dose of flat water, you can bet the boats will hone in on the fish and we’ll begin to see some big bites taken out of the 38,220 pound quota. To keep an eye on the in-season Pacific halibut catch rate, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions have been horrible all week, and that trend looks to continue through the weekend and into next week. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 20 to 30 knots with waves north 10 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday, the winds will be out of the north 15 to 25 knots and waves will be out of the north 11 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday, winds will come from the north 15 to 25 knots with waves out of the north 10 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 18 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit https://www.weather.gov/eka/ or https://www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Kids free fishing derbies this Saturday
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/
On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming June 1
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

Klamath basin and Central Valley rivers closed for Chinook
In the May 15 California Fish and Game Commission meeting, Commissioners voted unanimously to again enact a full closure of California’s recreational salmon fishing season in the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley rivers through its annual process for adjusting seasons and bag limits. The Commission also voted to close the springer fishery in the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Unlike last year, the Smith River and Eel Rivers will be open to salmon fishing in 2024.

The regulations are expected to take effect no later than July 1, 2024, following approval by the Office of Administrative Law. The low ocean abundance forecasts, coupled with low 2023 returns, led the Commission to recommend closure of California’s in-river recreational salmon fisheries, which include the Klamath and Trinity rivers within the Klamath Basin, the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers in the Central Valley.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Wind and rough ocean conditions continue to be the story out of Eureka as boats haven’t been on the water since last weekend. “Halibut fishing was slow for everyone last Friday and Saturday,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There were a few caught, but there was also a lot of skunks. With very few days on the water so far, no one has really looked around yet. It’s possible the fish may be further offshore. We just need some good weather to figure out where they are. As of now, it looks conditions will improve late next week.”

Trinidad
Ocean conditions have kept small boats and kayaks from launching this week. And it looks like more of the same through the weekend. The boat launch will be open Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesdays. The launch fee this season is $45. For updates and current information, you can call the bait shop at 677-3625.

Shelter Cove
The last few days was some of the slowest rock fishing that I’ve ever seen at the Cove,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We managed limits for two of the days, but it took us all day.  And we only got one or two lingcod each day as well. We fished everywhere from Bear Harbor to Rodgers Break and it was more less the same every location we tried.”

Crescent City
Wind and rough seas have kept boats off the water this week, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Over the weekend, the rockfish bite was really good, with most of the boats heading south towards the Sisters. I’ve heard of one Pacific halibut caught so far, coming in last Friday and weighing 38.5 lbs. The lingcod bite has been really good off the jetties and rocks and the redtail perch bite at Kellogg Beach has been excellent.”

Brookings
Windy weather is expected to put a damper on this week’s ocean salmon opener out of Brookings,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “With schools of anchovies at the mouth of the Chetco, large numbers of pelicans and other birds, and reports of bottom fish anglers encountering salmon, the opener was expected to be good, but rough seas will prevent boats from getting to the best areas. Typically, salmon fishing is best 3 to 5 miles offshore in May and early June. Salmon season runs through August out of Brookings. Lingcod and rockfish action has been hot, but halibut season has been off to a slow start. Fishing has been good further up the coast in deeper water. Rough weather is expected through the weekend and will likely limit halibut trips until next week. Surfperch action continues to be good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing has slowed, but Monday produced the best catches in nearly two weeks, with fresh schools of springers caught at the head of the bay. “Wild springers can be kept beginning June 1.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Wind Keeping Boats Tied Up

Break in the Weather Coming Friday

Kelly Killingsworth of Fortuna landed his first-ever lingcod last Friday while fishing near Cape Mendocino with Eric Justesen of 707 Sportfishing aboard the Wharf Rat II. The big ling tipped the scales at 27-pounds. Photo courtesy of Eric Justesen/707 Sportfishing

After a couple decent days of fishing following the May 1 Pacific halibut opener, the Eureka fleet has been tied up since. But better conditions are on the horizon. Friday and Saturday are shaping up nicely, which could allow boats to explore some different spots. Conditions should be good enough to permit boats to hit Cape Mendocino for rockfish as well.

The windy weather is pretty typical for this time of the year on the coast. “We usually lose about half of May and June due to the wind, so this isn’t surprising,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It looks like now we’ll get a couple days in, so hopefully we can look around a little to find some larger schools of halibut. The fishing hasn’t been red-hot, but we have a very small sample size with only a couple days on the water.”

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions will finally improve Friday, giving boats a couple days on the water before the winds return Sunday. Friday, north winds will be 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at eight seconds. Winds will begin to increase Sunday, coming out of the north 5 to 15 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at seven seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit https://www.weather.gov/eka/ or https://www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Fish and Game Commission meeting coming May 15
The California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be live streamed on Wednesday, May 15 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Visit https://fgc.ca.gov/ the day of the meeting to watch or listen. To provide public comment during the meeting, please join via Zoom, by telephone, or at an in-person location. For complete instructions on how to join via Zoom or telephone, click here. Locally, you can participate at the Trinidad Rancheria, Tribal Council Chambers 1, Cher-Ae Lane in Trinidad.

On the agenda, the commission will consider emergency closures of sport fishing in Klamath River Basin for spring Chinook salmon. Closures for fall Chinook fisheries in the Klamath River basin and the Central Valley will also be discussed.

A complete agenda and comment submission, and viewing information, can be found here.

Kids free fishing derbies
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/

On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

Crescent City
There hasn’t been much effort this past week due to windy conditions, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “When the boats were able to get out, the rock fishing was excellent. The Sisters and the lighthouse, within the 20-fathom line, were both top spots. There hasn’t been any halibut caught as of yet, but that should change when the conditions get better.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it’s been a windy week at the Cove. He said, “We were able to make it up to Rogers Break Sunday, and the rock fishing was great. We were also able to scratch up a couple halibut as well. Looks like the ocean will improve the next few days.”

Lower Rogue
“Spring salmon fishing has slowed on the Rogue, but nice kings are being caught,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Hatchery fish continue to move in. Last weekend’s rain could result in good fishing later this week.” 

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the Pacific halibut fishing is slow out of Brookings, in part because of windy weather offshore. “Lingcod and rockfish action continues to be good, along with beach fishing for surfperch. Nice weather is expected this weekend. Salmon are being caught and released during bottom fish trips, and pelicans have arrived in large numbers to feed on anchovies, good signs for the May 16 ocean king opener in Southern Oregon.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.