Current Fishing Reports

With no salmon season, Pacific halibut continues to be the focal point out of Eureka, Trinidad and Crescent City after another week of sizzling action. Eureka charter and sport boats fishing a few miles on each side of the entrance in 290 to 300 feet of water are reporting quick limits. The small Trinidad fleet has done equally as well straight out of the harbor. Crescent City has also gotten in on the action with a hot bite reported in 260 feet of water straight out of the harbor. And it’s looking like the only thing that will slow down the onslaught is if you can’t get to the fishing grounds. And that’s exactly what’s happening this week. But that could be a blessing in disguise. The 39,520-pound quota has the potential to get chewed up quickly with the fleet consistently putting halibut in the box. The best case scenario would be for the quota to last at least through the summer. The way our weather pattern is shaping up, the wind may just see to it.

Through May 29, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has projected 7,249 pounds have been caught. To track the quota, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions don’t look good through the work week, with the weekend not looking much better. Friday’s forecast calls for winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots and waves north 7 feet at seven seconds and northwest 3 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday is looking similar, with north winds 10 to 20 knots and waves north 6 feet at seven seconds. Sunday looks worse, with north winds 15 to 25 knots and northwest waves 12 feet at 10 seconds and west 3 feet at 15 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.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament this Saturday
Fortuna Fire Department CO-2’s will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 3. 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 $150 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 June 2 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4-5 a.m. For more information, visit ruthlakecsd.org/30th-annual-paul-jadro-memorial-bass-tournament/

Junior Angler Fishing Day coming June 17
On Saturday, June 17, kids and their families are invited to a fun filled day of surf perch fishing and activities at the Redwood Creek Day Use Area located off of Highway 101 just south of Orick. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All kids under 16 will not need a fishing license. A license is required for those 17 years old and above. Parents are advised to bring water, lunch/snacks, life vest, chairs and sunscreen. Fishing rods and tackle will be provided for participants if needed. The event is put on by the National Parks Service and the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

Fish Lake Kid’s fishing derby coming June 17
The 47th annual Kid’s Fish Lake Fishing Derby is taking place on Saturday, June 17 in Orleans. The derby starts promptly at 8 a.m. and runs until noon. It’s open to kids from Pre-K to the 8th grade. Poles and tackle will not be provided and an adult must accompany all children. Hot dogs and lemonade will be provided; adults are encouraged to bring a side dish or salad to share. Hosted by the Orleans Rod and Gun Club and Six Rivers National Forest with sponsors: Coast Central Credit Union, RMI Outdoors, Bassman Dan Custom Rods, California Deer Association, and our awesome river community. For additional information contact Eric Fieberg, Orleans Rod and Gun Club, at 707-951-4453 or LeRoy Cyr, District Fish Biologist, at 530-262-1790.

Fish for free this weekend in Oregon
Oregon will be having a Free Fishing Weekend June 3 and 4. 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 dfw.state.or.us/news/2023/05_May/052323.asp.

Notice of proposed emergency regulations – Chinook salmon sport fishing closures
A notice of proposal for emergency regulations regarding Chinook salmon sport fishing closures in the Klamath, Trinity, Eel, and Smith rivers has been posted to the Commission’s website. The notice and associated documents can be accessed at nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=213066&inline

California halibut bag limit reduction coming
As of June 1, the California halibut bag and possession limit is supposed to be reduced from three to two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. However, as of Thursday, the emergency regulation was still within the Office of Administrative Law. 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. For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/News/recreational-ocean-in-river-salmon-fisheries-in-california-to-close-for-remainder-of-2023#gsc.tab=0

The Oceans:
Eureka
The Pacific halibut bite continues to be good, with most boats able to score limits, reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Most of the boats are fishing between the 45 and 52-line in 290 to 300 feet of water. I haven’t been to the Cape in a few days, but the boats that have made their way down report a solid rockfish bite, catching a wide variety including blacks, browns, vermilions and canaries.”

Trinidad
“Pacific halibut are the main attraction right now with the majority of my guys coming into town for a shot at one of these fish that most people think they have to travel to Alaska to catch,” said Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “And the bite’s been really good this week, with limits every time we’ve tried. Some smaller 10 to 15-pound fish are definitely in the mix, but 30-pounders have been common and we’ve had a couple over 50 on Shellbacks deck already.  Early season fishing on the local Trinidad reef is typically a slam dunk for limits of jumbo black rockfish. This year is no exception with fish coming over the rail hot and heavy.
The remote waters lingcod/ rockfish runs kicked out ridiculous quality this week. A beautiful grade of lingcod running up to 30 pounds while old growth canaries up to 7 pounds stole the show on the rockfish front.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport fishing, rock fishing has been great out of Shelter Cove. “It’s only taking a few drifts to get limits most days,” said Mitchell. “The lingcod are a different story and we’re lucky to get one per rod. Most of the effort on rockfish has been outside the Old Man. A few boats fished Pacific halibut on Friday at Gorda, but it was fairly slow. We had three fish, another boat had four, and I believe only two more were caught between the fleet.”

Crescent City
According to Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, all the fisheries are starting to catch fire right now. “The Pacific halibut bite has been crazy good,” said Hooper. “Not a lot of big fish, but the catch rate is pretty high. Straight out in 250 to 260 feet of water has been good. The rockfish bite is excellent per usual at both of the reefs and the Sisters. The redtails are biting well too, with Kellogg beach being the top spot. We’re also seeing quite a few rockfish and lingcod coming off the jetty.”

Brookings
Lingcod and rockfish have been good out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “Windy weather has limited the opportunity to fish for halibut. Windy weather is expected all week. Ocean salmon opens June 17 out of Brookings for hatchery coho. A large ocean abundance of coho is forecasted this summer.”

Lower Rogue
Anglers on the Rogue River can begin keeping wild king salmon June 1 according to Martin. “Springers continue to move through, but action has slowed. Guides are still getting fish daily. Drift boat fishing in the upper river, meanwhile, near Shady Cove has busted open. Limits of salmon have been caught both on MagLip plugs and back-bouncing roe. June is peak season on the upper river. Don’t expect the bay to heat up until late June or July because of higher flows.”

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.

I know everyone is pissed about the upcoming salmon closures, but I wanted to provide some hope for a salmon rebound in the coming years. The last closure we had was in 2017, which included the ocean (CA and Oregon KMZ’s) and the Klamath and Trinity rivers. That year, the ocean abundance forecast was for only 54,200 Klamath fall kings. Only 18,400 adults were forecast to return to the Klamath basin, including 12,000 natural-area spawners.

But the fall kings had a little surprise for us. A very large return of jacks (2 year-old males) returned –21,82 to be exact. Add in another 31,682 adults, of which 18,310 were natural-area spawners. Counting a small harvest total of 1,951, the total run size turned out to be 31,683. Still very low, but better than predicted.

Due to the large jack return in 2017, the ocean abundance in 2018 ballooned to 359,200 for fall-run Klamath kings. Still not great, but the rebound was in progress. In 2018, 52,352 natural-area spawners returned to the Klamath basin. Another 18,567 hatchery spawners returned as well. Another 10,872 jacks returned, along with 91,060 adults, bringing the run total to over 101,000.

Hopefully we’ll see something similar in 2024…

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.

Relentless storms, one after the other, have steelhead anglers sitting idly by. And that’s about all there is to do at the moment, and in the near future. The only chance to throw a line into anything resembling green water has been on the Smith River. And even that has been hit and miss. Flows finally receded enough Tuesday and Wednesday, providing drift boats with one of the handful of days of prime conditions. Come Wednesday, the river will be back on the rise and likely too big to drift by Thursday. It will remain green, so it will likely be a plunking show through the weekend. As for the local rivers, all I can say is patience.

Weather outlook
According to Jonathan Garner of Eureka’s National Weather Service office, a series of storms systems are on tap for the next seven days. “We’ll see a break Tuesday night but another front is approaching Wednesday that is a little more uncertain,” said Garner. “In the Smith basin, between Tuesday and Sunday, 5 inches of rain are predicted. Here locally, we could see up to 5 inches around Humboldt Bay, with 6 to 8 inches likely in the higher elevations. In the Eel basin, we’re looking at another 5 to 7 inches through Sunday. The next seven days look to be wet, but the 10-day outlook is potentially showing a dryer pattern.”

CDFW lifts trap restrictions in the commercial and sport Dungeness crab fisheries
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will lift the Dungeness crab trap prohibition in Fishing Zones 3-6 (all areas south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line) for the recreational fishery on Jan. 14, 2023 at 8:01 a.m. CDFW will lift the 50 percent commercial fishery trap reduction in Fishing Zones 3-6 on Jan. 15, 2023 at 8:01 a.m. The current 50 percent trap reduction for the commercial fishery and trap prohibition in the recreational fishery will remain in place until lifted on the respective dates.

Based on available data and as indicated by historical migration patterns, humpback whale abundance is at or near a seasonal low within the Dungeness crab fishing grounds. As a result, CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham is lifting the trap restrictions in Fishing Zones 3-6 for both fisheries because of lowered entanglement risk. However, a Fleet Advisory will be issued for the recreational fishery and will be continued for the commercial fishery to remain vigilant and avoid setting gear in areas where whales are transiting or foraging. All anglers are also strongly encouraged to follow best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in mid-February 2023.

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures including the Mad, Smith, main stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Redwood Creek and Van Duzen were open to fishing. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened at any time. The low-flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. For more information, visit fishingthenorthcoast.com/2021/09/22/2021-2022-low-flow-information-for-north-coast-rivers/.

Mad
The Mad receded to 8,000 cubic feet per second Wednesday, but with additional rain this week, the drop will be short-lived. Flows are predicted to rise throughout the week and top out at just about a half a foot above monitor stage at 13,700 cfs (15.5 feet) Sunday morning. It will need a couple weeks of dry weather to be fishable, especially with Ruth Lake full and spilling.

Main stem Eel
The main Eel remains extremely high and muddy as flows were over 90,000 cfs as of Thursday. Additional rain in the coming days will push flows to nearly 124,000 cfs by early Sunday morning. Fernbridge is predicted to remain at or above monitor stage through the weekend.

South Fork Eel
The South Fork was flowing at 15,500 cfs as of Thursday, but flows will be headed back up and down over the next few days. Flows are predicted to peak at 33,000 cfs Saturday evening before receding into Sunday. If and when the rain subsides for a few days, the South Fork would be one of the first coastal rivers to come into play. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case anytime soon.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen was down to 7,000 cfs Thursday, but is forecast to be up and down the next few days before peaking at 12,500 cfs Saturday. Expected to drop through Sunday, but will remain high and off color.

Smith
Tuesday and Wednesday provided the best conditions to drift the Smith as flows dropped below 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge. These conditions will likely be short-lived as more rain during the week will keep flows above 13 feet beginning Thursday and through Monday. The river will likely continue to hold its green color and plunking will be the best option through the weekend. Steelhead fishing has yet to take off as just a handful of fish have been caught this past week.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Plunkers are catching a mix of hatchery and wild steelhead on the Chetco as flows drop, but drift boaters are waiting for the river to drop below 4,000 cfs,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “That won’t happen any time soon, as another storm is expected by the weekend. Driving to the Elk or Sixes also isn’t an option, as U.S. Highway 101 is closed because of a major slide between Gold Beach and Port Orford. Road officials have estimated one lane could be open by Friday.”

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

Fall regulations began Aug. 15 on the Klamath River, triggering the start of the fall salmon quota. The California Fish and Game Commission adopted bag and possession limits for the Klamath Basin based on a quota of 2,119 fall-run adult kings. On the Klamath, the fall season closes Dec. 31. The fall season on the Trinity begins Sept. 1 and closes Dec. 31.

On the Lower Klamath, from the State Route 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the mouth, 1,060 adults will be allowed for sport harvest. The section above the bridge at Weitchpec to 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam will get 360 adults.

The Spit Area (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth) will close when 15 percent of the total Klamath River Basin quota is taken downstream of the U.S. Highway 101 bridge. In 2022, 318 adults can be harvested below the U.S. Highway 101 bridge before the closure at the mouth is implemented. The rest of the area below U.S. Highway 101 (the estuary) will remain open to recreational fishing. Important reminder: All legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained while fishing the spit. Once the adult component of the total daily bag limit has been retained, anglers must cease fishing in the spit area.

On the Trinity side, the quota is set at 699 adults. The quota will be split almost evenly: 350 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the State Route 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat, and 349 adults for the main stem Trinity downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath.

The daily bag limit will be two Chinook salmon, no more than one of which may be greater than 23 inches, and a possession limit of six, of which only three may exceed 23 inches. Once these quotas have been met, no Chinook salmon greater than 23 inches in length may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon less than 23 inches in length).

Visit www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=202686&inline for a complete list of regulations. Anglers may monitor the quota status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling the Klamath information hotline at 800-564-6479. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have salmon harvest cards in their possession when fishing for salmon.

Weekend marine forecast
Steep, short-period seas are forecast to peak Wednesday and are expected to diminish during the latter portion of the week. Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and north waves 5 feet at six seconds. Saturday is calling for northwest winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the northwest 5 feet at six seconds. Sunday’s forecast is better, with winds out of the northwest up to 5 knots and west waves 3 feet at 10 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.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the tuna bite turned on pretty well last Friday off of Eureka. “Boats didn’t need to go much farther than 20 miles,” said Klassen. “The tuna were in that general area for a while but they were spread out. Friday, for whatever reason, they decided to come up and the boats did well. With all the warm water, the salmon fishing hasn’t been great. Top scores have been a couple per boat. The fish being caught are on the bottom. Hopefully the wind we’re seeing this week will cool the water.”

Trinidad
The rockfish bite out of Trinidad remains excellent according to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. He said, “They come a little slower when we have minus tides, but overall, the bite is still good. Some days we’re getting a nice variety and others, it’s nothing but black rockfish. The lingcod bite is still going strong too. Fish are being caught from Flat Iron all the way to Sue-Meg (formerly Patrick’s Point). There are some salmon being caught, mostly out in deeper water and the fish are right on the bottom.”

Shelter Cove
Another good week of rock fishing at the Cove reports Jake Mitchell, of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “The lingcod bite improved a little bit as well,” said Mitchell. “The salmon bite is still slow. We tried fishing real deep one day and were able to land a couple small kings but that’s been about it. The wind started blowing and things are starting to cool down so hopefully the salmon action will start to improve.”

Crescent City
“Tuna fishing last week was excellent,” said Kevin Hooper of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Boats had to travel nearly 50 miles offshore but it was worth it. The wind has picked up this week, but conditions could be right by the weekend. The rockfish bite continues, with easy limits being reported. Most of the boats are doing well at the two reefs as well as the Sisters. The salmon bite is still slow, but I’m not sure how many are putting in the effort. Last week’s minus tides produced some great razor clamming. The next round of good tides arrive next Thursday.”

Brookings
“Tuna fishing busted open out of Brookings last week as the albacore moved within 32 miles of the harbor, and calm weather allowed charters and private boaters to get in on the action,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Most boats returned with 20 to 45 tuna Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Windy weather returned over the weekend. Halibut fishing also was good last week, while salmon action has been slow. A few nice kings were caught Monday by the buoys.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The water color is finally starting to improve after last Monday’s blowout. It’s not quite green, but it’s improving slightly each day. There’s plenty of steelhead to be had from the Glen up and some fall kings are making their way into the lower river. Fishing should really improve over the next couple weeks. Fall regulations went into effect Monday, Aug. 15. The daily bag limit will be two Chinook, no more than one adult (longer than 23 inches) and the possession limit is six, no more than three adults.

Lower Rogue
Salmon action is fair on the Rogue according to Martin. “Most guides have switched to Pro Troll flashers, short leaders and 3.5 spinner blades. The technique is tricking two to three kings per boat. Warm water has slowed the anchovy bite, with fewer salmon being caught on bait. Crowded conditions also have reduced catch rates. Upwards of 100 boats a day are trolling the bay.”

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 www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

So much for the kings being right where we left them after last week’s wind-a-thon. After working over some big schools of kings from Eureka to north of Trinidad the previous week, it looks like they may have moved on to greener pastures. The Eureka boats were back on the water in force on Sunday with high hopes. A few were caught, but scores fell well short of where they were prior to the wind. By Monday, it was pretty much belly up. While the salmon bite slowed from Shelter Cove to Trinidad, the kings have finally made their way to Fort Bragg. And they just recently made a return appearance in Brookings. It appears to be a game of hide-n-seek, with no one knowing which port they’ll pop up in next. Luckily for us, we’re in the midst of one of the best Pacific halibut seasons on record. So, when the salmon bite turned off, boats headed west and continued the onslaught. The ocean was also calm enough to allow boats to make the long run south to the Cape, where the rockfish and lingcod have been patiently awaiting some company. Always good to have options…

Weekend Marine Forecast
The weekend forecast looks plenty fishable, and lighter winds and lower seas are expected late in the weekend and early next week. Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 15 knot winds out of the N and NW waves 6 feet at 7 seconds and W 2 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 6 feet at 8 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is a little better, with winds out of the NW up to 5 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 8 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or https://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 (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Sport Crab season coming to a close
The 2020 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will close on Thursday July 30. The season is expected to re-open on Nov. 7.

Ocean salmon closures
Klamath
The Klamath Control Zone will be closed the month of August for ocean sport salmon fishing. The closed zone around the Klamath River mouth is bounded on the north by 41°38’48” N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles north of the Klamath River mouth); on the west, by 124°23’00” W. long. (approximately 12 nautical miles off shore); and on the south, by 41°26’48” N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Klamath River mouth).

Eel
No salmon may be taken during the months of August and September in ocean waters at the Eel River mouth bounded on the north by 40°40’24” N. lat. (approximately 2 nautical miles north of the Eel River mouth), on the west by 124°21’24” W. long. (approximately 2 nautical miles offshore), and on the south by 40°36’24” N. lat. (approximately 2 nautical miles south of the Eel River mouth).

The Oceans:
Eureka
“The salmon bite has been slow since the weekend when most boats got back on the water,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Boats averaged less than a fish per rod on Sunday, and Monday was tougher. There’s some really good signs around, so hopefully they’re still here,” added Klassen. With salmon on the slow side and favorable ocean conditions, boats opted for the Cape or back out to the Pacific halibut grounds. Neither fishery disappointed. Quick limits were the norm on Tuesday for halibut anglers, with some coming as fast as 45 minutes. The rockfish action was good at the Cape, but not wide-open like the halibut. “The fishing was very good, but not red hot like we’ve seen,” said Klassen. “There’s some super clear water down there, along with some really brown water. The lings bit really well on Tuesday, with limits up to 28-pounds.”

Trinidad
Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters and Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing both fished through some tough weather prior to Sunday. “We were mostly running half-day trips prior to the weekend and getting quick limits of black rockfish and a few salmon right in front of the Trinidad Head,” said Sepulveda. “Nothing is wide open, but rockfish, lingcod, salmon and pacific halibut are all hitting the deck.”. Conditions finally took a turn for the better on Sunday, and according to Wilson, the halibut bit pretty well. “It was real good fishing, not wide-open but almost everyone was catching,” said Wilson. “This week we’ve been targeting rockfish to the north, where the lingcod bite has been good along with a wide variety of rockfish. The salmon bite has slowed down, but you can still go out and get a few opportunities each day.”

Shelter Cove
The salmon bite was pretty darn slow this week according to Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We had some pretty decent weather and people were able to look far and wide, but nothing really produced. There’s been quite a bit of bait hanging in some areas, so I’m hopeful that they’ll find it soon. I made the run up to Rodgers a few times this week for rockfish and it was pretty good. We even caught a few halibut up to 77-pounds while rock fishing. Lingcod was a bit slow, but the ones we did get were a very good grade. A couple boats ran 45 miles for tuna on Monday and found a few fish. When we get another weather window, we’ll have another option.”

Crescent City
There’s been a few salmon caught this week reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “There’s tons of anchovies around, and they’re really spread out. And the salmon are as well. I heard of salmon being caught right on the beach, and also out in 300 feet of water. There’s been quite a bit of effort this week on the CA halibut, but without much success. A few were caught off the B Street Pier last Friday. That area was loaded with anchovies too. The rockfish bite continues to be good when the boats can get out. The lingcod bite has been excellent as well. Boats are fishing both reefs, the Sisters, and around the lighthouse.”

Brookings
The salmon bite is back on out of Brookings, with a few fish right outside the mouth of the Chetco and bigger schools a couple miles offshore according to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The bite kicked into gear early this week, with anchovies trolled just below the surface working best,” said Martin. “Lingcod and rockfish action have been fair with the big tides. A few California halibut also are being caught. The rough seas that kept boats at the dock last week have subsided this week, but it is still fairly rough.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Salmon fishing in the estuary continues to be up and down. Some fish came in last Sunday with the high tide, and quite a few were caught. Monday sounded like the fishing was good, but it was very slow again on Tuesday. Like any tidal fishery, the bite can be fickle. You need to be there when the fish are in and want to bite. Trolling anchovies behind a Rogue River spinner bait is still catching the majority of the fish. Spring-run regulations are in effect through August 14, with a daily bag and possession limit of one king salmon of any size.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, the Rogue Bay had its best two days of the season Sunday and Monday before the action slowed on Tuesday. “There are schools of salmon now milling around in the bay. Guides had a fish a rod early in the week before the bite stalled on Tuesday. Still no steelhead upriver near Agness as of yet,” added Martin.

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

While most guides and sport anglers are taking a well-deserved break before the winter steelhead season kicks into high gear, several storms are once again bearing down on the North Coast. Rain is in the forecast for at least the next seven days, which just might keep the rivers at unfishable levels well into next week. The Smith and Chetco will be the first to drop and clear, and the plunkers should arrive in force. The Humboldt rivers, including the Mad, Eel, and Van Duzen will need a little more time in between storms before they’re fishable. While very few winter steelhead have made their way into the rivers as of yet, you can almost bet we’ll see the first wave arrive when the rivers finally recede.

Weekend weather/marine forecast
The forecast for the next seven days is looking very wet according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The rain will begin to fall Wednesday evening and will likely be with us through Friday. Rainfall totals for Thursday and Friday in the Smith basin could be up to three inches, with up to two inches falling in the Eel and Mad basins. Showers will taper off on Friday evening and Saturday is looking somewhat dry. The rain will return on Sunday, with another half to one inch predicted for the Smith and up to one and a half inches in Humboldt. More rain is forecasted for Monday, and showers are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. It’s a little far out there, but the models are showing a pretty wet system moving in next Thursday,” Kennedy added.

The weekend forecast for offshore crabbing doesn’t look great. Friday’s forecast is calling for W winds 5 to15 knots, with waves W 12 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday is looking slightly better, with winds out of the E 5 to 10 knots with NW waves 10 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday is looking better, with SE winds 5 to 10 knots and NW waves 8 feet at 11 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Cash not an option for fishing license purchase
Beginning January 1, 2017 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will no longer accept cash at CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch and regional license counters. Individuals who want to make payments at CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch or a regional license counter can use checks, money orders, or any debit/credit card with the Visa or Mastercard logo.
The “no-cash policy” will hopefully improve customer and employee safety, department efficiency, customer service and provide cost savings.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing reports the Chetco is full of half-pounders at the moment. He said, “Last Thursday we landed a half a dozen while side-drifting. The salmon fishing was surprisingly good on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a fish per rod reported. There were some nice bright kings on the lower end, near the North Fork, as well as near Ice Box. Fishing slowed on Sunday. We caught a few salmon last week on the steelhead gear while side-drifting, and others running plugs in the typical salmon spots. The river is expected to blow out from Friday through the weekend.”

Smith River
Not many signs of steelhead this past week on the Smith reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “I was on the water last weekend and the only thing we really saw was half-pounders. We’re definitely in a transition phase, which is fairly typical this time of year. We don’t normally see the first real big push of steelhead arrive until right around Christmas time. We’ve got a few pretty decent storms coming in the next few days and it looks like Sunday might be the only day where side-drifting will be possible,” Coopman added.

Main Stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Mad
All were fishable as of Wednesday, but that will likely change with the rain coming on Thursday. All are forecasted to see fairly large flow increases starting Thursday morning. With rain in the forecast for at least the next seven days, it could be a while before these rivers drop back down to fishable levels. Very few winter steelhead were caught on any of the rivers, but that should change when they drop back down and turn green. For river level predictions, visit http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov

Upper Trinity
The weather has really turned cold this week reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “A few mornings were in the upper 20s. The fishing remains about the same, we’re seeing one to three adults a day with a few half pounders mixed in working from Lewiston down to Cedar Flat. The majority of the boats are working the Junction City area where the pressure has been pretty heavy with the clear conditions. We could really use a good amount of rain to mix things up. Fishing was better on the plugs this week with the colder water and clear 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

North Coast rivers are likely seeing the last of the late fall-run salmon push in this week as all of the rivers are back on the drop following last weekend’s storms. The majority of these late-season kings have already made their way up rivers like the Chetco, Smith, Mad, Van Duzen and Eel, but you can bet a few more spurts of fresh fish will push in between now and the new year. The season was a good one, especially on the quick-clearing Smith, which had more fishable days than all of the other rivers combined. A lot of the success can be attributed to the well above normal rainfall that’s fallen since October.

One of the best parts of living on the North Coast and being surrounded by coastal rivers — no sooner does one season come to a close, another one’s right behind it. So it’s out with the kings and in with the widely-popular winter steelhead. With the rivers dropping and turning green, the first wave of steelhead should begin to make an appearance. Most of the rivers have already seen a few, but I expect they’ll start to show up in bigger numbers in the coming days.

Weekend forecast
The dry weather will stick around through Saturday, with the next system arriving on Sunday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We can expect periods of light rain on Sunday turning into widespread showers in the evening. These will linger into Monday. This will be a colder system, with snow levels dropping to 2,500 to 3,000 feet. Del Norte could see up to two inches of rain with this system and Humboldt could see a half to one and a half inches. Tuesday will be a transition day with scattered showers not amounting to much. Tuesday night and into the day Wednesday will be dry, with rain returning on Wednesday evening. There’s a really good chance we’ll see heavier rain on Thursday with higher rainfall totals possible,” Kennedy added.

Eel River salmon returns
As of Nov. 28, a total of 390 Chinook salmon have entered the Van Arsdale fish count station according to Scott L Harris, an associate Biologist with the Northern Region. Making up that total is 167 males, 171 Females, and 52 jacks. A total of 138 were counted this past week. For more information, visit http://eelriver.org/interactiveresources/fish-count/

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco was down to 4,610 cfs on Tuesday night after cresting at 16,000 cfs on Friday reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “It should start fishing on Wednesday, with prime conditions Friday and Saturday. There may be a few salmon still around, but fishing will probably be slow until the middle part of December. I will be side-drifting, looking for early steelhead, along with running salmon plugs in some of the more likely salmon holes. Salmon fishing was slow before the big rains last week.”

Smith River
It’s transition time on the Smith, with the majority of the salmon having made their way to the spawning grounds. A few were caught this week, but overall, it was pretty slow. There are a few half-pounders around, which is typical for this time of the year. A few winter steelhead are starting to show, so it’s probably time to get out the side-drifting gear.

Mad
The Mad is still big and brown and probably won’t fish until sometime next week reports Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors. “With Ruth Lake full, it won’t drop as quickly. Looking at the predictions, it probably won’t turn green until late next week at the earliest. And that’s if we don’t see any more rain. It’s currently at running at just under 9.5 feet, ideal conditions are right around 7.5 feet,” Kelly added.

Eel
Main
The main stem is still big and dirty, but dropping quickly according to Paul Grundman of Grundmans Sporting Goods in Rio Dell. He said, “It should drop back into fishable shape in a week or so if we have some dry weather. There’s been some steelhead caught already, and we typically see them start to show up in bigger numbers by mid-December. Once the river turns green, we should see some really good fishing for both late kings and steelhead.”

South Fork
The Leggett area should be fishable late this week, and the Miranda area should drop back in by the weekend. There should be a few kings around and some early steelhead in the mix as well.

Van Duzen
Still running at nearly 1,800 cfs, the Van Duzen still has a way to go before it comes back into shape. According to Grundman, it could fish by Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Upper Trinity
It must be steelhead season as cold weather and rain have hit the Trinity reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “This past week, we were getting one to four fish per trip. Most of our action is coming on plugs, with the Maglip 3.0’s really working well. We are starting to see the beginning of the winter run, but there aren’t a lot of fish in the system right now. The fish we are catching are a nice size for the Trinity. Snow on the Alps and more rain will only help,” 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

All of the North Coast rivers, other than the Smith, were running high and dirty as of Wednesday. And the Smith will soon follow suit. The approaching storms, which should hit around dinner time on Thursday, could potentially bring another four to eight inches of rain to the area. If the storms come to fruition, it will be a nice little break at the perfect time.

When (and if) the rivers do drop back into fishable shape, my guess is we’ll see the first signs of the impending winter steelhead run. There’s already been a few caught on all the rivers, but with more high water coming, expect the steelies to start showing in numbers. But don’t give up entirely on salmon just yet. The Smith is still seeing fresh fish coming in daily and there should be some smaller spurts of fish coming into the Chetco, Eel and Mad.

Weekend weather and forecast
After a brief break, the next round of storms are forecasted to roll through starting Thursday afternoon according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Thursday’s system could drop up to a couple inches in the Smith basin and roughly an inch in Humboldt. Friday is going to be the wettest day of the holiday weekend, with up to four inches falling to the north and three and a half inches falling in the Mad/Eel basin. Off and on showers will continue on Saturday, with another 2 inches potentially hitting the ground. We’ll see wide-spread showers on Sunday lasting through Tuesday, with most of the precipitation falling in the mountains. The rain will return on Wednesday and Thursday of next week,” Kennedy added.

The holiday weekend is not looking good for offshore crabbing adventures. Friday’s forecast is calling for SW winds 15 to 25 knots, with waves SW 8 feet at 8 seconds and W 15 feet at 15 seconds. Saturday is looking just as bad, with winds out of the NW to 15 to 25 knots with W waves 7 feet at 8 seconds and NW 12 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday is looking slightly improved, with N winds 10 to 20 knots and NW waves 6 feet at 5 seconds and NW 10 feet at 12 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Commercial Dungeness crab season opens Dec. 1 in Northern California
The northern California commercial Dungeness crab season is slated to open at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, north of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line.

Prior to the season opening, commercial fishermen are allowed a 64-hour gear setting period. Crab trap gear can be set no earlier than 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28. Quality tests conducted in northern California in November indicated the crabs are ready for harvest. For more information on Dungeness crab, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Crabs

Oregon commercial crab season delayed
Northern California commercial crabbers could soon have some company. In a press release issued earlier this week, the state agriculture officials in Oregon announced a delay to the start of the commercial Dungeness crabbing season statewide due to high levels of domoic acid found in some crabs’ flesh. Recreational crabbing in coastal waters from Tillamook Head along the northern coast to the California border was also temporarily shut down. For more info, visit https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx

Crabs plentiful for offshore anglers
Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing reported some excellent crab scores earlier this week out of Eureka. On an overnight soak, he was getting up to 20 keepers per pot. “We started to see a few more jumbos this week along with plenty of legal sport size crabs. All the crabs are really full of meat,” Klassen added. With extremely rough seas forecasted for the next few days, Klassen pulled most of his gear and is likely done running trips. “The commercial guys could set gear as early as Monday, so we’ll want to give them plenty of room.”

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Smith, Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are currently open to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Chetco River
The Chetco blew out on Sunday and will probably be too high to fish until the middle or even end of next week reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “Before it blew out, salmon fishing had slowed. There were a few bright fish between the North Fork and Social Security, and some fish between Loeb and Ice Box. Above Ice Box, a lot of salmon have already spawned. There should be enough steelhead to make targeting them worthwhile when the river comes back into shape.”

Sixes/Elk
The Sixes has been fishing well when conditions have been good according to Marin. “It has been too high for over a week. The Elk dropped below 5 feet on Tuesday, and a few salmon where caught near the hatchery, and between Iron Head and the RV park. There should still be some bright kings around next week when the Elk drops back into shape.”

Smith River
Salmon fishing on the Smith has been quite a bit tougher since it dropped back into shape on Monday. Scores ranged from zero to two per boat, with lots more zero’s than two’s. We’re likely getting close to the end of the run, but we should know pretty quickly once the river drops back into shape late this weekend. According to the river level predictions, it will be on the high side Monday, but should be driftable. I’d expect a few winter steelhead to be in the mix.

Upper Trinity
According to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service, fishing the past week on the upper Trinity has been a little tougher. “We’re in a transition stage where the older steelhead have started to move down to make room for the fresh ones coming up. We are seeing two to four fish per trip with flies, plugs, and side-drifting all working about the same. With quite a bit of rain in the forecast, we should start seeing more fish move into the system,” 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

A series of rain storms moved across the North Coast earlier this week bringing sizable rises to the Chetco and Smith rivers on Tuesday. With off and on rain in the forecast, both rivers should fish well for the next few days. Prior to the rain, fishing was tough for the masses, but the guys who are out there every day were catching their share. With the increase in flows, the rivers should see a pretty good influx of new kings, and should push the older fish into their spawning grounds. We’ll likely see a few early steelhead begin to show as well. For the Humboldt rivers, including the Mad, Eel, and Van Duzen, the rain coming this weekend will put them out of commission for a while. All three are forecasted for dramatic rises beginning on Saturday.

Weekend weather and forecast
After a break on Thursday, rain will be back in the forecast beginning late afternoon on Friday and will stick around through Monday morning according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Rainfall totals for the four days will be decent, with two to four inches falling in Del Norte and one and a half to three falling in Humboldt. The next system will roll in on Tuesday afternoon and will last through Thanksgiving Day. Del Norte and Humboldt counties can be expecting two to three inches. We’ll see another break on Friday morning, but more rain is predicted by Friday afternoon,” Kennedy added.

The weekend marine forecast is calling for winds 10 to 2 knots out of the SE on Saturday, with waves S 6 feet at 9 seconds and W 16 feet at 15 seconds. Sunday looks slightly better offshore, with winds out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and W waves 13 feet at 13 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Crabs plentiful for offshore anglers
Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing is reporting excellent crabbing out of Eureka. On an overnight soak, he’s getting between 10 to 15 keepers per pot. According to Klassen, the north side of the entrance sounds like it’s fishing a little better, but the south side is still really good with limits coming easily. “We’re not seeing the jumbos yet, but the crabs are in great shape and really full. The forecast doesn’t look good for the weekend, but we’re hoping to get out Thursday and Friday,” Klassen added.

Smith River – Rowdy Creek Hatchery update
As of Wednesday, 55 Chinook salmon have been trapped according to hatchery manager Andrew Van Scoyk. “It feels like a normal year so far. We’re not getting a ton of fish back, but we are catching regularly. The early rains brought us quite a few fish, but they were too fresh,” Van Scoyk added. According to Van Scovk, 25 wild pairs are needed to meet their spawning needs.

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Smith, Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are currently open to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Chetco River
Before the Chetco blew out on Tuesday, salmon fishing had slowed reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Most guides were only getting a fish per boat, with a few guides getting a couple. There are still some bright fish on the lower end, but above Ice Box there are salmon spawning in most of the tail outs. A few steelhead have already been reported. This latest rain should bring in a few more and by December we may have decent numbers of steelhead,” Martin added.

Smith River
The Smith came up pretty good on Tuesday, making for a decent bite on Wednesday reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “There were some nice fish caught on Wednesday, and I’d say the average was about one per boat. The river should be on the drop the next two days, so I’d expect the fishing to be really good. With more rain coming late Friday, conditions for the weekend are looking marginal,” Coopman added.

Upper Trinity
The upper Trinity River has returned to being clear and low according to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service He said, “We’re seeing some steelhead move around the system, with boats averaging one to two fish per angler. Fly fishing, back trolling plugs, side-drifting roe have all been effective methods. There are a few new salmon in the system and we’re starting to see a few Coho in some of the holes. Be prepared to work and spend some time on the river,” said Huber

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

Rough seas last weekend spoiled what would have likely been a very successful sport crab opener. On Monday, the swells relented just enough for Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sportfishing to quickly dump a half-dozen test pots offshore. After a mere two-hour soak, the pots were pulled with roughly 15 keepers in each. “The crabs weren’t jumbo’s, but the meat content was great,’ said Klassen. Thursday looks to be the next best opportunity to get offshore as the swells are looking a little dicey this weekend. With the ocean not being an option, quite a few pots were dropped in Humboldt Bay over the weekend. From what I heard, the catching was very slow. A few guys did well, but ones and twos per trip was the norm. The combination of large swells and plenty of freshwater from the rains likely kept the crab sitting offshore. Hopefully the weather will calm down and the sport guys can tug on some full pots prior to the start of the commercial season.

Commercial crab season to set to open Nov. 15 down south
The commercial crab will open from Point Reyes south on Nov. 15, but 60 miles of coastline will remain closed due to elevated levels of domoic acid. At the recommendation of state health agencies, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery will remain closed between Point Reyes and the Sonoma/Mendocino county line. This closure will remain in effect until the Director of OEHHA, in consultation with the Director of CDPH, determines that domoic acid levels no longer pose a significant risk to public health and recommends the fisheries be open. Recreational season will remain open under a warning to anglers not to eat the viscera of crab caught in the affected areas.

The fishery north of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line is not scheduled to open until Dec. 1. For more information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/commercial-dungeness-crab-season-to-open-throughout-most-of-the-southern-fishery-one-area-will-remain-closed

Pre-season crab quality test results
According to CDFW Senior Marine Biologist Pete Kalvass, who oversees the Invertebrate Management Project, the recently completed meat yield tests came in above the 25 percent needed, so no further testing is required this season. Here are the results: Crescent City 29%; Trinidad 26.3%; Eureka 25.4%, and Bodega (Point Reyes Area) 25.6%.

Weekend weather and forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the next chance of rain will be Friday evening, with showers lingering into Saturday morning. The Smith basin could see up to three-quarters of an inch and Humboldt could see a half. Saturday afternoon and Sunday will be dry, with an unsettled pattern returning on Monday and sticking around through Wednesday. Rainfall totals for the 3 days will be in the neighborhood of three and a half inches in the Smith basin and possibly two and a half inches in the Eel/Mad basins,” Kennedy added.

The weekend marine forecast is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots out of the N on Saturday, with waves W 12 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday looks much better offshore, with winds out of the E up to 5 knots and S waves 2 feet at 5 seconds and W 8 feet at 13 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Industry Notes
Proposed Sacramento River closure
The CDFW is holding a public meeting on Monday, Nov. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. to solicit public comments on the proposed fishing closure alternatives for the 5.5-mile stretch above the Highway 44 Bridge to the Keswick Dam. The meeting will be held at the Redding Public Library, 1100 Parkview Ave. CDFW is proposing multiple closure options to protect endangered winter-run Chinook, including a motor ban and a fly fishing-only regulation. For more information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/public-meeting-to-be-held-on-proposed-sacramento-river-fishing-closure-alternatives

Proposed regulation changes on the Smith River
Friends of Del Norte County, led by Ted Souza, are proposing two regulation changes that could heavily impact Smith River salmon and steelhead anglers. The first proposed change is to ban the use of roe for fishing salmon and steelhead. The rationale behind this according to the group is female salmon are being killed solely for their eggs since roe is the bait of choice for salmon fishermen. Also, using roe results in more deeply hooked fish and doubles the chance of fatally harming the fish than if caught using artificial lures. The second proposed change would be to close the Smith to all fishing above the Middle and South Forks during November and December to protect spawning salmon. According to the group, the financial impact to the fishing guides would be negligible since they rarely fish above the forks. After December when the majority of the salmon have spawned, the river could be opened back up for steelhead fishing. These regulation change requests will be heard by the CA Fish and Game Commission on Dec. 7th and 8th in San Diego. To read the entire petition, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2016/Oct/exhibits/SS_1019_Item_2_PublicForum.pdf#page3

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Smith, Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are currently open to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Smith River
The salmon fishing has slowed considerably the past few days as the river has dropped and cleared. As of Wednesday, flows were just above 8 feet on the Jed Smith gauge and are predicted to drop through the weekend. It will need another good shot of rain and a pretty good rise to bring in the next wave of kings.

Chetco
There are good numbers of salmon in the lower Chetco, from Loeb to Social Security Bar reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Fishing was good on Thursday through Saturday and again Monday, but slower for many of the boats on Tuesday. That may help ease the pressure as the week goes on. The river is dropping fast, but there were signs of quite a few new fish below the North Fork Tuesday afternoon. The far lower end still has plenty of color for plugs. Back-bouncing roe is best from Moffit Rock upstream,” Martin added.

Elk/Sixes
The Elk is low and clear according to Martin. He said, “A few fish are being caught close to the hatchery. With the Elk low, all the pressure has shifted to the Sixes, where salmon are being caught from Edson Creek to the Grange. Fishing has been pretty good on the Sixes.”

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