Current Fishing Reports

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

Public meeting on Klamath fishery coming next week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#fishingthenorthcoast #wintersteelhead #smithriver #eelriver #chetcoriver

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

Alan Glowacki of Rocklin is a happy man after landing this chrome-bright Smith River steelhead on Monday. All of the North Coast rivers should be in great shape this weekend for anglers looking to get in on the steelhead action.Photo courtesy of Curt Wilson Guide Service

Steelhead report cards due

 If you’re an avid winter steelhead fishermen, this is your weekend. Just about every coastal river on the North Coast will be some shade of green — and likely fishable — come Saturday morning. This phenomenon doesn’t happen often, and I’m having a hard time thinking of any excuse not to be on the water. Every creek and river from the Chetco down to the South Fork of the Eel should be fishable — and likely full of steelhead as well. The Smith is starting to clear a bit and the main stem Eel and Van Duzen are just starting to turn, but every river in between is in prime shape for some great winter steelhead action.

Weekend Forecast
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, the North Coast will remain dry through Sunday, with the next chance of rain coming late Sunday night or Monday morning. Showers will likely linger into Wednesday, but precipitation levels aren’t forecasted to be much. Both Humboldt and Del Norte could see anywhere from a half to an inch of rain.

Razor Clam beach openers/closures
A reminder for the clam diggers: In 2016, Little River Beach between Mad River and Strawberry Creek will be open to the take of Razor Clams. The beach between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach will re-open in 2017. In Del Norte County, the beach south of Battery Point is open to clamming in 2016. A health advisory is still in place for both Humboldt and Del Norte counties and consumers are advised against eating razor clams due to dangerous levels of domoic acid.

Steelhead report cards due
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds anglers that they are required to return their 2015 Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Cards between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2016. Anglers are requested to review their cards carefully and complete the information as accurately as possible. Information collected from report cards provides CDFW with data necessary to monitor and manage California’s steelhead fisheries.

The Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card are a fishing report as well as a catch report. Steelhead anglers record where and when they fished, even if no fish were caught on a given trip. Anglers are encouraged to submit steelhead report card data online, but report cards can still be submitted by mail. Information must be submitted regardless of whether or not the angler fished for steelhead. Additional information can be found on CDFW’s Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card Program webpage, www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Fishing/Monitoring/SHRC/

Anglers who were issued report cards for Abalone, Sturgeon and North Coast Salmon must report their harvest or effort by Jan. 31, 2016 as well. Anglers and divers may report online or mail their report cards to the address printed on the report card. To report online, please visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/customersearch/begin

Mattole River opens to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River will open to fishing on Friday, January 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station. As of Wednesday, it’s flowing at just under 1,000 cfs.

 The Rivers:
Chetco River
Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service reports the Chetco is in great shape, with about three and a half feet of visibility. He said, “The water is perfect, a real nice shade of green and clearing very slowly due to the snow melt. It bumped up a little overnight on Wednesday, but it didn’t affect the flows much. There’s fish from the top to the bottom, with quite a few hatchery in the system now.”

Smith River
Steelhead fishing is in full swing on the Smith and there’s fish throughout the system reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “We had a really good day on Wednesday, and I saw most of the other boats catching fish as well. The river is in great shape now, but it’s dropping quickly and starting to clear. The boat pressure has been heavy this week, along with lots of guys plunking.”

Eel River
Main Stem
The water color on the main stem is starting to turn green, but the it’s still pretty pushy reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. He said, “It’s getting more fishable each day, and it should fish at the top of main by the weekend.”

South Fork
Running at 2,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge on Wednesday and should be fishable from the top all the way to the forks.

Van Duzen
Flowing at 1,450 cfs on Wednesday, the Van Duzen is still off-color according to Grundman. “The level is perfect, but it’s still pretty dirty. Yager Creek may be muddy, and it’s possible there are slides upriver. It looks like it will be a few days before it starts to turn green.”

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, there’s quite a few steelhead in the Mad right now. He said, “The river cleared a little quicker than we thought, there’s about a foot of visibility above the pump station as of today and its olive green. I heard some boats were getting them pretty good on plugs Wednesday. The flows are still dropping and conditions for the weekend should be about perfect.”

Trinity
The Trinity is in great shape and should be fishable from the top to the bottom reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “It’s been extremely cold in the mornings and we’ve got quite a bit of snow. Most anglers are starting later in the morning due to icy road conditions, so your time on the water is limited. Right now there’s a gap in the fish – most of the fall fish are in the hatchery or tributaries and there aren’t big numbers of winter fish moving in yet. We’re catching one here and one there, but no big groups of fish in the upper river as of yet,” Huber said.

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

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

CDFW Dcrab Fair Start FAQ

Blocksburg resident Mary Bigger landed her first-ever steelhead while drifting the Smith River last Wednesday. With dry weather forecasted for next week, coastal rivers should drop back into fishable shape. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

Humboldt Steelhead Days coming in Jan

There is light at the end of the rainy tunnel! The large storms that have pounded the North Coast for the past week are finally starting to taper off. Rain is in the forecast up until Monday, but it doesn’t look like enough moisture will fall to put the rivers back on the rise. Come Tuesday, we should enter into a dry pattern that should last until next weekend. With the rivers on the drop now, and another five days of dry weather, we’re looking at quite a few rivers rounding into prime shape by late next week. Other than the Smith, most of the other coastal rivers have been largely untouched. That will change soon, and I for one am looking forward to it.

Weather Outlook
It appears we’re done with the mega-storms, at least for awhile. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, a cold system will move into the area beginning Wednesday night and will linger through Friday morning. “Snow levels will be low, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet. We could see from a half to three-quarter inches of rain through Friday. Friday night through Saturday are looking dry, with the next system arriving Sunday. Sunday’s system should bring another half to three-quarter inches and will stick around until Monday morning. Snow is predicted above 3,000 feet. High pressure will build after Monday, pushing storms to our North. Right now we’re looking at dry weather Tuesday through Saturday before the next system arrives Sunday,” Kennedy added.

Third Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days – Jan. 22 to Feb. 6
The 3rd Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days fishing contest — as well as a multitude of angling related events — will span two weeks with three weekends for a total of sixteen days of steelhead angling on three North Coast rivers: Trinity, Mad and Eel.

HSD starts on Jan. 22 with kick off parties on all three rivers and ends on Feb. 6 with an awards dinner and steelhead presentations at the new Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka. Visit the HSD webpage to see a list of all the other events going on: humboldtsteelheaddays.com/daily-events-schedule/

HSD encourages anglers of all types to explore these three watersheds and to fish for a steelhead during the peak of the winter run. If you’re lucky enough to land a steelhead, take a photo and then post it to the HSD Facebook page and hashtag them with #humboldtsteelheaddays.

All anglers are encouraged to donate a $35 contest registration fee via the HSD website. Your donation will register you into the fishing contest, plus you’ll get a FREE Tri-Tip dinner ticket for the awards ceremony on Feb. 6. Your $35 donation to the event will go toward future river restoration projects.

All the anglers who registered and submitted a photo of their steelhead during the contest dates will be eligible to win prizes. More than $3,500 worth of fishing and outdoor gear donated by the HSD sponsors is up for grabs. River and ocean guided trips are some of the big prizes.

Among the unique angling opportunities will be drift boat access to the middle Mad River “Steelhead Alley,” courtesy of Green Diamond Resource Company. 4-wheel drive is required. Your donation of $100 per boat will go toward local conservation, education, and restoration relating to steelhead and the health of the Mad River.

All the proceeds from Humboldt Steelhead Days will support river restoration, water education, and enhancement programs done by Mad River Alliance, California Trout’s Eel River Forum and projects of Mountain Community and Culture group in Willow Creek. Special hotel room rates have been arranged for out-of-the-area anglers by the Humboldt Lodging Alliance. To receive special rates, please ask for the Humboldt Steelhead Days rates over the phone when booking. Visit HSD Lodging page on the website for more info: humboldtsteelheaddays.com/lodging-information/

For sponsorship information, contact Dave Feral at madriveralliance@suddenlink.net or 707-382-6162 or Mary Burke, mburke@caltrout.org or (707) 825-0420. Sponsorship information is also available online at humboldtsteelheaddays.com/corporate-sponsorships

 Mattole River set to open Jan 1
The Mattole River is scheduled to open to fishing on January 1, 2016 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flows were back down below 10,000 cfs on Wednesday morning and the forecast is for the river to continue its downward trend. “It looks like it will fish towards the weekend, and the first of next week we’ll have some really good conditions,” said Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “We’re still getting some rain up here, with some really good downpours. Plunkers are hitting the banks already but I haven’t heard a great report as the river is still a bit high,” Early added.

Smith River
Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service reports the Smith should be high but fishable by Friday, with conditions looking good for the weekend. “It will be high on Friday, roughly 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge, but it should be plenty fishable. The weekend is shaping up nicely and the first of next week looks about perfect if we don’t get any more big rains. I’m sure a good shot of fish went through on the high water, but we’re just at the front edge of the season. I’m expecting to see plenty of fish around when we get back out there,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
According to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods, the main stem Eel is likely done until after the first of the year. As of Wednesday, it was flowing at 60,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge, but dropping. The south fork is also dropping, and according to Grundman, will be iffy at best to fish before the first of the year. The Van Duzen may fish sometime late next week, depending on how much rain falls in the next few days and what shape Yager Creek is in. “The Mattole, which opens to fishing on January 1, may be a good option,” Grundman added.

Mad River
The Mad dipped below monitor stage on Tuesday and is dropping slowly. With Ruth Lake running over the spillway, the Mad may be the last of the coastal rivers to turn green. “It may take two weeks of no rain before its green enough to fish bait,” said Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. “With all the rain and snow, and now the extra water coming down, it will be slow to clear. I’m sure there’s fish around, and I’d expect we’ll see plenty of angling effort as the water recedes,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity
With over 700 steelhead making their way back to the hatchery last week alone, that’s probably the end of the fall steelhead run on the Trinity reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “Prior to the river blowing out on Sunday, fishing was good in the Junction City area. We landed quite a few on Thursday, with most in the four to seven pound range. The fish were real clean and I believe they were the first of the winter fish. Earlier in the week conditions weren’t ideal. The creeks were dirty, leaving the top end from Lewiston to Rush Creek as your best bet. Currently, the snow is melting pretty quick, which will keep the flows up.”

#NorthCoastFishing, #FishingTheNorthCoast, #ChetcoRiver, #SmithRiver,#VanDuzen, #MattoleRiver, #EelRiver, #TrinityRiver, #MadRiver, #wintersteelhead, #humboldtsteelheaddays

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

Josh Rubio of Brookings landed a nice early-season winter steelhead Wednesday on the Smith River. After exceeding flood stage on Sunday, the Smith receded back to a beautiful emerald green color on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service

More rain on the way

Last week’s deluge put a little bit of a damper on the start of our coastal winter steelhead season. All of the North Coast rivers blew out, and some, like the Smith, even surpassed flood stage. But the quick-clearing Smith rebounded nicely, and by Tuesday it had receded enough to provide some decent action for those plunking by shore and boat. There were reportedly quite a few fish taken, mostly on the lower river. On Wednesday it had dropped just below 11 feet on the Jed Smith gauge, which is a good level for side-drifting. A handful of boats were out, and most of them caught a few adult steelhead. But now it looks like more wet weather is ahead, which will keep boats off the water until sometime next week. At least we know the fish are there, and that’s the most important part.

Weekend Forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, rain will be in the forecast everyday from Thursday until mid next week. “The first big storm will arrive Thursday night and go through Friday. Del Norte could see anywhere from three to five inches and Humboldt may see two to four inches. Saturday should bring showers, with snow hitting elevations above 3,000 feet. After a break on Saturday night, another big wave of precipitation will begin on Sunday and stick around through Tuesday. The rainfall totals are still moving around, but Del Norte could see from five to seven inches, four to six inches could hit Humboldt, and the Eel basin may see up to five inches. More showers are on tap for Wednesday, and looking out longer shows a continued wet pattern,” Kennedy added.

2016 Fishing license
A reminder that it’s the time of the year to purchase your 2016 license, which is required for residents 16 years of age or older to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptile in inland or ocean waters. The cost of a new resident sport fishing license is $47.01. A North Coast salmon report card, which will run you $6.22, is required for all anglers taking salmon in the Smith River System or Klamath-Trinity River System. If you plan to fish for steelhead, you’ll need to purchase a steelhead report card, which will cost $7.05 again this year. Fishing licenses and reports cards are available to purchase online. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing

Holiday gift ideas for outdoor enthusiasts
If you’re looking for a great holiday gift for the outdoor enthusiasts in your life, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has a couple options according to their website. The 2016 Warden Stamp, a decal that can be displayed on vehicles and other items to show your support for California’s wildlife officers, is available online for a donation of just $5. Also, CDFW’s award-winning publication Outdoor California has a special offer. For just $12 for six issues, a 20-percent discount for the holidays, you can celebrate the state’s natural habitat and wildlife through in-depth features and outstanding photography. If there’s an angler on your list, consider purchasing a fishing license gift voucher for $47.01. All items are available for purchase http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ols

Mattole River set to open Jan 1
The Mattole River is scheduled to open to fishing on January 1, 2016 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flows were back down under 6,000 cfs late Wednesday, but it was a brief reprieve. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to peak at roughly 26,000 cfs on Friday morning. According to Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service, after the next rise, it looks like it will be on the drop through next week. “I’m guessing we’ll be back on the water somewhere toward the beginning of the week. Plunking will be good when the river gets down below 12,000 cfs, although people will be out there before that time too. It looks like we’re done with major rain for a little bit anyway,” Early added.

Smith River
The Smith was a beautiful emerald green on Wednesday reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the color will stick around. He said, “The good news is there seems to be quite a few fish around. The bad news is we were only able to get a couple days on the water before it blows out again. The river fished really well on Tuesday and Wednesday, everyone I saw was catching fish. There were also a few hatchery fish landed too. It looks like the flows will be unstable into next week, I’m hoping we get a few days of plunking in.”

Eel, South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers
Both the upper South Fork Eel and Van Duzen dropped to a fishable level by Wednesday, but remained off-color. Both are predicted to blowout again with the next round of storms. The main stem Eel dropped to 7,000 cfs, but wasn’t close to fishable. Like the rest of the rivers, it too will blowout, peaking at over 33,000 cfs sometime Saturday afternoon.

Mad River
Receded to just about eight feet on Wednesday evening, but was still off-color. With more rain on the way, it doesn’t look like it will be green anytime soon. Projected to hit 12-feet on Friday afternoon and hang around 10-feet through Monday.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports the Trinity colored up slightly following last week’s rain, but it’s back to mostly clear. He said, “The water is a little bigger, but it’s nice and clear. All the creeks are running clear and cold. It’s been real cold in the morning, which has thinned the crowds slightly. With the larger flows, a lot of fish are on their spawning beds and quite a few late fall steelhead moved into the upper river. We haven’t seen any winter fish show up yet, but they should be making their way through the Klamath and the lower Trinity now.”

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

#wintersteelhead, #fishingthenorthcoast, #smithriver, #steelhead, #wildsteelhead, #redwoodcoast, #californiafishing, #fishing, #fish, #humboldtsteelheaddays

The key to being successful is being prepared. Conditions are constantly changing in the winter, having multiple types of rigs, fish pill colors, baits weight sizes can help your success rate.

Some of my favorite winter steelhead plugs. Maglips, Lil’ Wigglers and Tadpolly’s.

Pink and orange yarn, tipped with a small piece of natural-colored roe, is deadly combination when fishing for winter steelhead.

All the different colors of yarn in one handy container. Just drill a hole
in the top of the container for easy access.

Keeping your customers behind dry makes for a pleasant day on the water. Seat covers, with life jackets snapped to the back, not only creates a little more room in the boat, it’s also safe.

Ron Huett of Redding landed this trophy king salmon last weekend on the Smith River. The late fall-run salmon have made it to their spawning grounds with the help of the recent rains. Next up is the winter steelhead, which have begun to make their way into the coastal rivers. Photo courtesy of John Klar/John’s Guide Service

It looks as though my gully-washer plea has finally come to fruition. We went from parched rivers to some rivers potentially reaching monitor stage in a blink of any eye. Seeing these rivers full of water – and open to fishing­­ – is a beautiful site. And it looks as though there’s plenty more of the wet stuff on the horizon. Finding a fishable river this coming week, however, may be the tricky part. The Smith will be the first to turn green, but that may be awhile. It’s predicted to peak at 58,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge sometime Sunday afternoon. With more rain in the forecast for early next week, it’s uncertain right now when it will drop down to a safe level. The Chetco should be right behind it, but it was hovering at 20,000 as of Wednesday. The Humboldt rivers are all flowing nothing but brown water and won’t fish anytime soon. Did I mention that all the North Coast rivers are open to fishing?

Weekend forecast
According to Troy Nicolini of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll like see the heaviest rainfall starting Wednesday evening. “We’re looking at one to two inches of rain from Del Norte to Humboldt, along with heavy winds. The upper elevations could see three inches. Steady showers will linger through Thursday and we could see another one to two inches. After a break on Friday, another system will arrive on Saturday and we may see up to two inches of rain over the weekend. Monday is looking dry, but we’ll see more systems move in early next week,” Nicolini added.

Third Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days – Jan. 22 to Feb. 6
The 3rd Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 6 in 2016. The expanding event will now include three weekends, which will give participants 16 days of fishing. The Trinity River has also been added this year, giving anglers a better chance at catching the prized winter steelhead. The primary focus of the event is to showcase local conservation, education, and restoration relating to steelhead and the health of the Trinity, Mad and Eel River watersheds. For locals and out-of-town visitors alike, Humboldt Steelhead Day’s will include a photo fishing contest, casting seminars, an awards dinner & auction, theatrical performances and two showings of the IF4 (International Fly Film Festival). This year’s event is being sponsored by Mad River Alliance, California Trout, Mountain Community and Culture, and Humboldt Lodging Alliance. Anglers are to hashtag all their catches/releases: #HumboldtSteelheadDays and post their photos to the HSD Facebook page in order to win.

On Friday January 22, kick-off events will be held in three different locations.
Mad River Alliance will host a party at the Mad River Brewing Co. Tap Room in Blue Lake from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; An opening reception will be held at the Coho Cottages, 76 Willow Road, Willow Creek, co-hosted by the Willow Creek Chamber of Commerce from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm.; The Eel River kick-off event hosted by California Trout will be held at the Fortuna River Lodge. For a complete list of events and registration information, visit humboldtsteelheaddays.com.

Updated shellfish warnings in Humboldt and Del Norte
The California Department of Public Health on Wednesday updated the warning regarding certain seafood caught in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. All bivalve shellfish except razor clams have been removed from the current health advisories. Recent samples have shown that the levels of domoic acid have declined and are non-detectable in mussels from this region. Advisories continue to be in place for Dungeness and rock crabs caught in waters between the Oregon border and the southern Santa Barbara County line. Consumers should also avoid eating razor clams. Razor clams can retain domoic acid for a long period of time and remain at dangerous levels for this toxin.
For additional information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/water/Documents/Shellfish/Natural_Marine_Toxins_2015.pdf

The Rivers:
Chetco River
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Chetco was flowing at 20,000 cfs and still rising. It’s predicted to peak early Thursday morning at roughly 26,000 cfs, and likely won’t fish until sometime next week. Once the river drops to a fishable level, we should start to see plenty of steelhead around.

Smith River
It doesn’t look like the Smith will be fishable at least through the weekend reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “If the rain falls as predicted, it will be sometime next week before we’re back on the water. There were quite a few salmon around before this big rise, and there may be a few around after, but it should mostly be a steelhead show from this point on,” Coopman added.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the Mad was fishable on Sunday, but has since blown out. He said, “There were a few steelhead caught last weekend, both wild and hatchery. I didn’t see or hear of any big ones caught, most were in the four to five pound range. Once the river drops and is fishable again, it should be game on for steelhead.”

Main Stem Eel, South Fork Eel and Van Duzen
All three of these systems were on the rise as of Wednesday and muddy. When they drop back into fishable shape will depend on the strength of the storms that are forecasted for next week. It’s possible the top of the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen could fish sometime next week. For river level predictions, visit http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov

#fishingthenorthcoast, #wintersteelhead #humboldt #redwoodcoast #eelriver #madriver #trinityriver #wildsteelhead #fish #fishing #californiafishing #salmon #NorCalFishing #HumboldtSteelheadDays #PacificHalibut #ChetcoRiver #TimesStandard

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

Grass Valley resident Nelson Money landed this nice hatchery steelhead on a recent float down the Trinity River. The Trinity, like the rest of the North Coast rivers, should see increased flows over the next few days due to the storms currently hitting the region. Photo courtesy of Steve Huber’s Guide Service

Smith, Chetco best bets for the weekend

North Coast rivers will likely see the last of the late fall-run salmon push in over the next few days as most impressive storm to date is barreling down on the region. The majority of these late-season kings have already made their way up rivers like the Chetco, Smith, Mad and Eel, but you can bet a few more spurts of fresh fish will push in between now and the beginning of the year. For the Smith and Chetco, the season was a good one. The rest of our rivers had barely enough water to allow the salmon to migrate, and never reached the minimum flows necessary to open for fishing. The exception was the Mad, which opened for a couple of days.

One of the best parts of living in such a fishing mecca like the North Coast — no sooner does one season come to a close, another one’s right behind it. So it’s out with the salmon and in with the widely popular winter steelhead. And as the influx of water hits our coastal rivers this weekend and brings in the salmon stragglers, 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
We’re entering into an active pattern now, and for the next week we should see rainfall just about every other day according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The first system will have begun Wednesday night and will last through Thursday, with showers continuing on Friday. Rainfall totals will be two to four inches in Del Norte and one and a half to two and a half in Humboldt. The next rainfall will hit Saturday night and stick around through Sunday, with a break coming Sunday evening. Totals will be from one to two inches. A smaller system will arrive on Monday, dropping another half to three-quarter inches. After a break on Monday night and Tuesday, the next system will arrive sometime on Wednesday,” Kennedy added. “These next few storms will be cold, with the snow level hovering around the 3,500 to 4,000 foot level.”

Crab update
State Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Jim Wood, chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, will host a public forum on Thursday Dec. 3 to discuss the future of the crab-fishing industry in the wake of emergency closures due to a toxic algal bloom. Fishery experts, commercial interests and decision-makers will gather in Santa Rosa to discuss ocean conditions, health issues, economic factors and the future of the $60 million commercial North Coast crab industry. The meeting will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Steele Lane Community Center, 415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. Live stream is available at http://senate.ca.gov.

On the local front, according to the Public Health Dept., the next domoic test results will be available at http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Documents/fdbFrSSda07.pdf sometime on Thursday prior to the meeting.

The Rivers:
North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen could all open by the weekend, depending on how much rain falls. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2016

Chetco River
As of Wednesday evening, the Chetco was running close to 1,600 cfs and going up quickly. It’s predicted to rise through Friday and will likely peak sometime Friday evening at roughly 5,000 cfs. If the rain falls as predicted, it should remain fishable through the weekend, especially the upper end. Like the Smith, the last of the salmon are making their way in and the winter steelhead should be right behind them.

Smith River
Like the Chetco, there are still bright salmon around and plenty that have already spawned. Without a major river flushing to date, there’s a good chance more salmon could be on the way. We’ll know pretty quickly this weekend. The river is predicted to reach nearly 10,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge early Friday morning, which should also bring in the first wave of winter steelhead.

 Main Stem Eel
Predicted to rise beginning Thursday night and may open on Friday morning. It could go as high as 2,300 cfs on Saturday. Minimum flows needed to open are 350 cfs at the gauging station near Scotia. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

 South Fork Eel
Predicted to rise beginning Thursday night and may open on Friday morning. Forecasted to peak at roughly 1,600 cfs early Saturday morning. Minimum flows needed to open are 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

 Mad River
Forecasted to rise on Thursday and again on Sunday, it could open to fishing on Thursday or Friday. Peak flows are predicted at 1,400 cfs on Friday morning. Minimum flows needed to open are 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Van Duzen
Forecasted to rise on Thursday and again on Sunday, it could open to fishing on Thursday. Minimum flows needed to open are 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Redwood Creek
Predicted to rise on Wednesday and should peak on Sunday evening at roughly 1,700 cfs. Minimum flow needed to open to fishing are 300 cfs at the gauging station near the Highway 101 bridge.
http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ORIC1

Upper Trinity
Working the Douglas City area, guide Steve Huber reports the water is low and clear as of Wednesday, but there are some fish around. He said, “The rain coming this weekend is just what the doctor ordered. It’s definitely going to shuffle the deck, moving the fish around as well as bringing in new ones from the Klamath. The steelhead have been sitting in the deeper holes, but the increased flows will put them in their more traditional holding areas like the flats, riffles and tailouts. As of Wednesday, most of the boats were getting between two to five adults per trip,” Huber added.

#fishingthenothcoast #wintersteelhead #kingsalmon #humboldtsteelheaddays #keepemwet #redwoodcoast #steelhead #wildsteelhead #eelriver #smithriver

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

Crab testing in progress

 Finally some rain! Both the Chetco and Smith saw sizable rises on Wednesday and should fish well for the next few days. But if you want in on the action, you’ll need to act quickly. The forecast for the next few days is calling for very little precipitation, which will turn the rivers quickly back to low and clear. The Smith will be the first to clear, with flows predicted to drop below 800 cfs by Saturday morning. The Chetco is on the drop as well, though much slower due to snowmelt, with flows dropping to 1,400 cfs by the end of the weekend. If you’ve yet to get your fill of salmon fishing, you’ll want to be on either of these rivers the next few days. For current Smith River conditions, visit http://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/smithStages.html. For the Chetco, visit http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=14400000

Weekend forecast
A little more rain than expected fell Tuesday night and really put the Smith and Chetco on the rise. Another half-inch was predicted to fall overnight on Wednesday, and then it looks like the rain will taper off according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Light rain showers are forecasted for the Smith basin on Friday and Saturday. Totals with be small, only a tenth or less is predicted to hit the ground. Sunday and Monday should be dry and the next system to bring periods of rain will be Tuesday and Wednesday. We could see from an inch to an inch and a half in Humboldt and up to two inches in the Smith basin,” Kennedy added.

CA Dungeness crab update
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is continuing to coordinate with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and fishermen to collect another set of crab samples from all major ports in California to determine whether levels of the neurotoxin domoic acid in crabs is in decline.

Rock crab and Dungeness crab samples were collected last week from both the Morro Bay and Monterey areas, while rock crab was collected from the Santa Barbara coast and the northern Channel Islands.

Dungeness crab samples were also collected this past weekend out of Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay, and this week from the northern ports of Crescent City, Eureka, Trinidad, and Fort Bragg. Crab will continue to be sampled from each port area until all crab at that location test below the CDPH Food and Drug Branch alert levels for domoic acid of 30 ppm for two consecutive rounds of sampling. For up-to-date testing results, visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/Pages/fdbDomoicAcidInfo.aspx

Portion of Oregon Coast closed to crab harvesting
The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have announced last Friday, Nov. 13, the immediate closure of recreational and commercial bay crabbing from Heceta Head, north of Florence on the Oregon Coast, to the California border due to elevated levels of domoic acid. This includes crab harvested in bays and estuaries, and off docks, piers, jetties, and the ocean.

Crab harvesting from Heceta Head north to the Columbia River remains open, although it is recommended that crab always be eviscerated prior to cooking. Evisceration includes removal and discard of the internal organs and gills. Despite the closure, crab and shellfish products sold in retail markets and restaurants remain safe for consumers.

For more information, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at 800-448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page at http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx

HASA looking for halibut input
The Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers are looking to get anglers opinions on the Pacific halibut season structure based on your experience during the 2015 season. While the 2016 season structure will likely be a repeat of the 2015 season structure, HASA would still like to get your input so we can best represent Northern California Pacific halibut anglers. The survey should take less than 5 minutes, and the first slide will provide more detailed background on the issues. If you have any questions can be emailed to hasa6191@gmail.com. The take the survey visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L2C6XCG

CDFW to host public groundfish management meetings
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold five public workshops to discuss groundfish management in California. An overview of recent groundfish management and science developments will be presented and you’ll have the chance to participate in focused stakeholder discussions on potential changes to recreational and commercial fishery management measures for 2017 and 2018. Several new groundfish stock assessments were conducted in 2015 and results show some previously overfished stocks have been restored, which could lead to increased fishing opportunities. The first workshop will be held in Eureka on Dec. 2 at the Wharfinger Building located at 1 Bay St. The meeting is scheduled from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For a complete list of these public meetings and more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Groundfish/2017-2018.

 The Rivers:
Other than the Smith, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are closed as of Thursday morning. The Mad opened on Wednesday, but was closed back up on Thursday morning. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road to its mouth, the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to its mouth. Be sure and call the low flow closure hotline, (707) 822-3164, to determine if the river is open prior to fishing.

Chetco River
Prior to yesterday’s rise, salmon fishing on the Chetco had been slow. Reports indicated the fishing was good on Tuesday during the rise, but muddied up pretty good on Wednesday with only a handful of people trying. It was predicted to peak at just over 3,000 cfs on Wednesday evening and will be on a slow drop through the weekend.

 Smith River
The Smith peaked at just over 5,400 cfs around noon on Wednesday on the Jed Smith gauge, and a bunch of brand new fish made their way into the lower river reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “The river came up quite a bit, and brought with it a pretty good slug of fish. The bright fish definitely outweighed the older ones on Wednesday, which hadn’t been the case for awhile. It looks like we’ll have some water for a few days, so I’d expect the fishing to be good through the weekend,” Coopman added.

 Upper Trinity
Not much rain has fallen in the Trinity area, and it remains low and clear reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service.”Conditions aren’t perfect, but there are a few fish around. Junction City continues to be the spot where most of the boats and bankies are concentrating, and the pressure is pretty high. We definitely need some rain to get the fish moving, most are just hanging out waiting for the creeks to rise. Boats are getting anywhere from 2 to 8 fish per trip, and almost everything is catching fish; flies, roe, plugs and spinners,” Huber added.

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

McKinleyville resident Zack Stanton landed this nice king salmon last week while fishing the Smith River. Stanton was trolling herring on the lower river. Photo courtesy of Zack Stanton

Klamath steelhead derby coming Sunday

The warm water sitting off our coast is making a real mess of things, and it now looks more and more likely that our sport Dungeness crab season will be delayed because of it. On Tuesday, the CDFW issued a press release stating a delay to the season was a real possibility due to high domoic acid level in many of the marine species along the California coast, including Dungeness crab. Crabs are currently being tested from eight ports from Morro Bay to Crescent City according to Peter Kalvass, who oversees the Invertebrate Management Project. “A massive toxic bloom of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia has resulted in significant impacts to coastal resources and marine life. The algal bloom happens regularly, but due to warmer ocean water temperatures this year (El Nino) the bloom is large and is showing evidence of producing domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin that can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates, and sometimes fish, leading to illness and death in a variety of birds and marine mammals. Blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia occur at “hot spots” scattered along the west coast. This is one of the largest and most persistent blooms that we have seen,” added Kalvass.

On Wednesday, The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory advising individuals to avoid eating rock and Dungeness crab due to the detection of high levels of domoic acid. The advisory was followed by a recommendation from the Office of Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to the California Fish and Game Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to delay the start of the Dungeness crab season and close the rock crab fishery. These actions would apply to each fishery from the Oregon border to the southern Santa Barbara County line.

These warnings has prompted an emergency meeting of the Fish and Game Commission, which will take place at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Sacramento. At that time, the Commission will consider voting to delay the opening of the recreational Dungeness crab fishery. The recreational Dungeness crab season is currently scheduled to start Saturday, Nov. 7.

Weekend weather and forecast
The next storm will move into the area on Saturday evening and could bring with it some decent rainfall totals according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The storm should stick around through at least Sunday night into early Monday morning, and we could see anywhere from three-quarters to an inch of rain in Humboldt. In Del Norte, they may see from an inch to an inch and a half. The coastal mountains will get a good soaking, between two and a half and three inches are forecasted to fall. Monday and Tuesday are both looking dry, but the next system is forecasted for Wednesday night,” Kennedy added.

Klamath steelhead derby Sunday in Happy Camp
The 5th annual Klamath steelhead fishing tournament is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 8th. Everyone is invited to come and showcase their skills. Check-in will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the liquor store in Happy Camp and weigh-ins will be at the bulk plant at 5 p.m. The boat with the largest steelhead measured in length will win the competition. Each boat will need a camera and a tape measure to capture the fish, along with the issued playing card the boat captain receives at check-in will need to be in the photograph to be considered. The captain of the winning boat will receive a trophy to do with what they please and retain the bragging rights for a year. Motors will be allowed this year below Gordon’s Ferry, and you can fish any stretch of the river you like. Shuttles will be available at check-in and will cost $20.00 per vehicle. If you have any questions give me call Mario Gomez at 530-598-0530.

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen remain closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road to its mouth, the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to its mouth and the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Smith River
The river opened up on Sunday and we had a two really good days of fishing reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “There were quite a few caught on Sunday and Monday, and some real big ones too. Most of the fish had some color, but they were in great shape. A lot of the fish had probably moved up from the lower river with the rise, and I’d be willing to bet that quite a few new ones came in from the ocean and stopped down low. The next rise, which looks like it will be Sunday, should bring in some more fish and I’d expect the fishing to be excellent,” added Coopman.

Chetco
Fishing on the Chetco was a little tough on Wednesday according to Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. “I think the lower river is fishing a little better as the river drops. I heard there were some fish kegged in the holes above and below the North Fork. Most of the big, deep holes have fish in them and there’s a mix of darker fish and newer ones. It’s been real clear in the morning and the suns on the water early, which makes it tough to get the fish to bite in low water conditions,” Borges added.

Klamath
Lower
Not many anglers, if any, are still fishing the lower river, though salmon continue to trickle into the estuary. This is typically the time of the year when salmon that spawn in some of the larger tributaries begin to come into the river anticipating rain to increase flows in the creeks and tributaries.

Trinity
Most of the action is taking place in the Junction City area reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The fishing is nothing earth shattering, but most of the boats are landing between two and five steelhead per trip, with a 50/50 mix of hatchery and wild. The rain we had last weekend helped move some fish around, but it dropped back down quickly. There are a few salmon around, but most anglers are targeting steelhead now. We definitely need a good shot of rain to get the fish on the move and to get the creeks flowing,” Huber said.

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