Current Fishing Reports

Phil Pritting of McKinleyville landed this nice Klamath River Chinook on Tuesday while fishing with guide Alan Borges. Klamath River salmon scored a major victory on Wednesday when a judge rejected the Central Valley irrigators bid to stop the surplus flows coming from Lewiston Dam. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

Salmon score major victory over Central Valley irrigators

The Klamath River salmon scored a major victory over Central Valley irrigators as Judge Lawrence O’Neill of the United States District Court in Fresno rejected a bid on Wednesday by two of the biggest districts to stop emergency water releases intended to help Chinook salmon migrating up the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

O’Neill determined that any potential harm to the irrigators from an uncertain loss of added water supply was outweighed by the potentially catastrophic damage to salmon in the absence of supplemental water. He made a similar ruling last year when the bureau released water for Klamath salmon. Intense political and legal battles have gone on over dividing water between fish and farms in the Klamath Basin for decades.

The Bureau of Reclamation ordered the emergency flows last Friday from Lewiston Reservoir due to low flows and high water temperatures, fearing another outbreak of the parasite that killed between 33,000 and 78,000 salmon in 2002. The releases are scheduled to continue through September 20 and are expected to total about 25,000 to 30,000 acre-feet.

Klamath River update
According to Sara Borok, Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, a total of 689 adult Chinook have been harvested as of Tuesday. This includes 371 adult salmon that have been harvested at the spit. The lower Klamath quota for 2015 is 7,067 adults and the spit fishery will close after 2,120 have been caught. For more information on the Klamath regulations, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations

 Fall regs begin Sept. 1 on the Trinity
On September 1, the main stem of the Trinity downstream of the Lewiston Bridge to the confluence with Klamath River will open and run through December 31. The exception to this is the Burnt Ranch Gorge area, (downstream of the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge at Hawkins Bar) which closes to all fishing on September 1. The quota on the Trinity is 4,663 adults and will be split evenly between the main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat and the main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath.

The daily bag limit is 3 Chinook salmon, no more than 2 fish over 22 inches. The possession limit is 9 Chinook salmon, no more than 6 over 22 inches. If the quota adult fall Chinook is met, then the previous bag and possession limits apply to “jack” salmon less than 22 inches, i.e. 3 jacks per day and 9 jacks in possession. For more information on bag and possession limits, visit the DFG website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when fishing for salmon.

Marine forecast
Ocean conditions should remain fishable through the weekend. As of Wednesday, the forecast for Friday is calling for SW winds to 10 knots and waves NW 4 feet at 14 seconds. South winds 5 to 10 knots are on tap for Saturday, along with SW waves 5 feet at 7 seconds and W 4 feet at 18 seconds. Sunday is looking a little rougher, with S winds to 10 knots and W waves 5 feet at 8 seconds and W 7 feet at 16 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://www.weather.gov/eureka. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Health warning for recreational clams and mussels
On Wednesday the California Department of Public Health advised consumers not to eat recreationally mussels or clams from Humboldt or Del Norte counties. According to the press release, dangerous levels of domoic acid have been detected in mussel and razor clam samples and may be present in the other species that have not yet been tested. This toxin, also known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), can cause illness or death in humans. No cases of human poisoning from domoic acid are known to have occurred in California. The warnings do not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters from approved sources. For the more information, visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR15-063.aspx

The Oceans:
Eureka
The Cape is still the salmon destination for all of the charter boats, and will likely remain that way until the fish have moved on. According to Tim Klassen on the Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the fishing is still really good, though the captains all have had their good and bad days. “I wouldn’t say it’s red hot, but it’s still good fishing. Most of the boats are getting limits, or real close to it daily. The water temps and clarity aren’t ideal, but the fish are staying put. Until something closer to home turns on consistently, we’ll be making the run south. The size of fish down here is all over the place, we’re catching some that are just legal to fish over 20 pounds.”

 Trinidad
The salmon action picked up this week reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The salmon bite definitely improved the last 4 to 5 days. There were a few sport boats that did really well before the rest of the fleet got dialed in. All of the action has been right on the beach from Patrick’s Point down to the Mad River. The mooch bite has been real good, and trolling has been effective too. You definitely need to move around, we’ve been following the birds and the bait balls and getting a couple fish then moving to the next. The fish haven’t been huge, ranging from barely keepers to 15 pounds with the occasional big one mixed in,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
The rockfish bite is still wide open reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The bite hasn’t really slowed down all year, and it’s still wide-open. The ling bite is also still going strong. Doesn’t seem to matter which direction you head, limits are coming easily. Not much is happening with salmon, a few are being caught and released while jigging for rockfish, but no one is trolling.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The past few days the fishing has ranged from decent to good according to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “I think the extra water has stabilized and the fish have settled, and in turn we’re seeing more and more adults enter the river daily. We’re also seeing a lot of jacks, which is typically the prelude to the bulk of the run. With cooler temps and possibly rain coming this weekend, fishing should only get better,” Coopman 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.

Fall regulations go into effect on the Klamath River for fall-run Chinook salmon fishing beginning Aug. 15 and run through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit will be three Chinook, no more than two adults (greater than 22 inches) and the possession limit is nine, no more than six adults. Two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout may also be retained, with a possession limit of four each. Spring-run Chinook salmon fishing regulations will run through Aug. 14, with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon.

The entire 2015 quota for the Klamath River basin is 14,133 adult fall-run salmon based on 120,000 adult salmon predicted to return. On the Lower Klamath, from the mouth to the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec, 7,067 adults will be allowed for sport harvest. The mouth of the Klamath (spit area) will get 15 percent of the basin quota in 2015, which equals 2,120 adults. This area will be closed to all fishing after the quota has been met. New for 2015, all legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained. Once the adult (greater than 22 inches) component of the total daily bag limit has been retained, anglers must cease fishing in the spit area.

The section above the 96 bridge at Weitchpec to 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam will get 2,403 adults. The take of salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam downstream to Weitchpec from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14.

On the Trinity side, which will be open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing Sept. 1 and run through Dec. 31, the quota is set at 4,663 adults. The quota will be split evenly, 2,331 adults from the main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat and the main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath. The main stem downstream of the Highway 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing September 1 through Dec. 31.

Once these quotas have been met, no Chinook salmon greater than 22 inches in length may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon under 22 inches in length). For more information on bag and possession limits, visit the DFG website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when fishing for salmon. The full regulation package approved by the Commission is available at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2015/ktfregs.pdf

Lewis Richey of Fortuna, who was fishing as part of the Humboldt Veterans group, landed a nice Halibut on Monday out of Eureka. Martin Abshire, who runs the boat “Reel Time,” volunteered his time to take Richey as well as fellow veterans Steve Emmons of Fortuna, and Eric Hollenbeck of Eureka down to Cape Mendocino for a fun day of fishing.
Photo courtesy of Martin Abshire

Cape Mendo best bet for salmon

Fall regulations go into effect on the Klamath River for fall-run Chinook salmon fishing beginning Aug. 15 and run through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit will be three Chinook, no more than two adults (greater than 22 inches) and the possession limit is nine, no more than six adults. Two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout may also be retained, with a possession limit of four each. Spring-run Chinook salmon fishing regulations will run through Aug. 14, with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon of any size .Spring salmon regulations will run through Aug. 31 on the Trinity, with a daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon. The take of salmon is prohibited from the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River downstream to the confluence of the Klamath River from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31.

The entire 2015 quota for the Klamath River basin is 14,133 adult fall-run salmon based on 120,000 adult salmon predicted to return. On the Lower Klamath, from the mouth to the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec, 7,067 adults will be allowed for sport harvest. The mouth of the Klamath (spit area) will get 15 percent of the basin quota in 2015, which equals 2,120 adults. The spit area will close to all fishing after the quota has been met. New for 2015, all legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained. Once the adult (greater than 22 inches) component of the total daily bag limit has been retained, anglers must cease fishing in the spit area.

The section above the 96 bridge at Weitchpec to 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam will get 2,403 adults. The take of salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam downstream to Weitchpec from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14.

On the Trinity side, which will be open to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing Sept. 1 and run through Dec. 31, the quota is set at 4,663 adults. The quota will be split evenly, 2,331 adults from the main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat and the main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath. The main stem downstream of the Highway 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing September 1 through Dec. 31.

Once these quotas have been met, no Chinook salmon greater than 22 inches in length may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon under 22 inches in length). For more information on bag and possession limits, visit the DFG website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when fishing for salmon. The full regulation package approved by the Commission is available at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2015/ktfregs.pdf

Weekend Marine forecast
After a few rough days, the ocean looks like it will start to lie down on Saturday. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 8 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday’s conditions are looking much better, with winds out of the N 5 to 10 knots and waves 4 feet at 10 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. 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.

Ocean salmon closure reminders
Eel River mouth — No salmon may be taken during the months of August and September in ocean waters at the mouth of the Eel River within two nautical miles north and south of a line drawn due west for two nautical miles from the center of the mouth of the river.

Klamath River mouth — Salmon may not be taken during the month of August in ocean waters at the mouth of the Klamath River within six nautical miles north and south of a line drawn due west for three nautical miles from the center of the mouth of the river.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The salmon fishing is still really good near Cape Mendocino according to Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing. “I wouldn’t call it wide-open, but its good fishing. At any one time, you can look around and see one or two nets flying. This past week we’ve been able to limit out the customers within 45 minutes to an hour. There’s seems to be plenty of fish still concentrated in the one general area,” added Blasi. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing has spent some time chasing salmon but mixed it up a little over the weekend. Saturday his crew wanted halibut, and that’s what they got. “We were able to land four, but none of them were big. Most of the action, per usual, took place from 250 to 350 feet of water.” Sunday he really mixed it up, running 40 miles from the entrance in search of Tuna. “We found a really nice break that went from 55.5 to 62 degree water, but we couldn’t find any large schools of fish. We landed two really nice albacore that were over 25 pounds as well as a California Yellowtail.”

Trinidad
Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters reports the rockfish bite really picked up this past week, with limits coming pretty easy. He said. “The lingcod action has turned around as well, and we’re starting to see quite a few undersized lings too. Since the opener last Saturday, the halibut bite has been wide-open. I heard the fish counter checked in over 45 halibut on Saturday alone. Guys were starting to fish shallower, with quite a few landed in 150 feet of water. Not much happening with salmon, the warm water is keeping the boats from trying.”

Shelter Cove
The hot salmon bite has cooled down in the past few days according to Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing. He said, “You could probably put in limits, but you would have to stay on them all day long.”

Crescent City
The lingcod action is still over the top reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “It’s amazing how consistently good the lingcod bite has been all season, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The halibut have been biting too, I’m hearing one to two per boat since last Saturday’s opener. The only salmon to speak of is coming from those jigging for rockfish near the sisters. Like most of the coast, the water here is too warm to hold fish,” Hegnes added

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Cloudy, cooler conditions have really helped the river conditions reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The water temps have cooled down to the low 70s and the mouth, which had been sanding over, has opened up allowing more fish to enter. There’s definitely some steelhead around as well as a few salmon.”

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.

10 -year old Austin Scilacci had his hands full landing his first-ever tuna while fishing near Crescent City last Friday. Austin , along with his father Bryan, were fishing with Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters. Photo courtesy of Bryan Scilacci

Abalone, halibut re-open August 1

In what could be the beginning of a lethal migration for Klamath and Trinity River salmon, Tribal researchers discovered evidence of a deadly parasite at the mouth of the Klamath River that could potentially harm the fall salmon run according to a news release issued by Yurok Tribe last week. The parasite known as Ich (pronounced “ick”) was discovered by Yurok fisheries crews conducting routine fish disease monitoring in the Klamath River. If allowed to spread, Ich has the capabilities to cause large-scale fish-kills, much like 2002, when more than 35,000 adult Chinook salmon and steelhead died. “Last year, an outbreak of Ich reached high levels, stopping just short of causing a catastrophic fish kill,” the release said. This evidence of an Ich outbreak is occurring one month earlier than last year, according to Craig Tucker, a spokesman for the Karuk Tribe. Low flows and warm water temperatures, both of which are currently present in the lower Klamath and Trinity Rivers, exacerbate fish diseases, such as Ich. According to Tucker, crews from the Yurok Tribe will continue surveying salmon for the parasite. The Yurok Tribe will work closely with federal, state and tribal partners to determine what management actions are necessary to protect the main portion of the fall Chinook salmon run, which has yet to enter the river.

Weekend Marine Forecast
After some pretty rough seas earlier in the week, the ocean is shaping up nicely for the weekend. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for W winds up to 5 knots and seas out of the NW 4-feet at 8 seconds and SW 2-feet at 15 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the W up to 5 knots and W swells 4-feet at 8 seconds and SW 2-feet at 14 seconds. Sunday is calling for winds out of the NW up to 5 knots with NW swells 4-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/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Halibut season re-opens August 1
The Pacific halibut season will re-open August 1 and will remain open through August 15. As of July 15, the projected catch is 13,545 lbs with the quota set at 25,220 lbs. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp#tracking

Abalone season part 2
Abalone season re-opens August 1 along the North Coast from the San Francisco Bay north. After being closed for the month of July, the season will remain open through November. Diving is legal from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp

Tuna update
Tuna conditions are shaping up nicely for the coming weekend from Fort Bragg to Brookings, with the best opportunity possibly being Shelter Cove. There was a pretty decent bite out of Crescent City and Brookings last week, with scores ranging from 10 to 30 albacore per boat. The warm blue water was sitting roughly 20 northwest of Crescent City. There’s also a patch of warm water still sitting 25 miles off of Punta Gorda that has a few Eureka boats interested.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The story remains the same for the salmon boats fishing out of Eureka ‑— the bite is just about exclusive to Cape Mendocino. The fleet was off the water on Monday and Tuesday due to high seas, but last weekend saw limits for all the charter boats and quite a few sport boats caught fish as well. “Not much has changed, the salmon are still glued to the pinnacles” said Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. The bite was wide-open and the sizes are all over the place. We’re seeing fish from 22 inches to 30 pounds, with most ranging from 8 to 12 pounds.” Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing had his clients limited early in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday. He said, “It’s only taking a couple of hours to land quality limits as there’s quite a few fish still in the area. Most of the fish are coming in 90-feet of water, but you really need to be careful as there are plenty of high spots to hang your gear on. The water temps are still much cooler down there, 53 degrees compared to 58 to 59 everywhere else.”

Trinidad
Rockfish and lingcod remain the main attraction to the few boats fishing out of Trinidad reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “We’ve been fishing some pretty sloppy conditions the last few days and it’s made the bite a little tougher. There’s still plenty of rockfish around, but it’s slowed down slightly. When you find a school of them, you want to stay on them. Same goes for the lingcod. Not very much effort on the salmon as of late, but I did hear of a few caught last weekend off of Mad River in 120 feet of water. That might be a good place to start if you’re targeting salmon,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove
The salmon bite is outstanding with Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing posting limits of big fish on a daily basis with salmon to 33 pounds on Monday despite the high winds and back again with limits by 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. They are jigging P-Line Laser Minnows or mooching anchovies near the Hat.

Crescent City
The ocean has been rough and not many boats have been out the last few days reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The rockfish and lingcod bite are still going strong, weather permitting. I can’t ever remember this many lingcod being caught; it’s been an incredible season. The salmon effort is almost zero due to the warm water and lack of sign. Halibut season opens back up on Saturday, and it was pretty good prior to its closing last month. A few boats ran for tuna last weekend, and they did pretty well. The warm water is still sitting between Crescent City and Brookings roughly 30 miles offshore.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
There aren’t very many salmon in the river at the moment, but it’s still early reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The mouth has been sanded over off and on since Saturday, so that’s not helping us. There are a few bright steelhead in the lower river, you just have to hunt around for them. They seem to be in small bunches, where you find one you’ll find a few.”

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.

Ron Wallace, right, of Sebastopol needed a little help in holding the large salmon he landed on Tuesday out of Eureka. Wallace was fishing aboard the Reel Steel, skippered by Tim Klassen, pictured left. The big fish weighed 29-pounds gutted and gilled and is the current leader in Englund Marine’s Salmon Derby. Photo courtesy of Reel Steel Sport Fishing

Sport Dungeness season closes July 30

This has been one abnormal salmon season for Eureka. The north wind that blew in late last week should have been our saving grace, bringing with it the much-needed cold water salmon love. Such wishful thinking on our parts. The water temps did drop a few degrees, but not nearly enough to entice the salmon to pick up stakes and come running closer to shore. On the other hand, the big pod of fish that have been sitting off of Cape Mendocino in 52-degree water didn’t budge. When the weather laid down on Sunday, the fleet ran full steam to the pinnacles, and the salmon were there waiting. The boats that made the 20-mile run south limited quickly, and it was more of the same for Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, the ocean lumped up and kept the boats from making their way back south. Looking ahead, the forecasted weather looks decent for Thursday and much-improved on Friday and Saturday. My guess is the fish are still down off the Cape, but if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s been that kind of season.

Marine Forecast
Following Wednesday’s crummy weather, it looks like the rest of the week and weekend should remain fishable. Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 10 knot winds out of the north and waves to 4 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the northwest 5 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is roughly the same, with winds out of the north 10 to 15 knots and waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Boating Safety Class
The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a one-day Boating Safety class on Saturday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be held at the Woodley Island Marina Conference Room. For more information, contact Thom O’Connor at 707-954-4481 to pre-register. The cost is $20 per person.

CA Fish and Game Commission meeting coming to Fortuna
The upcoming California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held at the River Lodge in Fortuna on August 4-5. A public forum will be held each morning beginning at 8:30 a.m. where the public can address the Commission regarding the implementation of its policies or any other matter within the jurisdiction of the Commission. Issues to be discussed should not be related to any current agenda items. On Monday, August 3 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., Commission staff will host office hours at the River Lodge to answer questions about Commission meetings, the rulemaking process, and how the public may participate in both. The meeting will be live streamed at www.cal-span.org. To view the complete agenda, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2015/Aug/08040515agd.pdf

Crabs close/Abalone opens
The 2015 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will come to a close on Thursday July 30. Recreational abalone season will re-open on August 1, following a July closure. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp

The Oceans:
Eureka
The lone salmon holding water remains near Cape Mendocino, roughly 20 miles south from the entrance. Boats working the “pinnacles” since Sunday have enjoyed really good fishing, with most boats able to score limits by noon. And the fish have been a real good grade too, averaging between 12 and 25-pounds with a few toads being landed as well. According to Capt. Matt Dallam of Northwind Charters, these fish have been there consistently for at least three weeks. He said, “It’s really the only place that’s holding any cold water for us, and the fish are there and they want to bite. And there’s lots of real fish there too, with most in the high teens and quite a few well over 20 pounds.” The wind didn’t really help cool the inshore water temps reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It’s still roughly 57 degrees out front, which is why very few fish are being caught, and fewer boats are even trying. All the action has been south, where the water is 52 to 53 degrees – much more salmon friendly. And there seems to be plenty of feed down there, the salmon are full of juvenile rockfish,” Klassen added.

Trinidad
A few salmon were caught earlier in the week reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “I heard about a dozen were caught on Monday between four or five boats. Most were working south in 140 feet of water. Since that little bite we had, it’s been quiet due to the rough ocean. The rockfish bite is still steady, but it was a little tougher on Wednesday having to fight the rough water. Limits are still the rule when the conditions are good,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
On Monday, the warm water moved within range and the tuna started hitting the decks. Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters in Eureka trailered his boat north and put in 14 albacore fishing 30 miles offshore. Inshore, a few salmon were caught over the weekend according to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “I heard a half dozen were caught on Sunday and another four or five on Monday. Most of the fish were caught around the Big Reef by anglers targeting rockfish, so there must be some cold water there. The rockfish and ling action remains steady, the only thing slowing it down is the lumpy ocean,” Hegnes said.

Shelter Cove:
It’s still wide open for salmon in Shelter Cove with Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing saying, “There have only been two days since July 2nd when they didn’t bite, and we are putting in limits of quality salmon on a daily basis.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
There’s been a few summer steelhead caught upriver, but most of the action remains in the estuary where boats are picking up between one to four fish per trip trolling Kastmasters and spinners.

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.

Petaluma resident Stevan Fontana landed a nice 71-pound Pacific halibut on Sunday off of Eureka while fishing with Capt. Matt Dallams of Northwind Charters. The Pacific halibut season closed on Wednesday, but is scheduled to re-open on Aug. 1. Photo courtesy of Northwind Charters

Boating safety class slated for August 1

The arrival of the wind on Tuesday is likely a blessing as well as a curse. Coming down from the north, it will definitely cool the ocean waters, which had reached 61 degrees just offshore of Eureka. According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, water temperatures at buoy 14 off of Point Arena have already dropped from 61 to 54 degrees in the last 36 hours. With the cold water infusion, the hope is the salmon will move inshore all along the North Coast from Eureka north to Brookings. Although the wind is needed, the timing could have been a little better. A pretty good salmon bite was discovered on Sunday near Cape Mendocino, with a couple boats scoring limits of quality salmon. On Monday, the fleet made a beeline for the same spot, and it was limit-style fishing for all. On Tuesday, most of the boats remained tied to the dock on account of the nasty forecast. A few did head south, but eventually thought better of it and turned around. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing was the lone boat that stuck with it, making it as far as the Cape to get his clients into quick limits of rockfish before being chased back north by the wind. So now it looks like the wind will once again shuffle the deck, and where the salmon will be once the boats get back on the water is anyone’s guess.

Marine Forecast
After a beautiful weekend, ocean conditions along the North Coast deteriorated quickly on Tuesday. Heavy winds and seas are expected through Friday, with conditions slowly improving beginning on Saturday. Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, Friday’s forecast is calling for 10 to 20 knot winds out of the north and waves to 10 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for southwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves out of the northwest 8 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is looking better, with winds out of the northwest up to 5 knots and waves 6 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Pacific halibut closure
Per the new state and federal sport regulations for Pacific halibut, the season closed again on Wednesday, July 15. The season will open back up on August 1. According to the CDFW, the projected catch in net pounds through July is 13,028. The quota is set at 25,220. For more info on the in-season quota tracking, visit https://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp#tracking

Boat Safety Class
The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a one-day Boating Safety class on Saturday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be held at the Woodley Island Marina Conference Room. For more information, contact Thom O’Connor at 707-954-4481 to pre-register. The cost is $20 per person.

Big Fish Competition
Pacific Outfitters of Eureka is hosting the 2015 Big Fish Competition for salmon, halibut & lingcod during the entire season of each species. Each entry gets a ticket towards a GoPro 4 Silver Edition ($399.99). Prizes include a $200 Gift Card for largest salmon; $200 Gift Card for largest Pacific halibut; and a $200 Gift Card for largest lingcod. All fish must be “Gilled & Gutted” before they are weighed in. If there is a tie within a species, the winners will split the gift certificate. All entries will be required to have their photo taken with their fish. If you choose not to have your photo taken, you are choosing not to participate in the competition. For more information, visit http://www.pacificoutfitters.com/2015/05/20/2015-big-fish/

The Oceans:
Eureka
Rough ocean conditions will keep most of the boats tied up until possibly Saturday, when the ocean will begin to come down. Skipper Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing, along with the rest of the fleet, were onto a real good salmon bite at the Pinnacles near Cape Mendocino on Monday. He said, “It was really good fishing, we boated 13 salmon in less than two hours, it was definitely the best bite we’ve seen in a while. And I think those fish have been there for awhile, but it’s such a long way down there, we haven’t had the time to check it out thoroughly. There was definitely some colder water there. Once the wind dies down, it will be interesting to see if those fish will still be there or if they’ve moved north.” He added, “The rockfish bite is still good and the ling action is incredible, we boated a monster on Monday weighing 44-pounds.” The halibut bite really turned on late last week according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “They bit real well on Friday and Saturday, a lot of the boats had multiple hookups. It slowed a little on Monday and Tuesday, but we were still able to land two each day. Most of the action was from the 44 to 54-line in 250 to 350 feet of water,” Klassen added.

Trinidad
The halibut bite has been wide-open the last 10 days reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The bite really turned on, with most of the action coming straight out in 300 feet of water. I heard lots of doubles and triples announced on the radio. The black rockfish action is still going, with easy limits coming over the rails. The lings are biting as well, but it’s taking a knot of drift to really get them on the bite. Salmon fishing isn’t happening yet, very few guys are fishing and not many are being caught. The crab pots have been loaded this past week, which is real encouraging for the upcoming commercial season,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
The rockfish, and especially the lingcod, are still biting anything you throw at them reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “I can’t ever remember this many lingcod around. It’s just unbelievable right now. The halibut bit pretty well this past week too, with one boat landing three on Monday. The salmon remain a no-show, hopefully the wind that’s here now will cool down the water and bring them closer to shore,” Hegnes said.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Rain fell last weekend along some of the freshly burnt slopes upriver and filled the creeks with mud, with the dirty water finding its way to the lower river on Sunday. Supposedly the river started to clear on Tuesday and should be back to fishing shape by Thursday, or Friday at the latest.

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.

After an hour and 15-minute battle, Chuck Chastain, pictured left, landed this 114-pound Opah on Tuesday while tuna fishing 75 miles west of Eureka. Chastain was fishing with Captain Marc Schmidt, pictured right, of Coastline Charters. Opahs are typically found in the warm waters off Hawaii and are rarely caught by sport anglers. The meat is said to be rich and tasty and highly sought after, especially in the restaurant trade. Photo courtesy of Marc Schmidt/Coastline Charters

Calm seas forecasted for the weekend will provide plenty of options for North Coast saltwater fishermen. The salmon action has been fairly consistent the last couple days, with a pretty good bite reported north of the entrance in 40 to 100 feet of water on Tuesday. Boats were back there again on Wednesday, and it sounded like enough salmon were flying over the rails to keep everyone interested. And the fish were a better grade as well. Rockfish will be another good option this weekend, especially with the flat water making it an easy run to Cape Mendocino for the Eureka boats. On the halibut front, there was reportedly a good bite happening on Tuesday and Wednesday, with quite a few fish being caught straight out of Eureka in 250 to 300 feet of water. And finally, not only is the ocean flat, it’s also warming up, which can only mean one thing — Tuna! Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters ran roughly 75 miles out of Eureka on Tuesday and boated 13 albacore and a 114-pound pound Opah as a bonus. If you’ve been waiting for weekend where targeting multiple species is a viable option, this would be it. An important reminder when combo fishing, the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. Once salmon are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to using barbless hooks (barbless circle hooks if fishing south of Horse Mountain) when fishing for other species. When targeting rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod, or once any of these species are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to fishing in waters shallower than 120 feet when fishing for other species.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions looks to be ideal for all types of fishing this weekend. Friday’s forecast is calling for south winds up to 5 knots and waves out of the west 3 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the northwest to 5 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday is looking flat as well, with winds out of the northwest to 5 knots and west waves 3 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Clam tides coming
Another round of minus tides begin on Sunday and will run through July 19. The lowest tide will be on the Wednesday at -1.0. With calm seas predicted into next week, the clamming could be good. Some decent reports have been coming from Clam Beach, where clamming is open between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach. The limit is 20, and you must retain the first 20 dug regardless of size or broken condition.

Report derelict crab gear
If any ocean fishermen come across old crab floats across the North Coast, there is a new program aimed at helping to remove old derelict crab gear. When you come across gear in which you believe is old, make a note of the GPS coordinates. From there you can enter the information into http://www.seadocsociety.org/report/ or you can email HASA at hasa6191@gmail.com and they’ll report and input the location for you.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Salmon, halibut, rockfish, and tuna – it’s all within reach and they are all biting. The past two days has seen the salmon action move north from the Eel River Canyon to a few miles above the entrance to Humboldt Bay. All the charters made the move as well, including Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing, who fished the canyon area on Monday and Tuesday. He said, “It was pretty good on Monday, but the bite slowed down on Tuesday. Overall the salmon fishing has been solid, with a one fish per rod average. Some days are better, some aren’t. It’s more of what you’d expect from a typical salmon season.” The lingcod bite at the Cape remains wide-open according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, who was there Monday and Tuesday. “Not much has changed down there, it’s been good the entire season and it’s still red-hot. The lings are biting just about anything, and limits are coming easily.” The halibut bite is also good, with calm seas and just the right amount of drift paying off nicely for those willing to put some time in. The tuna water was within reach from Fort Bragg to Crescent City, but the only positive report so far has come out Eureka.

Trinidad
“The report is basically the same as last week” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The lingcod bite continues to be outstanding and the rockfish are snapping just as good. Where you target the lings depends on the drift, if it’s not real fast, you can fish some spots out in deeper water that aren’t fished as heavily. The salmon bite was pretty slow this week; a few smaller fish were caught each day in 250-300 feet of water. A few halibut are being caught, but it might get a little better with the ocean being calm.”

Shelter Cove
The salmon bite turned on last weekend, and Captain Jared Morris of C’Mon Sport Fishing put in double limits of salmon to 30 pounds. He said, “The action is not hot and heavy, but we have been sticking at it for limits for 12 anglers to 26 pounds on Sunday.” The south wind was coming in on Sunday afternoon.  They were trolling hoochies and Pro-Troll E-lures for several bites, losing at least 14 fish to land the limits of salmon. He added, “A private boat was mooching for salmon on Sunday, and they landed limits of both salmon and Pacific halibut to 80 pounds.”

Crescent City
Not much has changed around here; the best action is still from the rockfish reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The lingcod bite continues to be over the top and the rockfish are biting as well. There’s been a couple salmon caught per day, but it’s not consistent. One or two fish here and there as it’s been all season. We did see a few halibut caught this week outside of the south reef with the biggest being 65-pounds.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Most of the salmon action continues to be in the estuary where trollers are hooking one to three per day. The cooler weather should help the water temps, which should move some of the salmon upriver as well as the summer steelhead.

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.

Batista Bregante from Santa Cruz smiles over a nice king caught on Wednesday out of Eureka with Green Water Fishing Adventures aboard Shellback. The salmon bite has really turned on the past few days, with most of the boats coming back to port with limits. Photo courtesy of Green Water Fishing Adventures

Free fishing day coming Saturday

The salmon bite is finally showing signs of life out of Eureka, and just in time for the holiday weekend. Kings started hitting the decks consistently on Sunday for the boats fishing south of Eureka on the edge of the Eel River canyon. This general area has produced a few fish this season, and it’s been stacked with krill and whales for quite a while now. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing found the hot spot on Sunday, and was able to bring 14 keepers over the rail in 45 minutes. Since then, all the charters and a handful of sport boats have been working over the same area with limits coming fairly easy the last couple days. It may not be as wide-open as the past few years, but it’s by far the best bite we’ve seen this year. It’s worth mentioning that the fish are coming deep, anywhere from 150 to 200 feet on the wire. Along with fish being caught off the canyon, a few have also been caught near the 43-line in 120 to 140 feet of water. There hasn’t been as many boats working this area, but word has it the fish have been a little bigger than those coming from canyon.

Weekend Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions might be challenging for the next couple days if the forecast holds. According to the National Weather Service, Friday’s marine forecast is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 knots and northwest swells 6 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday forecast is for west winds to 10 knots, with swells out of the northwest 6 feet at 9 seconds and southwest 2-feet at 16 seconds. Sunday’s forecast looks much better, with winds 5 to 10 knots out of the south. Swells will be west 2 feet at 4 seconds and northwest 5 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Statewide free fishing day
On Saturday July 4, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for abalone, steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information visit, https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Take a veteran fishing: Volunteers wanted
Purple Heart Anglers, made up of a group of volunteers who take disabled veterans into the outdoors to fish or hunt, are looking for volunteer fisherman to take a group of vets ocean fishing one Saturday this summer in Humboldt County. The dates they are shooting for are August 1, 8, or 15, with the ocean conditions dictating which day is chosen.

With this being the first trip in Humboldt County, the event will be open to all veterans, disabled or not. After the event, there will be a gathering at a local veteran’s hall or park for a big fish fry and potluck.

Purple Heart Anglers is a nonprofit, nonpolitical group that exists only to support disabled veterans with the therapeutic value of the outdoors. Purple Heart Anglers has one goal: to produce a program that aids in the healing of the disabled veterans of the United States Military. So nothing interferes with the job at hand, Purple Heart Anglers does not take help from corporations or any group wanting a commercial or advertising presence.

If you are willing and able to accommodate one or more veterans on your boat for a day, please call Marcus De La O at 707-726-9040 or email midpac@suddenlink.net to sign up.

Pacific Halibut season opened July 1
The recreational Pacific halibut seasoned opened back up on Wednesday, July 1 for boat-based anglers. For more information, please call the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline at 800-662-9825 or visit the Pacific Halibut webpage at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp.

Halibut carcasses wanted
Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) is again partnering with Humboldt State University Fisheries on a Pacific halibut study this season. Anybody with a halibut carcass is asked to contact HSU graduate student Miki Takada at 858-472-4938 and she will come to you to pick up the carcass (or they can be left in the halibut totes on Dock A and Dock D at Woodley Island Marina in Eureka.) This study will provide age, length, and sex data for halibut caught in our area compared to halibut caught in northern waters, and will provide important information about growth, productivity, and reproduction that will help inform Pacific halibut harvest management in California. Unfrozen carcasses (with as much of the gonads intact as possible) are preferred.

Eureka tuna run
With the ocean somewhat flat and the warm water within reach, a small fleet of boats went out of Eureka on Sunday in pursuit of tuna. Most of the boats ended up roughly 15 miles offshore of Punta Gorda, about 35 miles from the jaws. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing was one of the boats looking and reports the water color and temperature was good, but void of fish. Only one boat got into any sort of bite, Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters, who boated four albies. The next weather window is looking like next week, possibly beginning on Wednesday.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing, Matt Dallam of Northwind Charters along with Sepulveda and Klassen have been working the edge of the Eel River Canyon since Sunday, with pretty good results. It was quick limits on Monday and Tuesday for all, but the ocean roughed up a little on Wednesday and the going got a little tougher. Limits were still had, but they didn’t come as quickly as the previous two days. The salmon have been ranging in size from barely legals to 12-pounds, with the occasional bigger fish in the mix. A few boats have also had some success working around the 43-line off of Table Bluff. Not as many fish have been caught there, but the fish were reportedly a little bigger.
Though the ocean has been a little breezy for a run to the Cape, boats that fished it Sunday reported the ling bite is still on fire, and the black rockfish is wide-open as well. Not much has changed since the season opened.

Trinidad
The lingcod bite is really good, and getting better by the day reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The rockfish are still biting strong, but how many and how quickly you get them depends on the drift. Some days it doesn’t take long to catch what you need. The salmon bite hasn’t taken off yet, but my guess is it won’t be long. The crabbing is still pretty consistent, we’re able to give our customers their 10-crab limit almost every trip,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
According to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there isn’t much going on with salmon, but the lings and rockfish are still biting. He said, “I did hear of a couple salmon caught yesterday off the Sisters. One weighed 30 and the other 20 pounds, so there are a few around. There just isn’t much effort and there isn’t a lot of sign either. The ling cod continue to bite anything that swims and the rockfish action remains strong. The perch bite has also been real good down at South Beach when the oceans been nice.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
All the salmon action has taken place at the mouth this past week as not many fish are moving up river. Boats trolling spinners in the estuary have landed a few salmon.

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.

Joe Munoz of Redding landed a nice salmon out of Eureka earlier this week while fishing with Full Throttle Sport Fishing. The salmon season has yet to take off along the North Coast, but hopes are high the fish will show in big numbers in July and August. Photo courtesy of Full Throttle Sport Fishing

Abalone season closes June 30

As the effects of the ongoing drought continue to mount, the California Fish and Game Commission has put in place emergency regulations that give the CDFW the authority to temporarily close fisheries experiencing low, warm and oxygen depleted water conditions according to a press release issued on Monday by the California Dept. Of Fish and Wildlife.

The press release states that statewide, the water in many systems is likely to be inadequate to support fisheries as the summer progresses, resulting in impeded passage of spawning fish, increased vulnerability to mortality from predation and physiological stress, and increased angling harvest and/or hooking mortality.

The historically low water conditions will concentrate coldwater fish populations into shrinking pools of cold water habitat making them easy prey for illegal angling methods such as snagging, increased hooking mortality due to legal catch and release, over-harvest, as well as other human-related disturbances within their freshwater habitat.

To ensure that fisheries are protected under critical conditions stemming from the drought, the Department is proposing a set of triggers to guide fishing closure and reopening decisions. The Department’s decision to close or open a water will be based on the most current information available, collected by professional staff trained in the associated fields. Criteria for evaluating aquatic conditions are based on site-specific monitoring efforts with an emphasis on listed fish species, species of special concern, and gamefish.

Any water of the state not currently listed in Section 8.00 of these regulations (Section 8 refers to the Mad, Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole and Smith rivers & Redwood Creek) may be closed to fishing by the Department when the Director, or his or her designee, determines one or more of the following conditions have been met:

• Water temperatures in occupied habitat exceed 70° Fahrenheit for over eight hours a day for three consecutive days.
• Dissolved oxygen levels in occupied habitat drop below 5 mg/L for any period of time over three consecutive days.
• Fish passage is impeded or blocked for fish species that rely on migration as part of a life history trait.
• Water levels for ponds, lakes and reservoirs drop below 10% of their capacity.
• Adult breeding population levels are estimated to be below 500 individuals.

If and when these conditions are reversed, the department will re-open any closed waters.

Prior to any closure, CDFW will seek input from local stakeholders and provide information on the approach. CDFW will consider fishing closures as a last resort, and urges all those who fish California’s waters to adopt good preventative practices now.

For more information on the evaluation process and proper catch-and-release techniques, visit cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/emergency-fishery-evaluation-process-adopted-careful-angling-can-help-prevent-closures.

Marine forecast
The ocean is forecasted to be a little bumpy on Thursday and Friday, but the weekend looks much better. Out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots with NW swells 8 feet at 10 seconds. The weekend is looking much improved, with Saturday’s forecast calling for SW winds 10 to 20 knots and swells NW 5 feet at 10 seconds. The wind will shift on Sunday to the NW, with winds up to 5 knots. Swells will be 4 feet at 10 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. 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 or check out the bar cam located at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar.

Upcoming events:
July 1 – Northern California red abalone fishery closed through July 31. For more information, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp
July 4 – Free Fishing Day, statewide. On this day, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. Every angler must have the appropriate report card if fishing for steelhead, sturgeon, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River systems. For more information, visit http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

The Oceans:
Eureka
A few salmon are being caught out of Eureka, but it has yet to catch fire. Both Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing and Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing found some good looking water off the Eel River canyon on Tuesday. The place was loaded with whales and krill, but the bite never materialized for either boat. On the way back from the Cape, where both captains limited on rockfish, Blasi and Klassen dropped the gear just south of Centerville on another fishy patch of birds and bait. Each got bit, but nothing landed. That seems to be the story of the season so far; everything is here but the salmon. “There are a lot of different types of water conditions out there right now, and the temps are all over the place. The fish will show up at some point, the question is where and how many,” said Klassen.
On the other hand, rockfish and lingcod bite continues to be unbelievable at Cape Mendocino. The weather has been decent enough for most boats to get there and it looks like the weather will again cooperate this weekend. A nice plan B for most years, the Cape has been the place to be with the salmon fishing yet to take off.

Trinidad
The rockfish and lingcod bite remain wide-open reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters out of Trinidad. He said, “It’s been real good right out front around Flat Iron, there hasn’t been a real big need to travel far. There’s been quite a few fish in the 25 to 27-inch range, as well as fish up to 25-pounds. As for salmon, I heard of about 10 caught on Tuesday, with a couple boats getting limits. Hopefully we’ll start to see a few more show up.”

Crescent City
Rockfish is about the only bite going on right now, and it’s wide-open according to Chris Hinges of Crescent City’s England Marine. “There’s very little salmon fishing happening now, even though there’s quite a bit of bait around. They just don’t seem to be here yet, but I did hear of a pretty good bite happening up into Oregon,” said Hegnes. The rockfish, and especially the lingcod, has been as good as it gets. The Sisters has been one of the better spots from what I’ve heard,” Hegnes added.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Springer fishing has come to a standstill on the Klamath, with very few boats still sitting on the anchor. The majority of the action has taken place at the mouth of the river, where fish have been moving in and out due to the warm river water temperatures.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and 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.