As has been the case for the past few years, the North Coast is once again looking at another phenomenal salmon season — at least on paper. We should find out just how many fish are around come Saturday morning, that is if the weather cooperates.

The recreational salmon season will open from Horse Mountain south to the U.S. – Mexico border this Saturday, April 4. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council has forecasted 652,000 Sacramento River salmon to be swimming in the ocean along with another 423,000 Klamath River salmon — over a million in all. That’s the good news. The bad news is the ocean may not be fishable out of Shelter Cove or Fort Bragg over the weekend. As of Wednesday, winds were forecasted to blow from 10 to 20 knots on Saturday with NW waves 4 feet at 7 seconds and 9 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday is looking slightly better with a W wind predicted at 5 to 10 knots. Waves will be out of the NW 8 feet at 11 seconds. Visit http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-123.82128&lat=39.44792 for an up-to-date marine forecast.

The launch at Shelter Cove will have one tractor running over the weekend according to Pat O’ Shea, who’s running the launch service this year. Only expecting a few boats out on the opener, launching will begin at 8:00 a.m. and he’d like to have everyone back in the harbor no later than 5 p.m. The cost is $30 for boats under 20 feet and $40 for boats over 20 feet.
The daily bag limit will remain at two Chinook salmon, but as of last year, the salmon possession limit is two daily bag limits in possession when on land; however, when on a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, except for the third alternative. This recommends a 20-inch size limit through April 30, then 24 inches thereafter. For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length.

The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through a couple dates in November. The various alternatives can be found at www.pcouncil.org and will be finalized at the PFMC meeting in Rohnert Park, CA on April 10-16.

The sport opener for water above Horse Mountain – the KMZ – will be determined at the same meeting. Currently, three options are on the table for Humbug Mountain (OR) to Horse Mountain (which includes Humboldt County).

1. May 1 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, 20-inch minimum size.
2. May 9 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, 20-inch minimum size.
3. May 22 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, 24-inch minimum size.

All options would be for all salmon except Coho, with fishing allowed seven days per week.

Perch’n on the Peninsula coming April 18
The Samoa Peninsula Fire District will be hosting their 6th Annual Perch’n on the Peninsula Surfperch Fishing Tournament and Fish Fry Fundraiser on April 18, 2015.

The fishing tournament begins at sunrise with the check-in deadline at 2:00 p.m., prize presentations will begin at 2:30 p.m. with the fish fry beginning at High Noon. The fish fry fundraiser is open to the public and admission is only $10.00 for Adults and $5.00 for Juniors. Children 6 and under get in free. Adult fishing tournament entry is $20.00 and Junior entry (under 16) is $10.00. Your fishing tournament entry includes admission to the fish fry fundraiser and one door prize entry.

Tournament day registration is available at the Peninsula Elementary School in Samoa beginning at 6 a.m. or you can pre-register at Mad River Bait, Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters, Englund Marine, or RMI Outdoors in Eureka.

Fishing tournament prizes include guided fishing trips and gear donated by Sweet Trinity Guide Service, Northwind Charters, Patricks Point Charters, Wind Rose Charters, Steve Huber Guide Service, Coastline Charters, Pacific Outfitters and RMI Outdoors. For more information, contact Dom at (707) 273-1087 or visit http://www.samoafire.org/#!blank/c1757.

Freshwater Lagoon trout plants
According to the CDFW website, weekly trout plants are scheduled for Freshwater Lagoon through April 12. For more information, visit http://www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants or call (530) 225-2146.

Steelhead river closures
Except for the main stem of the Eel, Trinity, Klamath and the Smith, all other coastal rivers, including the Chetco, closed to fishing on March 31. The main stem Eel, from Fulmor Road to the South Fork, will remain open until September 30. Only artificial lures can be used, no bait. The Smith River, from its mouth to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, will be open through April 30. Barbless hooks are required and bait is legal. The Klamath and Trinity rivers are open year-round. For up-to-date regulations, be sure to pick up the 2014-2015 supplement or visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations.

The Rivers:
Main Stem Eel
The recent rain added a little color back to the main stem, but it is back to low and clear conditions. As of Wednesday, it was running at 1,400 cfs on the Scotia gauge. A few boats were out last weekend and averaged between three to five fish.

Smith River
The Smith is also back to low and clear, flowing at 2,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge as of Wednesday. Very few boats are still trying, but there should be plenty of spawned-out fish making their way down as well as some fresh ones around.

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

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and 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.

Abalone season opens Wednesday

The heavy rain that fell early this week was certainly a nice little bonus for our rivers, and in more ways than one. First, the extra flows will help pave the way for the spawned out steelhead as they make their way back to the ocean. Most of the coastal rivers have been extremely low and clear for some time, and this added bit of water is just what they’ve been waiting for to begin their migration back to the salt. It will also give anglers who haven’t had their fill of winter steelhead fishing another real good opportunity to wet a line. The northern most rivers like the Chetco and Smith received the bulk of the rain, and the flows soared to heights we haven’t seen since January. The Smith blew out on Tuesday, but was rounding back into shape on Wednesday. The Chetco, which peaked at over 12,000 cfs, was dropping quickly and should be fishing by Thursday. Here in Humboldt, all of the rivers, except for the north-south running Eel, saw some decent flow increases and may fish by the weekend. This could well be your last chance for winter steelhead this season. I’d suggest you take full advantage, I know I will.

As a reminder, the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Chetco will all close to fishing next Tuesday, March 31. River regulations can be found at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations

Weekend weather
Other than a couple weak systems to our north, we’ll be dry through the end of the month says Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. He said, “The first system will come through on Friday night and might drop a tenth of an inch in the Smith basin. Another weak storm north of Klamath is forecasted for Monday night into Tuesday and could bring another tenth of an inch. Neither of these storms is going to bring much precipitation.”

Freshwater Lagoon trout plants
According to the CDFW website, the first trout plants of the season took place last Sunday, March 22 at Freshwater Lagoon. The next plants are scheduled for March 29 and April 5. For more information, visit http://www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants or call (530) 225-2146.

Abalone season opens April 1
Abalone season will open on Wednesday, April 1 along the North Coast from the San Francisco Bay north. New regulations effective in 2014 closed parts of Fort Ross State Historical Park to the take of abalone. For a map of the closed area, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=42101&inline=true

2015 regulations for breath-hold divers

Season and times: The season runs from April 1st through November, excluding the month of July. Diving is legal from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset.

What you’ll need:

1) Fishing license (not required for 15 years old and younger)

2) Abalone report card, which costs $22.42. (Must be in your possession while diving. Also required for those 15 years or younger.)

3) Fixed caliper measuring device

Limit and size restrictions: Three per day, three in possession and no more than 18 per year. Only 9 may be taken from Sonoma and Marin counties. Must be seven inches or larger. You must keep any legal abalone you pull from a rock and if it is not legal, you must stick it back on the same rock from where it came. Only your hand or a legal abalone iron can be used to pry them from the rocks.

General regulations: As soon as you get out of the water or step foot in a boat, you must tag your abalone. The tag needs to go through the siphon holes and held together with some type of string or zip tie. The shell cannot be removed until preparation begins for cooking or eating. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco saw a steep rise on Tuesday, topping out at over 12,000 cfs. As quickly as it rose, it was back on the drop. It was flowing at 4,600 cfs on Wednesday afternoon and is predicted to be back down below 2,000 cfs by Friday. The high water should have put the downers on the move as well as brought in some of the last fresh fish.

Smith River
After nearly a 10-foot rise on Tuesday, the Smith was dropping back into fishable shape on Wednesday. Flows were just under 10.5-feet as of Wednesday evening and conditions should be excellent through the weekend. A good number of downers mixed in with some fresh ones could make for a great weekend of fishing. The main stem Smith from the mouth to the forks will remain open to fishing through April 30. 

Eel River (main stem)
The rain added some color to the main stem, and it really looks good reports Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “It was a little dirty in the Rio Dell area on Wednesday, but it should clear up quickly. The color up river looks perfect. It could be a real great weekend,” said Grundman.

Eel River (South Fork)
Flows on the South Fork didn’t change a whole lot with the rain, going from roughly 500 cfs to 750 cfs at Miranda. It likely put some fish on the move, but there aren’t many, if any, people still fishing. Reports have been hard to come by.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen went from under 100 cfs to over 1,300 cfs on Tuesday, turning the river brown. It was back down to 700 cfs on Wednesday and dropping quickly, but it may not clear by the weekend. It will depend on some of the larger creeks upriver and how fast they clear.

Mad River
The Mad jumped from 6 to nearly 10-feet from this week’s storm and might be done for the year reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. He said, “The river is muddy and dropping slowly due to the water spilling over from Ruth dam. My guess is it won’t clear enough before the season ends next week.”

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.

KMZ salmon season alternatives on the table

With a hefty ocean abundance of adult salmon forecasted for this fall, all signs point towards another healthy season here on the North Coast. According to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 652,000 Sacramento and 423,000 Klamath fall Chinook are said to be swimming in the ocean, which will provide ample opportunities for both sport and commercial fishermen, while still meeting the minimum spawning goals of both rivers.

Based on these forecasts, the PFMC last week released three preliminary alternatives for managing salmon fisheries from Humbug Mountain (OR) to Horse Mountain (which includes Humboldt County), any of which should keep local anglers smiling and happy.

The three alternatives are:

1. May 1 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, Chinook only, 20-inch minimum size.
2. May 9 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, Chinook only, 20-inch minimum size.
3. May 22 to Sept. 7, two fish per day, seven days a week, Chinook only, 24-inch minimum size.

Final recommendations will be made at their next meeting in Rohnert Park, CA on April 10-16.

Klamath/Trinity fall salmon quotas increase in 2015
Not only will the ocean anglers benefit from the large forecasted salmon population, the Klamath and Trinity quotas are on the upswing as well. The recreational allocations, or quotas, as proposed by the PFMC will range from 13,377 to 13,909 adult fall Chinook in 2015, which is about 3-times the size of last year’s quotas, which was 4,168. In 2014, the daily bag limit was three Chinook, of which only one could be an adult. With a much higher return predicted this year, my guess we’ll see another adult added to the daily bag limit. These numbers are not final, next step is public review with a decision coming from the Fish and Game Commission meeting on April 10-16. Once the quota is agreed upon, 50 percent will go to the lower Klamath basin, 17 percent to the upper basin, and 33 percent will be allocated for the Trinity River. When adopted, these quotas will go into effect August 15, 2015. For more information, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Table_2_Prelim_Council_Adopted_Rec_Alts.pdf.

Weekend weather
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, expect to see some rain beginning Friday evening and lasting overnight with showers through Saturday morning. “Totals aren’t going to be much, up to three-quarters in the Smith basin and maybe a half-inch in Humboldt. The next storm is looking a little stronger and will arrive Sunday evening. Rain will be off and on through Monday, with showers on Tuesday. Rainfall totals will range from an inch to an inch and three-quarters in Del Norte and one inch to an inch and a half in Humboldt,” added Kennedy.

Upcoming steelhead river closures
Except for the main stem of the Eel, Trinity, Klamath and the Smith, all other coastal rivers, including the Chetco, will be closed to fishing after March 31. The main stem Eel, from Fulmor Road to the South Fork, will remain open until September 30. Only artificial lures can be used, no bait. The Smith River, from its mouth to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, will be open through April 30. Barbless hooks are required and bait is legal. The Klamath and Trinity rivers are open year-round. For up-to-date regulations, be sure to pick up the 2014-2015 supplement or visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations.

Shelter Cove/Fort Bragg salmon season to open April 4
The recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain, Humboldt County south to the U.S. – Mexico border will open on Saturday, April 4. The daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except Coho. Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the minimum size limit is 20 inches total length for two of the three alternatives, the other is 20 inches through April 30, 24 inches thereafter. For areas south of Point Arena, the minimum size limit is 24 inches total length. The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through various dates in Sept, Oct, or Nov. The alternatives can be found at http://www.pcouncil.org and will be finalized at the PFMC meeting on April 10-16 in Rohnert Park.

Razor clam tides are coming
A set of minus tides will begin this Saturday, March 21 and run through March 24. The low tides will be in the morning, which is usually the best time if the ocean is rough. This year, Little River Beach is open to razor clamming between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach. In Del Norte County, the beach north of Battery Point is open to clamming. The limit is 20 clams and you must keep the first 20 dug regardless of size or broken condition. For tide information, visit http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/californiasites.html#humboldt

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco jumped to just over 2,000 cfs on Sunday and fished pretty well on Monday according to reports. Only a handful of boats took advantage of the increased flows as the fishing pressure continues to be light. As of Wednesday, flows were back to 780 cfs and dropping.

Smith River
The Smith fished pretty good earlier in the week reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “I fished it on Monday and it was pretty good, we hooked eight. We didn’t see a lot of fresh ones around, but there were plenty of downers willing to bite.” After jumping to 3,450 cfs on Monday, it was quick to drop and is back down to 1,600 cfs.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem is low and clear according to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “I’m sure there are some fish around, both downers and fresh ones, but you’ll need to be stealthy to get them,” said Grundman. The main stem was flowing at just 1,640 cfs on Wednesday.

Eel River (South Fork)
As of Wednesday, flows were 550 cfs on the Miranda gauge and not a whole lot to report. Fishing pressure has diminished along with the flows.

Van Duzen
Hovering just above 100 cfs, a few bank anglers are still giving it a go according to Grundman. “I haven’t heard if anyone is catching fish, but I’m sure there are a few around,” Grundman said.

Mad River
The Mad is low and clear, but a few fish are still being caught according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. He said, “Most of the fish are being caught around the Blue Lake bridge as that’s one of the few deep holes left. The fish that are being caught have mostly been wild downers, with a few fresh ones mixed in. I haven’t heard of any hatchery fish being caught in awhile.”

Trinity
Most of the activity has centered around the Junction City area, where you’ll still find a crowd on the weekends. Lots of half-pounders, small adults, and downers are being reported, which is typical for March.

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.

Ocean salmon numbers look promising

March can be a great time of the year for coastal steelhead anglers. The weather is great, the crowds have thinned, and there’s typically plenty of steelhead around to make for a fun day. This is certainly the case right now, and you probably won’t hear a lot of complaints. But these spring-like conditions have been with us for a good part of the winter steelhead season. Fishing in t-shirts, lathered in sunscreen in the middle of February just seemed wrong. But we’re right back there again, the dry weather pattern that’s been sitting over the North Coast for the past few weeks has once again created low and clear conditions for most the local rivers. The Smith and Chetco have become wastelands while we wait for the next rainfall. The Mad, Van Duzen, and Redwood Creek are all low and clear too. But there may be a glimmer of hope for some of the wet stuff. A change in the weather pattern is taking place next week, and we may see some heavier rain by the weekend. I for one would be happy to pull the rain gear out of storage and pretend its winter all over again.

Salmon abundant off the North Coast
Despite all the talk of drought and low water conditions, it appears the North Coast will have another solid ocean salmon season in 2015. The PFMC held their annual salmon abundance meeting last Thursday in Santa Rosa, where discussions centered on in-river data from the 2014 season and to project the number of salmon swimming in coastal waters in 2015. What the data revealed — at least for the Sacramento and Klamath — is another bumper crop of adult salmon. The PFMC projected an ocean population of 652,000 Sacramento and another 423,800 Klamath River salmon. The majority of California’s ocean and inland fisheries come from these two runs.

These abundance forecasts, which are higher than last year, will be used over the next few months to set sport and commercial fishing season lengths, sport and commercial quotas, and size and bag limits.

Next up, the PFMC is set to meet March 6-12 in Vancouver, WA to consider its recommendations for the length of this year’s salmon season, with a final decision to come later in the spring. For more information on this meeting, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/council-operations/council-meetings/current-meeting.

To view the PFMC Preseason Stock Abundance Analysis and
Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2015 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/stock-assessment-and-fishery-evaluation-safe-documents/preseason-reports/2015-preseason-report-i/

Weekend Weather
We won’t see a change in our current weather pattern until next Tuesday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We should see light showers beginning Tuesday with possibly a quarter inch accumulation through Thursday. As of now, the forecast is calling for heavier rain to hit Friday night through the weekend, but that can certainly change,” Kennedy added.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco is down to 575 cfs as of Wednesday and is pretty much void of anglers. Right now it’s too low and clear to fish effectively. A good shot of rain is needed to bring in some new fish and get the old ones moving down.

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear, but there are a few fish around reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “There’s very little fishing pressure at the moment, you may see a one or two boats a day. There are some fish being caught, but conditions are tough. When we do get some rain, the fishing should bust wide-open as the downers are all waiting for some water.”

Eel River (main stem)
The water and color are just about perfect on the main stem according to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. He said, “The river looks great and there are some fish being caught. Even though conditions are good, the boat pressure has really died down.”

Eel River (South Fork)
According to Darren Brown of Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville, there aren’t many anglers still fishing the South Fork. “It’s definitely low and clear, but you can still catch fish in the deeper slots. If you’re looking for a place to fly fish, conditions are perfect. Most of the boats have moved down towards the forks and into the main this week,” Brown added.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the Van Duzen is low, but still has decent color. “It should be good for bank fishermen, but it would be tough to drift,” Grundman added.

Mad River
Most of the fish are still being caught above the hatchery reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors of Eureka. “There’s a few fresh fish being caught, but it’s mostly downers now. The fish are sitting in some of the deeper holes as the river is really low and clear. The fishing pressure has really dwindled as well,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity
According to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service, the upper Trinity is clear and the sunny-day conditions are making it tough. “There’s a pretty good hatch going on now, so the fly fishermen are doing well. There aren’t a lot of big winter adults up high, but we are seeing some smaller adults as well as some downers. Most of the boats are in the Junction City area where some of the bigger creeks are still flowing.” Huber added.

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

Positive Outlook for 2015 Ocean Salmon Fishing Season

At the annual salmon informational meeting held in Santa Rosa today, state and federal fishery scientists presented encouraging news for sport and commercial salmon anglers. Forecasts suggest there are 652,000 adult Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon in the ocean this year, along with 423,800 adults from the Klamath River fall run. Fish from these runs comprise the vast majority of salmon taken in California’s ocean and inland fisheries.

These forecasts, which were higher than last year, will be used over the next few months by fishery managers to set sport and commercial fishing season dates, commercial quotas, and size and bag limits.

“The forecasts are encouraging and suggest that California fisheries may see salmon seasons in 2015 that have increased opportunities over last year,” said Melodie Palmer-Zwahlen, a senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Chinook salmon that will be harvested in ocean fisheries in 2015 hatched 2-4 years ago and, as a result, have not been highly impacted by California’s drought. Starting next year, it is anticipated that future ocean salmon fishing opportunities may be impacted by the ongoing drought.

Season dates and other regulations will be developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and California Fish and Game Commission over the next few months. For more information on the salmon season setting process or general ocean salmon fishing information, please visit the Ocean Salmon Project website at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/oceansalmon.asp, or call the salmon fishing hotline at (707) 576-3429.

Media Contacts:
Jennifer Simon, CDFW Ocean Salmon Project, (707) 576-2878
Andrew Hughan, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8944 

Kirsten Macintyre, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8988

Klamath preliminary numbers for 2014

In-River run size (average run size since 2000 138,480)
160,444 adults
22,348 jacks
182,792 total

 Sport Harvest
5,277 adults
3,361 jacks
8,638 total

Net Harvest
25,912 adults
348 jacks
34,898 total

Trinity River Hatchery returns
6,975 adults
221 jacks

Iron Gate Hatchery returns
24,300 adults
1,039 jacks

So much for last year being a down year on the Klamath. Turns out the number of fall Klamath River adult kings returning to the river was much higher than originally predicted. According to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC), who recently completed their preliminary stock assessment evaluation, 160,444 adults returned along with 22,348 jacks, or two year-old kings. The predicted run size was 92,800. The increase in returns allowed for a whopping 95,330 natural spawners, which is roughly 234 percent of what’s required. Based on the number of jacks that returned, which is used as one of the factors in predicting next year’s run, we should be in for another good year on the Klamath. Last year’s sport quota for the entire Klamath Basin was 4,128 adults, which was based on the 92,800 run size. Looking at the actual numbers, we could see a much higher sport quota in 2015.

Iron Gate Hatchery on the upper Klamath also saw a spike in returning adults. On an average year, roughly 15,000 will return. In 2014, 24,300 returned. Add in another 6,975 that returned to the Trinity River Hatchery, and we’re about 7,000 fish over the 35-year average for both hatcheries combined.

The upper Klamath tributaries, including the Salmon, Scott, and Shasta Rivers, also saw an increase in the returning salmon. The Shasta River has historically been the most important Chinook salmon spawning stream in the upper Klamath River, supporting a spawning escapement of 27,600 adults as recently as 2012 and 63,700 in 1935. The escapement in 2014 to the Shasta River was 14,412 adults. Escapement to the Salmon and Scott Rivers was 2,706 and 10,419 adults, respectively.

Next up is the annual Salmon Information meeting, which was being held today in Santa Rosa. Ocean abundance will be discussed, which will then trickle down to river quotas. To view the ocean salmon fishery report, visit www.pcouncil.org/wp content/uploads/salsafe2014_FullDocument.pdf.

PFMC set to meet March 6-12
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet March 6-12, 2015 in Vancouver, Washington to address issues related to salmon, Pacific halibut, highly migratory species, ecosystem based management, and habitat matters.On the agenda are the alternatives for the 2015 ocean salmon fisheries for public review.

Trinity steelhead, salmon tags worth cash
If you’ve been successful catching steelhead and salmon on the Trinity River, a $10-50 reward could be yours. All you need to do is return your fish tags this season according to a press release issued Wednesday by the CDFW. Of the more than 4,500 fish that were tagged, 3,000 are eligible for a cash reward.

CDFW uses information gathered from the tags applied to Chinook, coho and steelhead in the Trinity River system to calculate harvest and help biologists estimate population size of steelhead and salmon runs. Only tags returned to CDFW in the same season they are obtained can be used in estimates. The timely return of tags to CDFW is critical because the data is also needed for the annual season setting process.

Reward tags are clearly marked, though any tag returned is appreciated. The information non-reward tags are equally important to the process.  When the tag is returned, CDFW will send you information about where and when your fish was tagged, in addition to any reward for which you might qualify. For more information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/north-coast-anglers-could-be-rewarded-for-returning-fish-tags-in-timely-manner.

Weekend Weather
We’ll be seeing periods of light rain beginning Thursday evening according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. He said, “Thursday and Friday we’ll see some showers and they’ll start to taper off on Saturday. Another weak system will bring a few showers on Monday. Del Norte could see anywhere from a half to an inch of rain from Thursday through Saturday while Humboldt may see a quarter to a half. The rainfall totals will definitely be less as you move south.”

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide reports the Chetco continues to drop. “It is very low and very clear. There are very few fish being caught really, with mostly downrunners. We’re hoping for rain, which might bring a little blast of March fish,” Early added. As of Wednesday, flows were down to 860 cfs.

Smith River
The Smith is low, clear, and snaggy. There were a few steelhead caught during last weeks derby, but not many. Most of the action has been below the 199 bridge fishing in the slots and wherever there’s broken water. The rain coming this weekend isn’t predicted to put much of a rise in the river.

Eel River (main stem)
Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem Eel has good color, but is still a little on the pushy side. “I’ve seen a couple boats fishing from Rio Dell down, so I know it’s fishable. As the water drops, the fishing should only get better,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is in great shape and has been fishing down to the forks since the weekend. Boats are reporting between 2 and 6 hookups per trip.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the Van Duzen has been fishing since Sunday, though reports have been hard to come by. As of Wednesday, flows were down to 250 cfs and it was clearing quickly.

Mad River
The Mad is green and in perfect shape reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. He said, “From what I’m hearing, there isn’t a lot of fresh hatchery fish in the river. The best action has been above the hatchery where most of the fish being caught are not clipped. Roe along with jigs under bobbers have been the go to baits.”

Upper Trinity
According to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service, the Trinity is in great shape, with the water levels and color being just about perfect. The river has some fresh fish in the system as well as a group of downrunners too. Your best bet will be in the morning or late in the afternoon. All methods are working; from roe, plugs, nightcrawlers to flies. The warm sunny weather is nice, but it’s not steelhead weather,” Huber added.

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

 

 

by Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast

More dry weather on the horizon

In a draft proposal published on their website, the Hoopa Valley Tribe is planning to conduct a selective fishery using a weir and targeting Trinity River Hatchery Coho salmon beginning in mid-October and running through November of 2015. The selective fishery will occur within the exterior boundaries of the Hoopa Valley Reservation with an overall harvest impact of no more than 10,000 adult hatchery Coho salmon identified by the absence of the right maxillary bone.

The plan anticipates full mitigation at Trinity River Hatchery and near full exploitation of hatchery Coho salmon. Conservation of non-hatchery-origin (“natural”) Coho is affected through (1) selective removal of hatchery adults while passing natural Coho salmon upstream, and (2) a sorting weir in vicinity of Lewiston for regulating presence of hatchery spawners and collecting natural brood stock for use at TRH.

The need for mitigation at TRH arose with creation of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project in California including construction of the Trinity and Lewiston dams that divert a substantial portion of the river’s flow to the Central Valley of California for agricultural, and municipal and industrial uses. Lewiston Dam, completed in 1963, is the upstream limit of anadromy, blocking access to 109 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat in the upper river (including significant reaches of Coho salmon habitat rated with high intrinsic potential by NOAA 2012). The Trinity River Hatchery was constructed at the base of Lewiston Dam to mitigate for the loss of anadromous fish habitat above TRD. The hatchery is located at river mile 110 near the town of Lewiston in Trinity County.

The logistics of the plan include:

1. Weir would be deployed at a point nearest the Hoopa South boundary to avoid interactions with the gill net fishery. This reach also has favorable characteristics for weir deployment such as minimal valley constraint, relatively shallow contour and gravel substrate.
2. Dates for operation are approximately October 20 through November 30. Installation date could vary to minimize conflict with the tribal member gill net fishery.
3. Hours of weir operation are 24 hours each day.
4. The weir will be operated by Hoopa Valley Tribal Members engaged in private contract with the HVTC (9 weeks total, which includes 1 week for installing, 6 weeks of fishing, one week for removal and storage). Contract fishers will observe a rotation of three-8-hour shifts with 4 fishers per shift.
5. Hoopa Tribal Fisheries Department staff will monitor and provide scientific support only during harvest and possible weir installation.
6. Fish will be captured in the weir “corral”, marked fish will be removed to totes on trailers and unmarked fish will be delivered back to the river for upstream migration.

To view the entire plan, visit https://www.hoopa-nsn.gov/news/fisheries-dept-releases-draft-2015-coho-management-plan.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, expect to see dry conditions until at least next Friday along the North Coast. “The ridge of high pressure has settled in, but it looks like we may have a change in the pattern on the 27th,” Kennedy added.

Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby this weekend
If you plan on heading to the Smith or Chetco this weekend, keep in mind Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead Derby is taking place Friday and Saturday. A total of 22 teams, consisting of 44 boats will be splitting time between the two rivers.

CDFW to Hold Public Meeting on Ocean Salmon Fisheries
The Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites the public to attend its upcoming annual ocean salmon information meeting. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented, in addition to the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/salmonpreseason.asp or contact Kandice Morgenstern at (707) 576-2879 or kandice.morgenstern@wildlife.ca.gov.

The Rivers:

Chetco River
According to Guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service, conditions have really changed on the Chetco in the past week. She said, “We are now low and clear with very little flow even though the cfs is still decent. The way the river moved around (gravel bars) caused a bit less flow in a few of the flats. This weekend will be tough fishing ­— made even a bit tougher with the 22 teams for the Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery derby. It’s time for stealth methods and most importantly, you’ll need to stay off the fish as they are pretty spooky.” 

Smith River
The steelhead action has been slow for most of the guides on the Smith this week with scores ranging from zero to 3 adults per trip. The clear conditions certainly aren’t helping, and with no rain in the foreseeable future, fishing will remain tough. The river is dropping slowly, and was flowing at just above 8-feet on Wednesday evening.

Eel River (main stem)
Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem Eel was starting to turn, and the edges are starting to clear. “The Scotia area will be marginal this weekend,” said Grundman.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is in great shape from Benbow down to just above the Landsdale area, though the reports from Wednesday were it was pretty tough fishing. It should fish down to the forks by late in the weekend.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is fishable, but the lower end is still slightly off color according to Grundman. “The river conditions above Yager Creek should be great, but the bottom was still a little milky, but fishable.” Grundman added.

Mad River
The Mad is just starting to drop into shape, with about of foot of visibility as of Wednesday according to reports. Quite a few anglers were on the water Wednesday, but very few fish were hooked. There’s a good possibility the last big rise flushed the majority of the fish back to the ocean. We should have a good idea how many fish are around this weekend as the river should be green and bait-fishable.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports the upper Trinity is in great shape and the mud coming from the lake has cleared. “I fished it over the weekend and the water is nice and green, but still a little on the high side. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of winter fish up high, but the half-pounders are plentiful. There’s been quite a bit of effort in the Junction City area, which is probably where most of the adults are being caught,” Huber said.

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

After last weekends large storm blew out and turned to mud every North Coast river from Piercy to Brookings, steelhead anglers were back to square one this week — aka the Smith River. The quick-clearing Smith went from near monitor stage over the weekend to emerald green and driftable by Wednesday. And it certainly drew a crowd, which tends to happen when you’re the only game in town. The good news is the Chetco will be right behind it and should be in fishable shape by Friday, relieving some of the boat pressure from the Smith. The top end of the South Fork Eel and Trinity could come into play by late this weekend, with the Mad, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen, and main Eel all rounding into fishable shape sometime next week. In the meantime, if steelhead fishing is part of your weekend itinerary, the Smith and Chetco will be your best bet.

Weekend Weather
After last weekend’s storm, we’re in for a bit of a dry spell for the next several days according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “As of Wednesday, I don’t see any change in the pattern until possibly next Wednesday. The ridge of high pressure is pushing all the storms to the north and will continue to do so until next week,” Kennedy added.

CDFW Wins Lawsuit Defending Attack on Hatcheries
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) was victorious in the Third District Court of Appeal on Tuesday when the court upheld the agency’s statewide Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on its hatchery and fish stocking program according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

The release stated that in 2006, CDFW embarked on a years-long, multimillion dollar public process to create the statewide EIR for the hatchery and stocking program, which had been providing recreational fishing opportunities along with economic opportunities for related businesses to California’s anglers for more than 100 years.

Once it was completed and filed in January of 2010, two groups attacked the EIR and the CDFW program in Superior Court alleging that the EIR was insufficient under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) standards. They lost that case and then appealed that loss. Yesterday, the court found that the measures adopted by CDFW in 2010 are comprehensive and sufficiently protective of the state’s natural resources while providing recreational opportunities to anglers. The court found for CDFW and against the plaintiffs on all CEQA allegations. This victory by CDFW means hatchery operations will continue to benefit anglers across the state without further modifications, unless the losing parties choose to appeal. For more information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/cdfw-wins-lawsuit-defending-attack-on-hatcheries.

CDFW salmon meeting coming Feb. 26
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Annual Salmon Information meeting will be held Feb. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa. The public is invited to attend CDFW’s annual meeting on the status of California salmon populations and the outlook for 2015 ocean salmon fisheries. For more information, please contact Kandice Morgenstern at 707-576-2879 or kandice.morgenstern@wildlife.ca.gov.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco was still big as of Wednesday, flowing at 6,700 cfs in the afternoon. Reportedly there was less than a foot of visibility, meaning it probably won’t be driftable until Friday. There was no shortage of plunkers on the river, but reports were hard to come by.

Smith River
The Smith dropped back into driftable shape on Wednesday, and the scores were all over the place reports guide Mike Coopman. “It was hard to tell if there were a lot of fish around. We had a really good day, but some of the other boats had a tough go. It’s possible there weren’t a lot of fish around and we just happened to get our baits in the right spots. The river is in great shape, and the fishing should only get better once more of the boats move over to the Chetco,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem is a longs ways from fishable reports Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “I’m guessing it’s going to be at least another 10 days before the main is fishable. If the weather remains dry, it might be good next weekend,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
According to Grundman, the top of the south fork, above the East Branch, could be fishable by the weekend. The Sylvandale area should drop in early next week.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen above Yager Creek could fish sometime late in the weekend reports Grundman. “Below Yager should come around later in the week, but it will probably still be a little high.” Grundman added.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the Mad won’t turn green until probably the middle of next week. It’s still running at over 10-feet with water still coming over the Ruth spillway, so it’s not dropping quickly. It will fish best once it get’s down to 7.5 feet,” Kelly said.

Upper Trinity
The water is a little high and dirty in the Douglas City area reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The lake is still pushing out muddy water, but it should be a decent color by the weekend. It’s been real quiet since last weekends storm, but that should change this weekend. The Junction City area is looking real good, the waters nice and green. The last big rise should have moved a bunch of fish around, it could be good fishing,” Huber said.

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