Current Fishing Reports

Rivers predicted to blow out on Thursday afternoon
After an extremely dry January, it’s hard not to get excited when you start hearing the terms “atmospheric river” and “pineapple express” being tossed around by the local weather folks. A quick system blew through the coast earlier in the week, dropping more rain than predicted and putting just about all the North Coast rivers on the rise, albeit temporarily. But that was just a prelude to the real story. According to reports, we’re in for quite the deluge between Thursday morning and Monday afternoon. Higher elevations in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties could see up to 12 inches of rain, while the low-lying areas could see five to seven. Steelhead fishing on the coastal rivers will likely come to a halt by Thursday afternoon, leaving quick-clearing rivers like the Smith and Chetco unfishable over the weekend. If the second shot of rain hits on Sunday, both aren’t likely to fish until mid-week. The South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad probably won’t turn green until late next week, and it will be even longer for the main Eel and Klamath. As for the weekend fishing opportunities, the upper reaches of the Trinity might be your only option.

Weekend Weather
It’s certainly no secret we’re in for quite a bit of rain over the next few days. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the heaviest precipitation will fall between Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. According to Kennedy, there will be lulls in between the systems, and the second good shot of rain will hit us on Sunday. Off and on rain is predicted through Monday afternoon. “Rainfall totals in the Crescent City area are expected to be between six to seven inches, with the mountains seeing up to 10 to 12 inches. Here in Humboldt, five to eight inches is predicted to fall with the higher elevations potentially seeing upwards of 12 inches,” Kennedy added.

Humboldt Steelhead Days awards dinner on Feb. 7
The two-week long steelhead celebration will come to a close this Saturday with an awards dinner catered by Blackberry Bramble BBQ. The dinner will be held at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for participants with their HSD ticket. Anglers who sent in their steelhead photos will be entered into a $4,000 prize pool of donated outdoor gear and fishing equipment. For more information, visit www.madriveralliance.org.

Upcoming meetings

California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held Feb 11-12 at the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento at 10 a.m. To view the meeting agenda, visit www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2015/Feb/02111215agd.pdf. Topics include the partial closure of Blue Creek and no catch and release at the mouth of the Klamath River.

CDFW’s Annual Salmon Information meeting will be held Feb. 26 at 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.

Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) will be holding their general membership meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Meeting will be held at the Grace Baptist Church, 220 Buhne Street, Eureka. 

THE NORTH COAST RIVERS:

Chetco River
Guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service reports the rain came in harder than expected earlier in the week and the Chetco went straight up on Tuesday. She said, “According to predictions, we’ll get a bit of a break on Wednesday and then more rain will start on Thursday. With the follow-up storms, I’m not sure it will fish until next week sometime. We’ve had lots of mud from such little, continual, rain. Usually we get little rainstorms that keep the river flowing and the creeks cleaned out, but the way these storms have lined up this year they seem to dump hard and then nothing for a couple weeks. Prior to the rain we were low, clear and very little flow.”

Smith River
After a fairly big rise earlier in the week, the Smith dropped back into shape on Wednesday and was full of fish according to guide Mike Coopman. He said, “Unfortunately those fish will be gone once the river drops back in following the storms that are coming, but I’m expecting the fishing to be really good next week as we’re right in the heart of the season. Looking at the river level predictions, I’m hoping we’ll be back on the water by Monday or Tuesday.”

Eel River (main stem)
After Monday’s rain, the upper section of the main stem remained fishable, while the lower started to turn brown from some of the bigger creeks. On Wednesday, it had cleared enough and was fishable from the forks to the mouth of the Duzen. Scores have been consistent, with boats getting between one and four fish per trip. The next series of storms will knock the main out starting Friday and it’s forecasted to hit monitor stage Saturday morning.

Eel River (South Fork)
Monday’s rain missed the South Fork entirely, and it continues to drop. It’s been low and clear for a couple weeks now, and the fishing has been tough. Most of the anglers had long since moved down to the main. The coming storms will blow it out, but it could drop down to fishable shape late next week.

Van Duzen
Monday’s rain blew out the Duzen on Tuesday when it jumped from 300 to 1,200 cfs. It was still muddy as of Wednesday, and probably won’t fish prior to the next round of storms. It’s forecasted to rise above the 13-foot monitor stage on Friday night.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the river was low and clear prior to blowing out on Monday. “There were a few fish being caught, but the conditions definitely hampered the bite. The rise that’s coming should push most of the downers out and bring in some new fish. If the river rises like predicted, it may be a week to 10 days before it turns green again,” Kelly added.

Trinity
The storms that are lined up will likely blow out the entire river, except for the very top from Old Lewiston Bridge down to Indian Creek. Depending on the rainfall amounts, it may only fish down to Rush Creek. The gauge at Hoopa is predicting the river to peak at 27 feet (36,800 cfs) on Saturday morning.

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Steelhead rivers in need of rain

When the California Fish and Game Commission reconvene on Feb. 11-12 in Sacramento, several new fishing regulation proposals will be discussed. There are two on the agenda that could potentially have a huge impact on the Klamath River anglers.
Both options will affect the mouth spit fishery, while one could close the world-famous Blue Creek area to fishing during the summer steelhead run and during the peak of the fall salmon season. Below are the two options:

Option 1 (proposed by the CDFW) ­­­­­­­­­­­- No catch and release fishing in Spit Area:
After internal discussion and Yurok Tribal coordination, the Department is proposing the following change to the 2015 fall Chinook spit area regulations:

All legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained. Once the adult Chinook component of the daily bag has been retained, the angler must cease fishing in the spit area. This regulatory proposal does not preclude anglers from leaving the spit area and fishing other areas once their adult daily bag has been taken. Anglers may fish other areas outside of the spit to fill the Jack (Chinook salmon less than 22 inches) component of their daily bag limit. This regulation also does do not preclude anglers from filling a daily bag composed entirely of Jacks while fishing the spit area. In simpler terms, once you catch your adults, you can’t continue to catch and release adults while trying to land a Jack.

Option 2 – (proposed by the Yurok Tribe) All Chinook salmon must be kept in Spit Area with Blue Creek closure. The Yurok tribe is proposing the following modifications to the Klamath River regulations in the spit area and on the main Klamath River below the confluence with Blue Creek:

1) No catch and release fishing allowed in the spit area to reduce pinniped predation on released fish.

2) Conservation closure below the mouth of Blue Creek to reduce catch and release in a thermal refuge area and protect late-fall Chinook holding prior to entering Blue Creek.

The first modification is to the spit area at the mouth of the Klamath River to allow no release of Chinook salmon, regardless of whether they are legally caught or foul hooked. This option provides an exception from the general snagging prohibitions in Section 2.00. The second modification would add Blue Creek to the September

15 to December 31 stream mouth closures and add a new Klamath River main stem closure from June 15 to September 14 from 500 feet above to half a mile downstream around the mouth of Blue Creek.

The California Fish & Game Commission will hear public comments on the Klamath proposals on Thursday, Feb. 12 in the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA. To view the entire meeting agenda, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2015/Feb/02111215agd.pdf.

Weekend Weather:
The next chance of rain will come Sunday evening according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “It’s not going to be a huge storm, but we should see off and on showers stick around through Tuesday afternoon. Rainfall totals should be about an inch to an inch and a half in Del Norte and Humboldt could see from a half inch to three-quarters. After Tuesday, it looks dry the rest of the week, but we could see a change next weekend.” Kennedy said.

Salmon/steelhead report cards due
CDFW would like to remind sport anglers that the 2014 sport fishing report cards need to be submitted by January 31, even if divers and anglers were unsuccessful or did not fish at all. Anglers and divers can go online to submit their abalone, lobster, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon report cards required by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Reporting requirements for anglers and divers have not changed, but this online submission option makes the reporting faster and easier. For additional information on harvest reporting requirements, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing

Fly Fishing Festival coming to Arcata
CalTrout brings The International Fly Fishing Film Festival to the Arcata Theatre Lounge this Friday, Jan. 30 as part of the Humboldt Steelhead Days. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival consists of shorts and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. Humboldt Steelhead Days registrants get $5 off at the door. All ages are welcome. For more information, visit http://www.arcatatheater.com.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco is low and clear and running at 1,430 cfs as of Wednesday afternoon. The guides who know how to work the river in low water are catching a few steelhead. A good day will see up to three fish, but most boats are working very hard for two to three hookups per trip.

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear, and the fishing has been tough this week. Guides are getting a few bites a day, and you better make them count. The fish that are being caught have been nice and bright. As of Wednesday, the flows were 2,000 cfs on the Jed Smith gauge.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem Eel is still fishing, but it’s dropping and getting clearer. The fishing hasn’t been red-hot, with most boats reporting between three to four fish per trip.

Eel River (South Fork)
According to Darren Brown of Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville, not many anglers are fishing the south fork due to low, clear conditions. “Most of the people are down on the main, but you can still catch them in these low water conditions. You’ll need to be super stealthy and fluorocarbon leader is a must,” Brown added.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen is low and clear and running around 280 cfs as of Wednesday. It definitely could use some rain to bring in some fresh fish.

Mad River
The Mad isn’t on fire, but some fish are still being caught according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “There’s quite a few fish in the river, most of the fish around the hatchery are starting to get dark. Most of the fresh fish have been coming from the lower river the past few days. The water level and color is holding pretty steady, with about three feet of visibility. The water coming over the dam is keeping the color in. Bait, Spin N’ Glo’s and jigs under a bobber are all catching fish.”

Upper Trinity
The upper Trinity is in great shape below Indian Creek reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The water is still dirty coming out of the lake, keeping it off-color on the upper section. The Junction City to Del Loma area looks great. There’s been quite a bit of boat traffic, but not many adult steelhead have showed up yet. Boats are getting one to two per trip, along with a lot of half-pounders,” 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.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #Steelhead #Salmon #TrinityRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #PacificHalibut #RazorClams #MadRiver #HumboldtSteelheadDays

Humboldt Steelhead Days kicks off Saturday
By Kenny Priest

The rain fell hard last weekend, temporarily turning the coastal steelhead rivers from green to brown. The blowout was short-lived however, as the rivers have receded quickly. The Smith was the first to clear, and drew quite a crowd on Monday morning. The Chetco came in on Tuesday, alleviating some of the pressure from the Smith. This weekend, the rest of the rivers should drop back into fishable shape, giving the rivers to the North some much-needed space. And the fishing should be exceptional too. The reports I’ve been hearing are all of the rivers having plenty of fresh steelhead in them.

Humboldt Steelhead Days fishing contest starts Saturday
Sponsored by Mad River Alliance and California Trout, this Saturday begins the two-week celebration of all things Steelhead along the North Coast. Humboldt Steelhead Days is a celebration of steelhead spawned in the cold, clean waters of Northern California with more than $3,500 in cash and prizes given away during the two-week event. Purchase a ticket and you’ll receive entry into the awards dinner, entry into the prize pool and two free memberships to Mad River Alliance and California Trout. Register and get tickets at www.madriveralliance.org or at RMI Outdoors in Eureka, Mad River Bait & Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters in Eureka and Grundmans Sporting Goods in Rio Dell or online at holdmyticket.com/event/189210. For a complete set of rules and guidelines as well as river maps, visit www.madriveralliance.org. Kick off party at Mad River Brewing Co on Friday at 6pm. #HumboldtSteelheadDays

Weather update
The North Coast can expect more sunny days, at least through next Tuesday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “A weak system is expected next Wednesday, which may drop three quarters of an inch in Del Norte County and possibly a half-inch in Humboldt. After that, it’s looking dry through the end of the month,” Kennedy said.

CDFW to hold public meeting on Pacific Halibut
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife invites the public to attend a meeting to discuss the 2015 recreational Pacific halibut fishing season dates under consideration for California according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015 at the City of Eureka Wharfinger Building in the Bay Room, located at 1 Marina Way, Eureka from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The meeting will provide information on Pacific halibut management and include a discussion on 2015 season options for the recreational fishery. The public is encouraged to provide input to managers and representatives that will aid in the development of future Pacific halibut management for 2015 and beyond. For more information regarding Pacific halibut management, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp.

Mad River Fish Hatchery using anglers to help collect steelhead
In a press release issued last week, the CDFW trained 21 anglers at Mad River Fish Hatchery last week to aid in the collection of wild-origin steelhead from the Mad River. These anglers, called Mad River Steelhead Stewards, have volunteered their time to help the hatchery meet its annual production goals. The Stewards will begin collecting fish this week and the program is expected to run until at least the end of February.

CDFW’s Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) for the Mad River Fish Hatchery requires more wild steelhead be used during spawning operations so that the genetic makeup of hatchery steelhead is closer to that of the Mad River wild steelhead. The hatchery’s genetic management goal is to utilize 50-67 percent wild-origin steelhead in breeding program. Last year, the number of wild-origin fish available was insufficient and resulted in the rearing of only 40,000 steelhead smolts. Historically, the hatchery has released approximately 150,000 steelhead smolts annually.

“We are looking for new and innovative ways to increase the wild-origin segment of our hatchery steelhead spawning population,” said Philip Bairrington, a senior environmental scientist with CDFW’s Anadromous Fisheries Resource Assessment and Monitoring Program, and the author of the Mad River Fish Hatchery’s HGMP. “Last year we tried seining, but that effort didn’t produce enough wild-origin steelhead broodstock for the hatchery’s needs. Our hope is that the participation of trained volunteer anglers — many of whom have been fishing this river for years, and are extremely successful — will greatly increase our chances of meeting our goals.”

For more information, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/anglers-to-help-with-steelhead-collection-for-mad-river-fish-hatchery.

The Rivers:

Chetco River
The Chetco was in great shape and fished well on Wednesday reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “There was a couple feet of visibility at the top, and got a slightly off color as you went downriver. But it didn’t seem to hurt the bite, as there seemed to be quite a few fish around. Most everyone was catching fish, and there were some big fish caught today too. The fish were scattered from the top to the bottom, which was nice. The conditions will only get better leading into the weekend.”

Steve Bynum of Modesto landed this nice Smith River steelhead on Tuesday while fishing with guide Curt Wilson.

Smith River
The fishing has been pretty good the past few days reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “There seems to be quite a few fish around. It’s not red-hot, but most of the boats are catching fish. The water is really cold, which could be slowing down the bite. At the moment, there are fish from the Forks down to Ruby and everywhere in between,” Coopman added.

Eel River
Main Stem
The water color on the main stem is starting to turn, and should be fishable by the weekend according to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. He said, “It will be a little high and murky, but you should be able to catch fish. This kings tides that we’ve had typically bring in a good bunch of fish.”

South Fork
The South Fork was fishable in the Benbow area on Tuesday, and is starting to turn green below the East Branch. The Sylvandale area had a few inches of visibility on Tuesday, and was clearing quickly. It should be in fishable shape down to the forks by Saturday or Sunday.

Van Duzen
Still a little off color as of Wednesday according to Grundman, but should be plenty fishable by the weekend. Above Yager Creek will be your best bet for green water.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the Mad has been full of fish this week. He said, “As of Wednesday, there was about a foot of visibility and it’s getting greener by the day. It should be in prime shape this weekend. Guys fishing bait on Wednesday did really well. There doesn’t seem to be any one spot holding more fish, they’re spread throughout the system right now. While there are still lots of fresh fish, a few darker ones started to show up this week.”

Trinity
Upper
The Trinity received some much-needed rain last weekend and there’s definitely winter steelhead in the system reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The water color is still dirty coming out of Lewiston, but it’s clearing up from Douglas City to the South Fork. The lower you go in the river, the better the water conditions become. Saturday before the rain, the fishing was good with a lot if half-pounders and a few nice winter adults. The best action came while side-drifting roe and a few were caught on plugs,” 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.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #Steelhead #Salmon #TrinityRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #PacificHalibut #RazorClams #MadRiver #HumboldtSteelheadDays

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) trained 21 anglers at Mad River Fish Hatchery this week to aid in the collection of wild-origin steelhead from the Mad River. These anglers, called Mad River Steelhead Stewards, have volunteered their time to help the hatchery meet its annual production goals. The Stewards will begin collecting fish next week and the program is expected to run until at least the end of February.

CDFW’s Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) for the Mad River Fish Hatchery requires more wild steelhead be used during spawning operations so that the genetic makeup of hatchery steelhead is closer to that of the Mad River wild steelhead. The hatchery’s genetic management goal is to utilize 50-67 percent wild-origin steelhead in breeding program. Last year, the number of wild-origin fish available was insufficient and resulted in the rearing of only 40,000 steelhead smolts. Historically, the hatchery has released approximately 150,000 steelhead smolts annually.

“We are looking for new and innovative ways to increase the wild-origin segment of our hatchery steelhead spawning population,” said Philip Bairrington, a senior environmental scientist with CDFW’s Anadromous Fisheries Resource Assessment and Monitoring Program, and the author of the Mad River Fish Hatchery’s HGMP. “Last year we tried seining, but that effort didn’t produce enough wild-origin steelhead broodstock for the hatchery’s needs. Our hope is that the participation of trained volunteer anglers — many of whom have been fishing this river for years, and are extremely successful — will greatly increase our chances of meeting our goals.”

Hatchery staff taught the volunteers how to distinguish between wild-origin and hatchery steelhead and how to keep the handling of the fish to a minimum. Upon the capture of a wild adult steelhead, the Stewards will call hatchery personnel or CDFW fisheries staff, who will determine if the fish will be released or processed.

Though a volunteer angling program of this scope has never been implemented in California, similar programs have been in place in Oregon for some time.

Each volunteer Steward signed a three-month agreement. Stewards are expected to follow all sport fishing regulations and will carry their CDFW authorization at all times while fishing. If the program is successful, CDFW may recruit additional volunteers in the future.

To view video of spawning operations at the hatchery last year, please see http://youtu.be/cN58zXtTSqs.

Media Contacts:
Philip Bairrington, CDFW Northern Region Fisheries Program, (707) 825-4859
Harry Morse, CDFW Communications, (916) 323-1478

Rising rivers should bring in fresh steelhead

After nearly three weeks of dry weather, rain is finally predicted to return to the North Coast. And just in the nick of time. Some of the smaller rivers like the Van Duzen, Mad and Redwood Creek were getting close their respective low flow closure thresholds. As it stands now, all the North Coast rivers are running low and clear, including larger drainages like the Eel and Klamath. Needless to say, a good shot of rain is just what the doctor ordered. As is typically the case when the rivers are rejuvenated with fresh flows, you can bet we’ll see a real good push of steelhead bolting in from the saltwater. Enjoy it while you can, that nasty ridge of high pressure is slated to return on Monday, keeping us dry all next week and possibly through the end of the month.

Weather outlook
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we should see some decent rainfall totals beginning Thursday evening and sticking around through Sunday. “The heaviest rainfall total will be to our north, with the Smith basin seeing anywhere from three to five inches. The Lower Klamath area could see up to two inches and Redwood Creek is forecasted for two and a half. Closer to Humboldt, the Mad and Eel River basins could see up to two inches,” Kennedy added.

HASA meeting coming in February
HASA will be holding their general membership meeting on Thursday, February 5 at 7 p.m. Meeting will be held at the Grace Baptist Church, 220 Buhne Street, Eureka.

Humboldt Steelhead Days starts on Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 7
This event is sponsored by Mad River Alliance and California Trout. It’s a celebration of Steelhead spawned in the cold, clean waters of Northern California with more than $3,500 in cash and prizes given away during the two-week event. Purchase a ticket and you’ll receive entry into the awards dinner, entry into the prize pool and two free memberships to Mad River Alliance and California Trout. Register and get tickets at www.madriveralliance.org or at RMI Outdoors in Eureka, Mad River Bait & Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters in Eureka and Grundmans Sporting Goods in Rio Dell or online at holdmyticket.com/event/189210/

Other activities and presentations include:

• Kick-off party at Mad River Brewing Co., on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.
• Mad River Free Family Fun Day at the Blue Lake Business Park on Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. Classes on how to rig for steelhead by Seth Naman and ethical catch and release methods by Shane Anderson as well as discussions on the state of wild steelhead on the West Coast. Plus, lots of fun activities for the kids, so bring the whole family.
• The International Fly Fishing Film Festival at the Arcata Theater Lounge on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
• Presentation on salmon and steelhead in the Eel River at the Redwoods State Park Interpretive Center on Ave of Giants near Weott on Jan. 31 at 12 p.m.
• Also on Jan. 31, a presentation on salmon and steelhead in the Eel River, fish tacos, and a raffle at the Monday Club in Fortuna at 5 p.m.
• Friends of the Arcata Marsh sponsored talk “Arcata Marsh – The History of a Salmonid Fish Hatchery” at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center on Feb. 6 at 6 p.m.

Humboldt Steelhead Days ends with an awards dinner and steelhead slideshow on Feb. 7 at the Wharfinger Building (free with your HSD ticket). Tri-tip dinner catered by Blackberry Bramble, microbrews from Mad River Brewing Co, Sonoma wine from Steelhead Vineyards, and the keynote speaker will be Mikey Wier. Wier is a Patagonia fly fishing ambassador. More than $3,500 worth of outdoor equipment and fishing prizes will be given away to the fishermen who have verified the biggest Mad River steelhead, the best photographed Eel River steelhead and other photo contest categories.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flowing at just over 720 cfs as of Wednesday, the river is extremely low and clear according to guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. She said, “There have been a few little batches of fish continuing to run the gauntlet of seals, bankies and boats. Hopefully the rain comes as predicted. And if it does, expect a crowd.”

Smith River
The Smith is low and clear, but it looks like we’re finally going to get some rain reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “The river is predicted to rise on Friday afternoon and we’ll have to wait and see if it will fish on the weekend. If the predictions are right, Monday should be good. I’d expect to see quite a few new fish enter the system on the rise, but once it settles down it should be good fishing,” Coopman added.

Mad River
The river is super low and clear reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. “The past few days, fishing has been best between the railroad trestle and the 101 bridge. The pump station has also been giving up a few fish using bobbers and jigs.” Kelly said. With the rain coming, the Mad is predicted to peak at 8.7 feet late Sunday night.

Eel River
Main Stem
The main stem is still holding some good color, but the low flows are reducing the spots with current. It has been the best option for steelhead the past couple weeks as boats were landing between two and eight adults per trip. Predicted to rise Saturday evening and will probably blow out on Sunday or Monday. Depending on how much rain falls, it may drop back in quickly.

South Fork
According to Darren Brown of Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville, the Sylvandale area has about six to seven feet of visibility as of Wednesday. “There’s a few boats still drifting, and a few fish are being caught. It’s too clear for the fish to be out in the open, you’re best bet is finding them where they have cover,” Brown said. Forecasted to rise late Sunday afternoon, but it’s possible it will remain fishable, at least above the East Branch.

Van Duzen
Low and clear, and running just above 220 cfs as of Wednesday. Predicted to rise beginning Saturday morning and peaking early Monday morning at around 1,500 cfs. If the predictions hold, it could be fishable late next week above Yager Creek.

Trinity
Upper
The water coming out of the lake continues to be dirty, creating some tough steelhead conditions on the upper Trinity reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “There’s very few people fishing the upper river due to the conditions, most of the boats and bank anglers are working the Junction City area where the water is in better shape. Scores are ranging from two to 4 adults per trip,” Huber said.

Lower Trinity
Reports from the lower Trinity haven’t changed in the past few weeks. River conditions are good, but it’s been tough to land more than a couple adults per trip. The good news is the river is loaded with half-pounders.

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

As good as the conditions have been on all of the North Coast steelhead rivers this past week, the steelhead bite has been somewhat elusive. You couldn’t ask for much more in the way of water color, flow, and weather, but apparently the steelhead don’t seem to care. There are numerous theories flying around; is the run late? Did the bulk of the run shoot through in the high water? Did the drought finally catch up with us? No one really knows for sure. The one thing we do know is if we want the optimal conditions to continue, we’re going to need a good shot of rain soon. The Chetco and Smith are low and clear, as is the top of the South Fork Eel. The main Eel, Mad, and Trinity are still in good shape, but they won’t be for long. Forecasters are calling for a change in the weather pattern next weekend; hopefully the steelhead bite will change for the better too.

Weather outlook

According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, except for a chance of light rain across Del Norte and northern Humboldt Counties on Friday, the dry pattern will continue into next week. “Rainfall amounts will be light; a tenth of an inch in Humboldt County to two-tenths of an inch in Del Norte County. The rivers will continue to slowly recede but we’re expecting the wet pattern to return on Friday the 16th or Saturday the 17th.

Humboldt Steelhead Days coming Jan. 23
The 2nd year of Humboldt Steelhead Days will include an extended fishing contest ranging from the Mad River hatchery in Blue Lake off the 299 to the Eel River (catch & release) off Hwy 101 down to Leggett area. The event will kick off with a party & mixer Friday night at the Mad River Brewing Company Tap Room. The following morning, the steelhead fishing contest will commence at 7 a.m. The contest will last until Feb. 7 and close at 5pm.
For contest categories, visit www.madriveralliance.org. You can fish for one day, two days or not at all. It’s up to you! Your ticket/donation will go toward future river restorations, so be a part of it — even if you don’t fish. Hashtag your photos with #HumboldtSteelheadDays

The fishing contest event will end with an awards dinner catered by Blackberry Bramble BBQ at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka near the public pier. Join us for tri-tip, local microbrews, watch a slideshow of all your steelhead catches, you’ll have chances to win more than $3,000 worth of outdoor and fishing prizes, and get to talk to various representatives from the fishing and restoration community.

Register or get tickets locally at RMI Outdoors in Eureka, Mad River Bait & Tackle in Arcata, Pacific Outfitters and Grundmans Sporting Goods in Rio Dell.
Register by mail: Mad River Alliance at P.O. Box 1252, Blue Lake, CA 95525. Or you can purchase tickets online at Hold My Ticket.com

Mattole regulation correction
In last week’s column, I wrote that the Mattole opened to fishing on Jan. 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. That was only half right. It’s also open from Stansberry Creek to confluence with Honeydew Creek through March 31 and the fourth Saturday in May through Aug. 31. Both sections of river are artificial lures only and barbless hooks are required.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco is very low and very clear according to guide Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “The flows don’t sound that bad on paper, but the lower river and parts of the upper river have no flow. Just the way the high water has set things up makes it very difficult to find some current right now. Couple that with all the boat traffic and we have very spooky fish. There are a few fish out there and sometimes they want to bite and other times we present everything and they still won’t bite. The good news is, some of the bigger rivers in the region are clearing and should be fishing until we have rain. Until we do get rain, sneaky and stealthy are the name of the game,” Early added.

Smith River
The river is low and clear and the fishing is pretty tough reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “The river definitely needs a good shot of rain. There are a few fish around, we’re averaging a couple adults per day and getting a chance at a couple others. Until we get some water, it’s going to be a grind,” Coopman added.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem is in great shape, but the bite has been a little tough reports Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “Boats are getting a couple adults per trip, but it seems like there should be more fish around. Either they’re running a little late, or the bulk of the fish came in with the earlier high water,” said Grundman.

Eel River (South Fork)
According to Darren Brown of Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville, the Sylvandale area had about three to four feet of visibility as of Wednesday. He said, “The fish seem to be scattered, boats and bankies are getting one here and one there. I haven’t seen any big concentrations of fish yet. The water has been fairly cold, which could also be affecting the bite.”

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, the Van Duzen is still holding a little color and is fishing well. “I haven’t heard a lot of reports on numbers, but some fish are being caught. The stretch below Yager Creek is probably holding the most color,” added Grundman.

Mad River
A few more fish have entered the river the past couple days reports Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The guys who know what they’re doing have done well the last couple days. The key is to move around until you find some fish as they aren’t in every hole. Bait and a Spin N’ Glo has worked well this week.”

Trinity
Lower
|Much like the rest of the coastal rivers, the lower Trinity is in great shape, but the steelhead have been hard to come by. Boats fishing the Willow Creek area are landing one to two adults per trip along with a bunch of half-pounders. Considering the conditions, there should be more fish around.

Upper
The water flowing out of the lake is dirty, making the bite a little tougher on the upper Trinity according to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The majority of the boats have been working around Junction City where the water is a little cleaner. The scores have been about the same everywhere; we’re getting a shot at a couple fish a day. The fish we’re seeing are a mix of wild and hatchery, but not many downers have been caught. Due to the visibility, most of our fish are coming on plugs with a lot of scent added,” Huber said. “I’m hoping there’s a lot of fish in the lower river and even the Klamath as they have not shown up in the upper river in big numbers as of yet.”

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.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #Steelhead #Salmon #TrinityRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #PacificHalibut #RazorClams #MadRiver #HumboldtSteelheadDays

A green water convergence of all the rivers on the North Coast only happens a handful of times each winter and right now is one of those times. Every river on the North Coast is green and in fishable shape. If you’re a steelhead fisherman, there’s absolutely no excuse not to be on the water this weekend. Every creek and river from the Chetco down to the South Fork of the Eel is fishable and is likely full of steelhead. The Smith is starting to clear a bit and the main stem of the Eel is just turning green, but every river in between is primed for great winter steelhead fishing. So, put down your TV remotes, set your TiVo and put on your waders. It’s time to be outside. The green water convergence doesn’t happen very often and it won’t stick around for long.

Weekend Forecast
According to Nancy Dean of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the North Coast will remain dry through next Tuesday. “We should see some rain on Wednesday and Thursday. It’s not going to be a huge storm, Del Norte could see up to an inch and the Humboldt area can expect up to a half-inch of rain. After that, it looks dry until the weekend,” Dean added.

Razor Clam beach openers/closures
A reminder for the clam diggers: In 2015, Little River Beach between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach will be open to the take of Razor Clams. The beach between Strawberry Creek and the Mad River will re-open in 2016. In Del Norte County, the beach north of Battery Point is open to clamming in 2015.

Pacific Halibut input needed
The Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) is asking for help in providing the CDFW on 2015 season structure for Pacific halibut. HASA has prepared some different season structure strategies that will meet the requirement of “harvest=allocation” in 2015, and they are soliciting input on those strategies based on your fishing preferences and experience from the 2014 August block closure. The survey, which can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FTHHY7N, will allow you to participate and provide input on four potential season structures, and to suggest adjustments or new strategies. The survey will stay open until Monday, January 19 after which the data will be compiled and analyzed and brought forth during the February 5 general membership meeting. The Board will vote on a recommended season structure to submit to CDFW based on discussion.

Steelhead report cards due
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds anglers that they are required to return their 2014 Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Cards between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2015. Anglers are requested to review their cards carefully and complete the information as accurately as possible. Information collected from report cards provides CDFW with data necessary to monitor and manage California’s steelhead fisheries.

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

Humboldt Steelhead Days will commence on Saturday, Jan. 24 after the kick off party at Mad River Brewing Co., the night before. Visit madriveralliance.org for more information about this 2-week long fishing contest.

Mattole River open to fishing
The Mattole River opened to fishing on January 1, 2015 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station. As of Thursday, it’s flowing at roughly 900 cfs.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service reports the Chetco is in good shape, though it’s dropping and clearing everyday. He said, “The action has been a little like a roller coaster —one day you’ll get em’ real good and the next day you’ll get one. This past week it was all about being in the right place at the right time. Boats are averaging one to two fish per day, and some of the guides who fish it everyday are landing up to five. There doesn’t appear to be a ton of fish in the river yet, but we’ve caught them from the top to the bottom.”

Smith River
The steelhead bite has been a little tough on the Smith this past week, with scores ranging from zero to a couple fish per trip. Guide Mike Coopman had the hot hand this week, landing 4 steelhead on Saturday and another 6 on Sunday. The river is starting to clear, which will push the fish into the deeper water. Like the Chetco, the river isn’t full of fish yet, but more and more should be entering the river now that we’re into January.

Eel River
Main Stem
The water color on the main stem is looking good, but the it’s still pretty pushy reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. He said, “It’s getting more fishable each day, and it should be in prime shape in a couple days. As of Wednesday, it was slightly off color, but I’m you could catch em’ on both bait and plugs.”

South Fork
The river is in great shape and fishable from the top all the way to the forks. The reports I’ve heard is the boat pressure has been fairly heavy, and there seems to be quite a few steelhead around.

Van Duzen
Flowing at 600 cfs on Thursday, the Van Duzen is in great shape according to Grundman. Without much snow to keep the flows up, it will clear quickly. It should remain fishable until the next storm hits, which should be around the middle of next week.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, a fair number of steelhead have been caught the past few days. He said, “The best bite has been below the Blue Lake Bridge as most of the fish have been holding lower. Once the water starts coming down the ladder, we’ll see more fish around the hatchery. A few have been caught right at the hatchery, but not nearly as many as below. As of Wednesday, the visibility was about a foot and a half, but the river was still a little high. Roe and Mad River worms have been the top producers.”

Trinity
The Trinity is in great shape and should be fishable from the top to the bottom reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The flows in the Douglas City are 450 cfs, but the water has a little color to it. My guess is there’s slide in one of the creeks. The boats have been averaging about three adults per trip, with a 50/50 mix of fresh and downers. The hatchery has started releasing some of the spawned fish, so there are quite a few downers around now to go with a few fresh ones. This time of year, there’s fish spread throughout the system and all the way into the Klamath. It’s been extremely cold in the mornings, making for a tough bite. Plugs have been the ticket until the temps start to warm,” 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

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #Steelhead #Salmon #TrinityRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #FishHatcher #PacificHalibut #RazorClams #HumboldtSteelheadDays

More rain in store for the weekend

Go figure. We’re in the middle of the wettest December we’ve had in three years and the steelhead on the Smith and Chetco Rivers have decided to play a little hide-n-seek. Granted, there hasn’t been a ton of fishing effort, but both rivers haven’t given up any adult steelhead to speak of. It just doesn’t make sense. The past few Decembers saw barely a trickle of water flowing, yet there was plenty of fish to go around. Maybe there’s too much water for them to come in? It’s not cold enough outside? Both possibilities, along with the fact it’s not even Christmas yet.
While the lack of fish has raised a few eyebrows, there’s no need to panic. Typically, the winter steelhead season really gets going after Christmas and is in full swing by the time the New Year rolls around. However, there’s usually enough fish around by now to keep the guides working and the sport anglers satisfied. Not the case so far. After the next round of storms hit this weekend and the rivers begin to recede to fishable levels, I’m willing to bet we’ll see the first wave of winter steelhead make their way into our North Coast rivers. At least that’s the hope.

Weekend Forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, after a break on Thursday during the day, we’ll be back into a wet pattern that will likely stick around through the weekend. “From Thursday evening into Friday morning, we could see up to an inch of rain area-wide. Another system will arrive sometime Saturday morning and will keep us wet through Sunday afternoon. This system could drop as much as an inch and a half in the Smith/Klamath basin and another inch in Humboldt. The following week looks dry, except for a chance of rain on the 23rd in Del Norte County,” Kennedy added.

2015 Fishing license
A reminder that it’s the time of the year to purchase your 2015 license, which is required for residents 16 years of age or older to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptile in inland or ocean waters. The cost of a new resident sport fishing license is $47.01. A North Coast salmon report card, which will run you $6.22, is required for all anglers taking salmon in the Smith River System or Klamath-Trinity River System. If you plan to fish for steelhead, you’ll need to purchase a steelhead report card, which will cost $7.05 this year. Fishing licenses and reports cards are now available to purchase online. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing

Freshwater Lagoon trout
Located on 101 just south or Orick, Freshwater Lagoon might be a good option if you’re looking to fish this weekend. The lagoon was planted this summer with plenty of catchable size rainbows, and the influx of fresh water has turned the water from brown to green. If you’re fishing from shore, Powerbait rigged with a sliding egg sinker is one of the better baits. Nightcrawlers or a single salmon egg also works well. As for artificials, 1/4 oz Kastmasters or Cleos in nickel/orange color are top producers. A fly and bubble will also entice the rainbows. If you plan to troll from a boat, you’ll want to go easy on the weight. Spoons, small Flatfish, Triple Teasers, or any of your standard trout lures will do the trick.

Mattole River set to open Jan 1
The Mattole River is scheduled to open to fishing on January 1, 2015 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The river is in beautiful shape, but it seems to be lacking significant numbers of steelhead right now reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “It’s still early in the season, but we should be seeing more fish in the river. There have been a few adults caught, but not very many. I think they’re running a little late this year. Could be that it hasn’t been cold enough or the flows have been too high. Typically, after Christmas is when the steelhead fishing really takes off.”

Smith River
Much like the Chetco, the Smith was in perfect shape this week, but the steelhead were nowhere to be found. Jut a few adults have been caught, along with some half-pounders. Another couple inches of rain is in the forecast through the weekend, which may keep the flows just above a driftable height. If the rain falls as predicted, it should begin to drop on Sunday and will be back to a fishable level by early in the week.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
According to Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods, the main stem is still muddy, with more rain forecasted for the weekend. “If next week is dry, maybe we could get a shot at the forks at the end of the week. The South Fork also has the potential to fish next week. The Van Duzen was nearly fishable earlier in the week, but it’s predicted for more rises through the weekend. There’s a decent chance it will fish later next week, especially above Yager Creek. With the ground being dry, all of these rivers are dropping and clearing quickly.” Grundman added.

Mad River
With off and on rain through the weekend, it doesn’t look like the Mad will clear before next week. It’s predicted to peak on Sunday at 10.5 feet, it will likely drop quickly and be bait fishable by late next week. The liners fishing near the hatchery have reportedly caught a few adults.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports there isn’t a lot of steelhead in the upper Trinity at the moment. He said, “I think we’re in between runs on the upper stretch. The old fish are long gone, and a few new winter fish are just starting to show up. The river is in good shape and has the perfect steelhead green color. The whole river is probably fishable, even below the south fork. It may be a little big however, and it looks like it will be on the rise this weekend. I’m sure there’s winter fish moving through the lower end.”

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

Upper Trinity should remain fishable

If these lofty rainfall predictions come true, it’s quite possible the Eel River could see the highest water level since the 1964 flood. Wow! On the other hand, if the forecasts come up short, the Smith River could be fishing by the weekend. Talk about a wild swing. What we do know is all of the coastal rivers are predicted to rise high and quick, with a few possibly venturing into flood and/or monitor stage. And the descent should be just as rapid. The ground here is extremely dry due to the drought, and it will likely take multiple storms to recharge the groundwater. The storm that’s upon us now, which some are calling the most powerful in the last 40 years, should be a good start.

Weekend forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, after Wednesday and Thursday’s downpour, showers will likely linger through Friday, with Saturday looking dry. He said, “The next system is set to move into the area on Sunday and will stick around through Tuesday. Light rain and showers are forecasted over this three-day period, with up to two inches of rain predicted.”

More Klamath spit fishery changes on the table
In an effort to protect Chinook stocks from excessive catch and release mortality, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with the Yurok Tribe, is proposing the following change to the 2015 fall Chinook spit area regulations: All legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained. Once the adult Chinook component of the daily bag has been retained, anglers are required to cease fishing the spit area.

This regulatory proposal does not preclude anglers from leaving the spit and fishing other areas once their adult daily bag limit has been taken. Anglers may fish other areas outside of the spit to fill their jack (salmon 22 inches and less) component of their daily bag limit. This regulation also does not preclude anglers from filling a daily bag composed entirely of jack salmon while fishing the spit area. For more information, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2014/dec/120314docs.aspx

Upcoming events:
2nd Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days – Jan. 23 to Feb. 7
Brought to you by Mad River Alliance & California Trout, this two week family-fun, fishing event encourages all ages to get outside, learn about our watersheds, and to fish both the Mad and Eel Rivers for steelhead. With your $25 donation, you’ll receive a ticket to #HumboldtSteelheadDays. The event starts with a kick-off party at Mad River Brewing Co.’s Tap Room. You’ll also be registered to win outdoor and fishing prizes donated by Pacific Outfitters, RMI Outdoors, Ace McKinleyville, Kokatat, Thule, Mad River Bait & Tackle and more! Tickets can be found online at HoldMyTicket.com or locally at Mad River Bait & Tackle, RMI Outdoors, Pacific Outfitters and Grundman’s Sporting Goods. For more information, visit www.madriveralliance.org or caltrout.org/regions/north-coast-region/ or contact Dave Feral at 707-382-6162 or madriveralliance@suddenlink.net.

Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby
Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery is pleased to announce the 33rd Annual Steelhead Derby is February 19, 20 & 21, 2015. Team registration is $3,000.00 per team of four anglers, which includes two full days of fishing, one day on each of the Smith and Chetco Rivers. Also meals are included from Thursday evening through Saturday, including a hosted bar each night. The annual steelhead derby is the primary source of funding for the hatchery. For additional information or assistance, please contact Kimberlee Swift, Derby Coordinator at 707-218-7049 or kjlindberg@aol.com.

Chetco salmon carcass collection
On Tuesday, the Oregon South Coast Fishermen, in cooperation with ODFW, did a carcass collection for salmon according to Val Early. She said, “Over 130 spawned out and dead Chinook were sampled. Size, sex and scale samples were taken and the information is added to the database to help with future run predictions as well as giving information about the age composition of the current run. The OSCF volunteer their time to help with the data collection efforts. This was the biggest one-day sampling they’ve ever had. The storm hitting now will probably bring more carcasses down for their efforts next week.”

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Not a whole lot of activity on the Chetco this week, most of the action was up north on the Elk and Sixes reports Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “The effort on the Chetco has dwindled because there hasn’t been too many fresh salmon being caught. There are a few steelhead around every day, but not in any big numbers yet. The storm should really jumpstart the steelhead season. If the storm hits the area with the force and length of time they are predicting, it will be early next week before the river is at a driftable level. It should be in good enough shape to plunk on Sunday, or maybe even Saturday,” Early said.

Smith River
With the different rain forecasts going around, it’s tough to say when it will fish again reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “If we end up getting five inches, it’ll fish by the weekend. If we get 10, it’s going to be longer. When we get these powerful storms like this, there’s always the potential for slides, which could really change things. When it does drop down to a fishable level, we’ll definitely be targeting steelhead. It’s still fairly early in the steelhead season, so it might be tough fishing or the river could be full of them. We won’t really know until we get there,” Coopman added.

Main Stem Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Mad
All are predicted for big rises, and when they drop back into fishable shape will depend on the strength of the storms that are forecasted for next week. It’s possible the South Fork Eel, Van Duzen and Mad could all fish sometime next week. For river level predictions, visit http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov.

Upper Trinity
The river is in good shape and ready for this storm reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “The water flow now is the most we’ve seen in the last couple years. This storm will blow out the river below Douglas City, but the stretch from Lewiston Bridge to Rush Creek will fish this weekend. If Rush Creek levels off early, you will be able to fish down to Indian Creek. The river has some older steelhead spawning at the top, and the increased flows will start to push in the winter run fish. If you’re on the water this weekend, you’ll want to be careful due to the higher flows and debris coming down.”

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

Smith, Chetco, Trinity best options for the weekend

North Coast rivers will likely see the last of the late fall-run salmon push in this weekend as big tides and swollen rivers are in the forecast. The majority of these late-season kings have already made their way up rivers like the Chetco, Smith, Mad and Eel, but you can bet a few more spurts of fresh fish will push in between now and the beginning of the year. The season was a good one, and a lot of the success can be attributed to the above normal rainfall that’s fallen since October.

One of the best parts of living in such a fishing mecca like the North Coast — no sooner does one season come to a close, another one’s right behind it. So it’s out with the salmon and in with the widely popular winter steelhead. And as the influx of water hits our coastal rivers this weekend and brings in the salmon stragglers, the first wave of steelhead should begin to make an appearance. Most of the rivers have already seen a few, but I expect they’ll start to show up in bigger numbers in the coming days.

Weekend forecast
After a break on Thursday, more rain is in store for the next few days according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The next rain event will hit late Friday morning and will stick around through Friday night. We could see up to an inch and a half in the Smith basin and an inch here in Humboldt. Saturday afternoon through Sunday should be dry, with the next system moving in on Sunday afternoon. Another inch of rain is predicted for both Del Norte and Humboldt from this storm, which should stick around through Monday,” Kennedy added.

Extreme tides could cause hazardous bar conditions, coastal flooding
Some of the biggest tides of the year arrived this week, bringing with them the potential for flooding in some of the low-lying areas of King Salmon and the Arcata Bottoms. They could also create hazardous bar conditions for crab fishermen heading out of Humboldt Bay during ebb tides as a large volume of water will be running directly into swells predicted to be 5-feet and larger.
According to the Eureka’s National Weather Service, tides have been running well above predictions, peaking between 8.9 and 9.3 feet at the North Spit tide gauge. The largest tides of the week are forecasted for Thursday through Saturday.

Morning high tide predictions – Humboldt Bay

• Thur., Dec. 4 (8.0-feet high tide at 9:28 a.m. down to a low of -0.3 at 4:21 p.m.
• Fri., Dec. 5 (8.1-feet high tide at 10:10 a.m. down to a low of -1.0 at 5:04 p.m.
• Sat., Dec. 6 (8.0-feet high tide at 10:50 a.m. down to a low of -1.1 at 5:46 p.m.

Eel River salmon returns
As of Dec. 1, a total of 492 Chinook salmon have entered the Van Arsdale fish count station according to Scott L Harris, an associate Biologist with the Northern Region. Making up that total is 180 males, 258 Female, and 54 jacks. For more information, visit http://eelriver.org/fish-count.

State abandons raid on fishing license funds
In a press release issued on Monday by the California Sportfishing League, the Ocean Protection Council has abandoned its plan to raid fishing and hunting licensing funds to manage Marine Protected Areas, created by the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). Fish and Game Code Section 711(a)(1) prohibits taking monies from this special Fish and Game Preservation Fund to support non-game programs. According to the press release, “The reversal shows that California’s fishing community has a voice in influencing the outcome of public policy.
Not only was the proposed raid illegal, but also it was a violation of the public’s trust. Fish license funds are intended to support programs that protect and enhance recreational fishing opportunities, not programs that deny anglers access to California’s coastline.” For more information, visit http://www.sportfishingconservation.org

The Rivers:
Chetco River
As of Wednesday, the Chetco was running close to 2,600 cfs and was in great shape. It’s predicted to see a slight rise on Thursday and a bigger bump on Friday evening. If the rain falls as predicted, it should remain fishable through the weekend, especially the upper end. Like the Smith, the last of the salmon are making their way in and the winter steelhead should be right behind them.

Smith River
Its transition time on the Smith according to guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “There were quite a few salmon around over the weekend and early this week, but it’s gotten tougher the last couple of days. The bulk of the salmon have likely gone through, and it’s time to start looking for steelhead. There’s been some half-pounders around, and they typically follow the salmon. Following the next set of storms, we should begin to see steelhead in bigger numbers,” Coopman added.

Mad
The Mad was fishable through Wednesday, but predicted to rise beginning in the afternoon. If the forecasts are correct, it may not be green until next week. A pretty good shot of bright salmon came through last week, and the next significant rise should bring in the first waves of steelhead.

Eel
Main
The main stem was muddy as of Wednesday. With more rain on the way, it will be blown out for the foreseeable future.

South Fork
With the majority of Wednesday’s rain falling closer to Mendocino, the South Fork Eel drainage saw the highest amount of precipitation and was rising quickly on Wednesday. If the storms forecasted for the rest of the week come up short, the top end of the South Fork could come into play by the weekend.

Van Duzen
Predicted for a significant rise beginning Wednesday afternoon. If the forecast holds, it doesn’t look like it will fish by the weekend.

Upper Trinity
Good rains all week are helping the steelhead move into spawning areas reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “Creeks have started to flow and the steelhead are on the move. We should start to see the second group of winter steelhead start making their way up the Klamath and Trinity. All methods of fishing are working,” 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