Current Fishing Reports

Father and son anglers Daniel and Wyatt, of Orange County, had their hands full putting this 35-pound king salmon in the net on a recent trip on the Smith River with Mike Coopman’s Guide Service.

Winter steelhead starting to show
The approaching storms will likely blow out most, if not all, of our coastal rivers by the weekend. Beginning Thursday in the Smith Basin and early Friday in Humboldt, as much as four inches of rain is predicted to hit the ground. And the series of storms are forecasted to stick around through early next week. Most of the rivers should be on the rise by Friday or early Saturday. The Smith and Chetco will be the first rivers to clear, and should be fishable by mid-week, or earlier. Depending on how much rain falls, the rest of the rivers could start to drop back into shape at the end of next week. That’s if the forecasts are spot on.

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

Weekend forecast
The next four to five days are forecasted to be wet according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The rain will begin Thursday in Del Norte and Friday morning in the Humboldt area. The rain will stick around through next Tuesday, with the heaviest rain falling on Sunday and Monday. Three to 4 inches of rain is forecasted for the Del Norte region and 2.5 to 3.5 inches is likely to fall in Humboldt,” Kennedy said. Showers are on tap for next Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a few days of dry weather.

Smith River Rowdy Creek Hatchery update:
To date, the salmon run on the Smith has been a little bit better than average according to hatchery manager Andrew Van Scoyk. As of Tuesday 148 salmon have returned, which includes 52 males, 26 females, and 70 jacks. “We’ve spawned 8 pairs to date, last year we spawned 2 pairs the whole season,” Van Scoyk added. “Our goal is to spawn 24 pairs and I don’t think we’ll have a problem reaching that goal.” No steelhead had returned to the hatchery as of Tuesday according to Van Scoyk.

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

Prior to the season opening, commercial fishermen are allowed a 64-hour gear setting period. This year, crab trap gear can be set no earlier than 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. Quality tests conducted in northern California in November indicate that California Dungeness crabs are ready for harvest. For more information on Dungeness crab, please visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/management_com.asp#crab

HASA meeting next week
The HASA Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 3, and the public is welcome to attend. The meeting will be held at McBain & Associates office, 980 7^th Street, Arcata at 7 p.m. Agenda items include an update on Pacific Halibut, rockfish mortality, and a derelict crab gear update.

The Rivers:

Chetco River
The rain that fell last week pushed the river up and out for several days reports Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. She said, “The river was fishable on Monday, although it was very limited as the river was still quite high. Tuesday was better but the river was still pushy. The best days will probably be Wednesday and Thursday, possibly Friday although another storm is supposed to hit with rainfall predictions up to 2 inches. There was a little surge of new fish in the river but there are a lot of fish that are dark and should be released as their meat is past the prime by a long ways. We are seeing a few steelhead including a 15-pound hatchery male caught by a plunker at Social Security.”

California’s Recreational Pacific Halibut allocation to increase for 2015
The PFMC has made recommendations to increase the California Pacific halibut fishery allocation beginning in 2015 in response to greater interest in the northern California fishery, and new information indicating a higher abundance in California than when the formal Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) was originally adopted.

Pacific halibut is allocated among users on the West Coast (known as Area 2A) through a CSP that was developed in the late 1980s. Area 2A sectors include the recreational fisheries in Washington, Oregon and California, the coast-wide commercial fishery, and the tribal fisheries, which operate primarily in Washington.

The California recreational fishery allocation will increase from 1 to 4 percent of the non-tribal allocation by implementing a one percent reduction for the Washington recreational (35.6 percent), Oregon recreational (29.7 percent), and commercial (30.7 percent) sectors.

Additional changes for 2015 include in-season tracking and management of the California recreational fishery to stay within the CSP allocation. The California recreational season structure will be determined based on a catch projection method developed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff, and specific season dates will be developed with the input of stakeholder involvement. This process will begin in early 2015 after the Pacific halibut total allowable catch is established. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pacifichalibut.asp.

Smith River
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, there were quite a few salmon around on Wednesday, but the bite wasn’t red hot. He said, “We saw fish rolling in quite a few spots, but they didn’t bite real well. There are still quite a few jacks around, which tells me the salmon season is far from over. I didn’t see any steelhead rolling, but I did hear of one caught by a bankie.”

Eel River (main stem)
As of Wednesday, the main stem in the Rio Dell area was still a little murky and on the high side reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “My guess is it will fish by Friday, and possibly Thursday. I’ve heard reports of a pretty good push of steelhead had moved through the lower river,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
Should be fishable through Friday, but predicted to rise on Saturday morning.

Van Duzen River
The river was in great shape as of Wednesday, with some steelhead starting to show according to Grundman.

Mad River
The last rise brought in quite a few bright salmon into the Mad. The river is in perfect shape and should fish through Friday. We should see the first push of winter steelhead following the next big storms. Humboldt Steelhead Days fishing contest coming up Jan. 24 – Feb. 7, 2015. Buy your tickets online at HoldMyTicket.com. Proceeds from this event go toward restoration, education, and citizen monitoring in the Eel and Mad River.

Upper Trinity
Three days of rain has helped get the creeks running and the steelhead are on the move to their spawning grounds reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “The weather has just started to get cold, with more rain and possibly some snow on Monday. This week, we averaged 2 to 4 adult steelhead per trip fishing both roe and plugs. The fly fishermen are also catching a few fish,” Huber added.

Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

2nd annual Humboldt Steelhead Days/Fishing Derby on the Mad River coming up in 2015, and perhaps something on the Eel River as well. Contests, dinner/awards/auction/prizes in the works so far. Hotel partner: Red Lion Hotel in Eureka will have a special room rate where the derby ticket ($25) is included in the room rate. Contact www.madriveralliance.org to donate or partner with.

Also, Eureka Main Street will be putting on a Crab Crawl Festival the first weekend of February 2015 and both events will be partnering up so that you can go fishing as well as eat some Humboldt Dungenous Crab down at the new Fisherman’s Terminal in Old Town Eureka where Wild Planet and Coast Seafood’s operates.

Hashtag your Mad River or Eel River Steelhead photos: #HumboldtSteelheadDays

Tickets available online at Hold My Ticket.com

Young anglers Jacobi and Jaxon are all smiles as they hold a couple Dungeness crab caught while fishing last Saturday with Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing. Sport crabbing, which opened Nov. 1 along the North Coast, has been excellent out of Eureka. Photo courtesy of Full Throttle Sport Fishing

Multiple storms lined up for next week

A decent amount of rain is predicted to hit the ground over the next couple days, but it may not be enough to open any of the rivers south of the Mad. The main stem Eel, South Fork and Van Duzen are all forecasted for small rises, but it’s unlikely they’ll open to fishing this weekend. To the north, the Smith and Chetco, which are both low and clear, should see enough of a rise to bring in fresh salmon from the ocean. Conditions have been tough on both rivers, but there certainly hasn’t been a lack of fish. Spots that hold fish are dwindling and getting them to bite hasn’t been that easy, which has some of the guides and sport anglers waiting for better days. If the current storm, and the next few that are lined up behind it, fall into place, better days definitely lie ahead.

Weekend forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the bulk of the rain from the current storm will have fallen Wednesday night. He Said, “We should see showers through Thursday in Humboldt, and continuing into Friday in the Smith basin. Rainfall totals could reach one and a half-inches in Del Norte and up to an inch in Humboldt. After a break on Saturday, showers are forecasted for Sunday afternoon. Up to a quarter inch for the Smith and probably less in Humboldt is forecasted. Another break on Monday and into Tuesday will be followed by more rain beginning Tuesday night. Showers will last into Wednesday with up to an inch of rain possible for Del Norte and Humboldt.”

Sport crab fishing going strong
Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing and Phil Glenn, who’s running the Shellback through the end of the month, are both reporting excellent crabbing out of Eureka. On an overnight soak, they’re getting between 7 and 12 keepers per pot. According to Klassen, it’s slowed down a hair, but it’s still really good with limits coming easily. “From what I see, both sides of the entrance are fishing about the same,” Klassen added. Added Glenn, “There’s a lot of crab around, but I think they’re scattered. There’s no one real location that’s fishing better than anywhere else.”

Woodley Island sport crab trips
Reel Steel Sport Fishing, Shellback Sport Fishing, Full Throttle Sport Fishing and Northwind Charters are all booking crab trips out of Woodley Island. Trips will generally last two hours. Departure times will depend on the tides, but most often they’ll leave sometime in the morning. To book a trip with Shellback Sport Fishing, call 442-7843. Reel Steel Sport Fishing can be reached at 499-4925, Full Throttle’s reservations number is 498-7473, and to reach Northwind Charters, call 616-5328. The weekend trips fill up quick, so you’ll want to call early to reserve your spot.

Commercial Dungeness Crab Season Opens Nov. 15 in Central CA
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will open the Central California commercial Dungeness crab season on Saturday, Nov. 15 south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line. The season opener will be preceded by an 18-hour gear setting period when crab trap gear can be set no earlier than 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 14.
The 2014-15 commercial Dungeness crab season marks the second season of the Dungeness crab trap limit program. The program consists of seven tiers of trap allotments ranging from 175 to 500 traps. Dungeness crab vessel permit-holders can only fish the maximum number of traps within their respective trap tier as a means to control the maximum number of total traps fished in California waters. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/traplimit.asp

Smith River – Rowdy Creek Hatchery update
As of Wednesday, 35 Chinook salmon have returned to the hatchery according to hatchery manager Andrew Van Scoyk. “This is a pretty typical number for this time of the year, though I thought more would have returned with the early rains we had. At this time last year, we had zero returnees, so we’re ahead of the game there,” Van Scoyk added.

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

Chetco River
Salmon fishing has been on the slow side with a lot of dark fish showing in the holes along with a few bright ones reports Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “The sea lions are up the river — a sure sign that the fish have moved out of the estuary. I’ve been mostly bobber fishing and doing a little back-bouncing too. Small plugs and side-drifting has also caught a few fish. You really have to try everything and see if some of the rolling fish will bite. We really need the rain,” Early added.

Smith River
As of Wednesday, it was low, clear and getting tough to drift according to guide Mike Coopman. He said, “There’s fish around, but they’re holding in just a few spots. It’s getting tougher to find some current, but the rain that’s coming should change that. Hopefully with the next rise, we’ll see a new batch of fish come in and move the older fish up.” The Smith is predicted to peak at just above 9-feet on Friday afternoon and then be back on the drop. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Main Stem Eel
Predicted to nudge just above 350 cfs threshold on Friday, but will likely drop right back down. If it does open to fishing, it won’t be open long. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
A slight rise is predicted for Thursday, but probably not enough to open. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Mad River
Forecasted to rise on Thursday and again on Friday, it may open to fishing on Friday. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Van Duzen
Not much of a rise is predicted. Unless the forecast changes, it’s not likely to open to fishing this weekend. http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Upper Trinity
Working the Douglas City area, guide Steve Huber reports the steelhead fishing has been average, with one to three adults per trip. “The water is low and clear and steelhead are staging to move up their home creeks. We really need a good rainstorm to put the fish on the move. Fishing has been best in the mornings and late afternoons and back-trolling plugs and side drifting roe have been the top producers,” 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

Covelo resident Ryan Aylsworth landed this nice Smith River salmon earlier this week while fishing with Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. The big king tipped the scales at 36-pounds.

Minus tides could create dangerous bar crossing

The sport Dungeness crab season kicked off this past Saturday, and those who ventured offshore reported the crabs were plentiful, as well as heavy. Captain Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing and Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing both set gear north of the entrance and reported the crabs are extremely full for this time of the year. Klassen said, “The reports are good for boats fishing both north and south of the entrance. Pots dropped south and rigged with good bait were producing 15 to 16 keepers per pot. The scores were roughly the same for the pots that fished north.” Klassen also added that the crabs were really full and in good shape. “They are certainly full enough to allow the commercial season to start on time, which is scheduled for Dec. 1. north of Mendocino.” Crab counts coming out of Humboldt Bay weren’t quite as encouraging. The story was the same for all the anglers I spoke with – the crabbing stunk. It’s hard to know exactly why, but most of the theories center around the early rains which brought an influx of freshwater into the bay, pushing the crabs offshore.
Opening day reports from Trinidad were a little bleak as well. But from the reports I heard, it picked up the last few days. Overnight soaks seemed to be the ticket to full pots. Up north to Crescent City, Leonard Carter of Englund Marine reported some pretty good crab numbers. “Straight out of the harbor in 100 to 120-feet of water was one of the top spots. I don’t think there’s a huge volume of crab out there, but an overnight soak on the opener produced up to 20 keepers per pot. Crabbers also did well off of South Beach as well as inside the harbor. There were very few light crab reported,” Carter added.

Marine Forecast
It looks like we’re in for another bumpy weekend on the ocean, coupled with a round of minus tides that will last through Monday. As of Wednesday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots with 9-foot waves at 10 seconds coming out of the northwest. Saturday is looking better; the forecast is calling for north winds 5 to 10 knots with west waves 6-feet at 12 seconds. A mixed swell is forecasted for Sunday with winds out of the north 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 3-feet at 6 seconds and west 7-feet at 16 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Weekend Weather forecast
After a weak system rolls through the area on Thursday, dry conditions will persist through Tuesday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Thursday’s storm may bring up to a quarter inch to the Smith basin and maybe a tenth to Humboldt. Next Tuesday’s rain is forecasted to bring about the same rainfall totals. Next Thursday and Friday, a more powerful system is predicted, but that’s still a little far out there to be sure of rainfall amounts. The models are showing up to three-quarters of an inch,” Kennedy said.

Humboldt bar hazardous warning
For crab fishermen heading offshore, there could be potential hazardous bar conditions due to the combination of minus tides and swells. Thursday and Friday’s tides will have the most runoff. Both high tides will be 8-feet followed by a -1.0 low on Thursday and a -1.2 low on Friday. Saturday’s high tide will be 6.2-feet followed by a low of -1.1 feet. These tides could be extremely dangerous, especially if the ocean is rough. It’s always best to error on the side of caution, even if it means waiting until the out-flowing water from the bay has slowed, which usually occurs within 30 to 45 minutes prior to the tide bottoming out. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Weekend Tides – Humboldt Bay
Fri., Nov. 7 (High: 11:15 a.m.) (Low: 5:07 a.m. and 6:01 p.m.)
Sat., Nov. 8 (High: 12:39 a.m. and 11:54 p.m.) (Low: 5:51 a.m. and 6:44 p.m.)
Sun., Nov. 9 (High: 1:27 a.m. and 12:34 p.m.) (Low: 6:35 a.m. and 7:27 p.m.)

Sport-Harvested Mussel Quarantine Lifted
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced Oct. 30 that the annual quarantine on mussels gathered by sport harvesters from California’s coastal waters ended at midnight Friday, Oct. 31 for all coastal counties except Ventura County. The annual quarantine, which typically runs May 1 through Oct.31, is intended to protect the public from paralytic shellfish poisoning and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). There have been no reports of shellfish-related poisoning in California during the quarantine period. For more information, visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR14-090.aspx.

The Rivers:
Currently, only the Smith River and the main stem of the Eel are open to fishing. All other North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the South Fork Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to its mouth. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Smith River
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, the Smith is low and clear and in need of rain. “The best action has been prior to the sun hitting the water, after that it’s been tough. The fish we are catching are nice and bright however. We’re also seeing quite a few jacks around,” added Coopman. As of Wednesday, flows were right around 1,300 cfs and dropping. No increased flows were in the forecast at least through the weekend.

Chetco
The Chetco fished really well after last weekend’s rain, but the lack of rain since didn’t help Tuesday’s non-bobber opener reports Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “The boat traffic and fishing pressure was incredible last weekend as well as Tuesday, which probably scattered the fish around. With the river dropping and clearing and not much rain in the forecast, we’ll probably be back to bobber fishing within a few days,” Early said.

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

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.

Based on the weight of the crabs, the commercial season will likely start Dec. 1 on the North Coast. Four charter boats are running sport trips out of Woodley Island, this is the best deal in town!! Guaranteed limits of 10 crabs!!

The weekend trips fill up quick, so you’ll want to call early to reserve your spot.
Reel Steel Sport Fishing (707) 499-4925 http://reelsteelsportfishing.com/
Shellback Sport Fishing (707) 442-7115 http://www.eurekafishing.net/
Full Throttle Sport Fishing (707) 498-7473 http://fullthrottlesportfishing.com/
NorthWind Charters (707) 616-616-5238 http://www.northwindcharters.net/

Arcata resident Mike Martino landed this large Smith River king salmon on Monday while fishing with guide John Klar. Salmon fishing on the Smith has been steady this week and should only get better as we head into November, which is typically the peak of the salmon season. Photo courtesy of John Klar’s Guide Service

The highly anticipated annual sport Dungeness crab season will open statewide this Saturday, Nov. 1. Here on the North Coast, winter crabbing is a tradition that dates back generations. Boats will be working the near shore waters, bays and river mouths baiting, setting and pulling pots and rings — all in the hopes of a big payout of rich, delicious crab.

When the first pots are pulled come Saturday morning, anglers will get their first peak into the health and weight of this seasons crop. The CDFW pre-season testing, which was to take place on Oct. 25, was postponed until Nov. 10 due to a lack of boats in all the testing ports. A typical year will find the meat content at around 20 percent, with the theory being that crabs will add one percent of meat a week and reach the 25 percent mark for the commercial opener of Dec. 1. Meaty crabs or not, we’re just happy to have these tasty crustaceans back on the dinner menu.

Rockfish, Halibut seasons coming to the end
The recreational rockfish season for boat-based anglers as well as the Pacific Halibut season will come to a close on Friday, Oct. 31.

Marine Forecast
The weekend offshore weather doesn’t look great, but the bigger boats should be able to get out and set some gear. As of Wednesday, Saturday’s forecast is calling for N winds 5 to 10 knots with 10-foot waves at 13 seconds coming out of the west. Sunday is looking better; the forecast is calling for N winds up to 5 knots with west waves 6-feet at 12 seconds. The forecast will likely change, so before you head out, check the marine forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka and click on the marine tab. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Weekend Weather forecast
The next system is set to hit Thursday night and will stick around into Saturday morning according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We could see up to 1 inch of rain in the Mad, Eel and Van Duzen basins, with an inch and a half falling in the Smith basin. After a dry Sunday, the next system will move in sometime late Monday or Tuesday morning, bringing another half-inch to the area. After that, we should be dry until Friday night with a wet weekend predicted,” Kennedy said.

Crabbing locations
If you’re planning on heading offshore and leaving pots overnight, your best bet is to start setting gear in 100 to 150 feet of water. Historically, crabs tend to be in deeper water at the beginning of the season and will move in towards the beach later in the year. If you’re soaking for just a few hours and don’t have the equipment to go deep, dropping pots just outside the entrance in 50 feet is a good option.

If you don’t have means to head offshore, you can still find plenty of crab. One of the top spots to soak a few rings is Crab Park, located at the end of Cannibal Island Rd., in Loleta. There’s access to launch a kayak or canoe in the estuary of the Eel River. You can also launch your boat at Pedrazzini Park at the end of Cock Robin Island Rd., and make your way up the estuary towards the mouth of the Eel.

Humboldt Bay also has a few good locations to catch some crab. Out in front of the PG&E plant is a good spot as well as the flat off of the South Jetty parking lot. Another top location is either side of the channel leading into the South Bay. Up north, inside Trinidad Harbor is another popular spot among the locals. You can launch your small boat, kayak or canoe right off the beach and head out to Prisoner Rock, where the bottom is sandy and 40 to 50-ft deep. Launching here requires a relatively calm ocean, which may not be the case this weekend.

To the north, Crescent City harbor is a good option for the smaller boats, especially if the ocean is rough. If you’re running offshore, South Beach from Mussel Rock to Endert Beach, in 40-feet of water, is also a good option. Straight out of the harbor in 100-feet has also been a good location.

Bait:
Squid is probably the most popular bait, but any type of fish carcass frozen from the summer will work. Raw chicken, especially drumsticks, work as well.

Regulations:
In Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties, the season runs from Saturday, Nov. 1 through July 30, 2015. The minimum size is five and three-quarter inches measured by the shortest distance through the body from edge of shell to edge of shell directly in front of and excluding the points (lateral spines) and the limit is 10. Traps and nets for Dungeness crab may not be set before 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1. A valid California sport fishing license is required. For more information regarding recreational Dungeness crab fishing regulations and other crab species, visit dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/crabs.asp

Potential hazardous bar crossing on Saturday
For crab fishermen heading offshore, there could be potential hazardous bar condition on Saturday due to the combination of tides and swells converging at the time when boats will be headed in and out the mouth of the bay. After Saturday’s high tide at 7:55 a.m., 6.2-feet of water will be flowing out of the bay and running straight into 10-foot swells. This could be dangerous and it’s best to error on the side of caution — even if it means waiting until the out-flowing water from the bay has slowed, which usually occurs within 30 to 45 minutes prior to the tide bottoming out. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Weekend Tides – Humboldt Bay
Sat., Nov. 1 (High: 7:55 a.m. and 7:40 p.m.) (Low: 1:00 a.m. and 1:49 p.m.)
Standard time begins at 2:00 a.m. Sunday
Sun., Nov. 2 (High: 7:45 a.m. and 7:54 p.m.) (Low: 1:55 p.m.)

Woodley Island sport crab trips
Reel Steel Sport Fishing, Shellback Sport Fishing, and Full Throttle Sport Fishing are all booking crab trips out of Woodley Island for Saturday’s opener. Trips will generally last two hours. Departure times will depend on the tides, but most often they’ll leave sometime in the morning. To book a trip with Shellback Sport Fishing, call (707) 442-7115. Reel Steel Sport Fishing can be reached at (707) 499-4925 and Full Throttle’s reservations number is (707) 498-7473. The weekend trips fill up quick, so you’ll want to call early to reserve your spot.

The Rivers:
As of Wednesday afternoon, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith were open to fishing. However, the low flow closure hotline stated the So Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Redwood Creek would close Thursday morning unless increased flows warranted keeping them open. With rain predicted for Thursday evening, it’s likely these three rivers will open back up sometime either Friday or Saturday. You’ll want to make sure and call the hotline, (707) 822-3164, prior to fishing.

Smith River
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, fishing has been tough the last couple of days. He said, “The river has dropped and cleared, and it’s getting tougher to find any current. The rise we had last week probably pushed the older fish up river, but there isn’t a lot of new fish stacked on the lower end. We have a decent shot of rain coming later in the week, and that rise should bring in some new fish and rejuvenate the river.”

Lower Klamath
As of Wednesday, the lower Klamath was flowing at just under 6,000 cfs and should be plenty fishable. Depending on how much rain falls on Thursday and Friday, it may blow out by the weekend.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service has been covering water from Douglas City to Del Loma and reports the rain really helped move the fish around. “There’s quite a few salmon around, and some fresh fish are starting to push in. We’ve seen quite a few fresh jacks this past week as well. I’ve been targeting mainly steelhead, and the bite has been good. There’s lots of fish around and they are mostly bright. Plugs and side-drifted roe are both catching fish,” Huber added.

Chetco River
Anti-snagging rules will be lifted after Monday, Nov. 3 and the section above Nook Creek will open to salmon fishing. The daily/season bag limit is 2 Chinook per day, with only 1 unclipped. The season limit is 20, with no more than 5 unclipped. For more information, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/2014_Chinook_Fisheries.pdf

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Eureka resident Eric Banko with a big king salmon caught Friday on the Smith River fishing with Kenny Priest of Fishing the North Coast Guide Service.

Rain is falling, and it sounds like plenty more is on the way. And if the amounts predicted come to fruition, we could see all of the North Coast rivers that are subject to low flow closures opened up to fishing as early as Friday, or possibly even Thursday. The exception would be the Smith River, which opened up on Monday. Forecasted rainfall totals through the weekend look pretty impressive. In the Smith basin, three inches are slated to fall through Friday morning with another three inches predicted to accumulate from Saturday’s storm. In Humboldt County, the forecast is calling for roughly three inches combined from two systems, which should taper off by Sunday afternoon. This is welcome news for the salmon that have been trapped in the estuaries of rivers like the Eel, Mad, and Redwood Creek. The rain should also aid the salmon and steelhead as they head up the tributaries along the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

 Upper Trinity River closing to the take of adult salmon
The CDFW projects that the Upper Trinity River anglers will have met their catch quota of 681 adult fall-run Chinook salmon above Cedar Flat by sundown on Friday, Oct. 24. Starting Saturday, Oct. 25, anglers may still fish but can no longer keep adult Chinook salmon over 22 inches in the Trinity River above Cedar Flat. Fish tags may be removed and returned to CDFW. Anglers may still keep a daily bag of three Chinook salmon under 22 inches.

The fall-run Chinook salmon quota on the Lower Trinity River is 681 adult Chinook salmon from the confluence with the Klamath River up to Cedar flat. This sub-area quota has not been met yet, and anglers may retain one adult Chinook salmon as part of their three fish daily bag limit. Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling (800) 564-6479.

Klamath re-opens above I-5
On Friday, Oct. 24, the Klamath River from the Interstate 5 bridge up to Iron Gate Hatchery reopens to the take of Chinook salmon over 22 inches. The Iron Gate Hatchery has met the 8,000 adult fish number needed for spawning purposes. This means anglers can keep one Chinook over 22 inches as part of the three-fish daily bag limit in this section of the Klamath River.

 Weekend Weather
A couple pretty wet systems are set to roll through the North Coast according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. The first will have started Wednesday and should stick around through Thursday. “We could see up to 3 inches of rain in the Smith basin, the Eel and Van Duzen around an inch and a half, and Redwood Creek may see 2 inches. All the rivers should see a fairly significant rise,” Kennedy added. After a break on Friday, the next round of rain will be here Friday night and will linger until Sunday morning. “Rainfall totals for the weekend should be similar to the first system.” After a break on Sunday afternoon through Monday, the next system will arrive on Tuesday according to Kennedy. “Next week looks to be wet as well,” Kennedy said.

Dungeness crab testing begins this Saturday
According to DFG Senior Marine Biologist Pete Kalvass, who oversees the Invertebrate Management Project, CDFW will begin collecting crab Oct. 25 and should have meat yield results by the following Monday or Tuesday. Ports scheduled for testing include Crescent City, Eureka, Fort Bragg, Bodega, and San Francisco. For more information regarding recreational Dungeness crab fishing regulations and other crab species, please visit the DFG Marine Region website at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/crabs.asp

The Oceans:
Eureka
Rough ocean conditions have kept the sport fleet tied up for the past couple weeks, and more is in store for this weekend as well. Friday’s forecast is for winds from the south 10 to 20 knots and west waves 10-feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for southwest winds 15 to 25 knots and waves out of the west 16-feet at 12 seconds. The wind and swell will calm on Sunday. Winds are expected out of the north to 5 knots and west waves to 11-feet at 12 seconds.

The Rivers:
Smith River
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, the Smith was in good shape on Tuesday and quite a few fish were caught. He said, “The rise on Tuesday brought in quite a few new fish, and there were lots of jacks around as well. There were also quite a few fish that had been in the river for a while. Overall, the fishing was really good; we probably hooked roughly 20 fish, including some nice bright ones to take home. I’m a little uncertain what’s going to happen with the rain that’s forecasted for the next several days. If it goes as high as predicted, it will certainly rejuvenate the river and move the fish around. There may be a window on Friday morning, but conditions should be ideal early next week.”

River Closures
As of Wednesday evening, all the North Coast rivers, except the Smith, that are subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen were closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road to its mouth, the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to its mouth. The Mattole, also falls under low-flow regulations, but doesn’t open to fishing until Jan. 1

The CDFW will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Klamath
Lower Klamath
The Klamath has been on the rise since earlier this week, but it remained fishable. Fresh fish were still entering the river according to the CDFW fish counters. The few boats that were out reported adult salmon, jacks as well as steelhead this week. With rain forecasted for the next several days, the river will most likely blow out.

Trinity
Upper
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports there’s quite a few fish holding down in the Junction City area. He said, “Those fish are holding, waiting for rain and probably bound for the South Fork and some of the lower tributaries. We’re getting anywhere between three to five fish per trip working the Douglas City area down to Del Loma. There are a few fresh fish around, but not many. Most of the fish we’re seeing are colored up. There’s quite a few silvers spread throughout the river, and we’re starting to see some fresh steelhead make it up.”

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My favorite time of the year is finally here. The season’s first storms are peppering the North Coast, and rivers like the Eel, Smith, and Checto are beginning to fill with much-needed water. The late fall king salmon, who’ve been waiting patiently in the their estuaries, are ready to charge upriver towards their final spawning destinations. For anglers, the chess game is just getting started. If you’re like me, river flows, rainfall totals and river level forecasts are being constantly monitored. My iPhone has become a permanent fixture in the palm of my hand, pouring over the data that will provide the best opportunity to ambush the kings as they make their way upriver. Making sure my favorite Kwikfish are in working order, stocking the freezer with a season’s worth of sardines, and digging out the back-bouncing bait is all part of the fun. Another aspect of fishing the coastal rivers this time of the year is keeping track of the openings and closings of rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, which began Oct. 1. To stay up-to-date on the what’s open and closed to fishing, it’s a wise to add the low-flow closure hotline, (707) 822-3164, to your contacts. For a complete list of low flow regulations, visit and bookmark fishingthenorthcoast.com/2014/10/16/low-flow-regulations-for-north-coast-rivers.

Checto anti-snagging bobber rule in effect

From the power line crossing at RM 2.2 upstream to Nook Creek (RM 14) from Sept. 1 through Nov. 3, angling is restricted to fly angling and bobber angling only, with 1 single point hook. Fly angling gear must include a strike indicator. Bobber angling gear must include a bobber and a leader no longer than 36 inches in length. Any weight (except the bobber or strike indicator) may be no more than 36 inches from the hook when suspended vertically. The leader below the bobber or strike indicator must remain suspended in the water column and not resting on the river bottom. The daily/seasonal bag limit is 2 Chinook daily, only one may be unclipped. 20 seasonal, no more than 5 may be unclipped.

PFMC public comment needed on Halibut

There are only a few days left to solicit public comments for the November 16, 2014 PFMC meeting, and HASA is asking for your help. The Council is scheduled to take final action on proposed changes for the 2015 Area 2A halibut fisheries at the November 14-19, 2014 Council meeting in Costa Mesa, CA. The deadline to make it into the briefing book is this Friday, Oct. 17. You can still submit comments afterwards until Nov. 4, but they will not make it in the book and instead will be handed out on the first day of the meeting. Public comment on the options can be submitted to pfmc.comments@noaa.gov.

HASA is supporting Alternative 4, which will increase our halibut quota to 4 percent. They are submitting public comments on this, but need more emails/letters to be submitted. For more information, visit http://www.pcouncil.org/2014/09/32634/halibut-sept2014-decisions/

Weekend Weather

According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll be in between storms on Thursday, but more rain is on the way. “The next storm should arrive Friday afternoon and linger into Saturday morning. Rainfall totals will be from a quarter to a half-inch. The next system will hit early Monday and could pack a little better punch. We could see up to three-quarters of an inch. Tuesday and Wednesday are both looking dry, we should see more rain moving in Thursday night,” Kennedy added.

The Oceans:

Rough offshore waters brought both ports to a standstill this past week for sport anglers targeting rockfish and halibut. And it’s looking like they won’t get much of a break this weekend with more unsettled weather on the way. Friday is calling for winds out of the SE to 20 knots, with waves 10-feet at 11 seconds. Saturday looks decent, with winds out of the S to 5 knots and waves 7-feet at 11 seconds. Sunday looks a little nasty, with S winds to 10 knots and 13-foot swells at 15 seconds.

The Rivers:

As of Thursday morning, all the North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen are closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road to its mouth, the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to its mouth and the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its mouth. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Smith River

The Smith opened to fishing on Wednesday after rising above the 600 minimum cfs level, but was closed as of Thursday morning. There were reportedly quite a few fish on the lower river, but the increase in flows should have pushed those fish up and brought some fresh fish in from the ocean.

Lower Klamath

There’s still fresh salmon coming into the river, reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “I heard the mouth was almost shut this past weekend, but it opened back up earlier this week and we saw a bunch of new fish enter the river. There’s quite a few fish around, some older fish along with the new ones as well as some jacks. I haven’t seen any steelhead or silvers lately. We received close to three inches of rain on Tuesday night, but the river was in great shape on Wednesday. I didn’t see any dirty water coming down.”

Upper Trinity

According to Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service, who’s been working the Del Loma area, the fishing has been tough. “There doesn’t appear to be a lot of fresh salmon around right now. We’re getting a shot at three or four per trip, along with a couple steelhead. The fishing is just slow right now; a good shot of rain would do wonders. The smolts were released at the beginning of the month, and they’re pretty thick right now. It will be tough to fish bait without it being wrapped,” 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.

North Coast rivers that are regulated by low flow closures, including the Eel River, Mad River, Mattole River, Redwood Creek, Smith River and Van Duzen River will begin angling restrictions on Oct. 1, except for the Mad River, which went into effect Sept. 1. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 822-3164.

The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until Jan. 1.

Areas subjected to Low Flow Closures:

Mad River — the main stem Mad River from the Hammond Trail Railroad Trestle to Cowan Creek. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge.

Eel River — the main stem Eel River from the paved junction of Fulmor Road with the Eel River to the South Fork Eel River — minimum flow: 350 cfs at the gauging station near Scotia.

The South Fork of the Eel River downstream from Rattlesnake Creek and the Middle Fork Eel River downstream from the Bar Creek — minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda.

Van Duzen River — the main stem Van Duzen River from its junction with the Eel River to the end of Golden Gate Drive near Bridgeville (approximately 4,000 feet upstream of Little Golden Gate Bridge). Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.

Mattole River — the main stem of the Mattole River from the mouth to Honeydew Creek.

Minimum flow: 320 cfs at the gauging station at Petrolia.

Redwood Creek — the main stem of Redwood Creek from the mouth to its confluence with Bond Creek. Minimum flow: 300 cfs at the gauging station near the Highway 101 bridge.

Smith River — the main stem Smith River from the mouth of Rowdy Creek to its confluence with Patrick Creek; the South Fork Smith River from the mouth upstream approximately 1000 feet to the County Road (George Tyron) bridge and Craigs Creek to its confluence with Jones Creek; and the North Fork Smith River from the mouth to its confluence with Stony Creek. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station.

Patricia Stockel of Eureka, pictured right, along with skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing landed this whopper Vermilion rockfish on Monday while fishing near Cape Mendocino. The North Coast rockfish season, as well as Pacific Halibut, both come to a close at the end of October. Photo courtesy of Reel Steel Sport Fishing

Fresh kings still entering the Klamath

This week’s lake-like ocean conditions prompted more than a few boats to target late-season rockfish near Cape Mendocino as well as halibut off the coast of Eureka. While the Halibut bite has been spotty at best, the rockfish and lingcod action remains nothing short of stellar. Every boat that’s made the trek south reported limits of fat rockfish, along with limits of lingcod. The halibut bite on the other hand, remains a little tougher. There were lots of skunks reported, and a few boats were lucky enough to land a couple — a true hit and miss report. If you’re planning a trip offshore this weekend, be sure and check the marine forecast prior to leaving as both Saturday and Sunday are looking a little on the rough side. Both rockfish and halibut seasons will come to an end on October 31.

Rain coming next week
Looks like we’re stuck with dry conditions through the weekend, but changes are on the way early next week. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see some rain begin to fall on Monday afternoon and it should last into the evening. “We could see up to a quarter-inch on Monday, then we’ll dry out on Tuesday. More rain is predicted for Wednesday as a series of systems roll through the area. We should see rain off and on through Saturday the 18th. It looks like we could get anywhere from two to three inches of rain over the four-day period,” Kennedy added.

Weekend marine forecast
As of Wednesday afternoon, the weekend offshore forecast does not look good. Friday’s forecast is calling for N winds 5 to 10 knots with waves W 4-feet at 12 seconds. It starts to get a little ugly on Saturday, with N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 5-feet at 8-seconds and W 8-feet at 17 seconds. Sunday looks similar with N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 5-feet at 8 seconds and W 9-feet at 16 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can verify the conditions as reported, by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Tuna out of Eureka
With a flat ocean since the weekend, a handful of boats have been targeting tuna out of Eureka. Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters ran 56 miles on Saturday and boated 16 large tuna, with the biggest tipping the scales at 36-pounds. A few boats ran on Monday as well, but the results weren’t quite as good. The high boat landed eight, while some of the other boats came back wit 4 or less. More boats made the run on Wednesday, but I didn’t hear any scores.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Skippers Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport fishing and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing both have been running trips to the Cape this past week, taking advantage of the calm ocean. Both report a lingcod bite that is completely off the hook. According to Klassen, they come into the shallows this time of the year to spawn. He said, “We’re catching lots of 22 to 24 inchers that I believe are real aggressive males that are sitting on beds. We’ve had a few really good spawning years, and I think we’re seeing the results this year. The halibut bite remains slow, with less than a fish per trip average. “They must be somewhere we haven’t looked yet,” Klassen added. The inshore warm water may have something to do with it added Blasi. “If it’s not affecting the halibut directly, it may be affecting what they’re feeding on this time of year.”

Crescent City
Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports the rockfish bite has been good the last few days. He said, “The ocean has been flat, and the few boats that are going out are coming back with limits. There aren’t many people still trying.”

Port of Brookings Harbor – Chetco Bubble Season
Cindy Jones O’Reilly of Sporthaven Marina (541) 469-3301 reports the bubble season at the mouth of the Chetco is still going strong, with lots of fish still coming in. She said, “I heard the fishing was excellent on Tuesday, but had slowed down as of Wednesday afternoon. The leader in the Chetco Hawg Derby as of Wednesday is still the 38.8-pound king caught last week. The bubble season will wrap up Sunday, October 12. For more information, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/Regulations/docs/2014_Chetco_SW_Sport.pdf

The Rivers:
Smith River
A few salmon are being caught at the mouth on Kastmasters and Cleo’s according to Carter.

Lower Klamath
There’s still fresh adult kings coming into the lower Klamath, but there aren’t many jacks around reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The last few days the fishing has been real good as we’re still seeing brand new fish come in. It’s obviously slowed down since the peak of the season, but we’re still hooking upwards of 20 fish per trip. We’ve seen a few Coho around, and there’s some steelhead being caught as well. The river is in great shape, the release from the upper Klamath brought down a little moss, but it’s not bad at all. The water temperature is a cool 63 degrees.”

Middle Trinity
There’s quite a few salmon hanging around below the North Fork reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “The fish are holding all the way down to the Del Loma area right now. The fishing isn’t red-hot, but the guys who know what they’re doing are catching one or two per trip. Panther Martin’s and Blue Fox’s have been the top producers.” Brady also added the smolts have been released from the hatchery and are working their way down, which will make it tough to fish bait. “I haven’t heard any good steelhead reports lately, but that certainly doesn’t mean they’re not around.”

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.