Current Fishing Reports | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Right on time – sport crab opens Saturday

California’s Second District Congressman Jared Huffman landed a nice 35 lb. Smith River salmon last Saturday while fishing with guide Mike Coopman. Congressman Huffman was able to squeeze in a half-day fishing trip while in Crescent City touring the Last Chance Grade. Photo courtesy of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service

Good news North Coast! The much-anticipated sport Dungeness crab season will open on time this year, and the season’s first crustaceans can be legally hauled from the salty waters of oceans and bays beginning Saturday morning. After last year’s domoic acid debacle, which delayed both sport and commercial openers, this is welcome news. 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.

In Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties, the season runs from Saturday, Nov. 5 through July 30, 2017. 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. A valid California sport fishing license is required. For more information regarding recreational Dungeness crab fishing regulations and other crab species, visit http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Crabs

New state regulations went into effect on Aug. 1 regarding the crab fisheries and crab trap requirements. Dungeness crab size and bag limits are now uniform statewide. All crab traps will be required to have a destruct device, must be marked with the GO ID number of the operator of the trap, and may not be deployed during the seven days prior to the opening of the Dungeness crab season. For more info on the new regulations, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=132266&inline

CDPH warns rec anglers to avoid consuming the viscera of Dungeness crab caught north of Point Reyes
In a press release issued on Nov. 2, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning recreational anglers not to consume the viscera (internal organs) of Dungeness crab caught in coastal waters north of Point Reyes (Latitude 38° 00′ N). This warning is due to the sporadic detection of elevated levels of domoic acid in the viscera of Dungeness crabs caught off the Northern California coast. CDPH believes that Dungeness crab meat is safe to consume, however, as a precaution, consumers are advised not to eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts”) of crabs. The best ways to reduce risk are: Remove the crab viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking, or boil or steam whole crabs, instead of frying or broiling, and discard cooking liquids. For more info, visit

Marine Forecast
A small craft advisory will be in effect from 3 a.m. on Thursday to 4 a.m. on Monday, which will likely delay the sport boats from crabbing offshore this weekend. As of Wednesday, Saturday’s forecast is calling for south winds 5 to 10 knots with 15-foot waves at 16 seconds coming out of the west. Sunday is looking equally as bad, with winds out of the east up to 5 knots with west waves 14-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. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan

Weekend Tides – Humboldt Bay
Sat., Nov. 5 (High: 4:45 a.m. and 3:21 p.m.) (Low: 9:37 a.m. and 10:33 p.m.)
Standard time begins at 2:00 a.m. Sunday
Sun., Nov. 6 (High: 4:41 a.m. and 3:17 p.m.) (Low: 9:40 a.m. and 10:26 p.m.)

Weekend Weather forecast
Not quite as much rain in the forecast this week as in the past few, but a couple of smaller systems could drop another inch or two to the region. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, Thursday and Friday will be on the dry side, but rain is back in the forecast for Saturday. “The next system will roll through on Saturday afternoon and stick around overnight. The Smith basin could see up to two inches and the Eel/Mad basins may see an inch. Sunday and Monday are looking dry, with the next chance of rain forecasted for Tuesday. It will be a weaker system, with the Smith basin seeing up to an inch and the Eel/Mad area receiving anywhere from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch. Next Wednesday and Thursday are both looking dry,” Kennedy added.

The Rivers:
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Smith, Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are currently open to fishing. 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 in great shape, and dropping slowly. He said, the river hasn’t dropped as quickly as predicted, and should continue to fish really well until we get the next round of storms. There continues to be lots of fish in the river, and both plugs and backbouncing roe are catching fish.”. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Smith was right around 10.5 feet on the Jed Smith gauge.

Chetco
The Chetco dropped to 4,820 cfs Tuesday evening and should fish well Wednesday afternoon through Saturday reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “There is rain coming Saturday, which could increase flows again, although the gauge projection isn’t showing that as of Wednesday. The Chetco has been blown out for the past week, although one boat went down last Saturday and got three nice kings in the high water, over 5,000 cfs. The gear restrictions end Nov 4, which means we will be able to back-bounce, and run plugs without a bobber, or a single-point hook. There should be some hatchery fish from Loeb park down.

Elk/Sixes
The Elk had some new fish on Tuesday, mainly on the lower end according to Martin. “The hatchery launch was crowded on Tuesday and fishing was just fair on the upper end. Typically, the Elk and Sixes have a later run, so the bulk of the fish are likely still to come.”

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 kicking out large kings

Kyle McGill of Grants Pass, Ore., holds a 40-pound king he caught Oct. 25 on the Smith River with a 5.0 MagLip plug while fishing with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. Also pictured is Bill Ogren and Kenneth Ogren, also of Grants Pass. Photo courtesy of Andy Martin/Wild Rivers Fishing

While the majority of the North Coast rivers are back on the rise following the rain earlier in the week, I’m wondering if anyone really cares? The spotlight has — and will continue to be — squarely on the Smith River. And for good reason. When fishable, the Smith has given up trophy-sized kings on a daily basis since the first big rain. After dropping into shape last Friday, the Chetco took some of the boat pressure off the Smith, and pumped out some very big kings as well. It was not uncommon to see multiple 30-pound salmon landed on both rivers every fishable day. With the forecast calling for off and on rain for the next week, expect both of these rivers to remain the epicenter for coastal king fishing.

Weekend Weather
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’re still in the middle of a wet pattern, with off and on rain in the forecast for the next week. “In Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, Thursday’s rain could drop up to a half to an inch of rain. Another quarter to a half is likely to fall on both Friday and Saturday. Sunday is predicted to be a little wetter, with a half to one inch possible in both counties. Monday is looking dry at the moment, but periods of light rain are in the forecast for Tuesday. A wetter system will arrive on Wednesday, with potentially two inches falling,” Kennedy added.

Rockfish seasons set to close
The recreational rockfish season for boat-based anglers will come to a close on Monday, Oct. 31. The weekend weather doesn’t look to promising for a last minute run to the Cape, or anywhere for that matter. Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots and 7 foot waves at 15 seconds. The winds will increase up to 15 knots on Saturday, with SW waves 4 feet at 7 seconds and NW 11 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday isn’t looking much better, with winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots and SW waves 6 feet at 9 seconds and NW 9 feet at 15 seconds.

Dungeness crab sport fishery to open statewide
The Dungeness crab sport fishery is scheduled to open statewide on Saturday, Nov. 5.
According to DFG Senior Marine Biologist Pete Kalvass, who oversees the Invertebrate Management Project, CDFW will begin collecting crab next week for meat yields, weather depending. For more information regarding recreational Dungeness crab fishing regulations and other crab species, please visit the DFG Marine Region website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Crabs

The Rivers:

River Notes
All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Smith, Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, and Van Duzen are currently open to fishing. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. NOTE: CA Fish and Game would like to remind anglers to check the CDFW Sport Fishing Regulations booklet for the Eel River and other catch and release, barbless hook-only north coast streams and rivers. Also, in waters where the bag limit is zero for trout and salmon, the fish must be released unharmed and should not be removed from the water. For more information, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=117095&inline

Smith River
The river is forecasted to jump up to nearly 14 feet on Thursday afternoon, which will likely put it at a dangerous level to drift reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “It should be fishable by Friday, but the water will still be on the high side. There’s lots of fish in the river right now, which is great for October. We’ve had these early rains plenty of years, and I don’t think it changes the length of the season at all. From what I’ve seen so far, I think we’re in for a great season. It’s likely we’ll see some lulls here and there, but my feeling is this year could be special.”
Reminder: A North Coast Salmon Report Card is required to fish for salmon on the Smith River. The daily bag and possession limit is 1 Chinook salmon and no more than 5 wild Chinook salmon per year.

Chetco
According to guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, the Chetco first came into shape last Thursday afternoon, once it got down to 4,300 cfs. “By Friday the river was below 4,000 cfs and fished great from top to bottom. Most guides got three to eight kings a day.

Fishing pressure was heavy on Saturday, but fishing was still good. There were good numbers of bright kings caught near the North Fork, Moffet Rock and Tamba. Sunday was surprisingly quiet, with only a handful of guides and private boaters. There were lots of fresh fish on the lower river. We did well on Friday and Saturday with 5.0 MagLips with sardine wraps. On Sunday, roe fished below bobbers or with divers worked better.”
According to Martin, the river was high on Tuesday and likely to blow out the rest of the week.

Anglers are reminded that 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.

Elk/Sixes
The Sixes fished better than the Elk over the weekend and early this week, but was high on Tuesday according to Martin. “The rains brought the Elk back to prime levels, and it will probably be the best bet for the Southern Oregon coastal rivers this weekend. The Elk fishes best during rainy periods. The Sixes may be blown out the rest of the week.”

Coastal rivers full of kings, more rain on the way

Arcata resident Seth Jones landed a nice Smith River king salmon on Wednesday while fishing with guide Mike Coopman. The Smith dropped into perfect shape on Wednesday and should continue to kick out large kings through the weekend. Photo courtesy of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service

Last week’s deluge was just what our rivers — and our salmon — badly needed. From the Chetco to the Eel, all of the rivers saw huge flow increases, allowing the late run of fall kings to make their way from the estuaries upriver and closer to their final destinations. Fishing on the Smith started out slow early this week as the water levels started to come down to fishable levels. By Wednesday, it was game on. The Chetco is dropping quickly, and should fish by Thursday. I’d expect to hear some really good scores by Friday. The Eel, Van Duzen and Mad all remain off color, but plenty of salmon were spotted moving through these rivers last week. More rain is in the forecast beginning this weekend, so the salmon fishing should only get better.

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 183 adult fall-run Chinook salmon above Cedar Flat by sundown on Friday, Oct. 21.

Starting Saturday, Oct. 22, anglers may still fish but can no longer keep adult Chinook salmon over 22 inches in the Trinity River above Cedar Flat. Anglers may still keep a daily bag of two Chinook salmon under 22 inches.

The fall-run Chinook salmon quota on the Lower Trinity River is 183 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 two 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.

Weekend Weather
More rain is in the forecast starting on Saturday night according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Light rain is in the forecast for Saturday night, with up to a half-inch falling. The rain will be heavier on Sunday, with the Smith and Eel basins seeing upwards of an inch and a half. The South Fork Eel area could see up to two inches. Showers are in the forecast for Monday, with another half to an inch predicted. We could see a combined total of one to two inches for Tuesday and Wednesday. Right now the models are showing we’ll be dry Thursday through next Saturday,” Kennedy said.

Klamath River Steelhead tournament
The Sixth annual Klamath River Steelhead Tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday October 29. Check in will be from 7 to 8:00 am at the liquor store in Happy Camp and weigh-ins will be at the bulk plant river access at 5 pm. The boat with the largest steelhead measured in length will win the competition. Drift boats only and no motors are allowed during the competition. You can fish any stretch of the river you like as long as you are checked in by 8 am and at the weigh-ins by 5 pm. Shuttles will be available and can be scheduled at check in and will cost $20.00 per vehicle. For more information, contact Mario Gomez at 530-598-0530.

New crab regulations for 2016-2017
This year, the recreational Dungeness crab season opens statewide on Saturday, November 5. Prior to the upcoming season opener, the CDFW would like to remind crabbers of the new regulations and procedures for crab traps that became effective on August 1, 2016:

Crab traps must contain at least one destruct device made from a single strand of untreated cotton twine, size No. 120 or less, that creates an unobstructed opening anywhere in the top or upper half of the trap that is at least 5 inches in diameter when this material corrodes or fails. Destruct devices prevent the continuous trapping of organisms in lost or abandoned trap gear, in a process known as “ghost fishing.

Crab trap buoys must display the “GO ID” number of the operator of the trap. The GO ID number is the unique, 10-digit identifier assigned by the Automated License Data System to your profile.

Crab traps must not be deployed or fished seven days prior to the opening of the Dungeness crab season. For this upcoming season, crab traps used to take either Dungeness crab or rock crab can’t be used or deployed in state waters from October 29, 2016 until the Dungeness crab fishery opens at 12:01 a.m. on November 5, 2016, and any crab traps found in ocean waters prior to this seven-day period should be removed from the water by October 28, 2016. This is to prevent the unlawful take of Dungeness crab before the season starts.

To read the entire regulation changes, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=132266&inline

Eel and Mad River catch and release regulations
The catch and release of Chinook salmon is legal on the Eel and Van Duzen Rivers, but keeping them is prohibited. As a reminder, anglers should do everything in their power to ensure the fish they catch are released in good condition so they can complete their long, hard journey to their spawning grounds. Not removing them from the water and using a rubber mesh net is recommended. Barbless hooks are required. On the Mad River, targeting salmon is prohibited.

The Rivers:
Smith River
According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, the Smith dropped into perfect shape on Wednesday and plenty of bright salmon were caught. He said, “There was quite a bit of boat pressure, but there seemed to be plenty of fish around. The guys who knew what they were doing did really well. Sardine-wrapped Kwikfish was the bait of choice on Wednesday. As the water drops this week, the fish will slow down and start to hold in the holes and back-bouncing will be real effective.”

Chetco
Running below 7,000 cfs on Wednesday. It should fish around mid-day on Thursday according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Loeb Park, Moffit Rock and Ice Box will all fish at 5,000 cfs,” Martin added.

Low Flow information
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 any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Eel
The main stem at Scotia was running at 4,000 cfs as of Wednesday. According to Fred Grundman of Grundmans Sporting Goods in Rio Dell, there’s still a lot of water coming down off the hills and likely won’t fish by the weekend. “There’s a small chance it could be fishable at the top, but I wouldn’t count on it,” Grundman said.

South Fork Eel
Dropped below 500 cfs on Wednesday and could close before the weekend.

Van Duzen
According to Grundman, it’s still pretty dirty and probably won’t fish before it starts to rise next week. As of Wednesday is was running at 650 cfs and dropping quickly.

Mad
Flowing at just under 700 cfs on Wednesday afternoon and just starting to turn olive. It’s forecasted to rise on Sunday, but could be fishable by Saturday.

Big storms will bring big salmon

North Coast residents get excited for the season’s first significant rain for a variety of reasons. Some just love the rain and for others, it’s the start of the holiday season. Others love the idea of bringing new life to our forest floors and home gardens. For anglers, the first big rain means something completely different. To us, it means big, bright king salmon charging from the salt water of the Pacific Ocean into our coastal rivers. With some very large storms looming on the horizon, the Eel, Mad, Smith and Chetco will see the season’s first large push of kings pouring in as the rivers begin to rise later this week.

With that, you can bet every drift boat owner on the North Coast and Southern Oregon is keeping a careful eye on the Smith River water levels. The mouth of the Smith and the estuary have been giving up a few salmon, but the action will really get going now that the main stem will open above Rowdy Creek.

When the first big rain hits and the river rises, the salmon will be on the move. Your best bet is to find their traveling lanes and try to intercept them, basically cutting them off at the pass. For the first few days, Kwikfish will be the bait of choice as they trigger a reaction bite from the moving fish. As the water levels drop, the salmon will slow down and find deeper holes to hold in, waiting for the next influx of water. Once this happens, back bouncing bait will be the ticket. Game on….

Weekend weather
The North Coast is looking at three powerful systems that will bring large amounts of rain between Thursday and next Tuesday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Following light rain during the day on Thursday, the first big system will hit that evening. Showers will continue through Saturday morning, with the next big storm hitting on Saturday afternoon. More showers are in store through Sunday night when the next system will hit land. Expect light showers on Monday, with rain tapering off on Tuesday. Rainfall totals for Smith basin from Thursday through Tuesday could will be around 12 inches. In the Mad River basin, the hills could see up to 10 inches with the low-lying areas seeing up to six inches. Up to seven inches will likely fall in the higher elevations of the Eel basin, with roughly six inches falling on the lower river. So far, next week is looking dry from Wednesday through the weekend,” Kennedy added. For current river conditions, visit http://cdec.water.ca.gov/river/rivcond.html. For river level predictions, visit http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov

90-day extension to razor clam closure in Humboldt/Del Norte Counties
On Monday, the Fish and Game Commission gave notice of proposed extension of existing emergency regulations, establishing emergency closure of the recreational razor clam fishery due to elevated levels of domoic acid. The objective of this re-adoption is to protect the public from consuming razor clams caught in areas with persistently high levels of domoic acid that pose a risk to public health as determined by the director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in consultation with the director of the California Department of Public Health. The Commission initially adopted the emergency regulations on April 25, 2016; the emergency regulation will expire on October 25, 2016. The Commission is expected to adopt the proposed 90-day extension on October 19, 2016. The proposed 90-day extension of emergency action is the same as the emergency regulation adopted by the Commission April 25, 2016.

Hank Mautz, left and Nick Johnson hold a couple nice vermilion caught on Sunday at Cape Mendocino aboard the Reel Steel. Rockfish season will close on Oct. 31 for boats-based anglers, but is open year-round for divers and shore-based anglers. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen/Reel Steel Sport Fishing

The Ocean
Eureka
Captain Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing has been running trips to the Cape when the weather has allowed. “The fishing was excellent on Sunday, we caught some nice vermilions and lings. With the weather coming, it might be awhile before we can get back down there, but I do plan to fish through the end of the month.” Klassen added.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Checto is forecasted for a big rise, reaching 3,555 cfs on Saturday before going up and over 12,000 cfs by Sunday afternoon. The river should drop to a fishable level next Wednesday or Thursday according to guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “It will clear a little faster than normal since the ground isn’t saturated,” added Martin.

Smith River
As of Wednesday, the Smith is predicted to peak at roughly 9,000 cfs mid-day on Friday following Thursday’s storm. It’s forecasted to drop until Saturday afternoon and should be somewhat fishable. Saturday and Sunday’s systems will put it back on the rise and it will eventually peak very early Monday morning at nearly 26,000 cfs. Look for some good fishing from Tuesday on.

Klamath
Lower River
The storms will blow out the Klamath starting sometime late Thursday. Fishing had been slow, but the extra flows should finally blow out the mouth allowing the last of the kings to come in. The Coho should make a showing as well.

Trinity
Lower River
Not much has changed on the Lower Trinity according to guide Curt Wilson. He said “The fishing isn’t great, but we’re still getting opportunities at one to three salmon per trip. We did see a pulse of bright salmon move in this week. The steelhead action is about the same, you’ll get a chance at three or so adult steelhead per day from Willow Creek to the confluence.”

Upper River
Guide Steve Huber of Steve Huber Guide Service reports the Upper Trinity is currently clear, but that’s about to change. “The weather coming is only going to help our fishing. We should see the last push of salmon move up, and I’m expecting the steelhead action to be really good. Most of the steelhead have been sitting below Junction City waiting for water, so hopefully they’ll be on the move now with the extra flows,” said Huber.

Chetco bubble season off to good start

Dustin Russell, left, of Brookings and Eureka resident Eric Banko landed this nice Chinook salmon on Monday while trolling off the mouth of the Chetco River. The Chetco bubble fishery will start up again on Saturday and end on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Nick Polito

The opening weekend of the 2016 Chetco bubble season was good considering the weather wasn’t very cooperative. According to guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, trolling off the mouth of the river was made difficult by choppy seas and south winds to 20 knots. “Most of the guides averaged a fish per rod, with the best fishing between Salmon Rock and the red buoy. Guide Mark Papazian of Brookings landed the biggest fish I saw during the opening weekend, a 42-pounder. The fish averaged in the 20-pound range. There also were a lot of jacks caught in the ocean, which must be released, but are a good sign of what’s to come later in the Chetco itself.

Herring was the bait of choice over anchovies in the ocean along with Big Al’s Fish Flash flashers according to Martin. “The blue ones seemed to out-fish the rest. The forecast is expected to be calmer, with a lot less wind, this Saturday and Sunday, the final two days of the season. Fishing was good in the Chetco estuary right before the ocean opener, but those fish evidently moved upriver after the rain late last week.”

Weekend weather/ocean forecast
After Wednesday’s light showers, we’ll have a few days of dry weather according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “The next round of systems will move in next Tuesday night, and that will kick-off a fairly wet week. We’ll see rain every day, but it won’t add up too much until the weekend when we’ll likely see the rainfall totals rise. We should see the first significant rise to the main stem rivers, especially the Smith in Del Norte where the heaviest rainfall is likely to fall,” Kennedy added.

As of Wednesday, the ocean forecast looks decent for the weekend. Friday, NW winds are forecasted 5 to 10 knots with waves NW 5 feet at 9 seconds. Conditions look similar on Saturday, with N winds 5 to 10 knots and NW waves 5 feet at 12 seconds. The south wind is predicted to blow up to 5 knots on Sunday, with W waves 6 feet at 14 seconds.

For up-to-date weather forecasts, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Klamath salmon harvest update
Salmon are still trickling into the river, but the mouth continues to sand over making it difficult for them to enter. As of Sept. 30, 115 jacks have been harvested compared to 1,279 in 2015. For the adults, 837 have been harvested and another 632 have been caught and released. In 2015, 4,733 adults were harvested.

The Oceans:
Eureka
After a decent weather day on Tuesday, it looks like we’ll be off the water for a couple days’ reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “On Tuesday, the weather was a little rougher than predicted as we made our way to the Cape, but the fishing was excellent. We boated a good variety of rockfish along with lots of lings.” According to Klassen, there’s a batch of warm water sitting about 40 miles west of Eureka that could be holding tuna. “We’ll have to see if the warm water is still within striking distance after the next couple days as it looks like the wind is going to blow.”

The Rivers:
Smith River
Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports there were a fair amount of salmon spread throughout the river, with quite a few being caught prior to the river closing last Saturday. He said, “Guys are still catching a few at the Piling and Sand holes, and some are being caught at the mouth tossing Kastmasters and Cleo’s.

Lower Klamath
Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service reports the mouth has been plugged up this past week, and the fishing is slow. He said, “Boats were getting between one to three salmon per trip, which isn’t good for this time of the year. The mouth has been a problem all season and we’re just not seeing the volume of fish come in. The river is still in great shape; the temperature is right around 62 degrees.”

Upper Klamath
A reminder, the quota of 189 adult fall-run Chinook was met on Wednesday from the Highway 96 Bridge in Weitchpec to 3,500 feet below Iron Gate Dam. The river is still open to fishing, but anglers must release any Chinook longer than 22 inches.

Middle Trinity
Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports the fishing is improving every week. “Most of the regulars who come every year are here now, and they’re catching a few fish. We’ve sold a lot of spinners and spoons in the past week, so the effort has definitely picked up. I haven’t heard of any one area being better than the other, but I have heard the majority of the salmon are below the North Fork,” Brady added.

Lower Trinity
Guide Curt Wilson reports the Lower Trinity is giving up one to two salmon per trip from the Willow Creek area down to the Klamath confluence. “We’re not seeing a lot of salmon around, but there’s definitely a few nice steelhead in the river to make for a fun day,” Wilson added. Salmon counts are on the rise at the Willow Creek weir. For the week ending Sept. 30, 118 salmon were counted compared to 87 the previous week. The season to date total is 421, compared to 875 for the 2015 trapping season.

Upper Klamath River size restrictions begin next week

The adult salmon quota on the Upper Klamath River is close to being met, which will set forth new restrictions beginning next week. According to Sara Borok, Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, monitoring efforts show that anglers above the Highway 96 Bridge in Weitchpec will have caught their quota of 189 adult fall-run by sundown Wednesday, October 5. After the quota is met, anglers will still be able to fish in this area, but must release any Chinook longer than 22 inches.

On the Trinity River, the quota is 183 adult Chinook from the confluence with the Klamath River up to Cedar Flat, and 183 adult Chinook from Cedar Flat upriver to the Old Lewiston Bridge. These quotas have not been met and remain open to the retention of adult king salmon.

Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling 800-564-6479.

Rain on the way
It probably won’t do much for the main stem river levels, but the ground should get its first soaking of the year this weekend. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, light rain will fall on Saturday, with heavier rain forecasted for Sunday. “On Saturday, Del Norte could see up to a half-inch and less than a quarter inch will fall in Humboldt. An inch could potentially fall in Del Norte on Sunday, with another half to three-quarters falling in Humboldt County. Showers will linger on Monday and Tuesday, then it looks dry through the next couple weeks,” Kennedy added.

2016 Chetco River bubble fishery opens Saturday
The Chetco River fall Chinook bubble season, which will be halved and split over two weekends in 2016, opens on Saturday. The recreational season will be Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 8-9 so more anglers can take advantage of the weekend dates. The fishable area is within three nautical miles of shore between Twin Rocks and the Oregon/California border. The bag limit is two Chinook per angler per day, but no more than one non fin-clipped Chinook per day. Minimum length is 24 inches and the terminal tackle is limited to no more than two single point barbless hooks. For more information, visit www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/salmon/Regulations/docs/2016_Chetco_State_Waters.pdf

Weekend marine forecast
The weekend forecast looks fishable, though the swells are likely to build on Sunday. Friday’s forecast is for winds out of the SW up to 5 knots, with swells 5 feet at 12 seconds. Winds will blow out of the SE 5 to 10 knots on Saturday, with W swells 5 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday is looking a little rougher, with winds out of the S 5 to 10 knots and NW swells 6 feet at 9 seconds and SW 2 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 also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Rockfish is now the only game in town until the end of Oct., and it’s been a little too rough to venture to the Cape this week according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Friday and Saturday are looking like fishable days, but it looks like the weather is starting to come up on Sunday Klassen added,”

Jim Hartman landed this 41-inch, 34-pound ling cod near Cape Mendocino last Friday. In the Northern Management area, which includes all of Del Norte County of most of Humboldt, rockfish season for boat-based anglers will remain open through Oct. 31. The season is open year-round for divers and shore-based anglers. Photo courtesy of Joe Bollmann

Shelter Cove
Things have slowed down at the Cove according to Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “I fished rockfish over the weekend, and overall it was pretty slow. There wasn’t any drift, which I think was a contributing factor in the slow fishing. The salmon bite was also slow this week, I heard of only one caught.”

Low Flow River Closures begin Oct. 1
North Coast rivers 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 October 1st, except for the Mad River, which went into effect September 1st.
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 open or closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2017

Areas subject 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.

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 ft 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.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service reports the mouth is open, and we’re seeing small spurts of fish push in. “The number of fish we’re hooking has been real inconsistent. One day we’ll hook 10, and then we’ll go a few days only hooking three to five. I think there just coming up in small batches. Even with the flows being reduced, the water is in great shape,” Borges added.

Trinity
The fishing isn’t red hot, but it definitely picked up this week reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “Right now, there’s more salmon than steelhead in the middle/upper section. The drop in flows has really helped out the bank fishermen as the fish are sitting in their normal spots. Panther Martin’s and Mepps spinners have been producing some nice fish for the bankies while the boats are having success pulling plugs and side-drifting roe.”

Get em’ while you can — Pacific halibut closes Friday

Bob Stewart of Eureka landed this 65 pound Pacific halibut last Thursday off the coast of Eureka. Pacific halibut season will come to a close after Friday as CDFW, based on the latest catch projections, has determined the 29,640 pound quota would be exceeded if the fishery isn’t shut down. Photo courtesy of Tim Klassen/Reel Steel Sport Fishing

North Coast offshore adventures will be limited to just rockfish come Saturday morning as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Wednesday the closing of the recreational Pacific halibut fishery on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 12:01 a.m. for the remainder of the 2016 season. The quota of 29,640 pounds will be surpassed according to CDFW unless the fishery is closed based on the latest catch projections.

Beginning in 2015, CDFW committed to in-season tracking of the fishery to ensure catch amounts would not exceed the California quota. The quota amount is determined annually in January through an international process, and is largely driven by results from the annual stock assessment conducted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

Throughout the season, CDFW field staff sampled public launch ramps and charter boat landings to monitor catches of Pacific halibut along with other marine sport fish. CDFW conferred with NMFS and IPHC on a weekly basis to review projected catch amounts and determine when the quota would be attained using this information. For current information about the Pacific halibut fishery, science or management, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut

Young Anglers Tournament this Sunday
The Trinidad Pier Youth Fishing Tourney will take place on Sunday, Sept 25 from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The free event is open to all children ages 6 to 15. Prizes will be awarded in each category and fishing gear and bait will be provided. An adult must accompany children. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served following the event. Catch and release is encouraged and no fishing license is required. Look for the sign up table on the Trinidad Pier. For more information, contact Ken Jones at kenjones@pierfishing.com

Weekend marine forecast
After a few days of sloppy weather, the ocean looks to be lying down just in time for the weekend. Friday, the last day of the Pacific halibut season, looks plenty fishable with winds out of the NE 5 to 10 knots and NW swells 2 feet at 4 seconds and NW 5 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds 5 to 10 knots and NW swells 3 feet at 6 seconds and NW 7 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday the winds will be from the N 5 to 10 knots, with swells 4 feet at 7 seconds and NW 4 feet at 12 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Klamath/Trinity quota updates
According to Sara Borok, Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, the remaining quotas on the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers should remain open until sometime in October. “We haven’t had a lot of fish up river yet, so the effort has been fairly small. We should be able to go at least through the first week in Oct. for the Upper Klamath, and maybe longer. On the Trinity side, looking at the numbers, we’ll probably be able to keep it open to retention until late Oct. The mouth has been closing up regularly, but we should have some bigger tides now that will hopefully keep it open for good,” Borok added. Just a reminder, the lower Klamath quota for adult Chinook salmon has been met from the Hwy. 96 Bridge downriver to the ocean. The section is open to fishing, but salmon larger than 22 inches must be released.

The Oceans:
Eureka
With salmon done and halibut closing after Friday, it’s just a rockfish show out of Eureka until the end of October. The weather wasn’t great earlier this week, so there hasn’t been much happening. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing ran a few halibut trips last weekend and reported a pretty decent bite. “There were some halibut caught over the weekend, but not everyone caught fish. The rockfish bite at the Cape remains phenomenal when you can get down there,” Klassen added.

Shelter Cove
Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports the rockfish are still biting, but the salmon action has slowed. He said, “I just did a couple rock fish trips this week. We fished off Bear Harbor and the fishing was great, we had limits before noon both days. I only heard of one salmon caught this past week and it was caught by a kayaker.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The mouth was plugged up over the weekend, but its open now and more fish are moving in reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “It opened up on Monday night, and there’s definitely more fish in the system now. Overall, boats are averaging about five to six hook-up on kings per day. There’s also quite a few adult steelhead around as well as half-pounders,” Coopman added.

Trinity
We’re starting to see a few more fish push into the area reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “I talked to some folks in the Del Loma area and they saw both salmon and steelhead moving through, so hopefully things are going to get going up here. The regulars are here and fishing, but I haven’t heard many reports as of yet.”

Boundary changes on tap for Clam Beach

In response to public recommendations from the Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers and Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, the California Fish and Game Commission is proposing to restore the original location of the management boundary at Little River Beach for recreational razor clam digging. Currently, clams may be taken may be taken north of Strawberry Creek between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach only in odd-numbered years, and south of Strawberry Creek between Strawberry Creek and Mad River only in even-numbered years.

Due to a decline in larger clams, the razor clam management boundary line at Little River Beach was divided by Strawberry Creek in 1953 to split the beach into equal segments that could be fished in alternate years. Since this regulation has been on the books, Strawberry Creek has moved southward by 0.6 miles from its original location, resulting in a larger area in the northern section open for clamming during odd-numbered years. In even-numbered years, clammers now have a much longer walk to the southern management zone from the nearest parking lot, which is especially difficult for elderly and infirmed persons. The original location of the creek crossed the beach near where a county-maintained public parking lot exists today.

The F&G Commission is proposing two regulation changes that would restore the original intent of the razor clam regulation pertaining to Little River Beach.

1) Replacing reference to the Strawberry Creek boundary with the boundary line due west from the county parking lot trailhead located at 40°59.67’ north latitude. The northern and southern boundaries would remain in regulation as Moonstone Beach and Mad River.

2) The regulation references Little River Beach near McKinleyville, however it is generally referred to by locals and on maps as Clam Beach. This name would also replace Little River Beach in regulations with the latter remaining in place parenthetically.

The proposed regulation changes are intended to provide increased clamming opportunity in even-numbered years by increasing the size of the open southern Clam Beach management zone, thereby restoring the original intent of the regulation.

Next up is the discussion hearing, which will take place Oct. 20 in Eureka followed by the adoption hearing on Dec. 8 in San Diego.

Weekend marine forecast
It looks like nice ocean conditions will continue through the weekend. As of Wednesday, the forecast out 10 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the N 5 to 10 knots with swells to 5 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday looks similar, with winds from the N 5 to 10 knots and NW swells 4 feet at 7 seconds and W 4 feet at 16 seconds. Sunday the winds will be from the N 5 to 10 knots and N swells 3 feet at 6 seconds and NW 7 feet at 15 seconds. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

2016 Chetco River bubble fishery split in half
The Chetco River fall Chinook State Waters Terminal Area Recreational Season will be halved and split over two weekends in 2016. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission reduced the targeted commercial and recreational catch of Chetco-bound Chinook amid concerns of low salmon returns this year. The recreational season will be Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 8-9 so more anglers can take advantage of the weekend dates. The fishable area is within three nautical miles of shore between Twin Rocks and the Oregon/California border. The bag limit is two Chinook per angler per day, but no more than one non fin-clipped Chinook per day. Minimum length is 24 inches and the terminal tackle is limited to no more than two single point barbless hooks. For more information, visit www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/salmon/Regulations/docs/2016_Chetco_State_Waters.pdf

Pacific halibut quota
With decent weather predicted through the weekend, now’s the time to get back on the halibut grounds and take advantage of what’s left of the quota. The California Recreational Fisheries Survey has estimated that 23,806 pounds have been caught towards the 29,640-pound quota as of September 4. A few days of good fishing could bring an early close to the season. For more info, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking

Bruce Amado, with the help of his granddaughter Sophia, shows off his limit of surf perch caught last Saturday at Table Bluff beach. Photo courtesy of Bruce Amado

The Oceans:
Eureka
Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing ran south to the Cape for rockfish last Friday and Saturday and reports the days couldn’t have been more different. “On Friday, the south wind was blowing and the water was pretty choppy. The fish were really off the bite, we could see them suspended on the screen, but they didn’t want to bite. We did end up with limits of blacks, but everything else was hard to come by. Saturday was more back to normal. The south wind was gone and the fish were biting anything and everything. We landed limits of nice lings, blacks and rounded out the day with a variety of other rockfish. The next few days we’ll be drifting for halibut as the quota is getting close to being met,” Klassen added.

Crescent City
The wind has been blowing, with Wednesday being the first day the rockfish boats were back on the water reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “We’ve had a really windy season here, and it was the same story this week. There’s plenty of rockfish around, there just hasn’t been too many fishable days. When the boats can get out, it’s been really good,” Carter added.

Salmon starting to trickle into the Trinity
According to Mary Claire Kier, an Environmental Scientist on the Trinity River who manages the Willow Creek weir, quite a few fresh kings have made their way into the Trinity this past week. For the trapping week of Sept. 3 through 9, 70 king salmon passed through the weir. For the season, 132 kings have been counted. The total number of kings that passed through the weir in 2015 was 875.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
There’s fish in the river to be caught, but the bite has been off and on reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “The fishing started off really good on Sunday, and has gotten a little slower each day. I’ve heard the mouth has been opening and closing again, so that’s not helping. But we’ve had plenty of opportunities each day, both on kings and steelhead. I’m sure there are plenty more fish to come,” Coopman added.

Trinity
The higher flows are making it difficult on the bank anglers, but the boats are catching a few reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “There isn’t much fishing pressure as of yet, and I’m not hearing of a whole bunch of fish around either. I talked with one guide who was out on Tuesday and they landed a few salmon along with a couple nice steelhead. With the flows where they are, boats definitely have the advantage as they can cover more water. We are starting to see a few more fly fishermen, so the fish are starting to trickle into the upper sections.”

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

Eureka boats leave the salmon biting

Darren Cartledge and his young son Declan teamed up to land a nice king salmon while fishing off the coast of Eureka on Sunday. The young angler did most of the heavy lifting, with a little help from dad and Capt. Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters. The sport salmon season closed on Monday from Horse Mtn. north to the CA/OR border, which includes Eureka, Trinidad, and Crescent City. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest

The 2016 sport salmon season out of Eureka ended Monday much like it began on May 16. The opener found the ocean teeming with life; whales, krill, birds, and other baitfish. And that’s exactly how the ocean looked last Monday, with salmon flying over the rails at a pretty fast and furious clip. All the charter boats put on limits well before noon, with salmon ranging from barely keepers to fish in the 20-pound class. Trinidad also had a couple days of good salmon fishing, with quite a few limits being reported on Monday. And it was really nice to see the ocean, at least out of Eureka, loaded with two-year old kings. Most were fin-clipped, which would lead to believe they could be bound for the Sacrament River. Seeing all those fish certainly added some hope for next year, and was a very fitting end to what was a pretty exceptional salmon season.
The sport salmon season remains open from Horse Mountain south to the Pigeon Point

Humboldt Steelhead Days set to return in 2017
Humboldt Steelhead Days (HSD) event organizers announced they have begun planning events for year four thanks in large part by a donation from the Humboldt Lodging Alliance. HSD expanded their fishing contest window in 2017 to run from January to March. According to a press release, the event is centered on a winter-long promotion of steelhead angling opportunities, education, and conservation. Anglers who catch (hatchery) and release (wild) steelhead on the Trinity, Mad and Eel rivers are encouraged to register for the contest, take a photo of their fish, and post the photo to the HSD Facebook page. Anglers who donate $10 to register and who posted a photo will be eligible to win more than $10,000 in cash and prizes and will receive a HSD/HLA discount card to be used at area hotels and at HSD events. In addition to the fishing contest, organizers have partnered with Pacific Outfitters in order to facilitate spawning tours along the three watersheds.
Founded three years ago by Mad River Alliance director Dave Feral, Feral said HSD was created to build community awareness and fund continued restoration and recovery activities on Humboldt rivers. “Our aim is to promote Humboldt in the winter as a sportsmen’s paradise and an eco-tourist’s dream. The rivers and forestlands that support their return and propagation are at the heart of Humboldt’s appeal and beauty. We want the world to know this. Seeing wild fish returning to their native streams and perpetuating their species will appeal to anyone who has an affinity for the outdoors and a love of nature,” said Feral. For more information on this year’s event, visit http://humboldtsteelheaddays.com/

Weekend marine forecast
The forecast looks a little bumpy for the weekend, but should be fishable. As of Wednesday, the forecast out 10 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the W up to 5 knots and waves NW 7 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 9 seconds and SW 3 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday looks a little rougher with N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW to 8 feet at 10 seconds and NW 4 feet at 14 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

The Oceans:
Eureka
“It looks like the ocean might lie down enough Friday and Saturday for a trip to the Cape or to drift for halibut,” reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The ocean was flat on Tuesday and at least one Pacific halibut was caught north of the entrance in 300 feet of water,” added Klassen. The California halibut are still biting inside the bay, with boats fishing the western channel north of Woodley Island catching a couple keepers per outing.

Shelter Cove
Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports the effort slowed due to some windy conditions last weekend. “I was off the water last weekend, but from the sounds of things it’s been blowing pretty good and there hasn’t been much effort. I fished for salmon last Thursday and ended with 10 fish before getting blown off around noon. On Friday it was blowing at first light so we stayed close to home and got limits of lings and half limits of rockfish and called it a half day.”

Crescent City
The wind has really been blowing, so not many boats are going out reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The salmon season never did materialize here. There’s been lots of bait around all season, but the salmon never showed up in numbers. Not many reports for halibut and rockfish as the oceans been rough. A few perch are being caught, but it’s not red hot,” Carter added.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
There’s quite a few steelhead in the river right now, but we’re not seeing a lot of salmon reports Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. “It feels like the end of July or beginning of August where we’d be seeing more steelhead then salmon. The half-pounders have showed up, and they’re big and healthy. We are catching a few adult steelhead a day, but it’s tough to get past the half-pounders. We haven’t seen a lot of jacks show yet, but we’re catching a few,” Borges added.

Upper Trinity
The consensus is there aren’t many fish around right now reports Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors. He said, “The weir counts have been horrible so far, so I don’t think the fish are moving into the lower river yet. And with the current flows, the fish aren’t going to travel in the same places as they normally would when the waters flowing at 450 cfs. The bank anglers are having a real tough go right now. And there isn’t much boat pressure either, likely due to the less than stellar fishing reports,” Brady added. Flows will be reduced from Lewiston Dam from 1,300 cfs down to 1,000 by Wednesday according to an email from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Saltwater season hits the home stretch

Chad Sealey of St. Petersburg Florida landed this nice albacore tuna while fishing off the coast of Eureka on Monday. Sealey was fishing with Capt. Marc Schmidt of Coastline Charters roughly 53 miles southwest of Humboldt Bay. Photo courtesy of Marc Schmidt/Coastline Charters

Thursday begins the final push towards the finish line of our 2016 saltwater season here on the North Coast. Come daylight, boats will have the option of targeting salmon, halibut or rockfish. Or all three. The last of the four salmon seasons will be a particularly short one — lasting only through Monday. Hopefully the salmon will be in a little better biting mood than when the previous session closed on Aug. 16. Reports are the birds and bait is still hanging around the entrance to Humboldt Bay, so that’s a likely starting point. The Pacific halibut season has the potential to be a short one as well. The California Recreational Fisheries Survey has estimated that 21,638 pounds have been caught towards the 29,640-pound quota. Some consecutive days of calm ocean waters could easily fill the quota by mid-September.

An important reminder: when fishing for halibut, rockfish and salmon, or any combination of the three, the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. When targeting salmon, or once salmon are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to using barbless hooks (barbless circle hooks if fishing south of Horse Mountain) when fishing for other species. When targeting rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod, or once any of these species are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to fishing in waters shallower than 120 feet when fishing for other species.

Klamath River quota reminder
Just a reminder, the lower Klamath quota (555) for adult Chinook salmon has been met from the Hwy. 96 bridge downriver to the ocean. The only section closed to fishing is the spit area. The rest of the lower river remains open to fishing, but is under a size restriction for Chinook salmon. All salmon over 22 inches must be released. The Klamath River above the confluence with the Trinity River will remain open until 189 adult Chinook have been harvested.

Trinity River now open to Fall salmon fishing
The Trinity River opened to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing on Sept. 1 and will run through Dec. 31, with a sport quota of 366 adults. The quota will be split evenly, 183 adults from the main stem downstream of the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat and the main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the confluence with the Klamath. The main stem downstream of the Highway 299 bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.

Free Fishing Day on Saturday
This Saturday, Sept. 3, is the second of California’s two 2016 Free Fishing Days, when people can try their hand at fishing without having to buy a sport fishing license. All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect on Free Fishing Day. Every angler must also have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for abalone, steelhead or sturgeon anywhere in the state, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems. For more information on Free Fishing Days, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Marine forecast

The ocean has been about as flat as can be since last Sunday, and looks to remain plenty fishable through the holiday weekend. As of Wednesday, the forecast out 10 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the N 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 8 seconds and SW 2 feet at 15 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 4 feet at 13 seconds. Sunday looks similar with N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW to 5 feet at 8 seconds and W 5 feet at 12 seconds. Labor Day is looking slightly better, with winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots and NW waves 6 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Humboldt Bay
Phil Glenn, who runs Bluefin Charters out of Woodley Island, reports the California Halibut action in Humboldt Bay is still going strong. “There’s been quite a few more legal ones around lately, and you’ve got a real good chance at catching your limit. The North Bay is still the most consistent area, with live anchovies being the bait of choice. The bay is still plugged with bait, and you’ll find plenty around the Coast Guard Station on the ebb and near the marina on the flood tide,” added Glenn. The daily bag and possession limit is three fish and the minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Since Sunday, the ocean has been as flat as it’s been all year. This has made for some red-hot rockfish action down at the Cape, and plenty of boats have been taking advantage. “A ripping uphill current for the last week has made for a fast drift and aggressive-biting fish,” said Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “The fishing has been fantastic and lings up to 34 pounds have been on the heavy chew. We’re also seeing tons of big coppers and vermilions too.” Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing also reports a wide-open bite, with easy limits of big lings and a nice variety of rockfish. With a heavy dose of rockfish lately, most boats will be targeting salmon come Thursday morning. According to both Klassen and Sepulveda, the entrance to Humboldt Bay still looks really fishy. “The canyon might be another place to look. There hasn’t been a lot of sign up the beach,” said Sepulveda. “I’ll likely start at the entrance and work my way out,” added Klassen. “This time of the year we’ve also found fish off Mad River as well as the dumpsite.”

Shelter Cove
We’ve been doing a lot of running around this past week reports Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Last Wednesday and Thursday we put in limits of salmon from just inside the Hat, where the fish have been holding right on the bottom. On Friday, we ran to Rodgers Break for quality limits of rock fish and lings to 24 lbs. Sunday and Monday we ran 50-plus miles outside of the Gorda Valley chasing tuna. We got 10 on Sunday and lost a few more, and never had a bite on Monday. On Tuesday, we were back on the salmon grounds and we had limits of salmon and lings by noon.”

Crescent City
With the nice water we’ve had, the rockfish action has been over the top reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “There’s still some Thresher’s around, and guys fishing for rockfish are hooking a few. Hopefully the calm water will stick around now that salmon and halibut are opening back up,”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The cooler water from the Trinity reached the lower Klamath last weekend, and a quite a few more fish have entered the river. The last few days have seen a nice mix of jacks, adults, and steelhead. More half-pounders have also made their way into the river.