Current Fishing Reports

No sooner did the newly released water from Iron Gate Dam hit the mouth of the Klamath River, controversial news broke from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. On Tuesday, the CDFW determined the 555 quota of adult fall-run Chinook on the lower Klamath River was met by anglers fishing from the 96 Bridge at Weitchpec to the mouth.

The spit quota of 167 fish, which is a subset of the 555 lower river quota, was projected to be met at sunset Monday night, leaving roughly 388 adults to be caught from the estuary to the 96 Bridge. But when the dust settled and the numbers were evaluated by CDFW, the spit anglers landed their 167, and then some. According to Sara Borok, Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, the fish really started to come in on Sunday and Monday. “When the extra water hit and the mouth broke open, more fish came in and were caught at the spit than we anticipated,” Borok said. An email was sent out from CDFW last Friday stating the spit fishery would not close any sooner than Monday, Aug. 22 due to the quota no being reached. Once the fish started coming in big numbers, it was too late to get a press release out to the public to close it. This is the part of the process that needs to change.

The exact numbers haven’t been released yet, but it’s safe to guess almost the entire lower river quota was taken at the spit. Though not official, I’ve heard reports that less than 15 adult salmon were harvested from the estuary to the 96 Bridge since Aug. 15. Anglers who were looking forward to keeping a few adult king salmon in the coming weeks will not get that opportunity now. In my opinion, the whole fishery has been mismanaged and I don’t think CDFW would argue that point. Not having fish counters sitting at the spit everyday during fishing hours was a mistake.

What this means is all adult kings caught down river from the 96 Bridge to the estuary must be released from here on out. You can however, keep two jack salmon under 22 inches, per day.
From a business perspective, the mismanagement of proper fish counting will ultimately hurt gas stations, hotels, restaurants, tackle shops, local fishing guides and any other businesses that rely on the Klamath fall fishery.

Fishing guides who have clients on the books through September will likely be hit the hardest. “We’ll definitely take a financial hit from this,” said guide Mike Coopman. “I’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone talking with clients and letting them know the situation. Some of them are OK with catch and release, but I’m sure I’ll lose some clients this year.”

Guide Mike Stratman reiterated, saying, “It will definitely hurt my business. I’ll likely lose some of the customers who were on the books, and the chance of getting new customers is not very good now. What happened with the quota is gross negligence on the part of CDFW. We knew the fishing wasn’t going to be great, but at least we had the potential of catching and keeping a few adults. You don’t need very many to have a great experience, but now there’s no hope of that.”

Guide Alan Borges, who fishes the Klamath exclusively this time of year said, “It’s totally wrong that the quota was all taken at the spit and the guides and private boaters who fish upriver have to suffer the consequences because the fish can’t be counted in a timely manner. A lot of money will be lost by the businesses in the Klamath area because of anglers who would have come to fish and spend money in the community won’t now because they can’t keep an adult Chinook.”

The Klamath River above the confluence with the Trinity River will remain open until 189 adult Chinook are caught in this area. The quota on the Trinity River is 183 adult Chinook from the confluence with the Klamath River up to Cedar Flat, and 183 adult Chinook from Cedar Flat up to the Old Lewiston Bridge. The Trinity will open to fall fishing on Sept. 1. Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling 800-564-6479.

Additional water coming from Trinity Reservoir
According to a press release issued on Wednesday, the Bureau of Reclamation will release additional water from Trinity Reservoir for the lower Klamath River to help protect returning adult fall run Chinook salmon from a disease outbreak and mortality. Supplemental flows from Lewiston Dam will begin August 25 and extend into late September.

Releases from Lewiston Dam will be adjusted to target 2,800 cfs in the lower Klamath River starting August 25. To meet this target, releases from Lewiston Dam will increase from 450 cfs up to 1,300 cfs before dropping to 450 cfs in late September. Additional information will be provided if higher peak flows are needed in early-to-mid-September as part of the preventive action.

Flows from Lewiston could be raised as high as 3,500 cfs for up to five days if real-time monitoring information suggests a need for additional supplemental flows as an emergency response.

Over the next several weeks, releases could increase as quickly as 250 cfs every two hours, and flow reductions could drop as quickly as 100 cfs every four hours. The public is urged to take all necessary precautions on or near the river while flows are high. For additional information, please contact Paul Zedonis, Supervisory Natural Resource Specialist, at 530-276-2047.

Marine forecast
It looks like we’ll finally be seeing some much-improved ocean conditions. Friday’s forecast for coastal waters from Point St. George to Cape Mendocino out 10 nautical miles is calling for SW winds 5 to 15 knots with 5 foot swells at 7 seconds out of the NW. The forecast for Saturday is calling for NW winds up to 5 knots, with swells to 5 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday is looking really good, with N winds forecasted up to 5 knots and NW waves 4 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Ocean sport salmon and halibut to reopen Sept. 1
The final session of the sport salmon season from Horse Mt. north to the CA/OR border will open on Thursday, Sept. 1 and run through Sept. 5. For more information about the seasons and regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon

The Pacific halibut season will also re-open on Sept. 1 and will remain open through Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached. Through August, the CDFW has projected 21,638 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 29,640 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking

The Oceans:
Eureka
For the first time in years, the docks at Woodley Island are actually quiet. With salmon and halibut closed until next Thursday, it’s been Cape Mendocino or nothing for the Eureka fleet. Captain Tim Klassen of the Reel Steel Sport Fishing was amongst the boats that fished south last weekend and said, “The fishing is really good as usual. There’s some really quality ling cod around, we landed four over 20 pounds on Sunday.”

There’s been talk of tuna out of Eureka, but according to Klassen, the water is still about 70 miles southwest of Eureka. “With all the fog, it’s been tough to get a good terrafin shot. We’ll need some southerly wind and calm seas before it’s doable.”

Trinidad
The rockfish have bit really well this week reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters.  He said, “It’s been pretty easy to get your 10 rockfish, with a nice mix of blacks and blues. There are also some nice lings around if you can get on a good drift.”

Shelter Cove
The salmon bite has been pretty slow reports Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We got limits last Wednesday and Thursday, but it’s been slow since and the ones that have been caught have been real scattered. I’ve gotten limits of rockfish and lings every day since then and was able to make the run north Friday and Saturday. Also some boats got some decent albacore scores over the weekend and I will be running for them this weekend if the weather holds. As of Tuesday, the water was 55 miles out and a little south on the 43-line.”

Crescent City
The rock fishing is still going strong, only the weather has slowed it down reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “When the boats have been able to get out, it’s been good. Same story as it’s been all season. The only other happening now is all the Thresher Sharks that are in the area. Guys are targeting them off of South Beach and some have been hooked while jigging for rockfish,” Carter added.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
A few more half-pounders have started to show up this week, but the fishing remains slow overall. The water is still on the warm side, which is keeping the kings from making their way through the estuary. A handful of hatchery steelhead are still being caught.

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

Not much has changed since the August 1st opener; the salmon remain stacked just outside of the entrance to Humboldt Bay. The only real wild card the boats face on day to day basis is whether the forecast will be accurate, and will the salmon be on the north or south side of the jetty. While not every day has ended with limits of big, fat kings, it’s about as good of fishing as anywhere on the coast. And it’s been steady too. There have been a few days where the weather allowed a little more scouting, but what the boats found wasn’t nearly as consistent as what’s happening right out front. The bait is still pretty heavy inside and outside of the bay, and as long as that holds up, the salmon should stick around. Let’s hope they hang out at least until next Tuesday when the season will close for two weeks before opening again on Sept. 1.

Weekend Marine forecast
Actual conditions haven’t played out exactly like they were forecasted the last few days, so it’s getting tougher to predict what’s fishable and what’s not. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for N winds to 5 knots and waves out of the N 5 feet at 9 seconds and W 2 feet at 16 seconds. Saturday is similar, with winds out of the N 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 7 feet at 9 seconds and W 2 feet at 15 seconds. The winds and seas pick back up on Sunday. Winds will be out of the N 10 to 20 knots and NW waves 9 feet at 9 seconds and W 2 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/.  For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

California halibut thick in Humboldt Bay
Phil Glenn, who runs Bluefin Charters out of Woodley Island, reports a wide-open bite of undersized California halibut in Humboldt Bay. “There’s a few keepers around, but the almost all of the fish being caught are under 22 inches. We’ve been going through lots of bait as the bay is loaded with them,” added Glenn. The daily bag and possession limit is three fish and the minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

Pacific Halibut closes August 15
The Pacific halibut season will close on Aug. 15 and open back up on Sept 1 and run through Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached. As of Aug 7, the CDFW has projected 14,679 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 29,640 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking. For information about the seasons and regulations, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670771-pacific-halibut-regulations

Ocean sport salmon season closes August 16
As a reminder, the sport salmon season, from the OR/CA border to Horse Mountain, will close on Tuesday, Aug. 16. The season will re-open one more time on Sept. 1 and run through Sept. 5. For a complete list of regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon#recreational

Report derelict crab gear
The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is still active and looking for help in removing old derelict crab gear. If any ocean fishermen encounter derelict crab pot buoys which you believe is old, make a note of the GPS coordinates along with a buoy description. From there you can enter the information and location at www.seadocsociety.org/report

The Oceans:
Eureka
The salmon bite around the jetties continues to be consistent according to skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “On Monday, the fish bit really well and all the boats had limits. The bite was a little tougher on Tuesday, and the rough and turbulent water probably had something to do with it. They just don’t seem to bite as good when we have real big swells. There’s still lots of bait around, including sardines, anchovies and sand lance’s. The grade has been excellent this week, with lots of fish in the 20-pounde range. There hasn’t been much focus on halibut because of the weather, but Sunday was just good enough to go looking. After quickly landing five salmon, we headed offshore and found some willing biters. We were able to land three, and lost a fourth at the boat. Hopefully we’ll get some decent weather to get back out there before it closes,” Klassen added.

Trinidad
According to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters, the black rockfish bite turned on the past few days and limits have been coming easily. He said, “The halibut have really been snapping as well. Since the weekend, it’s been easily a fish per rod. A lot of the action has been coming in shallower than normal water — 120 feet and out as the weather hasn’t been very nice out in 300 feet of water. There isn’t much sign of salmon at the moment and not much effort either.”

Shelter Cove
Even though most of the commercial boats didn’t hang around long, the salmon are still on the bite reports Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing saying. He said, “We’re still getting them on the mooch pretty good, and have limited the boat out the last three days. We’ve also have been hooking at least one halibut per day. On Saturday we hooked 6 at once and got them all on board, which was pretty exciting. The best salmon action remains at the Hat. The ling cod fishing has been great this week, but the rockfish has been a little slow.”

Crescent City
According to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, not much has been happening with the ocean being a little on the rough side. “The most exciting thing going right now is all the Thresher Sharks around. A few have been caught by guys targeting California halibut around South Beach, and some anglers have begun to target them solely. The rockfish is kind of the same old story, when the boats can get out the bite has been excellent for both lings and rockfish. I haven’t heard of any boats trying for salmon in the past week,” Hegnes said.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The report is very similar to last week for the lower Klamath. Boats working from Blue Creek down are hooking between two and four steelhead per trip. A few more fall salmon have started to enter the river, but not in any big numbers yet. The river is in good shape with morning water temperatures hovering right around 70 degrees.

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

 

Back in 2012, over 380,000 adult fall king salmon were forecasted to return to the Klamath River basin, giving anglers a sport allocation of over 67,000 fish. Both of these numbers were record highs, but boy, where have those good times gone? Riding the heels of a four-year drought and way too many water diversions to mention, the number of salmon predicted to return this fall has dwindled to 30,909, with a sport quota set at a very meager 1,110 for the entire Klamath River basin. The way I look at it, the season can go two ways; if more fish return than predicted, the quotas will be met quickly and we’ll all be fishing for jacks well before Labor Day. If the 30,000 or so adults trickle in throughout the fall, we’ll likely see many days where landing one adult will be considered a good day. Both scenarios aren’t very tantalizing, but it’s the reality of what’s happening on the Klamath and Trinity River basins.

2016 fall regulations
Fall regulations go into effect on the Klamath River for fall-run Chinook salmon fishing beginning Aug. 15 and run through Dec. 31. The daily bag limit will be two Chinook, no more than one adult (greater than 22 inches) and the possession limit is six, no more than three adults. Two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout may also be retained, with a possession limit of four each. Spring-run Chinook salmon fishing regulations will run through Aug. 14, with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon. The Trinity is open to spring-run Chinook salmon fishing from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31. The daily bag and possession limit is two Chinook salmon. The take of salmon is prohibited from the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River downstream to the confluence of the Klamath River from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31.

Klamath Quotas
From the 96 bridge at Weitchpec to 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam, 189 adults can be harvested. The take of salmon is prohibited on the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam downstream to Weitchpec from Jan. 1 through Aug. 14.

The Lower Klamath from the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the mouth, 555 adults will be allowed for sport harvest. The mouth of the Klamath (spit area) will get 15 percent of the basin quota in 2016, which amounts to 167 adults. This area will be closed to all fishing after the quota has been met.

As a reminder, all legally caught Chinook salmon must be retained while fishing the spit. Once the adult component of the total daily bag limit has been retained, anglers must cease fishing in the spit area.

Trinity Quotas
On the Trinity, which opens to fall-run Chinook salmon fishing Sept. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, the quota is set at 550 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. The main stem downstream of the Denny Road bridge at Hawkins Bar to the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River will get 183, and main stem downstream of the mouth of the South Fork Trinity River to the confluence with the Klamath River will also be allowed to harvest 183 adult kings.

The main stem downstream of the Highway 299 Bridge at Cedar Flat to the Denny Road Bridge in Hawkins Bar is closed to all fishing September 1 through Dec. 31.

Once these quotas have been met, no Chinook salmon over 22 inches in length may be retained (anglers may still retain a limit of Chinook salmon under 22 inches in length). For more information on bag and possession limits, visit the DFG website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations. All anglers on the Trinity and Klamath rivers must have Salmon Harvest Cards in their possession when fishing for salmon.

Weekend Marine forecast
More rough conditions are in the forecast, at least through the weekend. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 9 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 9 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday’s conditions are looking better, with winds out of the N 5 to 15 knots and waves 6 feet at 9 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.

The Oceans:
Eureka
After a few days of tougher-than-usual fishing, the salmon went back on the chew “big time” on Tuesday. The best bite remains at the tip of both jetty’s, just outside the entrance according to Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “They bit really well on Tuesday, and the fish were big too. All the charter boats had easy limits,” Sepulveda added.

“There’s still quite a bit of bait in the bay, but it isn’t solid out front,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There weren’t many boats out on Tuesday as the forecast was much better than predicted. I’m sure the lack of pressure helped the bite. And it seems like some new fish showed up too. The fish we caught had been feeding on krill, something we haven’t seen in awhile.”

Trinidad
Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters reports the super rough water has made the fishing conditions tough for salmon, rockfish and halibut. He said, “The ocean was a little better than forecasted on Tuesday, but I only heard of one salmon caught by the dozen or so boats who were trying. We’ve had to move out to deeper water for rockfish due to the choppy waters, but the blacks are still on the bite. The lings have been a little tougher to come by lately. Not many have tried for halibut since the opener, and I haven’t heard of any being caught as of Tuesday.”

Shelter Cove
The bite has been up and down for salmon in Shelter Cove with Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing saying, “This past week we’ve had days where we limited out by 9 a.m. and days without full limits. The commercial salmon season opened on Wednesday and there are quite a few boats in the harbor, so we’ll see what happens with these fish when they get some real pressure on them. Rock fishing was great all last week, but has slowed last couple days.”

Crescent City
The salmon action is still pretty much non-existent reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “I haven’t heard of any kings caught this week, and the rough ocean isn’t helping. We’ve had a pretty good California halibut bite lately off of South Beach, with a few incidental Thresher Sharks being landed as well. I heard one measured eight-feet. The sloppy ocean has kept the boats from targeting rockfish, but when they’ve been able to get out, it’s been good. The lings bite has been excellent.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The fall salmon season hasn’t quite kicked into gear on the lower Klamath. Boats trolling the estuary are catching the occasional fish, but big numbers of fish have yet to move in. That could change overnight however. The summer steelhead bite has been slow as well, with only a few hookups per day reported by the few boats who are working the river from Blue Creek down to the Glen.

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

 

The weather finally got the best of the Eureka sport salmon fleet. What had been a wide-open bite for the past week was cooled by Wednesday’s rough waters. Only a few of the bigger boats chose to cross the bar into the nasty ocean on Wednesday, and the salmon were not in the biting mood. Prior to Wednesday, boats fishing just outside of the entrance were scoring quick limits of big, fat kings. A few were also being caught by boats trolling the edge of the south jetty, and the occasional salmon was being caught by anglers fishing from the jetties. The common theme around here remains the bait; both the inside and outside of Humboldt Bay is absolutely stuffed.
With more rough water in the forecast, it may be some time before we know if the fish just went off the bite, or if they’ve finally moved on.
The current session of the sport salmon season along the North Coast will run through August 16. The last session of the season will run September 1 through September 5. For more information regarding the seasons and regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon

Weekend Marine Forecast
It looks like the snotty conditions will stick around through the weekend. Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 15 knot winds out of the north and northwest waves 8 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the northwest 10 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is roughly the same, with winds out of the north 10 to 20 knots and waves 9 feet at 9 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Halibut season re-opens August 1
The Pacific halibut season will re-open on Monday, August 1 and will remain open through August 15. Through July, the CDFW has projected 13,442 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 29,640 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking

Crabs close/Abalone opens
The 2016 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will close on Saturday July 30. Recreational abalone season will re-open on August 1, following a July closure. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp

The Oceans:
Eureka
The salmon have been biting like crazy right outside of the entrance according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The fishing was really good this past week. Some days the fish were piled on the south side and some days they were north of the entrance. There is still lots of bait around, mostly sardines and anchovies. The last few days it’s been an early morning bite that lasts for a couple hours; then it definitely dies off. The bite has been picking up again in the afternoon, and it’s probably influenced by the tide. The grade of fish has been nice, with the salmon averaging right around 12 to 13-pounds. There’s also been quite a few in the high teens caught daily and the occasional fish in the twenties.”

Trinidad
Before the weather turned crappy, there was a pretty decent salmon bite reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters out of Trinidad. “Late last week, they were biting pretty good right at Pilot Rock. There’s been a few caught since, but the effort dwindled once the weather turned. When the weather has allowed, the rockfish have really been snapping. The blacks have been pretty easy to come by. We had to cancel our Wednesday morning trip due to rough seas, but it calmed down in the afternoon and the rockfish bit really well,” Wilson said.

Crescent City
Not much has changed this past week reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The wind has been blowing pretty good the last few days so no one’s been out. Last week when the boats did finally make it out, they found a real good bite on the ling cod as well as the rest of the bottom fish. Not much happening with salmon; I heard one boat hooked six and landed three one day last week and went back the next day and they were gone. There hasn’t been any effort since,” Carter said.

Klamath Control Zone closure
The Klamath Control zone will be closed the month of August for ocean sport salmon fishing. The closed zone around the Klamath River mouth is bounded on the north by 41°38’48” N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles north of the Klamath River mouth); on the west, by 124°23’00” W. long. (approximately 12 nautical miles off shore); and on the south, by 41°26’48” N. lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles south of the Klamath River mouth).

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The summer steelhead bite picked up last weekend for the few boats side-drifting roe, with the best bite happening from Blue Creek down. There are still quite a few hatchery steelhead in the mix as well. The salmon bite has slowed in the estuary, and a only a handful of fall kings have been caught upriver. The salmon should start entering the river in bigger numbers any day.

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

Haven’t seen your neighbor’s boat in the driveway lately? Co-workers not showing up to work or calling in sick? I’m pretty sure I know where they are. The red-hot salmon bite that’s happening inside Humboldt Bay and at the entrance has boats coming from far and wide, and lots of anglers playing hooky from work. And for good reason as the bite here is as good as anywhere in the state. It’s not just a big-boat show either – kayaks, drift boats, and boats of all shapes and sizes are getting in on the action. Not to be left out, jetty anglers are catching their share as well tossing swimbaits and Kastmasters.

The bay is still plugged with anchovies and sardines, so it’s no real coincidence the salmon are stacked up at the tips of the jetties waiting for the outgoing tide to bring them dinner. It’s been well over 10 years since we’ve seen this kind of bite so close to home, so take advantage of it if you can.
It won’t last forever…

Marine Forecast
Following an extended period of calm seas, it looks like the ocean won’t be very nice this weekend. Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 15 knot winds out of the north and northwest waves 5 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 10 to 20 knots and waves out of the northwest 8 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is roughly the same, with winds out of the north 10 to 20 knots and waves 9 feet at 9 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

California halibut in the bay
As if having king salmon swimming in the bay wasn’t enough, the California halibut bite went wide-open last weekend. Reportedly, the kayakers did really well drifting live bait. The fishery is open year-round and the daily bag and possession limit is three fish north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

Crabs close/Abalone opens
The 2016 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will close on Saturday July 30. Recreational abalone season will re-open on August 1, following a July closure. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp

The Oceans:
Eureka
Monday’s wide-open salmon bite right outside of the entrance was about as good as it gets reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We never did get all the lines in the water and we boated 12 nice salmon by 8 o’clock. It was the best bite we’ve seen this year, and the grade was real nice too. All the fish were in the 12 to 18-pound range,” Klassen added. That good of a bite that close to home will obviously draw a crowd. Reportedly over 70 boats were shoehorned in near the tips of the jetties making for some crowded conditions. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing, along with the rest of the charter fleet, was in the mix and bringing fish over the rails as quick as he could net em’. “Limits were coming fast in 40 feet of water and 20 feet on the wire. The fish were biting hard and pulling hot,” said Sepulveda. The bite slowed slightly on Tuesday and Wednesday and there were some smaller kings and silvers in the mix. The eel grass was heavy at times, making it tough to keep your gear fishing.

Trinidad
The ocean got flat, and the fishing got good reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The salmon bite was really good on Monday and Tuesday. There’s a wide area of fish ranging from the 06 line to the 00 line in 120 to 180 feet of water. There’s lots of brown water and bait. The calm water also put the black rockfish on the bite, and the grade has been real good,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
With the ocean being flat the last few days, I was hoping for a good salmon report this week. That doesn’t sound like the case according to Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “There’s definitely been more effort the last few days, but I haven’t heard of any salmon being caught. Conditions are good — I’m hoping they just haven’t showed up yet. The rockfish bite remains really good, and the lings are biting too. Boats are having success fishing both north and south of the harbor,” Carter said.

Shelter Cove:
The bite has been wide-open for salmon in Shelter Cove with Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing saying, “We’ve had limits of salmon by 9:00 for the last week. On Monday, we had our 16 salmon by 8:20. On both Monday and Tuesday we had boat limits of salmon, lings, blacks and crab and were back on shore by noon. I started mooching and jigging irons the last couple days, but the trollers are getting them good as well. We’ve spent most of our time fishing at the Hat. It’s been a good grade, with plenty of fish in the high twenty to low thirty pound range.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The bite remains hit and miss for anglers targeting summer steelhead in the Blue Creek area. The good news is there’s quite a few hatchery steelhead around, with some real nice ones in the mix. A few fall salmon were also caught upriver this week. Trollers in the estuary were getting one to four opportunities up until Wednesday, when the bite turned off.

Junction City weir in business
The Junction City weir was installed and trapping was set to begin on Tuesday, July 19th. According to Mary Claire Kier, an Environmental Scientist with the CDFW Trinity River Project, the flows from Lewiston Dam should have been down to roughly 1,000 cfs by then. The first TRP weekly trapping summary should be out one or two weeks after installation. The Willow Creek weir will go in right around the 23rd of August. Questions about the Junction City weir should be directed to John.Hileman@wildlife.ca.gov.

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

The recreational salmon season is set to reopen this Saturday, and all the signs up and down the coast look extremely promising. The entrance, and Humboldt Bay itself, are still teeming with both sardines and anchovies. The coastline —both north and south and two to three miles in length — is also stuffed with bait. The water out front of Trinidad is holding the brown, cool water that salmon crave, and the birds are working over the big schools of bait. Salmon have also been seen swimming on the surface, which is a pretty darn good indicator that the fish are there. North to Crescent City, it’s the same story. The harbor, as well as right out front, is loaded with sardines and anchovies. The lone downside to all of this optimism is the weather. Ocean conditions for Saturday’s opener are looking a little on the blistery side. North winds 10 to 20-miles an hour along with 9-foot swells at 9 seconds are in the forecast. However, both Sunday and Monday look to be much nicer.

Sport salmon regulations
As mentioned above, the third session of the sport salmon season from Horse Mt. north to the CA/OR border will open on Saturday, July 16 and run through August 16. The last session of the season will run September 1 through September 5. Within the Klamath Management zone, the minimum size is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two salmon of any species, except Coho. The possession limit is no more than two daily bag limits when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. For more information about the seasons and regulations, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon

Marine Forecast
Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, conditions for the weekend are looking a little lumpy. Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 10 to 20 knots and swells 9 feet at 9 seconds and west 2 feet at 16. For Saturday’s salmon opener, winds will be out of the north 10 to 20 knots and waves NW 9 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday and Monday are looking better. Sunday, winds will be out of the north 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 7 feet at 9 seconds. Monday will see more north winds to 10 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 8 seconds and W 2 ft at 16 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Pacific Halibut closes after Friday
The Pacific halibut season will close on July 15 and open back up on August 1 and run through the 15th. As of July 3, the CDFW has projected 9,214 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 29,640 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking. For information about the seasons and regulations, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670771-pacific-halibut-regulations

The Oceans:
Eureka
Nice weather this past week had the boats on a pretty good little run reports Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. He said, “The weather was nice enough to run to the Cape or drift for halibut. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been really good, with lights-out ling fishing and nice variety of rockfish. There were even a few Pacific halibut caught down there. The halibut bite was pretty good as well, with most boats getting a few opportunities per trip. Most of the action was either straight out of the entrance or to the north in Trinidad. Most of the focus beginning Saturday will turn to salmon as the waters in and around Humboldt Bay look great. The dump site, and along the coastline between the entrance and Table Bluff both look real fishy.”

Trinidad
According to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters, the halibut bit pretty good earlier this week straight out of the harbor. “There seems to be quite a few halibut around as boats were catching from 120 feet all the way out to 300 feet. The bite did slow down a little the last two days however. The rockfish are still biting, with limits of blacks coming easily. And you don’t need to go far, there’s plenty of fish around Flat Iron and the splash rocks. Signs are looking really good for the salmon opener. The water is really brown, and there’s lots of birds and bait around. We’ve also seen quite a few salmon on the surface too,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove
Taking advantage of some calm ocean conditions, Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing took his crew 25 miles north to Gorda on Friday and found a wide-open rockfish bite. Black rockfish, vermilions, coppers, and lings were all in abundance, with the top producers being swimbaits and P-Line Cone Zone teasers. The salmon action has been hit and miss lately, but Capt. Jared Morris of C’mon Sportfishing put together a pretty good day on Saturday, boating 9 salmon to 23-pounds. The salmon seemed to really like hoochies behind a dodger. According to Mitchell, the bait hasn’t piled up yet where mooching is a viable option. He said, “The clouds of short-belly rockfish have not emerged like during the past two years. In 2015, schools of the baby rockfish blacked out the meter, and light spoons such as P-Line Laser Minnows were producing limits. So far, trolling has been the only option, and the wind and ocean conditions have been a limiting factor.”

Crescent City
The rockfish bite is still going strong, but the halibut action has been pretty quiet reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Boats targeting rockfish have been doing well going both north and south. Quite a few lings are in the mix as well. I’ve heard there have been some boats targeting halibut, but I haven’t heard any success stories. There’s quite a bit of sardines and anchovies right out front and in the harbor, so hopefully the boats will find some salmon on Saturday,” Carter said.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The summer steelhead action around the Blue Creek area has been hit and miss this week. There’s been a pretty good flurry first thing in the morning, but the bite tails off pretty quickly. Last weekend’s rain and mild temperatures cooled the water temps and likely put the fish on the move. Quite a few salmon made their way into the estuary late last week, and the trollers put up some pretty decent scores. By Sunday, those fish were gone and the bite has been tough ever since.

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

The rough ocean conditions that persisted this past week provided a nice little break for most of the charter and sport boats fishing out of Eureka and Trinidad. But with the ocean lying down just enough on Wednesday, the fleet was able to get back on the water. Halibut and rockfish are what’s on the menu now as the recreational salmon season closed last week and won’t open again until July 16. Quite a few halibut were reportedly landed on Wednesday out of both Eureka and Trinidad ports. And the action should only get better as the ocean conditions improve.

An important reminder when combo fishing for halibut and rockfish; the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. 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. It’s a good idea to get those halibut first.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions aren’t looking to bad for the weekend. Friday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds up to 5 knots and waves out of the northwest 5 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday isn’t looking as nice, with winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots and northwest waves 7 feet at 10 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 18 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan, or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

Kayak demo day coming July 23
Mad River Tackle and Kayak Trinidad are teaming up to host a Free Kayak Demo day at Big Lagoon County Park on Saturday, July 23. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come and test-paddle the latest and greatest fishing kayaks from FeelFree, Viking, Emotion, and the 2016 Slayer Propel from Native Watercraft. Try paddles from Werner and Bending Branches. Free clinics will be offered where you can learn to rig your kayak for fishing and rescue and recovery for kayak anglers. For more information, call 707-826-7201.

Report derelict crab gear
If any ocean fishermen come across old crab floats across the North Coast, the California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project is still active and looking for help in removing old derelict crab gear. When you come across gear in which you believe is old, make a note of the GPS coordinates. From there you can enter the information and location at http://www.seadocsociety.org/report

The Oceans:
Eureka
With the closing of the recreational salmon season, it’s all about the halibut and rockfish until July 16 when the season opens back up. And it looks like we’ll finally have some decent weather to actually fish for both. Captain Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing spent the past week or so fishing in some less than ideal conditions, and he pretty much had the ocean to himself. “The forecast wasn’t always as bad as predicted, and we were even able to make a couple trips all the way to the Cape. The rockfish bite was stellar as usual, with easy limits flying over the rails. We spent a couple days on the halibut grounds as well, with our best day landing four flatties for five customers,” Sepulveda added.

Trinidad
“After fishing some really crummy weather this last week, it looks like we’re finally going to get a break” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The water is starting to clear up and the halibut bit pretty well on Wednesday. The rockfish were snapping pretty good too, and if you target the lings, you’ll get em. ”

Shelter Cove
Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports the salmon bite has been decent, with most boats averaging about a fish per rod. He said, “On Tuesday we had limits of rockfish and lings before we switched over to salmon. We put five nice ones onboard to 21 pounds and lost a few other good ones. The best bite has been at the Old Man.”

Crescent City
Not much has changed around here; the best action is still from the rockfish reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “The oceans been a little snotty, so not many boats have been out this week. It looks like we’ll finally have some better conditions the next few days. The rockfish bite is still good, with quite a few lings around too. Not much has been happening with halibut due to the weather, but that should change now. The salmon season, which temporarily closed last Thursday, never did materialize.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Early July means transition time on the Klamath. The majority of the spring salmon have made their way upriver, and now the fall kings are beginning to mill around the estuary. Boats are also beginning to side-drift the riffles targeting summer steelhead.

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

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is putting their money where their mouth is. Stemming from the backlash of the California Fish and Game Commission’s decision to close a stretch of the Klamath River to fishing from the mouth of Blue Creek to downstream a half mile, they’re now making good on a promise to study the effects of water temperature and the catch and release mortality of steelhead. These studies come on the heels of the recent modification by the Commission when they changed the no fishing buffer zone from a half-mile below Blue Creek to 500 feet.

The studies will be conducted by CDFW, and they’re looking for a few experienced steelhead anglers to help. This is a rare opportunity to assist CDFW scientists with an important study by fishing for steelhead in a wild and remote section of the Klamath River.

Due to the remote location of the study site, volunteers will need to dedicate a full day to the study; including 5-9 hours angling, plus additional time for training and orientation.

Volunteers will meet CDFW personnel near the town of Klamath and will be transported to and from the study site via jet boat. Volunteers must provide for themselves: transportation to and from the meeting location, valid California fishing license and steelhead punch card, personal fishing equipment, food, water, extra clothing, and personal safety gear (sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, etc.) adequate for a full day (sunrise to sunset) on the river.

Volunteers will be expected to use the gear types and angling techniques specified by CDFW personnel on site. The study will be performed mostly on weekends from July 9, 2016 through October 2, 2016. Tentative dates for angler participation are as follows: July 9, 10, 23, 24; August 6, 7, 20, 21; Sept. 1, 2, 17, 18; Oct.1, 2.

To sign up, contact Brett Anderson (brett.anderson@wildlife.ca.gov) or call (916) 323-3422 with the following information: Name, phone number and email address, preferred dates, short description of your angling experience. Only pre-registered volunteers will be allowed to participate.

Marine forecast
The ocean forecast for the holiday weekend is not looking great. From the beach out 10 nautical miles, Friday and Saturday’s forecasts are calling for winds out of the north 10 to 20 knots with northwest swells 9 feet at 9 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 16 to 17 seconds. Sunday is calling for winds out of the northwest at 5 to 15 knots, with northwest swells 7 feet at 9 seconds. Monday’s forecast is looking similar, with winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots with northwest swells 8 feet at 9 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. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar

Saturday is statewide free fishing day
On Saturday July 2, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for abalone, steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River Systems. For more information visit, www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Ocean sport salmon season closes June 30
As a reminder, the sport salmon season, from the OR/CA border to Horse Mountain, will close on June 30. The season will re-open again on July 16 and run through August 16. For the complete list of regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon#recreational

Halibut season re-opens July 1
The Pacific halibut season will re-open Friday, July 1 and will remain open through July 15. To date, the CDFW has projected 8,672 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 29,640 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-2016-in-season-tracking

Abalone season closing
Abalone season will close Thursday, June 30 and will be closed for the entire month of July. It will reopen on August 1. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Abalone

The Oceans:
Eureka
The salmon fishing was very good prior to Wednesday according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. He said, “The salmon have been real close to home; on Wednesday most of the fish were caught right around the bell. There’s still lots of bait around and not just offshore but along the jetties as well. Only a couple boats went out on Wednesday due to rough weather, and Thursday isn’t looking very good either.”

With salmon season closing on Thursday, the focus will again shift back to halibut and rockfish. Offshore conditions will have to improve dramatically in order to make a run to the Cape or to drift for halibut.

Trinidad
There’s been a pretty good salmon bite this week, with most boats reporting limits said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The salmon fishing was really good on Monday and Tuesday, but it fell flat on Wednesday. All the same signs were there, but the fish were either gone or not biting. The rockfish has been excellent as well, with more lings starting to show,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove
Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing reports the salmon have been spread out this week. He said, “Seems like there’s been different “hot spots” everyday. There was a good bite in the Old Man a couple days ago. On the average, guys trying are getting from zero to five fish per day if they work at it. The rockfish bite is still good as we’ve been able to get all of our lings and five to 10 snappers per angler.”

Crescent City
According to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, the salmon action is still really slow, but not many boats are trying. “There’s been about three to four boats trying for salmon each day, and they’re getting roughly one fish per boat. Definitely not red-hot. The rockfish bite is still good, there seems to be plenty of lings around,” added Hegnes.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
The springer bite has remained steady this week, with boats getting one to four real good opportunities per day while sitting on the anchor. The steelhead should start to show in bigger numbers in the next couple weeks and boats will be switching over to side-drifting riffles. The fall kings should begin to make an appearance in the estuary any time now.

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

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking volunteer anglers to assist with a scientific study to be performed on the Klamath River near Blue Creek. The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential effects of water temperature on hooking related mortality of Steelhead Trout. This is a rare opportunity to assist CDFW scientists with an important study by angling for steelhead in a wild and remote section of the Klamath River. Anglers of all skill levels may participate. However, some experience fishing for trout, salmon, or steelhead in a river or stream environment is required.

Due to the remote location of the study site, we are asking volunteers to dedicate a full day (sunrise to sunset) to the study; including 5-9 hours angling, plus additional time for training and orientation.

Volunteers will meet CDFW personnel near the town of Klamath. CDFW will provide transportation to and from the study site via jet boat. Volunteers must provide for themselves:

• Transportation to and from the meeting location
• Valid California fishing license and steelhead punch card
• Personal fishing equipment (rods/reels, tackle, bait, flies, etc.)
• Food, water, extra clothing, and personal safety gear (sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, etc.) adequate for a full day (sunrise to sunset) on the river.

Volunteers will be expected to use the gear types and angling techniques specified by CDFW personnel on site.

The study will be performed mostly on weekends from July 9, 2016 through October 2, 2016. Tentative dates for angler participation are as follows:

To sign up, please contact Brett Anderson (brett.anderson@wildlife.ca.gov) or (916) 323-3422 with the following information:

To sign up, please contact Brett Anderson (brett.anderson@wildlife.ca.gov) or (916) 323-3422 with the following information:

• Name
• Phone number and email address
• Preferred dates
• Short description of your angling experience

Only pre-registered volunteers will be allowed to participate. We appreciate your understanding, and thank you for your interest in volunteering for this study.

 

The salmon may not be flying over the rails in quantities of years past, but Eureka is once again the place to be for king salmon. And unlike last year when the fish were congregated 18 miles to the south, the fish are now nice and close to home. When the boats have been able to get out, they’re finding the largest concentrations of kings just south of the south jetty in 60-feet of water. The fish are kegged there likely due to the tidal influence of Humboldt Bay according to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The bay has been absolutely loaded with anchovies and sardines the past couple weeks. And with the minus tides we’re having now, the bait is being flushed out of the bay and deposited right out front. And the salmon are right there waiting for them. The fish have been a pretty decent grade too, ranging between 10 and 18 pounds.” Klassen added. If you’re targeting salmon out of Eureka this weekend, a couple words of advice: Keep an eye on the tides and don’t overrun the fish…

Potential dangerous bar crossing
With minus, or very low tides in effect through the weekend, there could be potential early morning hazardous bar conditions due to the combination of tides and swells converging at the time when most boats will be headed out the mouth of the harbor. Hard charging water flowing out of the bay and running straight into large swells can be extremely dangerous and you should always 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. If you’re planning on hitting the bar at daylight, check the conditions first. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan or you can also verify the conditions as reported by looking at the bar cam at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar
Low tides — Sat. June 25 (-0.4 at 10:01 a.m.), Sun. June 16 (0.0 at 10:47 a.m.)

Marine forecast
The forecast for the weekend is looking a little on the sloppy side, but should be fishable. The big issue will be the outgoing tides out of Humboldt Bay. From the beach out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the north 5 to 15 knots with northwest swells 7 feet at 9 seconds and southwest 3 feet at 20 seconds. Saturday is calling for winds out of the northwest at 5 to 15 knots, with northwest swells 8 feet at 9 seconds and southwest 3 feet at 19 seconds. Sunday looks slightly better. Winds will be out of the north 5 to 15 knots with northwest swells 7 feet at 8 seconds and SW 2 feet at 18 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.

Statewide free fishing day
On Saturday July 2, people may fish California’s waters without a sport fishing license. All regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for abalone, steelhead, sturgeon, spiny lobster, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River Systems. For more information visit, http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days

Abalone season closing
Abalone season will close Thursday, June 30 and will be closed for the entire month of July. It will reopen on August 1. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Abalone

The Oceans:
Eureka
Captain Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing reported, “There’s salmon spread up and down the beach from the Cape to the Mad River in 60 to 100 feet of water. If you find the right kind of bait signs on the meter, there have been biters amongst them. The action isn’t wide-open, but if you can keep your lines wet in the right places, you’ll catch em’. We were able to pull together a real good day on Wednesday, finding limits of nice kings close to home.” Taking advantage of a flat ocean a few days ago, Sepulveda gathered the customers an hour earlier than typical and ran all the way south to the Mendocino Canyon on an exploratory salmon trip. “We fished the northern lip and did limits in about 2 hours.”

Trinidad
There’s been a decent salmon bite this week reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “Boats have been picking up a few off the mouth of the Mad River in 180 feet. There’s been a bunch of bait there for awhile now. The rockfish action isn’t wide-open, but it has picked up the last few days. We’re starting to see more and more of them on the fish finders,” Wilson added.

Crescent City
Three kings were caught on Wednesday, so that’s a step in the right direction reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “I didn’t get the location where the salmon were caught, but I did also hear the same boat hooked quite a few silvers too. The rockfish bite is predictably good when the boats can get out.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
There was a pretty good push of fish that went through late last week, but the action has slowed a little since. Boats are still getting three or four real good takedowns per trip. The moss was starting to get a little heavier this past weekend.

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.