Recent Columns

If you’re missing the taste of fresh, ocean salmon, you’ll want to keep an eye on the Chetco River estuary. Salmon have been staging in the tidewater since early September and they’ll be there until enough rain falls and allows them to make their way upriver. And according to Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, the season at the mouth of the Chetco is heating up. “Action picked up in the Chetco estuary late last week, with a 52-pounder caught on Friday,” said Martin. “There was a wide-open bite during last Wednesday’s rain, and decent fishing through the weekend. Catch rates dropped by Tuesday of this week, with only a few fish caught. Lots of jacks arrived during the weekend, along with adults from 12 to 25 pounds. A few jacks also are now holding in the tidewater area. Most anglers are using 360 flashers, but some of the old timers in Brookings are catching fish with plug-cut herring or straight anchovies without flashers or blades.”

The daily bag limit for salmon on the Chetco is two adult fish per day, no more than one adult wild Chinook. Anglers may harvest adult hatchery Chinook until the daily bag limit has been met. Once the adult daily limit is harvested, anglers cannot continue to fish for jack salmon. Angling restricted to fly fishing (must include a strike indicator) or bobber fishing from RM 2.2 to Nook Creek Sep 1 – Nov 3. For additional Chetco regulations, visit eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/southwest-zone.

Weekend marine forecast
Moderate northerly winds started to build into the outer waters Wednesday. Northerly winds will increase Thursday with gusts possible above 35 knots in the outer waters by early Thursday evening. As of Thursday, out 10 to 60 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the north 25 to 30 knots with northwest waves 10 feet at nine seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the north 25 to 30 knots with north waves 11 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday looks slightly better but still terrible, with winds coming from the north 20 to 25 knots and north waves 9 feet at eight seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

Pacific halibut quota update
(Updated) As of September 8, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 47 percent, with just 18,157 net pounds harvested against the 38,220 net pound quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Not much activity for the boats out of Eureka this week, mostly due to ocean conditions. Effort typically starts to wean this time of the year. The good news is there’s still plenty of Pacific halibut quota left to catch. The nearshore rockfish season will close after September as of the offshore rockfish season will take place for the month of October. The nearshore fishery will open back up on Nov. 1, just in time for the Dungeness crab opener. The tuna water is still sitting just north of Gorda Valle, roughly 50 miles from Eureka.

Shelter Cove
It was a pretty quiet week at the Cove due to the weather according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We did get out a couple days for rockfish, and the fishing was great. We fished down off the Ranch House and had quick limits of rockfish and lingcod. It looks like the weekend will be fishable inshore.”

Crescent City
According to Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there isn’t much happening in Crescent City at the moment. “When the weather cooperates, the rockfish bite is still really good,” said Carson. “But the effort has slowed down, which is typical. It will pick back up in November when crab season opens back up. The tuna has pretty much dried up and the California halibut bite has been nonexistent as well. After a little bit of improvement, the Pacific halibut bite has turned back off.”

Brookings
“Rough weather limited ocean trips to just a few days this last week,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Fishing has been good for lingcod and rockfish. More windy weather is expected this weekend.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath continue to be unfishable due to the dam removal process. There are fish making their way upriver, but most anglers and guides have moved to other rivers. Water conditions should start to improve at some point, but it remains to be seen if it happens before the run is over.
The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, action has slowed on the Rogue Bay, where late kings and hatchery coho are being caught, but catch rates much lower than last month.

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

It’s been a pretty good season for albacore tuna off the North Coast, but it now looks to be slowing down as the warm, blue water has faded off our coast. Scores and effort over the past couple weeks have dwindled as the water has dissipated and/or moved out. But there is one glimmer of hope on the horizon. The warm water that the Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove boats have feasted on the past few weeks is slowly making its way north. It’s currently sitting just north of the Gorda Valley, roughly 50 miles from Eureka. The hope is it will reload with albacore, and possibly some big eye and bluefin, and present itself right on our doorstep. Whether or not that plays out will depend on what happens after the next round of wind events. It’s forecast to blow up to 35 knots Friday night on the tuna grounds. After calming over the weekend, it’s once again predicted to howl beginning Sunday evening. We’ll have to wait and see how this turns out, but I’m hopeful we’ll get a few more days on the tuna grounds.

Weekend marine forecast
North winds will ramp up again to 20 to 25 knots out 10 to 60 nautical miles Thursday afternoon through Friday before easing through the weekend. As of Thursday, the forecast from 10 to 60 nautical miles for Friday is calling for winds out of the north 20 to 25 knots with north waves 7 feet at seven seconds. Saturday is calling for winds from the north 10 to 15 knots and north waves 5 feet at five seconds and northwest 3 feet at nine seconds. Sunday the winds will be from the north 10 to 15 knots and north waves 3 feet at four seconds and northwest 4 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Low flow river closures in effect since Sept. 1
As Sept. 1, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith, and Van Duzen were closed to fishing. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

Pacific halibut quota update
There hasn’t been any updates to the Pacific halibut quota in a month. As of August 11, California’s share of Area 2A’s quota, which includes Washington and Oregon, is at 33 percent, with just 12,759 net pounds harvested against the 38,220 net pound quota. (500 pounds are set aside for the area south of Point Arena). The Pacific halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Trinidad launch closing for the season
The launch facility will close after Sunday, Sept. 15 for the season. The floating dock and moorings will be removed shortly after.

The Oceans:
Eureka
According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, the tuna bite has slowed this week due to the warm water fading out. “We made a couple trips out, with Monday being the better day,” said Klassen. “We were able to land 14 roughly 20 miles straight out. We went a little further out on Wednesday and only got 2. There were only a few boats out and it sounded slow for everyone. There’s better water off Gorda right now, we’ll have to see where it is after the wind dies down. The halibut bite wasn’t as red hot as it has been, but there’s still fish being caught. Most of the boats are still fishing off of Trinidad. The rockfish action at the Cape is really good. Our last trip down on Saturday was wide-open. There’s a really good variety of fish right now, along with some nice lingcod.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the weather was pretty nice this week and the majority of the fleet took advantage to run offshore for albacore. He said, “The fishing was pretty good with a mixed grade of peanuts and fish up to 25 pounds. We averaged just over 40 fish per trip this week, with most of the effort straight out 18 to 25 miles. Ocean conditions aren’t looking great, it’s looking like it’s going to blow at least through the weekend.”

Crescent City
“A few more Pacific halibut were caught this week,” said Dan Moore of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “It wasn’t as good as last week, but we’ve seen a few come in, with most being caught in 200 feet of water. The California halibut bite really slowed down this week, along with the effort. The cold water pushed right on the beach, which slowed the bite. The rockfish action is still good, anglers fishing the Sisters and North Reef are getting easy limits. The perch bite has been good all year at Kellogg Beach. Anglers are also catching quite a few at South Beach. The tuna water has moved way offshore, so that’s not even an option right now.”

Brookings
“Pacific halibut action has been fair out of Brookings, and when the fish bite, fish up to 50 pounds have shown up in the catch,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “The season is expected to continue through October. Best action has been in 200 to 240 feet of water. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good. A few boats ventured offshore for tuna last week, but fish have been 50-plus miles out.”

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath are extremely dirty due to the dam removal process. There are fish making their way upriver, but most anglers and guides have moved to other rivers. Water conditions should start to improve at some point, but it remains to be seen if it happens before the run is over.

The daily bag limit is two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout per day on both the Klamath and Trinity rivers, with a possession limit of four. Anglers must have a Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card in their possession while fishing for steelhead trout in anadromous waters. The recreational fall salmon fishery is closed to the take of Chinook. More information, can be found here.

Chetco/Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon are being caught daily in the Chetco estuary, with some days producing more than a dozen fish caught, but typical catches a king for every five boats. “Action will improve later in September, with peak season for the estuary the beginning of October. Salmon action remains good in Gold Beach on the Rogue Bay, although this week’s rain will send most of the fish held up to the middle section of the river near Grants Pass.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

What’s the best way to shake off the doldrums of another salmon-less summer? How about a red-hot tuna bite? That’s just what we needed, and just what happened. The games began last Friday, with fish being caught out of Fort Bragg, Shelter Cove, and Eureka. For the Eureka fleet, the action started down off of Cape Mendocino where a lone boat did some scouting Friday and found the fish. He boated 16, and then the word was out.
With the conditions perfect for Saturday, quite a few more boats made the run roughly 25 miles southwest of Eureka and found the schools. It didn’t seem to matter what time you showed up as the fish reportedly bit until sunset. There were quite a few boats who made their way to the tuna grounds and boated double-digits having already limited on Pacific halibut. Now that’s a good day!
By Sunday, the word was really out and again the small fleet of eight to 10 boats headed south where the conditions had deteriorated. After bouncing around in rough, but fishable conditions, boats reported some pretty low scores. The top boat reportedly had six, but there were lots of ones and twos. There was one Bluefin landed aboard the Reel Steel.
By Monday, boats were back to halibut fishing, finding a pretty decent bite straight out. More magic was in store for Tuesday, but no one was around to see it. A lone boat saw conditions were lining up straight west of Eureka. Running just 20 miles offshore they landed right on top of a school of albacore and immediately starting putting fish aboard. After couple hours of non-stop action, they had 25 mix-grade albacore on board and called it a day. Trinidad also got in on the action, though the scores weren’t as high. Two boats fishing just 20 miles from Trinidad Head boated 5 and 17.

Now the wind has once again returned, and is forecast to blow hard through Saturday. Conditions will begin to improve starting Sunday, hopefully the warm tuna water isn’t too far out of reach.

Weekend marine forecast
Gales force winds will likely subside by the weekend, though northerlies will remain elevated. As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 15 to 20 knots and waves northwest 10 feet at nine seconds. Saturday forecast is calling for north winds at 10 to 15 knots and waves northwest 9 feet at nine seconds. Winds will be out of the northwest Sunday 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at eight seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby July 20 – Aug. 31
To help aid in the pikeminnow suppression efforts, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal-Trout, TRIB Research, Wiyot Tribe, Bureau of Land Management, and Stillwater Sciences are hosting an Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing derby that will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. This derby gives awards to anglers who want to enjoy sport fishing for Eel River pikeminnow while simultaneously helping our native fish populations

Sacramento pikeminnow are a native fish to California but were introduced to the Eel River watershed in the 1970s and can have a significant impact on native fish populations. Therefore, suppression of Sacramento pikeminnow in the Eel River is a tool managers can use to aid in the conservation of our native fish.

To enter into the contest you must provide a valid (google) email address and upload a photo of your fish. Contest rules are as follows:

• Submit entries using one email address. All entries at the end of the contest for the “most pikeminnow…” will be tallied by participant name.
• Individual contestants can win no more than one prize category
• Cheating or falsification of entries will result in automatic disqualification
• Contestants must follow all CDFW fishing regulations, including no bait, barbless artificial lures only. Single barbless hooks are recommended for all manners of effort including, fly, and artificial lures.
• This derby includes all waters open to angling on the South Fork Eel River downstream of Humboldt County line to the confluence with the mainstem and the mainstem Eel from the confluence with the South Fork Eel to the mouth of the Van Duzen.

Eel river regulations currently state there is no bag limit on pikeminnow. Retention of salmonids is strictly prohibited. Strict compliance with Fish and Game Code Section 1.87: WASTE OF FISH; it is unlawful to cause or permit any deterioration or waste of any fish taken in the waters of this state.

Prize categories:

1. Most pikeminnow (greater than 6 inches) removed over the duration of the contest.
2. Most pikeminnow (greater than 12 inches) removed over the duration of the contest. MUST include tape measure in photo.
3. Biggest fish (length). MUST include tape measure in photo.
4. Drawing for anyone that entered a pikeminnow in the contest.
   (prize structure still being finalized)
   

Suggestions for fish use: consumption, gardening fertilizer, crab bait, or research. Fish to be donated for research purposes can be dropped off in the cooler at Dimmick Road, Highway 271, Piercy, CA or at the Wiyot Tribal Office during business hours.
Prohibited actions: Throwing fish on the bank or into the river, any blatant waste of fish. Any violation of Fish and Game Code Section 1.87 will be subject to law enforcement prosecution.

California halibut update
The CA halibut bite is not red hot, but still decent according to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors. He said, “The fish seem to be scattered between the second and third channels. Live bait or trolling dead bait seems to be the most productive now. The California halibut bag and total possession limit is two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length.

The Oceans:
Eureka
The Eureka fleet finally strung together a few consecutive days on the water, and were treated to some good fishing with quite the variety.  Let’s start with the good stuff. Warm water pushed in close late last week, coinciding with calm seas, and tuna were hitting the deck at a pretty good clip. “The tuna bite on Saturday was wide-open,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sportfishing. “The action was 12 miles straight off Cape Mendocino. It didn’t seem to matter when you showed up as plenty of boats motored south after halibut fishing and boated double-digit scores. Sunday was a little different story. The weather wasn’t nearly as nice, and the bite was tough. I think the top boat had six, and there were a lot of ones and twos. We had one bite and it turned out to be a 40-pound Bluefin. Monday, most of the boats opted for halibut, where the fishing was pretty good, but not great. Boats were back to halibut Tuesday, where the fishing remained solid. One boat decided to try for tuna. They ran straight out 20 miles and found a wide-open bite. They only fished for a couple hours and put 25 mixed-grade albacore on the deck. Overall, the halibut fishing was good over the weekend, and the rockfish action at the Cape was excellent. It looks like we’re stuck with more wind through at least Saturday.”

Shelter Cove
“The weather finally laid down and we were able to travel for the first time in a while,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We finally got to fish Rodgers Break and Gorda and it was easy limits of rockfish and lingcod. The Pacific halibut bite was slow overall, but there were a handful caught over the weekend. Boats ran for tuna Friday through Sunday up off Gorda with the high boat getting 36 Saturday. After halibut fishing Saturday morning, we ran to the tuna grounds in the afternoon and quickly put 11 on board.”

Crescent City
“The rockfish action is still going strong when the boats can get out,” said Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The lingcod bite has been really good as well. Most of the boats are targeting the North Reef and the Sisters. The Pacific halibut bite, however, is still really slow. I heard of a couple caught this week. The California halibut has been excellent, with trollers along South Beach catching quite a few. Anchovies have been the bait of choice. Quite a few are also being caught off the rock wall and the pier. The redtail bite remains steady at Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings
“Brookings anglers are waiting for a break in the wind to venture offshore for tuna, following good reports out of Charleston, Winchester Bay, Newport and Astoria,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “There is a warm water pocket around 30 miles off of Brookings, but wind has kept anglers in close. Salmon fishing remains decent, with lots of hatchery coho and a few kings. The coho are just a couple miles out from the harbor, and are being caught close to the surface. Some salmon have been encountered by bottom fish anglers. Halibut fishing was good over the weekend, with a few dozen fish brought in, including a 74-pounder weighed at the dock.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, salmon fishing busted open on the Rogue Bay, but warm water from the inland heat wave slowed action Tuesday. “Water temperatures hit 80 degrees in Agness, sending salmon held up in the bay back into the ocean.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Last Sunday provided offshore anglers along the entire North Coast some of the best ocean conditions since the rockfish and Pacific halibut seasons kicked off. And plenty of boats took full advantage. Leaving Humboldt Bay, there were a steady stream of boats headed south, reacquainting themselves with Cape Mendocino. Reportedly, the fishing was excellent with lots of rockfish and lingcod coming over the rails. A good number of boats chose to head west and take a go at Pacific halibut. That move paid off as well as boats were met with cleaner water and hungry halibut. By Monday, conditions were starting to change for the worse, again, but there were a good number of halibut caught. Tuesday saw the wind return, and it looks like it will stick around through the work week. Saturday looks to be fishable, but by Sunday winds up to 20 knots will return.

Weekend marine forecast
Seas will continue to be rough through Friday, but Saturday looks like it will be fishable. Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 10 knot winds out of the northwest and waves north 8 feet at seven seconds and northwest 4 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday looks better, with northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves northwest 4 feet at six seconds and west 4 feet at 11 seconds. The wind will pick back up Sunday, coming from the north 15 to 20 knots. Waves will be out of the north 7 feet at seven seconds and west 7 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/ or www.windy.com. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka starting June 17
Canopy Wind and Vineyard Offshore have teamed up to provide up to 15 full-tuition scholarships for the upcoming OUPV/Master up to 100-ton Captain’s course being held in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. This course is not typically offered in Northern California, so this is a great opportunity to help educate some local folks who are looking to increase their employment opportunities. Please be sure you meet the requirements of the course before applying. These seats will be first come first served. Feel free to pass along to anyone you think may be interested. For more information, call 866-300-5984.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Sunday provided the best offshore conditions of the season, and the Eureka fleet took full advantage. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, it was probably the best day weather-wise of the season. “Conditions on the halibut grounds were much-improved, and the scores reflected that. Quite a few halibut were caught off the stacks in roughly 300 feet of water. The water cleaned up a little and there wasn’t much swell, so that made a big difference. The conditions weren’t quite as good Monday, but there were some fish caught by the boats that tried. There are some really nice fish around, with quite a few in the upper 60’s to 70 pounds. Plenty of boats made their way to the Cape for rockfish, and I heard it was good fishing. Sounds like there were more lingcod around too. It looks like the wind will keep us off the water at least through the week. There is some warm water starting to show off the coast. It looked like we had 60-degree water within striking distance. Fort Bragg has some tuna water sitting off their coast as well, so hopefully we’ll get an opportunity for some albacore soon.”

Trinidad
“The flat ocean on Sunday provided some much-improved rockfish action,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “The water cleaned up just enough and the rockfish bite was much better. The calm seas helped as well. There were some Pacific halibut caught Sunday, mostly straight out in 300 feet of water with a few coming in deeper water.”

Shelter Cove
Fishing out of the Cove has been hit and miss according to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve had a lot of dirty water, which has made the fishing slower, said Mitchell. “On the days when the water is cleaner, we’ve done much better. We’re getting limits of rockfish every day but lingcod limits have been harder to come by. We’ve been spending most of our days at the Old Man.”

Crescent City
Sunday’s break in the weather provided anglers the opportunity to finally get out and hit some of their favorite rockfish and lingcod spots reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The Sisters was one of the areas that saw a lot of action, and the fishing was good for both rockfish and lingcod. I didn’t hear of any Pacific halibut being caught. The California halibut bite is still pretty slow, but a few have been caught by kayaks and small boats trolling anchovies or herring along South Beach.”

Brookings
“Salmon action is still slow in the ocean out of Brookings,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few halibut are being caught. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good on calm weather days. Nice weather is expected this weekend. Surfperch action remains good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing is hit-and-miss on the Rogue, with good catches one day followed by a few days of slow fishing. “Wild king salmon may now be kept. Hatchery springers are still showing in the catch. A few boats are now trolling the bay, but best catches have been upriver still.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

It’s been another quiet week for offshore anglers along the North Coast. The north winds have been howling for nearly the entire month of May, but it looks as though we’re about to get a reprieve. The wind is forecast to come down starting Saturday and it looks like we’ll get a few consecutive days on the water, something that hasn’t happened much this month. To date, both the Pacific halibut and rockfish fisheries haven’t offered much in the way of excitement. Hopefully that will change starting this weekend.

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions will be much improved beginning Saturday. Looking towards the weekend, winds will be from the northwest 5 to 10 knots Saturday with waves northwest 5 feet at six seconds. Sunday is looking really good, with northwest winds 5 to 10 knots and waves north 2 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit weather.gov/eureka or windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Oregon salmon must be brought onto Oregon shores
In a CDFW press release issued May 24, they are reminding California anglers of important rules relating to transport of ocean and river salmon taken from Oregon.

The press release states:

“In ocean waters, any salmon taken in Oregon fisheries may not be brought to shore in California. However, it is legal for Californians to trailer their vessels to launch and fish from Oregon ports under applicable Oregon fishing licenses, regulations and reporting requirements. Salmon harvested in Oregon may be brought into California over land if also accompanied by a California Declaration for Entry Form. The declaration must be completed at or prior to the time of entry. After the time of entry, a copy of the completed declaration shall be submitted to CDFW within 24 hours.

On May 16, 2024, the National Marine Fisheries Service on advice from the Pacific Fishery Management Council and West Coast fisheries agencies, including CDFW, took in season action to implement a landing boundary at the Oregon/California state line for recreational ocean salmon fisheries in Oregon waters just north of California. The new requirement states that any salmon taken under Oregon sportfishing regulations in the area between Humbug Mountain and the Oregon/California state line, also known as the Oregon Klamath Management Zone, must be landed north of the Oregon/California state line for the 2024 fishing season.”

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming this Saturday
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

California halibut bite heating up
The California halibut bite is starting to pick up as quite a few were caught late last week and into Saturday. According the Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, the best bite was in the second channel in the north bay. “Swimbaits seem to be the ticket right now, with chartreuse and white being the most productive,” said Kelly. “The bite has slowed this week mostly due to the wind. You can do ok in the mornings if the tides are right.”

As a reminder, the California halibut bag and total possession limit was reduced from three to two in California waters north of Point Sur, Monterey County last June. The minimum size limit is 22 inches total length. The reduced California halibut limit is designed to protect the resource amid increased recreational fishing pressure due to limited fishing opportunities and changes in other ocean fisheries including salmon.

Fish for free this weekend in Oregon
Oregon will be having a Free Fishing Weekend June 1 and 2. On those two days, no license, tag or endorsement is required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. This applies only to waters already open to fishing, crabbing or clamming. All other regulations, such as bag limits, still apply. Visit www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2024/05_May/052324.asp for more information.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Excessive winds are keeping the Eureka fleet from putting quality time on the water. According to Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, Friday and Tuesday were the only fishable days in the past week. “The halibut fishing remains slow, but we haven’t had much time to look around yet,” said Klassen. “And when we’ve gone out, conditions have been tough. We’ve had some big tides and the water has been dirty. There’s been a little bite right at the tide change, but that was about it. The rockfish bite at the Cape has been good, but we’ve only been down there a couple days. The lingcod bite has been slow, but there’s plenty of blacks, vermilions, and canaries. The wind looks like it let up this weekend, right now Sunday and Monday are looking fishable.”

Trinidad
“The rockfish bite has been a little on the slow side so far,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “We’ve been able to get limits, but you have to keep at and really know the spots well. We’re working spots from Trinidad Head to Patrick’s Point. The Pacific halibut bite hasn’t taken off yet, I’ve only heard of one caught so far. The crabbing has been excellent. There’s lots of them, but they aren’t in the greatest shape right now.”

Shelter Cove
“Rock fishing has been good and the lingcod bite really picked up over the weekend,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Dirty water moved back in Tuesday and the bite slowed. Most of our effort has been at the Old Man.”

Crescent City
The wind continues to blow, keeping most of the boats off the water reports Britt Carson, of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “There were a couple days with decent conditions, but the rockfish and lingcod bite slowed just a little. There have been a few more California halibut caught off the rocks this week. There’s also been a few stripers caught at the very end of Enderts Beach. The Pacific halibut bite is still slow, mostly due to lack of effort. I’ve heard of just the one caught since the opener.”

Brookings
​“Salmon fishing continues to be slow out of Brookings, mainly because of cold water temperatures of 45 to 46 degrees,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Even with calm conditions over the weekend, very few salmon were brought in. Halibut fishing has improved, while lingcod and rockfish action is good. Windy weather returns Tuesday afternoon.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, a few springers are still entering the Rogue, but most anglers are waiting for fish to begin holding up in the bay. “Wild fish may be kept beginning June 1.”

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

Kenny Priest (he/him) operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

For anglers across the North Coast, Memorial Day weekend provides an excellent opportunity to try your luck at a variety of fishing locations. With plenty of options on the table, the biggest decision might not be if you want to go, but where. Here are a few of the options that will hopefully make your decision a little easier this holiday weekend:

• Jetties for rockfish and lingcod —When the windisn’t howling, the jetties have been providing excellent rockfish and lingcod action. Small swimbaits or scampi jigs are catching fish as well as herring fished under a float.

• California halibut —If bank angling is your only option, check out Fairhaven Beach on the bay side of the Samoa Peninsula. Fishing is best a couple hours before and after high tide. Swimbaits attached to a ¾-ounce jig head is a good bait choice. If you have a boat, fish have been caught in the middle channel the last few days, with swimbaits working best.

• Freshwater Lagoon trout —Planted regularly with catchable-sized trout, there should be ample opportunities for shore-based anglers as well as boat fishermen. An easy rig to fish is a Berkley PowerBait with an egg sinker.

• Ruth Lake trout and bass —Nice weather and a family-friendly atmosphere make this a great spot for the weekend. Reportedly, the trout and bass bite are heating up.

• Elk River redtail perch —If it’s perch you’re after and the ocean is too rough, Elk River Beach is a great spot to target redtails. Two hours prior to high tide and an hour after typically are the optimal times. Shrimp, clams, swimbaits and sand crabs all work.

• Trinidad Harbor rockfish —A great option for rockfish and crab, especially if the ocean is rough. Launching a small boat from the beach is fairly easy. You’ll want to get an early start before the afternoon wind kicks in.

• Dungeness Crab —Anglers dropping pots outside of the bay entrance are still catching a few Dungeness crab when the weather cooperates, though there hasn’t been a ton of effort. If it’s too rough, there’s some good locations inside Humboldt Bay. Out in front of the PG&E plant is a good spot as well as the flat off the South Jetty parking lot. Another top location is either side of the channel leading into the South Bay.

• North Coast rivers —Many of the local rivers will re-open to fishing beginning Saturday, May 25. Rivers that will open include sections of the main Eel (South Fork to Cape Horn Dam), South Fork Eel (South Fork Eel River from mouth to Rattlesnake Creek) Van Duzen, Mad, Little River, Mattole and Smith. Be sure to check the regulations prior to fishing.
• Fisheries currently closed: Red Abalone, Mussels, Razor Clams (both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties), Ocean and River Chinook fishing.

Weekend marine forecast
After a couple weeks of gale-force winds, we’ll finally get a break Friday. Winds will pick back up slightly over the weekend before they come back down Monday. Friday, winds will be out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is looking a little windier, with north winds 10 to 15 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at seven seconds. Sunday, the wind will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at eight seconds. Monday is looking better, with north winds 5 to 10 knots forecast along with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 3 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Weekend tides
The latest round of minus tides will begin Friday, but low tides will occur in the mornings over the holiday weekend when boats could be leaving the bay. Coupled with decent-sized swells, this could create a dangerous Humboldt Bay bar crossing. Saturday May 25: Low: 8:12 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Sunday May 26: Low: 8:56 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Monday May 27: Low: 9:42 a.m. (-1.29 feet)

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming June 1
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

The Oceans:
Eureka
It’s been nearly two weeks since boats have crossed the bar out of Eureka for Pacific halibut and rockfish. The weather for Friday looks doable, and I expect quite a few boats will give it a go. Saturday and Sunday don’t look as good, but Monday is looking good as of Thursday.

Trinidad
Ocean conditions are looking good for Friday and Monday out of Trinidad. It looks like small boats and kayakers will have a window of opportunity to launch off the beach to target rockfish and crab. The boat launch will be open Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesdays. The launch fee this season is $45. For updates and current information, you can call the bait shop at 677-3625.

Shelter Cove
“We haven’t been out since last Saturday as it’s been very windy,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.  “Due to the conditions, we just fished right out front. Fishing was slow but we managed limits of rockfish and two lingcod. The forecast doesn’t look to get better anytime soon but I’m going to try a few times this week.”

Crescent City
Like everywhere else along the North Coast, Crescent City has been dealing with wind for close to two weeks. A few of the bigger boats have got out for quick trips in the morning, but that’s been about it, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Friday’s forecast is looking much better, so I’d expect lots of boats to be out. Some warm water pushed in close to the beach last weekend and brought with it some California halibut. Anglers fishing from the rocks across from the boat ramp with some good timing landed a few. But the bite went south quick as the water cooled.”

Brookings
“Windy weather has kept boats close to the harbor in Brookings, limiting success for salmon, halibut and even rockfish and lingcod,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A brief early morning window has allowed boats to get an hour or two of bottom fishing in before the gale-force winds arrive each day. Calmer weather is expected this weekend. Early in the season, salmon tend to be offshore, in 200 to 300 feet of water, three to five miles offshore.”

River openings
Sections of the main Eel (South Fork to Cape Horn Dam), South Fork Eel (South Fork Eel River from mouth to Rattlesnake Creek) Van Duzen, Mad, Little River, Mattole and Smith will re-open on Saturday, May 25. On most rivers, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Click here for a complete list of CA river openings and regulations. The Chetco opened to trout fishing Wednesday.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, Rogue springer action is hit and miss, with a few salmon now being caught by trollers in the bay. “Wild salmon can be kept beginning June 1.” 

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Ocean conditions, lack of effort, or lack of fish, whatever the reason may be, it’s contributing to a much slower start to the Pacific halibut season than in years past. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a combination of the first two. Since the season opened on May 1, there’s been just a handful of days which boats were able to get far enough offshore to where the halibut frequent. And Eureka isn’t alone, anglers from Shelter Cove up to Crescent City have been stymied by conditions which are leading to the lack of success. But don’t expect this trend to continue. Once we get a steady dose of flat water, you can bet the boats will hone in on the fish and we’ll begin to see some big bites taken out of the 38,220 pound quota. To keep an eye on the in-season Pacific halibut catch rate, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Marine Forecast
Ocean conditions have been horrible all week, and that trend looks to continue through the weekend and into next week. As of Thursday, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 20 to 30 knots with waves north 10 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday, the winds will be out of the north 15 to 25 knots and waves will be out of the north 11 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday, winds will come from the north 15 to 25 knots with waves out of the north 10 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 https://www.weather.gov/eka/ or https://www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Kids free fishing derbies this Saturday
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/
On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming June 1
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

Klamath basin and Central Valley rivers closed for Chinook
In the May 15 California Fish and Game Commission meeting, Commissioners voted unanimously to again enact a full closure of California’s recreational salmon fishing season in the Klamath River Basin and Central Valley rivers through its annual process for adjusting seasons and bag limits. The Commission also voted to close the springer fishery in the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Unlike last year, the Smith River and Eel Rivers will be open to salmon fishing in 2024.

The regulations are expected to take effect no later than July 1, 2024, following approval by the Office of Administrative Law. The low ocean abundance forecasts, coupled with low 2023 returns, led the Commission to recommend closure of California’s in-river recreational salmon fisheries, which include the Klamath and Trinity rivers within the Klamath Basin, the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers in the Central Valley.

The Oceans:
Eureka
Wind and rough ocean conditions continue to be the story out of Eureka as boats haven’t been on the water since last weekend. “Halibut fishing was slow for everyone last Friday and Saturday,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There were a few caught, but there was also a lot of skunks. With very few days on the water so far, no one has really looked around yet. It’s possible the fish may be further offshore. We just need some good weather to figure out where they are. As of now, it looks conditions will improve late next week.”

Trinidad
Ocean conditions have kept small boats and kayaks from launching this week. And it looks like more of the same through the weekend. The boat launch will be open Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesdays. The launch fee this season is $45. For updates and current information, you can call the bait shop at 677-3625.

Shelter Cove
The last few days was some of the slowest rock fishing that I’ve ever seen at the Cove,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We managed limits for two of the days, but it took us all day.  And we only got one or two lingcod each day as well. We fished everywhere from Bear Harbor to Rodgers Break and it was more less the same every location we tried.”

Crescent City
Wind and rough seas have kept boats off the water this week, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Over the weekend, the rockfish bite was really good, with most of the boats heading south towards the Sisters. I’ve heard of one Pacific halibut caught so far, coming in last Friday and weighing 38.5 lbs. The lingcod bite has been really good off the jetties and rocks and the redtail perch bite at Kellogg Beach has been excellent.”

Brookings
Windy weather is expected to put a damper on this week’s ocean salmon opener out of Brookings,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “With schools of anchovies at the mouth of the Chetco, large numbers of pelicans and other birds, and reports of bottom fish anglers encountering salmon, the opener was expected to be good, but rough seas will prevent boats from getting to the best areas. Typically, salmon fishing is best 3 to 5 miles offshore in May and early June. Salmon season runs through August out of Brookings. Lingcod and rockfish action has been hot, but halibut season has been off to a slow start. Fishing has been good further up the coast in deeper water. Rough weather is expected through the weekend and will likely limit halibut trips until next week. Surfperch action continues to be good.”

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, spring salmon fishing has slowed, but Monday produced the best catches in nearly two weeks, with fresh schools of springers caught at the head of the bay. “Wild springers can be kept beginning June 1.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Break in the Weather Coming Friday

After a couple decent days of fishing following the May 1 Pacific halibut opener, the Eureka fleet has been tied up since. But better conditions are on the horizon. Friday and Saturday are shaping up nicely, which could allow boats to explore some different spots. Conditions should be good enough to permit boats to hit Cape Mendocino for rockfish as well.

The windy weather is pretty typical for this time of the year on the coast. “We usually lose about half of May and June due to the wind, so this isn’t surprising,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “It looks like now we’ll get a couple days in, so hopefully we can look around a little to find some larger schools of halibut. The fishing hasn’t been red-hot, but we have a very small sample size with only a couple days on the water.”

Weekend marine forecast
Ocean conditions will finally improve Friday, giving boats a couple days on the water before the winds return Sunday. Friday, north winds will be 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest winds 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at eight seconds. Winds will begin to increase Sunday, coming out of the north 5 to 15 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at seven seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit https://www.weather.gov/eka/ or https://www.windy.com/. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Fish and Game Commission meeting coming May 15
The California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be live streamed on Wednesday, May 15 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Visit https://fgc.ca.gov/ the day of the meeting to watch or listen. To provide public comment during the meeting, please join via Zoom, by telephone, or at an in-person location. For complete instructions on how to join via Zoom or telephone, click here. Locally, you can participate at the Trinidad Rancheria, Tribal Council Chambers 1, Cher-Ae Lane in Trinidad.

On the agenda, the commission will consider emergency closures of sport fishing in Klamath River Basin for spring Chinook salmon. Closures for fall Chinook fisheries in the Klamath River basin and the Central Valley will also be discussed.

A complete agenda and comment submission, and viewing information, can be found here.

Kids free fishing derbies
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/

On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

Crescent City
There hasn’t been much effort this past week due to windy conditions, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “When the boats were able to get out, the rock fishing was excellent. The Sisters and the lighthouse, within the 20-fathom line, were both top spots. There hasn’t been any halibut caught as of yet, but that should change when the conditions get better.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, it’s been a windy week at the Cove. He said, “We were able to make it up to Rogers Break Sunday, and the rock fishing was great. We were also able to scratch up a couple halibut as well. Looks like the ocean will improve the next few days.”

Lower Rogue
“Spring salmon fishing has slowed on the Rogue, but nice kings are being caught,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Hatchery fish continue to move in. Last weekend’s rain could result in good fishing later this week.” 

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the Pacific halibut fishing is slow out of Brookings, in part because of windy weather offshore. “Lingcod and rockfish action continues to be good, along with beach fishing for surfperch. Nice weather is expected this weekend. Salmon are being caught and released during bottom fish trips, and pelicans have arrived in large numbers to feed on anchovies, good signs for the May 16 ocean king opener in Southern Oregon.”

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

The much-anticipated rockfish and Pacific halibut opener was slated for Wednesday, but Mother Nature wasn’t having it. Ocean conditions out of Eureka weren’t very good, with strong winds keeping the Eureka fleet tied to the dock. That’s the bad news. The good news is the seas calmed and boats headed out through Humboldt Bay Thursday in search of the season’s first haul of Pacific halibut. And once the boats made it to the halibut grounds, it didn’t take long to find the season’s first biters. A few charter and private boats took advantage of decent weather, with some boats putting in limits of halibut to 50 pounds. Most of the action was straight out in 300 feet of water. Ocean conditions look fishable at least through the Monday, and we now know the fish are there.

The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The fishery will be open seven days a week, and the limit remains at one with no size restrictions.

Up in Crescent City, where ocean conditions were a little better and no bar crossing to contend with, boats hit all the usual spots and found plenty of hungry rockfish and ling cod. Most boats were able to put aboard limits pretty quickly. There weren’t any reports of Pacific halibut taken Wednesday or Thursday.

Down in Shelter Cove, boats were battling rough conditions, but managed to catch some rockfish. According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the first couple days was a little slow, mostly due to conditions. “The lingcod bite was a little slow too, we managed about a fish per rod fishing right out front,” said Mitchell. “The weather hasn’t cooperated enough to let us get to the halibut grounds yet.”

Weekend marine forecast
Other than a decent amount of rain forecasted for Saturday, ocean conditions look good through Monday. Saturday, winds will be out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with west waves 5 feet at seven seconds. Sunday, winds will be 5 to 10 knots out of the southwest with west waves 6 feet at nine seconds and northwest 3 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/ or https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

The beach/jetties
The wind has made the beaches tough for anglers looking for redtail perch. When the ocean is rough, the mouth of the Elk River (stinky beach) or King Salmon are two of the better options to get out of the wind. Both can produce quality perch action. Conditions look better the next few days. Centerville, Table Bluff, Samoa, and any of the lagoon beaches can provide excellent fishing. Both jetties, weather permitting, have been giving up some nice black rockfish and some nice lingcod. The south jetty hasn’t been as good, but that will likely change as water and weather conditions improve. Small swimbaits or scampi jigs are catching fish as well as herring fished under a float.

Humboldt County razor clam closure
On May 2, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife closed the recreational razor clam fishery in Humboldt County following a recommendation from state health agencies. It was determined in late April that consumption of razor clams in the area poses a significant threat for domoic acid exposure. The recreational razor clam fishery in Del Norte County remains closed due to elevated levels of domoic acid. The closure, which began in November 2023, will remain in effect until state health agencies determine razor clams no longer pose a health risk. More information can be found here.

Annual quarantine of sport-harvested mussels Begins May 1​
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a press release on April 30 announcing the annual quarantine of sport-harvested mussels gathered along the California coast. The quarantine began May 1 and applies to all species of mussels that are recreationally harvested for human consumption along the California coast, including all bays and estuaries. During the quarantine, mussels may only be harvested for non-consumptive uses, such as for bait.

The quarantine is in place to protect the public against poisoning that can lead to serious illness, including coma and death. According to the press release, the quarantine does not apply to commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops, or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins. More information can be found here.

Upcoming kids fishing derbies
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/

On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

RMI Outdoors fishing contest
RMI Outdoors of Eureka is holding their annual Screamin’ Reels fishing contest starting April 1 and running through Sept. 2. To enter, take a picture with your fish and like the RMI Facebook page at facebook.com/RMIOutdoors. Message RMI or email your picture to megan@rmioutdoorseureka.com. There are two categories, youth and adult youth. The youth with the most likes wins a fishing package and $50 RMI gift card and the adult youth with the most likes wins a $50 RMI gift card and a fishing rod. Visit rmioutdoorseureka.com/screamin-reels for more information.

Lower Rogue
Spring salmon action has been hit-and-miss on the Rogue, but some boats are getting a fish or two a day reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “The best action has been at the head of the bay, where boats are anchoring on the outgoing tide,” said Martin. “The first springers of the year have been caught on the upper Rogue near Shady Cove.”

Brookings ocean update
According to Martin, the lingcod and rockfish bite continues to be good out of Brookings during calm weather days. “This weekend looks decent. Halibut season opened Wednesday, but boats stayed close to shore because of windy weather. A few boats were expected to venture out for halibut on Thursday. Surfperch action has been very good at Chetco Point, Lone Ranch and the mouth of the Winchuck.”

Kenny Priest (he/him) operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.

Following a chaotic offseason that included way too many meetings, it’s finally time to go fishing. Though our ocean sport and commercial salmon seasons are both closed this year, we did manage to come away with a pretty good rockfish season and a Pacific halibut season similar to last year. And both will open next Wednesday, May 1.

Pacific halibut
The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The 2024 Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 38,220 pounds — with 500 pounds set aside for the area south of Point Arena. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will monitor catches of Pacific halibut during the season and provide catch projection updates on its Pacific halibut webpage.

The fishery will be open seven days a week, and the limit remains at one with no size restrictions. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks attached may be used. A harpoon, gaff or net may be used to assist in taking a Pacific halibut that has been legally caught by angling. Pacific halibut regulations can be found here.

Rockfish
The inshore boat-based rockfish season in the Northern Management Area, which runs from the California-Oregon border to the 40°10′ North latitude (near Cape Mendocino), will run through Sept. 30, inshore only. Take is prohibited seaward of the 20 fathom (120 feet) boundary line.

From Oct. 1 to 31 and Dec. 1 to 31, the season will be open for offshore only fishery where take is prohibited shoreward of 50 fathoms (300) feet. From Nov. 1 through Nov. 30, rockfish will be open again to an inshore fishery only. In the Mendocino Management Area, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, all the seasons are the same as the Northern Management Area. The only change is the daily bag limit is two vermilion rockfish per person.

Regulation changes for 2024
Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include a new statewide ban on possession of quillback rockfish. Also new in 2024 is the mandatory possession of descending devices . No person shall take or possess any federal groundfish from any boat or other floating device in ocean waters without having a descending device in possession and available for immediate use to assist in releasing rockfish to the depth of capture.

Daily bag limit
In the Northern Management Area, the RCG complex includes all species of rockfishes, Cabezon and Greenlings. You are allowed 10 fish in combination per person EXCEPT:

• A sub-bag limit for copper rockfish of one fish
• A sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish of four fish

Minimum size for Cabezon is 15 inches total length and for Kelp and/or rock greenlings it’s 12 inches.

The daily bag limit of lingcod remains at two per person and they must be 22 inches in length. The take and possession of cowcod, bronzespotted rockfish and yelloweye rockfish is prohibited statewide. Petrale sole and starry flounder can be retained year-round at all depths with no size limit.

Important reminder:
In waters where groundfish species or species groups are closed to take or possession but authorized for take or possession in other areas, those species or species groups may be possessed aboard a vessel that is anchored, drifting, or transiting in or through that closed area. While anchored, drifting, or transiting through an area closed to take or possession of these groundfish species or species groups, no gear may be deployed other than for the take of crustaceans with hoop nets, Dungeness crab traps, and dip nets.

For more information about recreational groundfish regulations within the Northern Management Area, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/GroundfishSummary#north

Humboldt Bay tide
Wednesday May 1: High: 5:44 a.m. (6.3 feet), Low: 12:55 a.m. (-0.3 feet) and High 8:20 p.m. (5.3 feet)

Weekend marine forecast
As of Thursday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 6 feet at nine seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the west 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 5 feet at nine seconds and west 3 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday, winds will be 5 to 10 knots out of the northwest with northwest waves 6 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/ or https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Upcoming kids fishing derbies
On Saturday, May 18, 2024 all kids 15 years old and younger are invited to the Ruth Lake Marina for the Kids Free Fishing Derby. The event will be from 8 a.m. until noon. Kids must bring their own fishing poles and must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a hot dog feed at noon. For more information, call the Ruth Lake Community Services District at 707-574-6332 or visit https://www.ruthlakecsd.org/local-events/

On Saturday, May 18, 2023, all kids age 4 to 15 are invited to the Carrville Dredger Pond for the 50th annual Trinity Lake Lions Fish Derby. The pond is located five miles north of the Trinity Center. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The fishing derby will last until 11 a.m. Free fishing tackle will be provided to the first 100 kids registered. Kids must bring their own fishing poles, and only bait will be allowed. Prizes will be awarded in many categories, along with a grand prize.  Free hot dogs, chips and drinks for everyone. For more information, call Scott at 408-401-8333.

The Rivers
Main Stem Eel
The main stem is still high, but the color is a glacial green. As of Thursday, flows were 6,900 cfs at Scotia and predicted to drop more quickly into next week. It should be down to a fishable height, under 5,000 cfs, by mid next week. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used through Sept. 30.

Smith
The Smith River from its mouth to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks; Middle Fork Smith River from mouth to Patrick Creek; South Fork Smith River from the mouth upstream approximately 1,000 feet to the County Road (George Tryon) bridge and Craigs Creek to Jones Creek, will close after Tuesday, April 30.

Lower Rogue
“Springer fishing has been hit-and-miss on the lower Rogue, as wild and hatchery kings continue to enter the river, but catch rates have dropped from the steady action in early April,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Conditions remain good, and a shot of rain this week could give action a boost.”

Brookings ocean update
Lingcod and rockfish action continues to be very good out of Brookings on calm weather days reports Martin. “Nice ocean conditions are expected this weekend. Pacific halibut opens May 1. Charters have been encountering salmon during bottom fish trips, and commercial boats working the opener out of Coos Bay and Winchester Bay reported big numbers of kings with a 16-pound averaged for gilled-and-gutted fish. Salmon season opens May 16 out of Brookings.”

Kenny Priest (he/him) operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.