Recent Columns

If the last couple days are any indication, we may yet have a salmon season out of Eureka. Since the opener on June 1, the fishing – and subsequently the effort – have both been underwhelming. That could all be changing now. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing put in a solid effort on Tuesday down near the Eel Canyon and found a decent school of keeper kings. He put nine salmon in the box for his five customers and could have limited but decided to head in early with a sick passenger. The word spread throughout the fleet, and the boats headed back to that same general area on Wednesday. The fish were still there, and they were in a biting mood. It wasn’t hot and heavy like we’ve seen in year’s past, but it was the best we’ve seen this year. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing scored first, putting five limits on board. They were nice fish too, all between 10 and 15-pounds. “Once we got on the fish, we were done in under two hours,” said Sepulveda. The other charters were on the bite as well, with most limiting out or just a fish or two short. This is by far the best salmon fishing we’ve seen this year, but the million-dollar question remains – will they be there tomorrow?

Weekend Marine Forecast

The ocean looks like it might be a little bumpy the next couple days but should be plenty fishable. Friday’s forecast is calling for 5 to 15 knot winds out of the NW and NW waves 5 feet at 7 seconds. Saturday is calling for NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 5 feet at 6 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is a little better, with winds out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 3 feet at 5 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. 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 Wednesday August 1 and will remain open through August 15. The season will open up again on Sept. 1 and run through Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. Through July 15, the CDFW has projected 13,836 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 30,940 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

Sport Crab season coming to a close

The 2018 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will close on Monday July 30. The season will re-open on Nov. 3.

The Oceans:

Eureka

It looks like we may finally have a salmon season out of Eureka. After hearing what Klassen did on Tuesday, the sport fleet beelined for the same area and got into a pretty good bite. Just about everyone caught fish, and quite a few limits were reported. Boats were working near the 43-line in 250 feet of water. Aside from the bite to the south, there’s been a little action right out front just south of the whistle buoy in roughly 80-feet of water. It hasn’t been red-hot, but quite a few have been caught in that area. According to reports, one boat landed six late yesterday. The signs are there, lots of bait and birds. When the weather allows, boats fishing the Cape are reporting some wide-open rock fishing. Not much has changed down there, lots of big vermilion, canaries and quillbacks. Some big lings are coming over the rail too, Sepulveda boated a 38-pounder recently.  The California halibut fishing is as good as it can possibly be according to Sepulveda. “There’s tons of fish around, and there’s lot of bait too. We had 21 keepers in just a few hours on Tuesday. The fish have been here, but the tides have been really good this week,” said Sepulveda.

Trinidad

The Trinidad salmon bite was a little sporadic this week reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “There is just enough salmon biting to keep you interested. Most of the action was right on the beach in both directions. A few were caught south of the Mad River on Monday as well. Sunday was our best day when we put four keepers aboard. The ocean was nice on Monday and Tuesday, and the rockfish bit really well. We had some nice canaries, vermilion, and some good-sized lings as well,” Wilson said.

Shelter Cove

Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing has been running south 25 miles down the coast to highway 1 where the salmon fishing is red hot. “The fishing has been great, and we’ve had quick limits the last three times down with a 15-pound average. I stayed close to home last Wednesday cause of weather and mooched up limits of rockfish and four nice salmon to 25-pounds. A few salmon are being caught out front and although it’s not wide open, the ones being caught are very nice. I saw the first 30-pounder on Tuesday. A few boats ran for tuna on Monday towards Gorda Valley and high boat had 20 fish,” added Mitchell.

Crescent City

Boats have been catching a few salmon this week reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “I heard of some limits and there’s been lots of ones and twos. The best bite has been south between Round Rock and the Sisters in 60 to 100 feet. The fish have been a pretty good grade too, over 10-pounds. We’ve also had a pretty good California halibut bite along South Beach. The rockfish have been biting as well, and we’ve seen some real big lings being caught,” Hegnes said.

Brookings

“The Brookings ocean salmon bite really took off on Wednesday according to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Lots of boats had limits or close to it. The best bite was in 90 feet of water 30 feet down,” added Martin.

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

On Tuesday, the estuary bite went wide-open for boats trolling anchovies. Lots of salmon were caught, and quite a few boats put on limits. The moss has cleaned up some, and now the best bite has been an hour before high tide and on through the outgoing. On Wednesday, the bite slowed considerably and there were lots of zeros posted. Spring-run regulations are in effect through August 14, with a daily bag and possession limit of two salmon of any size.

Lower Rogue

Last week was the best week so far this season for the Rogue Bay according to Martin. “This week’s catch rates are slightly less, mainly because boat traffic has increased to 50 to 75 boats a day. Many guides are getting a fish per rod with big groups, or limiting out with two customers. Anchovies and size 3.5 gold Hildebrandt blades are working best.” According to Martin, fish are averaging between 20 and 22 pounds and a few over 30 were caught on Tuesday.

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 warm tuna water came within reach of the two ports to our south – Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg – and anglers jumped at the chance to put the season’s first albies on board. Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing out of Shelter Cove targeted tuna on Sunday and Monday and did well both days. “We ran towards Vizcaino Canyon and Vizcaino Knoll and found the break at 24 miles on Sunday,” said Mitchell. “It was a pretty slow pick most of the day, but we ended up with 15 nice tuna to 30-pounds. On Monday, the warm water had pushed out some and it took me a while to get it figured out and find where the fish were. Once we did, they started coming over the rail pretty quickly. We ended up with 25 fish that were mostly peanuts and some up to 15-pounds.”

The weather and water was equally as good out of Fort Bragg on Friday and Saturday. Quite a few boats made the 30-plus mile run northwest out of the jaws and it was game on almost immediately. From all of the reports, every boat out landed double digits, with the top boat landing 41. The seas roughed up by Sunday, but that patch of warm water is still sitting in between the Cove and Fort Bragg. The forecast doesn’t look great through the weekend, but the tuna hunters have their sights set on Monday.

Weekend Marine Forecast

The ocean doesn’t look good for the next few days, but conditions will begin to settle late in the weekend. Friday’s forecast is calling for 10 to 20 knot winds out of the N and NW waves 9 feet at 9 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 7 feet at 9 seconds and SW 2 feet at 19 seconds. Sunday’s forecast is a little better, with winds out of the NW 10 to 15 knots and waves NW 6 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/. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at 707-443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 707-443-6484.

The Oceans:

Eureka

Skipper Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing ended the latest Pacific halibut session with a bang, landing 71 and 76-pound flatties fishing shallow water near Cape Mendocino.

But now that halibut is closed until August and the weather is a little too rough for a Cape run, chasing salmon has moved up the ladder as far as options go. Sepulveda spent a couple hours trolling out front in 170 feet of water on Monday, and put four keepers in the box. “I went looking down near the canyon, but I didn’t see any good sign,” said Sepulveda. “We headed back up the hill and dropped the lines in and landed a 17-pounder right away. We picked up three more keepers before heading into the bay to try for halibut. We haven’t spent much time fishing for salmon, it doesn’t seem like there’s any big schools out there. June typically sets the tone for our season, and they just weren’t here in big numbers,” Sepulveda added. The California halibut bite has been good, but not red hot. “We had some really big tide swings, which makes fishing tough,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “They’re much better beginning Thursday, with small tidal exchanges. There hasn’t been fish everywhere, but lots of small schools. And there’s lots of undersized halibut around too. There’s a fair amount of bait in the bay, so it should be good fishing this weekend,” Klassen added. The daily bag limit is three, and the minimum length is 22 inches.

Trinidad

According to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters, there’s been a steady pick of salmon since last week. He said, “The best bite has been in 60 to 100 feet of water in both directions. There’s been quite a bit of squid around, and small schools of salmon. If you find one, you can do pretty well. The weather has been real windy and a little rough on the outside, so we’re having a hard time putting in full rockfish trips. If you put your time in, there’s limits to be had. There’s lots of blues and blacks around, and we’re catching a few lings as well. The crabbing is still going strong, we’ve been sending the customers home with limits of nice big males,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove

Along with a really good tuna bite, the rockfish action is staying hot as well. Mitchell spent most of last week fishing at Rogers Break, scoring limits each day. There hasn’t been much in the way of keeper kings, so he ran down the coast towards Westport on Tuesday and boated eight quality kings up to 22-pounds.

Crescent City

A few salmon have been caught this past week reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “I’ve heard of some being caught out near the South Reef and also north a mile off of Castle Rock. There’s been lots of little keepers, and I also heard a 20-pounder was caught this week. The bottom fishing has been good when the boats have been out. Most of the guys are getting full limits, including lings,” Carter added.

Brookings

Windy weather has again stalled salmon fishing in the ocean out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “A few fish a day are being caught near the buoys, but most of the fish appear to be offshore, where conditions have not been favorable. A few California halibut were caught last week by anglers trolling close to shore.”

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

The salmon action in the estuary is still going strong, with quite a few fresh salmon being caught daily. There’s been a decent bite first thing in the morning, then it becomes a tidal bite. With all the moss in the river, the incoming tide has been the best. Typically the outgoing tide fishes better, but this year with all the moss in the river, the fish seem to be coming in better on the high tide. During the incoming high, there’s a lot less moss, which gives us about a two-hour window of moss-free fishing. Trolling anchovies behind a Rogue River spinner bait is catching the majority of the fish, but a few are being caught on Kastmasters and spinners.

Lower Rogue

According to Martin, the Rogue Bay has been fair to good. “This week’s tides are tough, as it is an outgoing tide in the morning. There has been a good bite at the beginning of the outflow near Indian Creek, and the bite along the jetties has been best at the beginning of the incoming tide, and then by Jot’s midway through the tide,” added Martin.

 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 Pacific halibut bite all along the North Coast has been nothing short of spectacular this week. Since last Thursday when the ocean finally calmed, limits have been the rule. “It’s as good as I’ve seen it,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There’s been quite a few caught at the Cape in shallow water while rock fishing, and the Eel River Canyon area has been good too. They seem to be all up and down the line clear to Trinidad in 250 to 300 feet of water.” Not to short-change the halibut fishery, but there’s a reason it’s grabbing all the headlines – the salmon continue to be MIA from Eureka to Crescent City. With the calendar saying it’s mid-July, it’s no wonder we’re all starting to get a little nervous. Sport and commercial boats have covered a lot of water, and the salmon just don’t seem to be here in big numbers – yet. There were good reports out of Fort Bragg over the weekend, and Shelter Cove is seeing some keeper kings as well. Next week will be the true test. Pacific halibut season will close after Sunday, which should put the focus squarely on the salmon. I know my fingers are crossed.

Marine Forecast

Out 10 nautical miles from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino, conditions for the weekend are looking plenty fishable. Friday’s forecast is calling for SW winds up to 5 knots and swells 7 feet at 11 seconds. On Saturday, winds will be out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 2 feet at 5 seconds and NW 6 feet at 11 seconds. On Sunday, winds will be out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 6 seconds and NW 2 feet at 15 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. 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 Sunday

The Pacific halibut season will close after Sunday, July 15 and open back up on August 1 and run through the 15th. The remainder of the seasons open dates are: Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. As of July 8, the CDFW has projected 11,178 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 30,940 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

Sport Crab season coming to a close

The 2018 sport Dungeness crab season in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte counties will close on Monday July 30. The season will re-open on Nov. 3.

The Oceans:

Eureka

Skipper Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing has been running combo trips since last week, but they aren’t your typical combos. Most of the combos usually include salmon, but not this week. With the salmon yet to show, Sepulveda has been at the Cape targeting both rockfish and Pacific halibut. “I decided to make an effort to try and target Pacific’s in a little different habitat, but in same general area and water depth. The results have been pretty impressive, we’ve landed fish every day, and even put limits for six in the box on Sunday. The fish have been a good grade as well, we had a 58, 64, and a 70-pounder this week. The rockfish bite has been amazing too, with lots of great variety – coppers, vermilions, quillbacks, and canaries – coming aboard. We’re also seeing some big lings, we had a few over 30-pounds this week,” said Sepulveda.

Trinidad

According to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters, the halibut bite was wide-open this past week, with lots of limits reported. “There’s a lot of fish around, but there hasn’t been a ton of effort. There’s some salmon around too, but you’ve got to put in lots of time. A few boats were working south and they did really well. If you find some good patches of bait, you’ll likely catch a few. The rockfish are still biting, and we’re seeing more of a variety now. Some vermilion and canaries have shown up, and there’s more lings around too. The crabbing is still going good, we’re getting lots of big keepers daily,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove

The salmon bite remains fairly consistent, but you really have to wade through a lot of silvers and shakers to get some keepers reports Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We’ve been fishing from the Canyon down to The Hat and it’s been pretty much the same story everywhere. The rockfish bite has been a bit slow as of late, with the ling cod being pretty hard to come by. There is some warm tuna water within reach, a friend of mine ran offshore 50 miles last Thursday and boated 13,” said Mitchell.

Crescent City

There’s been a few halibut caught this past week reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “One of the charters did really well on the backside of the South Reef in 200 feet of water. It seems when the boats can get out, they’re definitely catching a few. There are some salmon being caught, I heard of a few around the South Reef in 90 feet of water. Not a lot of effort on the salmon however. The rockfish bite has been really good, there’s lots of lings around,” Carter added.

Brookings

Salmon fishing remains slow to fair out of Brookings according to Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “For every good day, when some boats get two or three kings, the next few days are slow.” 

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

With the river still loaded with moss, most of the salmon action continues to be in the estuary where trollers are catching a few salmon each day. The bite has been best on the incoming tide, but it’s been really inconsistent fishing. If you’re there when they come in, you’ll have a real good chance at catching a few.

Lower Rogue

According to Martin, the Rogue Bay busted open this week. “The incoming tide has been fishing well in the morning, then the afternoon runoff has been good. There are a lot of fish along the jetties, and they are suspended, with 2 1/2 ounces fished 35 to 40 feet out working well,” added Martin.

Junction City weir in place

The Junction City weir was installed on June 11 according to Mary Claire Kier, an Environmental Scientist with the CDFW Trinity River Project. “We’ve got a new JC weir configuration this year based on what we tried at Willow Creek last year,” said Kier. “It’s an upriver extension from the weir line to the trap. It seems to entice more fish into the trap. The weir is open for easy passage of fish every weekday afternoon and it is open from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening as well,” added Kier.

Through 18 trap days this year, 765 adult salmon have been trapped along with 19 jacks. A total of 150 adults and 58 jacks were trapped in 2017, so we’re off to a really good start.

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 north winds – typical for this time of the year – are in full effect here on the North Coast. Since late last week, the wind machine has been on high, and shows no signs of slowing down – at least through the Monday. There’s been very little offshore activity, though a few boats snuck out on Monday in search of salmon but struck out. The end of June should be prime time for salmon, but it’s been anything but. “I was out on Sunday for a little while, and there just isn’t the signs that we had earlier in the season,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We didn’t see much bait around and very few birds. And we haven’t seen any whales like we did earlier. We’re hoping these strong north winds will kickstart the food chain and bring in some big schools of salmon.”

But just as one fishery is in limbo, another has taken off. As luck would have it, just as the ocean was getting too rough, the California halibut started moving into Humboldt Bay in pretty big numbers. Sport boats, charters, and even the kayakers have all gotten in on the action. Pacific halibut, which has been closed since June 15, is slated to open back up on Sunday. So, when and if the wind dies down, we’ll have a few more options on the table.

Weekend Marine Forecast

The wind is forecasted to blow at least through Monday, so it looks like the ocean will remain unfishable until sometime next week. As of Wednesday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for N winds 15 to 20 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 7 seconds and W 3 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for N winds 15 to 25 knots and swells NW 10 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday’s prediction is similar, with NW winds 15 to 25 knots and waves NW 10 feet at 9 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For 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

Halibut season re-opens July 1

The Pacific halibut season will re-open on Sunday, July 1 and will remain open through July 15. The remainder of the seasons open dates are: Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. Through June 15, the CDFW has projected 6,592 net pounds have been harvested towards a quota of 30,940 pounds. For up-to-date harvest tracking information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

Oregon rockfish daily bag limit reduced to 4 beginning July 1

The daily bag limit for general marine fish (rockfish, greenlings, skates, etc.) will be reduced from 5 to 4 beginning July 1 according to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. “Participation in this fishery has been really good so far this year with effort higher than even record years seen in two of the past three years,” said Lynn Mattes, Project Leader, ODFW. “Reducing the bag limit to 4 fish on July 1 is necessary to keep black rockfish, other nearshore rockfish and yelloweye rockfish catches within annual limits.”  Cabezon retention also opens on July 1 with a 1-fish sub-bag limit (meaning that of the 4-fish marine bag, no more than 1 can be a cabezon). Bag limits for lingcod, flatfish and the longleader fishery remain the same. Last year, recreational bottomfish closed on Sept. 18 after the annual quotas for several species were met early, the first in-season closure since 2004. To read the entire press release, visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2018/06_June/062618.asp

July 7 is statewide free fishing day

On Saturday July 7, 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, https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/free-fishing-days

The Oceans:

Eureka

With the ocean too rough, the California halibut fishery inside of Humboldt Bay has taken center stage. “It’s the only game in town right now,” said skipper Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “We’ve gotten limits just about every day, and the fish are a real good size. They’re averaging from eight to 12-pounds. The fishing should only get better as more and more bait is showing up in the bay. The best way to catch them is live bait, but guys fishing dead bait and even jigs are having plenty of success. We’re very fortunate to have a fishery this good that most of us consider a plan B. There’s lots of fish and very little pressure, and it’s great for the folks who battle sea sickness.”

Trinidad

“It’s been pretty desolate out of Trinidad this week, very few boats have been on the water due to the wind,” said Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. “There’s been a few of the bigger boats out trying for salmon, but it’s been tough. Guys who are putting in the effort are maybe getting one per trip. The black rockfish have been biting pretty good, so that’s what we’ve been focusing on. It doesn’t take too long to get limits. The crabbing picked up this week, so we’ve able to send home the customers with some nice crab as well,” Wilson added.

Shelter Cove

Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing spent the early part of the week running rockfish and salmon combos out of the Cove. “The rockfish were biting pretty good outside the whistle, but the ling cod have been harder to come by,” said Mitchell. “There seems to be salmon just about everywhere you go, but they’re mostly shakers and silvers. We’ve only managed a few keeper salmon each day but we did get a few nice ones at the end of the day on Tuesday, so hopefully there’s some more fish moving in. The Hat, Lower Banks, and the Old Man have been the best spots for keeper kings.”

Crescent City

According to Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there’s been very little offshore activity this week due to the wind. “There’s been a couple boats that went out very early and fished out front, but I’m not sure how they did. There’s been no one trying for salmon, the oceans been too rough to get out there. The one good report I heard was the perch fishing was really good at the mouth of the Smith River,” Carter said.

Brookings

Windy weather has made fishing tough the past week out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A few salmon a day are being caught close to port, but not many people are fishing until the wind subsided. Lingcod and rockfish action is good when boaters can get out,” Added Martin.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

With heavy moss still coming downriver, the action has moved to the estuary where boats trolling for fresh kings are doing well. Spinners or anchovies trolled on the incoming tide have been the go to baits. As a reminder, no fishing is allowed from June 15 through September 14 in the Klamath River from 500 feet above the mouth of Blue Creek to 500 feet downstream of the mouth of Blue Creek.

Lower Rogue

According to Martin, salmon fishing was on the slow side the past week on the Rogue Bay, with the best bite late Tuesday morning right in front of the Jot’s dock. “Around a dozen fish were caught. The water temperature is 72 degrees, which should keep any later springers from leaving the bay,” said Martin.

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

It’s been awhile since the North Coast has played second fiddle to other parts of the state when it comes to sport salmon fishing, but that’s the reality right now. Unlike the ports to our south, who are enjoying some of the best salmon fishing that anyone can remember, the large concentrations of keeper-size salmon have yet to move into the Eureka/Trinidad area. That’s not to say if you went trolling tomorrow you’d be bored, you’d just likely come home with lots of empty bait trays and maybe a keeper or two. The amount of undersized kings and silvers around right now is exciting for the future – and also a little bit of a nuisance. “There’s lots of areas of shakers, especially offshore,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The areas that have some of the bigger fish are really small and scattered, if you find one you’ve got to grind away at it. As of Tuesday, there was a better chance for an occasional bigger fish to the south, but there were lots of little ones. To the north, there’s more keepers but they’re really spread out. There just isn’t any large concentrations of bigger fish right now.” With plenty of good sized kings coming over the rails in the southern ports, it should be just a matter of time before we see a convergence of kings right off our front porch.

Weekend marine forecast

The ocean is going to be a little bumpy this weekend, but should be good enough for some of the larger salmon trolling boats. As of Wednesday afternoon, Friday’s forecast is calling for N winds 10 to 20 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 7 seconds and north 2 feet at 11 sconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for N winds 10 to 20 knots and swells NW 9 feet at 9 seconds. Sunday’s prediction is NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 7 feet at 7 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For 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

Humboldt Bay Dredging

The 372-foot dredge STUYVESANT is scheduled to arrive Thursday in Humboldt Bay to begin dredging operations in the bar and entrance channels. You can help by spreading the word to all mariners to give the dredge plenty of room to work as it’s a very large boat and is restricted in maneuverability. Mariners should use extreme caution when transiting in the area near the dredge and be aware of the prop wash.

Fish Lake Kid’s fishing derby this Saturday

The 44th annual Kid’s Fish Lake Fishing Derby is taking place on Saturday, June 23 in Orleans. The derby starts promptly at 8 a.m. and runs until noon. It’s open to kids from Pre-K to the 8th grade. Poles and tackle will not be provided and an adult must accompany all children. Hot dogs and lemonade will be provided; adults are encouraged to bring a side dish or salad to share. The Orleans Rod and Gun Club, Orleans Ranger District, Coast Central Credit Union, CA Deer Assoc., Pacific Outfitters, AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards, and Our River Community host the event. For more information, visit https://www.evensi.us/44th-annual-kid-fish-lake-fishing-derby/260187580

Vessel inspections coming to Woodley Island

The Crescent City USCG Auxiliary has arranged to come to Woodley Island Marina on Saturday July 07 from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. to conduct free recreational and commercial vessel examinations. The H and I Parking Lots will be available for vessels who wish to come in by trailer. In-water inspections will also be available. For more information, contact John Knox at 707-218-0162.

The Oceans:

Eureka

With the salmon bite not quite up to speed as of yet, skipper Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing, along with most of the charters, has opted to run some combo trips. “The rockfish bite at the Cape has been incredible this week. We’ve been catching some real big lings, with quite a few in the 30-pound range. The vermilion continue to chew on anything we throw at them, and they’re big too. We haven’t been focused on the blacks as much, we’re rounding out our limits with plenty of coppers and quillbacks. There are lots of salmon around, but it just hasn’t been consistent. We’ve had good fishing, bad fishing, and everything in between. There’s certainly no shortage of small kings, and there’s some pretty big silvers around too,” Sepulveda added.

Given the number of shakers and silvers in the area, it’s always a good idea to make sure you can identify the difference. For identification info, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=36125&inline

Trinidad

Following a few days of heavy winds, the Trinidad fleet were back on the water on Monday reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters. He said, “The salmon bit pretty well on both Monday and Tuesday. Most boats reported at least half limits, with plenty of opportunities for full limits. On Monday the fish were right at Pilot Rock where the bait was thick. Most of the action on Tuesday was right out front from the whistle buoy to Pilot Rock in 50 to 60 feet of water. The bite was real steady all morning. We’re still catching some rockfish, especially lot of blacks. The crabbing is a little slow, but we’re getting some real nice-sized males.”

Shelter Cove

The wind and the big minus tides forced us to cancel our trips last week, but conditions are looking good this week reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “On Sunday, we headed right back to where I saw all the bait last week outside The Hat in 50 fathoms. The bait wasn’t as thick, but the fish were there and bit pretty well. We put our 16th fish in the box for limits for clients and crew just before 1 p.m. The fish averaged right around 8-pounds. On Monday, the fish seemed to be a lot more spread out and we covered a lot of territory to put just nine fish on the boat. The grade was a bit better, with a couple fish over 15 pounds.”

Crescent City

The weather has finally calmed down and a few more salmon have started to hit the deck reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “They showed up pretty good on Wednesday, Pacific West Coast Ocean Fishing Guide Service boated eight. The hot spot was out in the halibut grounds in 180 to 200 feet of water where there’s a pretty good temperature break. Lots of silvers have showed up as well. There’s quite a bit of bait in close, and I think there’s fish there too. More people are starting to show up, so we should start to get some better salmon reports.” Carson said.

Brookings

After showing signs it was about to bust wide open, salmon fishing slowed this week reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “Strong winds late last week lowered water temperatures to 47 degrees, and although there is a bunch of bait, the salmon are not biting. A few nice halibut were caught in 200 feet of water last Tuesday. The Rogue Bay also is slow, but with water temperatures warming and bait in the bay, salmon fishing should improve soon.”

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Not much has changed on the Klamath. The hot weather inland continues to push the moss downriver, making it tough for those sitting on the anchor. There seems to be a few fish around but the conditions are hindering the bite. A few boats have started to troll the estuary, but there hasn’t been much action yet. 

Find “Fishing the North Coast” on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

Since the opener, the sport salmon season has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. It started out with a bang, but the fish have been pretty fickle since. With no established pattern or consistent sign, charter and sport boats have been on the hunt almost daily. “Every day has been different,” said Capt. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing. “We haven’t seen any type of pattern as of yet, nothing really to go back to everyday. And we’ve covered a lot of water, from the Cape to Trinidad from 80 to 300 feet. The fishing is good when we find them – we’ve had a few days where we had limits in 45 minutes. But it’s been pretty inconsistent,” added Sepulveda.

The one bit of good news from this week is the fish being caught have been a better grade. After seeing lots of fish in the 20 to 24-inch range, this week’s fish are averaging a solid six to 15 pounds. The wind is forecasted to howl starting today with a gale warning in effect through Saturday night. A few days of wind-driven coastal upwelling could be just what we need to kick our salmon season into high gear.

Weekend marine forecast

The ocean doesn’t look very fishable for the weekend, with high winds and large swells predicted north of Cape Mendocino. Friday’s forecast is calling for N winds 20 to 30 knots and waves NW 9 feet at 10 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for N winds 15 to 25 knots and swells to 11 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday’s prediction is SW winds 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 9 seconds and W 5 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For 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

Potential dangerous bar crossing

With minus tides lasting through next Tuesday, the Humboldt bar could be a little dicey due to the combination of tides and swells converging. 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.

Weekend tides

The tidal exchanges will be big once again this weekend, with some very low tides predicted in the morning making for a potentially dangerous bar crossing.

Fri. June 15 –  High: 12:49 a.m. at 8.0 ft. down to a low of -2.1 ft at 7:50 a.m.

Sat. June 16 –  High: 1:39 a.m. at 7.8 ft. down to a low of -2.0 ft at 8:38 a.m.

Sun. June 17 –  High: 2:32 a.m. at 7.4 ft. down to a low of -1.6 ft at 9:28 a.m.

Halibut season closes after Friday

The first of four sport Pacific halibut seasons off of California will come to a close after Friday, June 15. The season will re-open on July 1 and remain open through July 15. The remainder of the seasons open dates are: Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. CDFW has projected 6,592 net pounds of the 30,940-pound quota of Pacific Halibut has been harvested through June 3. To view the latest catch projection information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

Recreational Ocean Salmon Season Opens from Horse Mountain to Pigeon Point.

The 2018 sport salmon fishing season opens Sunday, June 17 in coastal waters south of Horse Mountain to Pigeon Point. Recreational anglers will be allowed to catch two salmon of any species except Coho per day, with a minimum size limit of 20 inches. For more information, visit the Ocean Salmon webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon or call the CDFW Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429.

The Oceans:

Eureka

The salmon bite was pretty slow the last couple of days reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The fish seem to be real scattered right now. The common theme is here today, gone tomorrow,” said Klassen. “If you’re in the right place at the right time, you can do well. We’ve been looking and covering a lot of water, but there just isn’t any consistency. Hopefully the wind that’s going to blow for the next few days will shuffle things around a bit and bring in some more fish.” With the salmon bite unpredictable at best, Capt. Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing has spent a few of his days jigging up rockfish at Cape Mendocino. “The rockfish bite hasn’t been wide-open down there, but the fish have been a super high grade. We’ve been catching some real nice vermilions, up to eight or nine pounds and we had three lings over thirty last week. But we’re definitely having to hunt for them, they aren’t coming as easy as usual.”

Trinidad

Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters reports the salmon bite has tailed off since last week’s hot action. He said, “I haven’t seen much sign lately, I think it’s moved on along with the salmon. With the lack of fish being caught, most of the effort has switched over to rockfish where the bite has been fair. We haven’t had any trouble catching our share of black rockfish, but all the other species have been tough to come by lately.”

Shelter Cove salmon opener

The wind backed off over the weekend and we were able to get out Friday through Monday reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We made a couple runs north to Gorda and the rock fishing was fantastic. We had quick limits with big lingcod to 30 pounds on Friday and Sunday. The halibut also bit pretty well up there on Friday, with every boat getting one to three fish. Saturday it blew pretty good and kept us closer to home. We fished the Old Man and got limits of rockfish pretty quickly but the lingcod didn’t want to play and we ended up a few fish short of limits. On Monday, we fished on the Old Man again and got limits but we really had to work hard for them. A few boats tried for salmon north of the 40’05 line over the weekend, but there wasn’t any caught that I know of. It looks really good for salmon just below the Cove and outside the rocks in 50 fathoms, so hopefully it stays that way through Sunday.”

Crescent City

There were a couple salmon caught out by the second can a few days ago reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “The majority of the fish being caught are still roughly six to nine miles straight out. There has been quite a bit of bait around, so maybe the bite will improve. The rockfish bite is still slow and has been for a few days. The water is really off color from the storms, that may have something to do with it,” Carson said.

Brookings

“Salmon moved in closer to shore on Tuesday, with several boats limiting out between the red bell and the whistle, fishing in 60 to 80 feet of water, said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Prior to that, all of the salmon action was 6 to 9 miles offshore. The commercial trollers filled their quota on Monday, with a few boats getting more than 50 fish a trip. Lots of bait close to the harbor should keep the salmon around for a while.”

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Springer fishing has steadily improved this week, with most boats getting one to three chances per trip. The water is starting to get low, and the moss is starting to make its way down to the lower river. The fishing should continue to improve through the month.

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

One thing we know for sure after the first week of salmon season on the North Coast – the future looks very bright. According to reports, there is no shortage of small kings from Shelter Cove all the way to Crescent City. Boats fishing out of Eureka and Trinidad have been weeding through the undersized fish and filling their boxes with kings ranging in sizes from 20 to 26-inches, with the occasional 7-8-pounder in the mix. Trinidad has been the spot for bigger fish the past couple days, with sport and charter boats scoring easy limits of kings ranging from barely legal up to 10-pounds. According to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters, there are fish in every direction between 200 and 300 feet of water. The CDFW predicted roughly 360,000 Klamath River adult kings would be swimming off our coast this summer, and that may very well be true. But what’s really cool to see are the new crop of two-year-old’s that are scattered the length of the coast. After a few down years, the ocean salmon population is finally headed in the right direction on the North Coast.

Weekend marine forecast

The ocean looks to be fishable through the weekend, at least for those trolling for salmon. On Friday, winds will be out of the E up to 5 knots with W waves 5 feet at 12 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for NW winds 5 to 10 knots and NW swells to 4 feet at 5 seconds and W 6 feet at 12 seconds. Sunday’s prediction is N winds 5 to 10 knots and swells 2 feet at 5 seconds and W 6 feet at 11 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For 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

Pacific Halibut quota update

The first of four sport Pacific halibut seasons off of California will come to a close after next Friday, June 15. Through May 27, the CDFW has projected 4,891 net pounds of the 30,940-pound quota of Pacific Halibut has been harvested. This season’s open dates are May 1-June 15, July 1-15, Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

Free class on baitfish catching

Eureka’s Sportsman’s Warehouse will be holding a free class on “Baitfish Catching Techniques” on Friday June 8 from 5 p.m.to 6 p.m. The class will teach you how to catch your own bait for local fish. They will be going over everything from harvesting sand crabs to anchovies for the best plan for catching the big ones. Sportsman’s Warehouse is located at 3456 Broadway in Eureka.

The Oceans:

Eureka

The first two days of the salmon season were really good right out front reports Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “There were lots of fish around, though mostly small, but most everyone had limits of fish ranging from 20 to 26-inches,” said Klassen. “By Sunday, the conditions really changed and the dirty water, bait, and birds all but disappeared. The ocean was pretty rough, and not very many boats limited out.” Following some reports of a better grade of fish near Trinidad, most of the fleet headed north on Tuesday. “We made it about six miles shy of the head as we were hearing it wasn’t red-hot up there. We stopped and ended up fishing between the 48 and 52-lines in 250 feet of water where a north to south running current rip was holding bait fish – as well as salmon. We worked that area for most of the day and ended just shy of limits. Overall, there seems to be fish as far as the eye can see. There’s tons of shakers, and I don’t think the bigger three-year-old’s have shown up yet. It’s looking like it’s going to be a good season.”

Trinidad

Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters called in a wide-open salmon bite report on Wednesday morning. “The salmon bite is red-hot today,” Wilson said. “The fish are off Patrick’s Point in roughly 240 feet of water. The fish are a little better grade today, with most running 7 to 12-pounds.” Wilson also added a 40-pounder was weighed in at the Trinidad pier on Tuesday, so there are some bigger fish around.

Shelter Cove

The big news coming out of the Cove this week was Jared Morris of C’mon Sportfishing landing the season’s first salmon caught above the 40’05 line out of Shelter Cove. His crew put five kings in the box on Saturday in windy conditions. The fish were a decent grade, all running 7 to 8-pounds. According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the wind has really been blowing at the Cove. He said, “I fished on Monday with three clients and it was very sloppy. We managed to get limits of rockfish and lingcod before it got unbearable. We also lost a nice halibut at the boat. Looks like the wind might let up a little at the end of the week so we should be able to get back out.”

Crescent City

There were a few salmon caught this past weekend reports Leonard Carter of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. “Most of the sport and commercial fleet have been fishing 10 to 12 miles straight out on a 180 to 210 heading. I’m hearing a few being caught, but it’s not been red-hot. Like everywhere else, there’s lots of shakers around. The keepers are averaging 10 to 12-punds. The rockfish bite has been good overall, but the last couple days we’ve had some real heavy current which made the bite tough.” Carter said.

Brookings

Salmon fishing continues to be hit and miss out of Brookings reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “After a couple dozen fish are caught one day, only a handful are caught the next. Most of the fish are still six to 10 miles offshore along the California border. The bait has moved in close, but the salmon are still offshore. The water temperature is 48 to 49 degrees, which may be affecting the bite. Lingcod and rockfish action has been good, but the incoming tide is fishing much better than the outgoing. Red-tail surfperch are just beginning to spawn, so the action is really good at Crissy Field right next to the state line.”

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

It’s been a long wait, but the time is finally here. After suffering through a complete shutdown of our salmon season in 2017, beginning Friday morning sport salmon anglers will once again set their sights on ocean kings. I’m not sure whether it’s the year-long hiatus or the fact that nearly 360,000 adult Klamath kings are said to be swimming off our coast – but there’s a buzz around town like I’ve never heard. It’s all anyone wants to talk about. Standing in the checkout line at the supermarket or waiting in line to get your morning coffee, it’s all about the salmon. And for good reason. It’s clear that last year’s closure left a huge void in our saltwater season that wasn’t filled. There’s really nothing that compares to the thrill, taste, and the tradition of salmon fishing off of our coast. And now the kings have returned, enjoy…

Weekend Marine Forecast

If the forecast holds, salmon anglers may only get a couple days on the water at the most. Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the NW 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 10 seconds. The forecast begins to go downhill on Saturday, with NW winds 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 7 seconds and NW 4 feet at 11 seconds. The wind returns in force on Sunday, coming out of the NW 10 to 20 knots with NW waves 9 feet at 8 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For 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.

Use extreme caution when crossing Humboldt Bar

For the anglers who aren’t aware, there could be potential early morning hazardous bar conditions beginning on Friday 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. For the salmon opener on Friday, 6.6 ft. of water will be flowing out down to an -0.8 when boats will be crossing the bar. Recreational anglers can provide bar reports on VHF channel 68 while the Coast Guard emergency channel is 16 on the VHF. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. The bar cam, located at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/barCam/?cam=humboldtBayBar, is currently off line.

Weekend tides

The tidal exchanges will be big this weekend, with minus tides in the morning making for a potentially dangerous bar crossing.

Fri. June 1 (High: 1:28 a.m.(6.6 ft.) and 3:24 p.m.) (Low: 8:30 a.m.(-0.8 ft.) and 8:18 p.m.)

Sat. June 2 (High: 2:04 a.m.(6.3 ft.) and 4:08 p.m.) (Low: 9:09 a.m.(-0.5 ft.) and 9:02 p.m.)

Sun. June 3 (High: 2:43 a.m. (6.0 ft.) and 4:53 p.m.) (Low: 9:50 a.m. (-0.3 ft.) and 9:52 p.m.)

General sport salmon regulations:

Our 2018 ocean sport salmon season runs from June 1 through September 3 and is open from the OR/CA border south to Horse Mountain, CA. Fishing is allowed seven days per week for all salmon except Coho, two fish per day and a minimum size limit of 20 inches total length for Chinook.  The possession is no more than two daily bag limits in possession while on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. No salmon punch card is required for ocean salmon fishing. For complete ocean salmon regulations, please visit the Ocean Salmon webpage at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/ocean/regulations/salmon or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline (707) 576-3429.

Big Salmon Contest

Don’t forget, Eureka’s Englund Marine will be holding its BIG FISH Salmon Contest again this year. The annual event runs from June 1 to September 3, 2018. There is no entry fee and you can enter as many fish as you’d like. Salmon need to be gutted and gilled. Prizes will be awarded to the top three fish. A complete list of rules and regulations are available at Englund Marine, 2 Commercial St., Eureka, 707-444-9266.

Fish for free this weekend in Oregon

Oregon will be having a Free Fishing Weekend on June 2 and 3. 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. For more information, visit https://myodfw.com/workshops-and-events/free-fishing-weekend-june-2-3

The Oceans:

Eureka

“The Eureka fleet hasn’t been offshore since last Thursday,” said Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The wind has been blowing and it’s just been too rough. But, as luck would have it, it looks like the wind will die down for the salmon opener on Friday. Prior to the wind, it was looking real good straight out in 250 to 300 feet of water. Some really good edges, lots of birds and bait, and salmon boiling on the surface. That’s where we’ll likely start looking on Friday. The wind is predicted to pick back up on Sunday, so we may only get a couple days on the water. And the morning tides don’t look good for crossing the bar, hopefully everyone will error on the side of caution. The California halibut bite inside the bay has been good and is getting better. There’s not tons of bait yet, we should start to see more as we move into summer.” said Klassen.

Trinidad

The rock fishing over the weekend was really good reports Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters out of Trinidad. He said, “There was a lot of fish caught right in the bay, including some real nice lings.  Everyone is geared up for the salmon opener on Friday. The last time we were offshore, the signs looked really good straight out in 300 feet of water. Lots of birds, bait and good looking water. That’s probably a good place to start,” added Wilson.

Shelter Cove

Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing ran a few halibut and rockfish combo trips at Gorda late last week, and had some good success on the rockfish. “The halibut did not cooperate for us, but the rockfish bit pretty well. On Friday, we ran up too Rodgers Break in pretty sloppy conditions and boated limits of lings and plenty of rockfish. Over the weekend, we fished south off the Ranch House and Bear Harbor. The fish bit pretty well and we got limits both days. The crabbing is still going strong, we’re getting limits of every trip. With the wind continuing to blow, it looks like we’ll be off the water for the next few days,” said Mitchell.

Crescent City

The ocean has been too rough to get out this week reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Like everywhere else, the wind has been howling here. I haven’t seen many boats going out. And if they went out, it wasn’t for long. It will be interesting to see what’s out there when the salmon season opens on Friday. I’d start either above or below the South Reef in 150 to 180 feet of water. There always seems to be fish there. The commercial guys were catching down below the Sisters in 240 feet, that would be another place to look. We’ve got some anchovies in the harbor, which we haven’t had in big numbers in recent years. Hopefully that’s another good sign that there’s salmon around.”

Brookings

Windy weather has made fishing tough this week, but calm seas are expected Friday and Saturday reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, “Last Saturday, the boats that ventured 6 to 8 miles offshore, right on the California border, did well for salmon, with several limiting out. Nearly 30 salmon were caught, which was the best day so far this season.  The best fishing was in 250 to 300 feet of water, fishing 80 to 100 feet down. A few more salmon were caught early Sunday before the ocean became unfishable for several days. The kings are running 24 to 26 inches, with a few in the 15- to 20-pound range. Several hatchery fish have been caught, likely Klamath or Sacramento fish since the Rogue fall salmon run is mainly wild fish.”

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

Springer fishing improved over the weekend on the Lower Klamath, with the rain likely spurring them on. The bite slowed down by Monday, with only a few fish being caught. Quite a few boats were on the river for the holiday weekend, but it’s been fairly quiet during the week. The beginning of June is typically when the season takes off.

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

When the ocean conditions have been right, both the halibut and rockfish bite out of Eureka has been pretty spectacular. The only thing that has slowed down either fishery has been the wind. And there’s been plenty of it since late last week, although it finally relented enough on Wednesday for the Eureka fleet to get back on the water. Prior to the blow, the halibut action had been nothing short of amazing. The bite has been in the same location for most of the season, in between the 50 and 53 lines in roughly 300 feet of water. The same can be said for the rockfish and lingcod down at Cape Mendocino. Since the season opened on May 1, the boats that have made the trip south were rewarded with wide-open action and easy limits of both.

A reminder that the recreational salmon season opens next Friday, June 1. And hearing the reports of all the good signs – birds, bait, whales, dirty water and salmon themselves – the opener can’t get here soon enough.

Weekend marine forecast

The ocean conditions are looking good for the next couple days, but the holiday weekend forecast is looking a little breezy. Friday’s forecast is calling for NW winds up to 5 knots and W waves 5 feet at 12 seconds. The winds will increase on Saturday, coming out of the NW 5 to 15 knots and waves will be NW 5 feet at 5 seconds and W 4 feet at 10 seconds. Sunday looks a little worse with NW winds 10 to 20 knots and NW waves 6 feet at 6 seconds and 5 feet at 12 seconds. The Memorial Day forecast doesn’t look too good either, with winds out of the N 10 to 20 knots and waves NW 5 feet at 6 seconds and NW 5 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://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 https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan/

Pacific Halibut quota update

The CDFW has projected 2,764 net pounds of the 30,940-pound quota of Pacific Halibut has been harvested through May 13. This season’s open dates are May 1-June 15, July 1-15, Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. To view the latest catch projection information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

The Oceans:

Eureka

“Prior to Wednesday, we haven’t been on the water since last Saturday,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We did try to get a trip in on Tuesday, but it was a little too sloppy. It looks like we’ll have some decent weather leading up to the weekend, but after that it looks like the wind will pick back up. When we can get out, the halibut bite is still going strong. The rockfish action at the Cape is as good as it gets, with lots of nice lings in the mix. The California halibut action in Humboldt Bay is starting to pick up. I tried for a while on Tuesday, and there were lots of shorts. They aren’t thick in there yet, but they are starting to show up in better numbers now. It’s still relatively early.”

Trinidad

Halibut fishing definitely slowed down this week according to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters out of Trinidad. He said, “The scores dropped to about a fish per boat from what I’ve seen. Hopefully we’ll get some decent weather soon so we can start looking around a little more. I think the fish everyone was working on just moved. The rockfish bite is still good, we’re starting to see more vermillion and lings being caught now,” Wilson said.

Shelter Cove

It’s been a bit windy down here this past week, but we’ve still been getting out reports Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. He said, “We got pushed off the water early by the wind a couple of the days. We’ve spent the majority of our time fishing The Hat and the Old Man. The lingcod have been biting really well, but the rockfish were a little harder to come by this week. Not much effort on the halibut due to the wind. It looks like we have a few days of good weather coming our way.”

Crescent City

Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports the rockfish action really slowed down the past couple days. “I’m not sure if it’s the tides or what, but even the ling bite slowed down. The water’s been a little sloppy in the mornings, but nicer in the afternoon. Not much has been happening with the halibut, I haven’t heard of any being caught in the last few days. The commercial salmon guys have been doing well, so we could have a good sport opener next Friday,” added Hegnes.

Brookings

Salmon season opened Saturday and the fishing started out slow reports Andy Martin, of Brookings Fishing Charters. “By mid-day, a few boats found the fish offshore, six to eight miles straight out next to the California border. The overall average was a fish for every four rods and one fish for every other boat, but some boats had three to four kings. Sunday and Monday were rough, but on Tuesday more kings were caught in the deeper water, fishing 100 feet down in 300 feet of water. There is a ton of bait offshore right now. The salmon that are being caught are 24 to 26 inches, with some shakers, and a few 20-plus-pounders, probably late Rogue springers. The lingcod and rockfish action continues to be really good.”

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, Mattole and Smith will re-open on Saturday, May 26th. On most rivers, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. For a complete list of river openings and regulations visit http://www.eregulations.com/california/fishing/freshwater/

Lower Klamath springers

Spring salmon fishing on the Lower Klamath is just getting started. The river is still pretty high, but it’s nice and green.  A few spring salmon were reportedly caught on the lower river earlier this week. The season typically really gets going in June and will go through July.

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

After a short break due to rough seas, the red-hot halibut bite picked up right where it left off last Thursday. On Monday, a few boats went out of Eureka and fished in marginal conditions. The current was ripping and the wind was blowing, which made it nearly impossible to keep your bait close to the bottom. A few fish were caught, but nothing to write home about. On Tuesday, conditions were ideal and flatties were flying over the rails at record pace. Quite a few limits were reported, including a few of the charter boats. “There were lots of boats out on Tuesday and it sounded like most were catching,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The majority of the boats were straight off the stacks like last week, but the better fishing seemed to be a little deeper in 53 to 55 fathoms. Herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna bellies are all consistently catching fish,” added Klassen. The ocean looks like it will remain fishable until at least Saturday when the wind and waves will begin to increase.

Pacific halibut in-season tracking
The CDFW has projected 2,658 net pounds of Pacific Halibut has been harvested through May 6. The 2018 Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 30,940 pounds – about 3,600 pounds less than the 2017 quota. This season’s open dates are May 1-June 15, July 1-15, Aug. 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The limit remains at one, with no size restrictions. No more than one line with two hooks attached can be used. To view the latest catch projection information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking

Sport salmon season set to open June 1
The sport salmon fishery will open on June 1 from the CA/OR border south to Horse Mountain (KMZ) and run through Sept. 3. The daily bag limit is two salmon of any species except Coho. The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. There’s quite a bit of excitement surrounding the opener as birds, bait and salmon themselves are being spotted from Eureka north in the 300 foot range. The commercial fleet are reportedly catching a few, including plenty under the 26-inch size limit. For more info on the sport season, visit https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=156296&inline

Weekend marine forecast
For coastal water from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino out 10 nautical miles, the marine forecast looks good for the next couple days, but the wind and seas will start to build by the weekend. For Friday, the forecast is calling for winds out of the NW 5 to 10 knots with waves NW 3 feet at 5 seconds and NW 2 feet at 13 seconds. The swells are a little bigger and the wind will increase slightly beginning on Saturday. Winds will be out of the NW 5 to 15 knots and waves will be out of the NW 5 feet at 5 seconds and W 4 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday looks to be a little sloppy, with NW winds 5 to 15 knots and NW waves 6 feet at 6 seconds and W 5 feet at 12 seconds. These conditions can and will change. For up-to-date weather forecast, visit http://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 https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan/

Lost Coast Fish Festival coming in June
The first annual Lost Coast Fish Festival and Halibut Derby will be held Saturday, June 9 in Shelter Cove. There will be live music all day at the Shelter Cove RV and Deli, along with oysters, food, drinks, raffles, and kids fishing games. Entry is $15 and all ages are welcome. Ages 12 and under get in free. The halibut derby will run June 1st  through June 9th. The buy in is $20, and the top three finishers will win prizes. Derby signups are May 15 through May 31 at the Shelter Cove RV and Deli, Shelter Cove General Store, or the Southern Humboldt Chamber office in Garberville. Must be present on June 9th to win. For more info, contact the Southern Humboldt Chamber of Commerce at 707-923-2613.

Daniel McGuire of Eureka boated this nice Pacific halibut on Monday while fishing out of Shelter Cove with Sea Hawk Sportfishing. The large halibut weighed in at 62-pounds. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell/Sea Hawk Sportfishing

The Oceans:
Shelter Cove
“We fished on Saturday for a couple hours before the wind sent us home, but we were able to boat 8 lingcod and 12 rockfish along with limits of crab – so it wasn’t a complete loss,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. On Sunday, we headed to the Hat and Old Man where we really had to work for them. We managed to get limits of lings and rockfish by days end. Monday and Tuesday we ran north for halibut and rockfish combos. The rock fishing wasn’t wide-open, but was still pretty good. The halibut fishing has picked up a bit and the ones putting in the time were averaging a fish per rod. We had two halibut Tuesday, along with limits of rockfish, lings as well as crabs.”

Trinidad
Halibut fishing has been pretty good this past week according to Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters out of Trinidad. He said, “We caught a couple each trip, and I heard of others being caught as well. Most of the action was due west of the Head in roughly 240 feet of water. The rockfish bit well this week too, but that’s typical for early in the season. There’s plenty of blacks around, and quite a few lings too. Most of the boats are hanging around Flat Iron. Much like Eureka, we’re seeing some real good salmon signs out in 300 feet of water. There’s lots of birds and bait, and the commercial guys are catching a few as well,” Wilson said.

Crescent City
Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine reports the rockfish action has been steady, with most of the boats going south. “I haven’t heard of many boats going north, most of the action has been at the South Reef. A few guys have been trying for halibut, but the bite has been real spotty. The redtail perch bite is still wide-open, with Kellogg Beach being one of the top spots. I heard the commercial salmon guys were catching a few, so hopefully they’ll be some around when the sport season opens on June 1,” added Hegnes.

Brookings
We are eager to get out salmon gear back in the water this weekend reports Andy Martin, who runs Brookings Fishing Charters. “May is generally slow to fair out of Brookings, as the peak season isn’t until late June and July,” said Martin. “But the anchovies and pelicans are already here, so the salmon can’t be too far behind. The Rogue forecast of nearly 450,000 fish, double that of the Sacramento forecast, bodes well for the Brookings fishery. We will be trolling anchovies and herring next to the bait balls for the opener. Lingcod and rockfish has been very good this week as the ocean has calmed down. Rockfish are still in shallow water feeding on crab spawn, so there is some good top-water action. We may have some wind this 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