Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

Humboldt rivers turning green

Modesto resident John Kern, pictured left, landed this nice Smith River steelhead on Wednesday. Also pictured is Tim Stude. Photo courtesy of Curt Wilson Guide Service

It’s been well over a month since the coastal rivers in Humboldt County have looked anything other than dirty brown. Since the last big rains, which came towards the end of January, the North Coast has been blessed with some beautiful weather. And that fabulous weather, coupled with a two-week stretch of rain-free days, has turned the majority of the rivers emerald green. The one exception being the main stem Eel, and that’s just a few days away from being pristine. Redwood Creek, the Mad, South Fork Eel, and the Van Duzen are all in prime shape for those looking to target winter steelhead. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to wet a line, now is the time. Rain is in the forecast for late next week and rumor has it El Nino could be making a comeback towards the end of the month.

Weekend Weather
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, there isn’t much of a change in store for the weather in the next week. “A weak system will arrive on Friday, bringing with it light rain. The heavier amounts will fall in Del Norte, where they could see a quarter to a half inch. Humboldt will likely see less than a quarter. The high pressure will settle back in on Saturday and we’re looking dry through next Tuesday. Rain is in the forecast for next Wednesday and Thursday,” Kenned added.

Rowdy Creek Steelhead Derby
The 34th annual Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead derby will take place February 18 thru 20. There will be 25 teams and participants will rotate between the Smith and Chetco rivers. For more derby information, visit www.rowdycreek.com/derby.

CA Fish and Game Commission meeting
Day two of the California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento at 10 a.m. Topics include recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek as well as the proposed emergency fishing closure of the Sacramento River from 5.5 miles from the Hwy. 44 bridge to Keswick Dam. The meeting will be live streamed at http://www.cal-span.org

HSU Fishery Seminar
Rebecca Garwood, an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be giving a presentation titled “The other listed anadromous fish: state of the knowledge of longfin smelt along the north coast of California” on Wednesday 17 February 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in WFB 258 on the HSU Campus.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The river is low and clear, but the boats are still catching plenty of fish, both wild and hatchery. This past week, most of action has centered from down river of Loeb Park. Some rain is in the forecast for Friday, and the river is predicted to see a slight rise.

Smith River
Similar to the Chetco, the Smith is low and starting to clear according to guide Mike Coopman. “We could definitely use a little shot of rain to add some color, but I have no complaints on the fishing. There’s plenty of fish around and we’re catching them from the top to the bottom,” Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)
The main stem is still slightly off color and a little on the high side reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. “There must be quite a bit of water coming down from the mountains as it’s dropping very slowly. It should fish by the weekend, and for sure this time next week if we don’t get a bunch of rain,” Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork is in perfect shape and fishing all the way to the confluence with the main stem. Boats scores are ranging from zero to five fish per trip. There’s about a 50/50 mix of fresh fish and downers.

Van Duzen
The Van Duzen looks absolutely perfect according to Grundman, but reports have been hard to come by. “The water is green and flows are good, should be a good option for the weekend.”

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the Mad has finally turned steelhead green, and there seems to be some fish around. “The guys tossing bait are doing well, and the liners have been having a hard time since the water cleared up. There are pockets of fish throughout the river, you just need to find them. There’s a good mix of wild and hatchery fish around, with the lower river having a better concentration of fresh fish,” Kelly said.

Upper Trinity
Tim Brady of Weaverville’s Trinity Outdoors reports the steelhead fishing is decent, with the majority of the fish around having already spawned. He said, “With the coastal rivers coming into shape, the angling pressure has been lighter than usual. Some of the guys are catching, and some are having a rough time. Most of the fish around have gotten to where they needed to go. The winter-run steelhead have yet to show, and we’re hoping they’re just running late. The river is in good shape at least to the North Fork, I haven’t heard how it looks below the South Fork.”

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

Plenty of green rivers on the horizon

Chico resident Haleigh Skillman shows off a dandy steelhead caught Monday on the Smith River. The Smith, along with the Chetco, are both full of ocean-fresh winter steelhead and conditions should be excellent through the weekend. Photo courtesy of John Klar’s Guide Service

Dry weather predicted for next week

It finally looks like steelhead-green rivers will be found somewhere other than the Smith and Chetco. After a very wet January, we’ll see a break from the rain beginning this weekend that may stick around for up to a week. If the forecast holds and the rain stays away, all of the coastal rivers should be green by sometime next week, including the main stem Eel. Both the Smith and Chetco have been chocked full of steelhead for the past couple weeks, and the hope is the Eel, Mad, Van Duzen and Redwood Creek are as well. Looks like we’ll get to find out very soon.

Weekend Weather
After an extremely rainy January, we’re finally going to get a break beginning this weekend. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, Thursday will be dry, but another weak front will clip Northern California on Friday. Rainfall totals could reach a half inch in the most northern part of the state, while Humboldt may see a quarter inch. A high pressure ridge will move in on Saturday, which will keep us dry through at least next Thursday,” Kennedy added.

Humboldt Steelhead Days awards dinner on Feb. 6
The two-week long steelhead celebration will come to a close this Saturday with an awards dinner catered by Blackberry Bramble BBQ. The dinner will be held at the Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for participants with their HSD ticket. Anglers who sent in their steelhead photos will be entered into a $4,000 prize pool of donated outdoor gear and fishing equipment. Tickets will be available at the door with cash or check. For more information, visit humboldtsteelheaddays.com

Upcoming meetings
California Fish and Game Commission meeting will be held Feb 10-11 at the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento at 10 a.m. To view the meeting agenda, visit http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2016/Feb/02101116agd.pdf. Topics include recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek and any other issues regarding the Klamath River Basin sport fishing.

CDFW’s Annual Salmon Information meeting will be held March 2, at 9:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa. The public is invited to attend CDFW’s annual meeting on the status of California salmon populations and the outlook for 2016 ocean salmon fisheries. For more information, please contact Kandice Morgenstern at (707) 576-2879 or kandice.morgenstern@wildlife.ca.gov.

Halibut Commission announces 2016 catch limits and seasons
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) completed its Ninety-second annual meeting in Juneau, AK on January 29, 2016. More than 280 halibut industry stakeholders attended the meeting, with over 80 more participating in web broadcasts of the public sessions. The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 2016 totaling 29.89 million pounds. The California sport harvest will be 29,640 pounds, up from 25,220 pounds in 2015.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The river is in absolutely beautiful shape, the best I’ve seen in years reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “There’s lots of fish in the river right now, from the top all the way to the bottom. Boats and bank anglers have both done well the last few days. There seems to be quite a few hatchery fish around as well.”

Smith River
The Smith is in great shape and fishing really well according to guide Mike Coopman. Boats have been averaging four to five fish per day, which is really good for the Smith. We’ll likely see a little bump in the flows on Thursday, but it should only help the fishing. The water still has real good color, and there’s plenty of fish throughout the system,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
It looks like the break in the weather will finally get these systems down to fishable levels reports Fred Grundman of Grundman’s Sporting Goods in Rio Dell. “The top of the South Fork around Leggett should be getting close to fishable, and it could fish down to the forks by early next week or possibly this weekend. The main is still dirty and big, but it’s dropping quickly. The top of the main should fish by early next week. The flows on the Van Duzen were looking good, but it was still way off color on Wednesday,” Grundman added.

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of Eureka’s RMI Outdoors, the river is still high and dirty, but dropping quick. “It’s forecasted to drop down to around 2,500 cfs by Sunday, which is usually when it starts to turn green. It should be in great shape for bait fishermen by early next week. The reports from the guys who’ve been fishing this week is there seems to be quite a few fish around, both fresh and ones that have been in the river for awhile,” Kelly added.

Trinity
The river is still in good shape above the North Fork, but it’s still a little on the big side. Snow fell a good part of the day on Tuesday, which should keep the flows at a good level. Rain was in the forecast for Wednesday, which could muddy up some of the creeks. There’s hasn’t been much boat pressure and catch reports have been hard to come by.

#FishingTheNorthCoast #wintersteelhead #ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing

Storms likely to blow out Smith, Chetco

Richard Burrow of Eureka landed this beautiful winter steelhead last Sunday on the Mad River. The Mad, as well as all of the coastal rivers, are expected to see significant rises by the weekend due to the incoming storms. Photo courtesy of Scott Grant

Mother Nature provided just enough time in between big storms to drop the Smith and Chetco rivers back into pristine shape. The break, however, was short-lived. Another wet storm is on the way, which is forecasted to blow out the two quick-clearing rivers as well as insuring the other coastal streams won’t be green and fishable any time soon. The good news is the two rivers – during their brief driftable stint – were loaded with fresh steelhead. Hopefully when the rivers recede and clear, we can pick up right where we left off.

Weekend Weather:
The forecast is calling for the next couple of days to be very wet say’s Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “We’re expecting a pretty good shot of rain on Thursday and Friday. The Smith/Klamath basin will see from three to five inches with two to four inches falling in the Humboldt area. Saturday will be a showery day, with rainfall totaling another quarter to half inch. Snow levels will be in the 2,500 to 3,000 foot level. Sunday will be mostly dry, with a few lingering showers that will give way to a dry day on Monday. An unsettled pattern will begin on Monday night into Tuesday, bringing with it more showers. Wednesday is looking dry, but another half inch of rain is forecasted for Thursday.” Kennedy added.

Salmon/steelhead report cards due
CDFW would like to remind sport anglers that the 2015 sport fishing report cards need to be submitted by January 31, even if divers and anglers were unsuccessful or did not fish at all. Anglers and divers can go online to submit their abalone, lobster, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon report cards required by the CDFW. Reporting requirements for anglers and divers have not changed, but this online submission option makes the reporting faster and easier. For additional information on harvest reporting requirements, please visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing#758846-harvest-reporting

Humboldt Steelhead Days weekend events
CalTrout brings The International Fly Fishing Film Festival to the Eureka Theatre this Friday, Jan. 29 as part of the Humboldt Steelhead Days. The International Fly Fishing Film Festival consists of shorts and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. Humboldt Steelhead Days registrants get $5 off at the door. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Join CalTrout for a pre-film social hour. For more information, visit http://www.theeurekatheater.org/upcoming-events.

On Saturday January 30, free family events will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Learn how to rig, tie flies, and cast for steelhead and then practice in the 5-hole casting course – fun for all ages and all skills! Learn about your local watershed restoration and fish population status. This event is being offered in partnership with the Eureka Crab Celebration.

HASA membership meeting coming in February
HASA (Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers) will be having their general membership meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Grace Baptist Church, 220 Buhne Street, Eureka. They will be taking nominations and voting for board members. Other business will also be discussed. For more information, contact Scott McBain at hasa6191@gmail.com or 707-845-0101.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
After a long spell of unfishable conditions, the Chetco dropped back into fishable shape on Tuesday reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The river was in pristine condition on Wednesday, and there were lots of fish around. I saw fish caught from the top to the bottom, with quite a few hatchery fish mixed in as well. If the forecast holds, it looks like the Chetco will blow out sometime on Thursday. Hopefully we can get back on the water by early next week.”

Smith River
The Smith fished really well all week reports guide Mike Coopman. “During last weekend’s high water, we put some real good days together plunking on the lower river. We were back to side-drifting on Monday, with most of the guide boats landing between three to four fish per day. With more rain on the way, it looks like we’ll be off the water for a couple days, but hoping to get the weekend in,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, all three systems remained unfishable. With more rain on the way, it will be some time before they get anywhere near green. The Van Duzen is expected to surpass monitor stage on Friday afternoon, but it’s predicted to drop quickly. Same story for the main Eel as it’s predicted to reach monitor stage at Fernbridge on Saturday.

Mad River
After dipping below 5,000 cfs on Wednesday, the Mad is predicted to head back towards monitor stage following the rain on Thursday and Friday. We’ll need at least a solid week of dry weather before it becomes bait fishable.

Trinity
Above the North Fork is your best chance at finding some good water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “With a bunch more rain coming, the entire river could blow out again. I haven’t heard any reports, but the upper section down to Junction City should have some fish in it,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #wintersteelhead

Humboldt Steelhead Days begin Saturday

Ashley Kay from Arcata landed this big hatchery buck on a recent drift down the Chetco River while fishing with Tony Sepulveda of Green Water Fishing Adventures.

The 3rd annual Humboldt Steelhead Days will take place this weekend — fishable rivers or not. Parties and demonstrations will kick-off the event this Friday near three watersheds — the Mad, Eel and Trinity rivers. Register for the fishing and photo contests and learn more about all the events going on during the two-week period at either the Mad River Brewing Co. Tap Room in Blue Lake, the Fortuna River Lodge in Fortuna or at Coho Cabins in Willow Creek. All three kick-offs begin around 5 p.m. and each event is slightly different. For all the details, visit the Humboldt Steelhead Days website (humboldtsteelheaddays.com) or the HSD Facebook page.

Demonstrations will be held in Fortuna, along with the kick-off party where the theme is “What’s happening in the Eel River?” HSD guests can walk through the River Lodge and take a virtual tour of the Eel River watershed. Speak to the people who work on restoration of fish passage, improvement of fish habitat, recovery plans, monitoring Eel River fish, and learn the latest information about catching Eel River steelhead. Catch the film “Wild Reverence, the wild steelhead’s last stand,” by Shane Anderson from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The HSD prize pool is nearly $4,000, with two guided river trips (Klamath and Eel) as well as an ocean trip (Trinidad) going as the top prizes. Enter your steelhead photo (please keep the wild ones wet) by sending it to the HSD Facebook page with the hashtag #humboldtsteelheaddays anytime during the contest (Jan. 23 to Feb. 6). Anglers will also have a chance to win rods, reels, fishing lures, boat heaters, a Thule car rack, Kokatat life jackets and propane. Gift certificates totaling $250 were donated by Pacific Outfitters and Mr. Fish Seafood.

Weather update
After a small break in the storms, more rain is on tap beginning Thursday according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service. “Light rain will fall on Thursday, but a wetter system will arrive in the evening and last into Friday. Rainfall predictions range from one to two inches in both Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Another system will roll into the area on Friday night, bringing with it another one to two inches. We’ll have a brief dry period beginning Sunday and lasting through Monday. A weak system will move in on Monday night into Tuesday, dropping up to three-quarters of an inch. At this point, next Wednesday is looking dry, but more storms are forecasted for Thursday through Saturday,” Kennedy said.

Input wanted on Klamath River sport fishing regulations
At the February 11, 2016 meeting, the Fish and Game Commission will determine which options to include in its notice of proposed changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations for 2016.

In April 2015, the Commission adopted changes to the Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations, including seasons, bag limits, possession limit, a prohibition on catch and release fishing of legally caught salmon in the Klamath River spit area, and closures to all fishing in the Klamath River between June 15 and September 14 from 500 feet above to half mile downstream of the mouth of Blue Creek and from September 15 to December 31 within 500 feet of the mouth of Blue Creek.

The Commission is interested in receiving specific recommendations concerning the fishing closures at the mouth of Blue Creek or any other specific recommendations concerning Klamath River Basin sport fishing. You may submit your recommendation in writing to the 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1320 Sacramento, CA 95814 or to FGC@fgc.ca.gov. Written recommendations are requested by 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2016, but must be received by noon on February 5, 2016. While the Commission will also accept recommendations presented in person at its February 11, 2016, meeting, early submittal of recommendations is most effective. The meeting will be held in Sacramento on February 10-11 in the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA.

Spawning begins at the Mad River Hatchery
Following a two-week delay due to a budget issues, spawning season is now underway at the Mad River Hatchery. On Tuesday, hatchery employees and volunteers sorted through hundreds of steelhead with the goal to gather roughly 20 pairings. Each pair will include a native origin steelhead to help with the gene pool in the Mad River. Spawning season on the Mad will last through the middle of March with the goal to mate 124 pairs.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Running at 8,800 cfs on Wednesday afternoon and dropping. It’s forecasted to dip down to 5,400 cfs early Friday. If the river is anywhere near green, the plunkers should be out in force.

Smith River
The Smith remains just about the only game in town reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. He said, “When the rivers been at a fishable height, the plunkers have been doing well. There’s seems to be quite a few fish in the river, even with all the high water we’ve had. Looking at the forecast for the next few days, we should get a couple days of side-drifting in.”

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem Eel was running at nearly 60,000 cfs and starting to drop. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to jump up to over 90,000 cfs by Saturday. The entire South Fork is still high and muddy, and flowing at 12,000 on the Miranda gauge as of Wednesday. The incoming storms will likely push it to 20,000 cfs. After reaching flood stage last Friday, the Van Duzen has dropped back down to 5,700 cfs on Wednesday. The reprieve will be short lived, the next round of storms should put it right back 20,000 cfs, which is near monitor stage.

Mad River
After reaching 41,000 cfs on Sunday, the Mad was back down to 9,000 cfs on Wednesday and dropping. It should drop low enough for the liners to get back on the water Thursday, but we’re a long ways away from anything close to green water.

Trinity
The very top of the Trinity is the only place where you’ll find green water at the moment reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “It’s really only fishable from Lewiston Bridge down to Rush Creek. Both Rush and Weaver Creek are full of mud, making fishing below tough to impossible,” Huber added.

#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver #Steelhead #NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast

Heavy rains blow out North Coast rivers

Hannah Whitely of Laytonville landed this bright Chetco River hatchery steelhead last Sunday while fishing with guide Brice Dusi. The Chetco, along with all of the North Coast rivers, is currently blown out due to the storms that hit the region on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Brice Dusi’s Guide Service

Domoic acid levels in crab declining

The parade of storms currently pounding the North Coast has brought a sudden stop to the winter steelhead season. From the Chetco south to the top of the Eel River system, there isn’t a patch of green water to be had. And the dirty water conditions may be with us for an extended period of time. Storms are lined up one after the other off the coast, each bringing the potential for one to two inches of rain. There’s real good possibility that neither the Smith nor Chetco could drop back down to fishable levels until late next week. For the other coastal rivers that aren’t so quick to clear – it could be a couple weeks before they resemble anything close to green.

Weather outlook
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, we’ll see one system after another through at least next Thursday. “We’re expecting to see heavy rain on Thursday, with one to one and a half inches falling in the 24-hour period. We may have a little break Friday morning, with the rain expected to return in the evening and into Saturday. Another one to one and a half inches is expected. Another wet storm will arrive Sunday that could dump up to two inches. Depending on how fast the system moves through the area, we could see a break on Monday though another system will arrive Monday night and stick around into Tuesday. Again, another one to one two inches is expected. Following a short break on Wednesday, rain again is in the forecast for Thursday,” Kennedy added. Snow levels will remain in the four to five-thousand foot range for the week.

Crab domoic acid levels on the decline
Domoic acid levels are finally beginning to decline along the North Coast, providing hope that both sport and commercial crab seasons will open soon. The California Dept. of Public Health released lab results on January 8 from samples taken from December 26 to the 30th.

Two areas were tested in Crescent City. In the north area, six samples were taken with an average domoic acid level of 17ppm, with no crabs tested above the federal action level of 30ppm. In the south area, six crabs were tested with an average domoic acid level of 23ppm. One crab tested above the 30ppm action level.
Two areas were tested in Trinidad with an average domoic acid level of 20ppm. One crab tested above the action level.

Fort Bragg tested two areas, Usal and Manchester. The average domoic acid levels from six samples were 26ppm and 28ppm with two crabs from each area testing above the action levels. For the latest test results, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/Pages/fdbDomoicAcidInfo.aspx

Mad River Hatcher to remain open
Rumors have been circulating this past week that the Mad River Fish Hatchery is once again on the chopping block due to lack of funding. Not so according to Fishery Hatchery Manager, Shad Overton. “The hatchery is not closing. We are funded and we do have fish on hand. We are just not being allowed to take eggs right now from our steelhead.”

California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Sacramento is going through a budget exercise and until that’s ironed out, it will hold off on spawning. The ladder at the Hatchery is flowing but the gate at the bottom is closed. Normally the first week of January it’s open and fish are taken into a trap and on Tuesdays they are sorted through to be spawned. The Hatchery says however, the delay is only expected to last another week and the public has nothing to worry about.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The Chetco blew out on Wednesday, and it could be done for awhile reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “With how much rain is expected and how the creeks looked on Wednesday, my guess is it won’t be fishable until mid next week. Prior to blowing out, the fishing was really good. There were lots of fish around, with some real decent schools of hatchery fish mixed in. The influx of water should allow the fish to push into the creeks, and will likely bring in some fresh ones from the ocean. We may even begin to see a few downers.”

Smith River
It could be awhile before the Smith is back down to a driftable level reports Crescent City guide Mike Coopman. “The river blew out on Tuesday night and it was still rising on Wednesday. If the snow level drops, we may get a few plunkable days in. If the storms continue to drop a couple inches of rain a day, it could be late next week before we’re back on the water. Before blowing out, the fishing was steady, with most boats getting between four to five opportunities per trip,” Coopman added.

Mad River
The river is big and dirty after jumping from 2,600 cfs to 8,200 cfs overnight. With more rain on the way, it will awhile before it comes back into shape. In the meantime, liners are still catching their share of steelhead.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
As of Wednesday, the main stem was running at nearly 26,000 cfs and still going up. It will take a couple weeks of dry weather, which isn’t in the forecast, to drop back into shape. The upper end of the South Fork was just starting to turn green when the latest rounds of storms hit. It jumped from 3,000 cfs to over 10,000 on the Miranda gauge in 12 hours. Like the South Fork, the Van Duzen jumped from just under 2,500 to over 10,000 cfs overnight on Tuesday. With more storms on the way, it won’t fish for the foreseeable future.

Trinity
The entire Trinity blew out on Wednesday reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “Almost all of the creeks I looked at on Wednesday were dirty; the only exception was the North Fork. If we don’t get a bunch more rain, the top of the river could fish in a couple days. It just depends on how quickly the creeks clear up,” Huber said. As of Wednesday, flows were 1,400 cfs on the Douglas City gauge and 16,000 cfs at Hoopa.

#NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast #ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver

Smith, Chetco best weekend options

Dick Bruce of Trinidad landed this bright steelhead while drifting the Smith River on Monday. Also pictured is Jon Stocum of Bayside. The Smith and Chetco rivers are still in good shape and will be the best options for the weekend. Photo courtesy of Kenny Priest/Fishing the North Coast Guide Service

Public meeting on Klamath fishery coming next week

And then there were two….as in the number of coastal rivers that still have a hint of green. The Smith and Chetco were the sole survivors of the storms that pounded the region earlier in the week. All stretches of the Eel, Van Duzen, Mad and Redwood Creek are currently blown out, with very little relief in sight. Rain is in the forecast almost daily for the next week or so, which is great news for the quick-clearing rivers to our north. The Humboldt rivers on the other hand, won’t likely have enough breaks in the rain to drop back into shape in the next week or so. If you’re looking to fill your steelhead fix this weekend, your best bet lies to the north.

Weather update
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, the current wet pattern we’re experiencing now will stick around through Saturday. “The heaviest rain will be from Friday night into Saturday morning. Rainfall totals for the region will range from one to one and a half inches. Sunday is looking dry, but a weak system will move in on Monday dropping another half to three-quarters of rain. Monday night into Tuesday looks dry, but a fairly wet system will hit Tuesday and hang around into Wednesday. Precipitation totals could be as high as two inches,” Kennedy added.

CDFW to hold public meeting on Klamath River sport fishery
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is inviting the public to attend an informational meeting to review regulatory options and receive public input for the 2016 Klamath River sport fishing seasons, area closures and bag limits.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Chambers in the Del Norte County Administrative Building, 981 H St., Suite 100, Crescent City.

One focus of the meeting will be the current sport fishing closure at the confluence of Blue Creek. The public is encouraged to provide input regarding this closure.

Regulatory options for the Klamath River will be considered at the California Fish and Game Commission meeting in February 2016 with the official regulatory notice of proposed change being distributed to the general public afterward. Klamath River regulations are slated to be adopted by the Fish and Game Commission in April 2016.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
The water color on the Chetco is beautiful reports guide Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service. He said, “The color is perfect, but the flows were a little high on Wednesday. The few boats on the water all landed a couple, but I thought it would fish better. It’s possible the extra water moved the fish around a bit. The river is dropping very slowly and there isn’t much rain in the forecast, so the conditions should be ideal through the weekend.”

Smith River
The Smith is in excellent shape and there’s plenty of fish around reports guide Mike Coopman. “It looks like the river will fish through the weekend. There’s some rain in the forecast, but no enough to hurt anything. Right now, the river is loaded with fish from the top to the bottom and the boats are really doing well,” Coopman added.

Eel River (main stem)
“The main stem was just starting to come into real good shape, but with the rain we’ve had to our south, we’re back to square one,” said Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. As of Wednesday, flows were above 28,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge.

Eel River (South Fork)
The South Fork blew out on Monday and doesn’t look like it will fish until late next week at the earliest. It fished well from the top to the bottom from last Friday through Sunday, with scores ranging from two to four fish per trip. As of Wednesday, flows were at 6,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge.

Van Duzen
Flows were good, but it was still a little off color before it blew out on Monday reports Grundman. “Yager Creek was dirty, which kept the lower river murky. I think it was fishable above, but I didn’t hear of any reports,” Grundman said. As of Wednesday, flows were nearly 4,500 cfs on the Grizzly Creek gauge.

Mad River
Jens Hansen of Arcata’s Mad River Tackle & FeelFree Kayaks reports prior to the Mad blowing out on Monday, the river was full of steelhead. “I was on the river over the weekend and saw lots of hatchery fish landed. There were quite a few boats out as well, and I heard they did really well pulling plugs. With rain in the forecast for the next week, it looks like it will be awhile before the river is bait fishable,” Hansen added.

Upper Trinity
The Trinity is in great shape from top to bottom reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “The majority of the boats are still working the Junction City area and landing quite a few fish in the four to six pound range. We’re still seeing the last of the late fall run fish, and a few winter fish are starting to trickle in. The entire river is green, though it’s a little clearer on the upper end.”

#fishingthenorthcoast #wintersteelhead #smithriver #eelriver #chetcoriver

Green rivers and steelhead await anglers

Alan Glowacki of Rocklin is a happy man after landing this chrome-bright Smith River steelhead on Monday. All of the North Coast rivers should be in great shape this weekend for anglers looking to get in on the steelhead action.Photo courtesy of Curt Wilson Guide Service

Steelhead report cards due

If you’re an avid winter steelhead fishermen, this is your weekend. Just about every coastal river on the North Coast will be some shade of green — and likely fishable — come Saturday morning. This phenomenon doesn’t happen often, and I’m having a hard time thinking of any excuse not to be on the water. Every creek and river from the Chetco down to the South Fork of the Eel should be fishable — and likely full of steelhead as well. The Smith is starting to clear a bit and the main stem Eel and Van Duzen are just starting to turn, but every river in between is in prime shape for some great winter steelhead action.

Weekend Forecast
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, the North Coast will remain dry through Sunday, with the next chance of rain coming late Sunday night or Monday morning. Showers will likely linger into Wednesday, but precipitation levels aren’t forecasted to be much. Both Humboldt and Del Norte could see anywhere from a half to an inch of rain.

Razor Clam beach openers/closures
A reminder for the clam diggers: In 2016, Little River Beach between Mad River and Strawberry Creek will be open to the take of Razor Clams. The beach between Strawberry Creek and Moonstone Beach will re-open in 2017. In Del Norte County, the beach south of Battery Point is open to clamming in 2016. A health advisory is still in place for both Humboldt and Del Norte counties and consumers are advised against eating razor clams due to dangerous levels of domoic acid.

Steelhead report cards due
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds anglers that they are required to return their 2015 Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Cards between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2016. Anglers are requested to review their cards carefully and complete the information as accurately as possible. Information collected from report cards provides CDFW with data necessary to monitor and manage California’s steelhead fisheries.

The Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card are a fishing report as well as a catch report. Steelhead anglers record where and when they fished, even if no fish were caught on a given trip. Anglers are encouraged to submit steelhead report card data online, but report cards can still be submitted by mail. Information must be submitted regardless of whether or not the angler fished for steelhead. Additional information can be found on CDFW’s Steelhead Fishing Report and Restoration Card Program webpage, www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Fishing/Monitoring/SHRC/

Anglers who were issued report cards for Abalone, Sturgeon and North Coast Salmon must report their harvest or effort by Jan. 31, 2016 as well. Anglers and divers may report online or mail their report cards to the address printed on the report card. To report online, please visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/customersearch/begin

Mattole River opens to fishing Jan. 1
The Mattole River will open to fishing on Friday, January 1 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Only artificial lures may be used and barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station. As of Wednesday, it’s flowing at just under 1,000 cfs.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Alan Borges of Alan’s Guide Service reports the Chetco is in great shape, with about three and a half feet of visibility. He said, “The water is perfect, a real nice shade of green and clearing very slowly due to the snow melt. It bumped up a little overnight on Wednesday, but it didn’t affect the flows much. There’s fish from the top to the bottom, with quite a few hatchery in the system now.”

Smith River
Steelhead fishing is in full swing on the Smith and there’s fish throughout the system reports guide Mike Coopman. He said, “We had a really good day on Wednesday, and I saw most of the other boats catching fish as well. The river is in great shape now, but it’s dropping quickly and starting to clear. The boat pressure has been heavy this week, along with lots of guys plunking.”

Eel River
Main Stem
The water color on the main stem is starting to turn green, but the it’s still pretty pushy reports Fred Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods. He said, “It’s getting more fishable each day, and it should fish at the top of main by the weekend.”

South Fork
Running at 2,500 cfs on the Miranda gauge on Wednesday and should be fishable from the top all the way to the forks.

Van Duzen
Flowing at 1,450 cfs on Wednesday, the Van Duzen is still off-color according to Grundman. “The level is perfect, but it’s still pretty dirty. Yager Creek may be muddy, and it’s possible there are slides upriver. It looks like it will be a few days before it starts to turn green.”

Mad River
According to Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors, there’s quite a few steelhead in the Mad right now. He said, “The river cleared a little quicker than we thought, there’s about a foot of visibility above the pump station as of today and its olive green. I heard some boats were getting them pretty good on plugs Wednesday. The flows are still dropping and conditions for the weekend should be about perfect.”

Trinity
The Trinity is in great shape and should be fishable from the top to the bottom reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. “It’s been extremely cold in the mornings and we’ve got quite a bit of snow. Most anglers are starting later in the morning due to icy road conditions, so your time on the water is limited. Right now there’s a gap in the fish – most of the fall fish are in the hatchery or tributaries and there aren’t big numbers of winter fish moving in yet. We’re catching one here and one there, but no big groups of fish in the upper river as of yet,” Huber said.

#NorCalFishing #NorthCoastFishing #FishingTheNorthCoast
#ChetcoRiver #SmithRiver #VanDuzen #MattoleRiver #EelRiver #TrinityRiver #MadRiver

Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery ‘Fair Start’ – FAQ

CDFW Dcrab Fair Start FAQ

Green water on the horizon

Blocksburg resident Mary Bigger landed her first-ever steelhead while drifting the Smith River last Wednesday. With dry weather forecasted for next week, coastal rivers should drop back into fishable shape. Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service

Humboldt Steelhead Days coming in Jan

There is light at the end of the rainy tunnel! The large storms that have pounded the North Coast for the past week are finally starting to taper off. Rain is in the forecast up until Monday, but it doesn’t look like enough moisture will fall to put the rivers back on the rise. Come Tuesday, we should enter into a dry pattern that should last until next weekend. With the rivers on the drop now, and another five days of dry weather, we’re looking at quite a few rivers rounding into prime shape by late next week. Other than the Smith, most of the other coastal rivers have been largely untouched. That will change soon, and I for one am looking forward to it.

Weather Outlook
It appears we’re done with the mega-storms, at least for awhile. According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, a cold system will move into the area beginning Wednesday night and will linger through Friday morning. “Snow levels will be low, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet. We could see from a half to three-quarter inches of rain through Friday. Friday night through Saturday are looking dry, with the next system arriving Sunday. Sunday’s system should bring another half to three-quarter inches and will stick around until Monday morning. Snow is predicted above 3,000 feet. High pressure will build after Monday, pushing storms to our North. Right now we’re looking at dry weather Tuesday through Saturday before the next system arrives Sunday,” Kennedy added.

Third Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days – Jan. 22 to Feb. 6
The 3rd Annual Humboldt Steelhead Days fishing contest — as well as a multitude of angling related events — will span two weeks with three weekends for a total of sixteen days of steelhead angling on three North Coast rivers: Trinity, Mad and Eel.

HSD starts on Jan. 22 with kick off parties on all three rivers and ends on Feb. 6 with an awards dinner and steelhead presentations at the new Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka. Visit the HSD webpage to see a list of all the other events going on: humboldtsteelheaddays.com/daily-events-schedule/

HSD encourages anglers of all types to explore these three watersheds and to fish for a steelhead during the peak of the winter run. If you’re lucky enough to land a steelhead, take a photo and then post it to the HSD Facebook page and hashtag them with #humboldtsteelheaddays.

All anglers are encouraged to donate a $35 contest registration fee via the HSD website. Your donation will register you into the fishing contest, plus you’ll get a FREE Tri-Tip dinner ticket for the awards ceremony on Feb. 6. Your $35 donation to the event will go toward future river restoration projects.

All the anglers who registered and submitted a photo of their steelhead during the contest dates will be eligible to win prizes. More than $3,500 worth of fishing and outdoor gear donated by the HSD sponsors is up for grabs. River and ocean guided trips are some of the big prizes.

Among the unique angling opportunities will be drift boat access to the middle Mad River “Steelhead Alley,” courtesy of Green Diamond Resource Company. 4-wheel drive is required. Your donation of $100 per boat will go toward local conservation, education, and restoration relating to steelhead and the health of the Mad River.

All the proceeds from Humboldt Steelhead Days will support river restoration, water education, and enhancement programs done by Mad River Alliance, California Trout’s Eel River Forum and projects of Mountain Community and Culture group in Willow Creek. Special hotel room rates have been arranged for out-of-the-area anglers by the Humboldt Lodging Alliance. To receive special rates, please ask for the Humboldt Steelhead Days rates over the phone when booking. Visit HSD Lodging page on the website for more info: humboldtsteelheaddays.com/lodging-information/

For sponsorship information, contact Dave Feral at madriveralliance@suddenlink.net or 707-382-6162 or Mary Burke, mburke@caltrout.org or (707) 825-0420. Sponsorship information is also available online at humboldtsteelheaddays.com/corporate-sponsorships

Mattole River set to open Jan 1
The Mattole River is scheduled to open to fishing on January 1, 2016 from 200 yards upstream of its mouth to the confluence with Stansberry Creek. Barbless hooks are required. The Mattole is also regulated by low flow closures, with a minimum flow of 320 cfs at the Petrolia gauging station.

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flows were back down below 10,000 cfs on Wednesday morning and the forecast is for the river to continue its downward trend. “It looks like it will fish towards the weekend, and the first of next week we’ll have some really good conditions,” said Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service. “We’re still getting some rain up here, with some really good downpours. Plunkers are hitting the banks already but I haven’t heard a great report as the river is still a bit high,” Early added.

Smith River
Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service reports the Smith should be high but fishable by Friday, with conditions looking good for the weekend. “It will be high on Friday, roughly 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge, but it should be plenty fishable. The weekend is shaping up nicely and the first of next week looks about perfect if we don’t get any more big rains. I’m sure a good shot of fish went through on the high water, but we’re just at the front edge of the season. I’m expecting to see plenty of fish around when we get back out there,” Coopman added.

Eel and Van Duzen rivers
According to Paul Grundman of Rio Dell’s Grundmans Sporting Goods, the main stem Eel is likely done until after the first of the year. As of Wednesday, it was flowing at 60,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge, but dropping. The south fork is also dropping, and according to Grundman, will be iffy at best to fish before the first of the year. The Van Duzen may fish sometime late next week, depending on how much rain falls in the next few days and what shape Yager Creek is in. “The Mattole, which opens to fishing on January 1, may be a good option,” Grundman added.

Mad River
The Mad dipped below monitor stage on Tuesday and is dropping slowly. With Ruth Lake running over the spillway, the Mad may be the last of the coastal rivers to turn green. “It may take two weeks of no rain before its green enough to fish bait,” said Justin Kelly of RMI Outdoors in Eureka. “With all the rain and snow, and now the extra water coming down, it will be slow to clear. I’m sure there’s fish around, and I’d expect we’ll see plenty of angling effort as the water recedes,” Kelly added.

Upper Trinity
With over 700 steelhead making their way back to the hatchery last week alone, that’s probably the end of the fall steelhead run on the Trinity reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service. He said, “Prior to the river blowing out on Sunday, fishing was good in the Junction City area. We landed quite a few on Thursday, with most in the four to seven pound range. The fish were real clean and I believe they were the first of the winter fish. Earlier in the week conditions weren’t ideal. The creeks were dirty, leaving the top end from Lewiston to Rush Creek as your best bet. Currently, the snow is melting pretty quick, which will keep the flows up.”

#NorthCoastFishing, #FishingTheNorthCoast, #ChetcoRiver, #SmithRiver,#VanDuzen, #MattoleRiver, #EelRiver, #TrinityRiver, #MadRiver, #wintersteelhead, #humboldtsteelheaddays

Steelhead make a showing on the Smith

Josh Rubio of Brookings landed a nice early-season winter steelhead Wednesday on the Smith River. After exceeding flood stage on Sunday, the Smith receded back to a beautiful emerald green color on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service

More rain on the way

Last week’s deluge put a little bit of a damper on the start of our coastal winter steelhead season. All of the North Coast rivers blew out, and some, like the Smith, even surpassed flood stage. But the quick-clearing Smith rebounded nicely, and by Tuesday it had receded enough to provide some decent action for those plunking by shore and boat. There were reportedly quite a few fish taken, mostly on the lower river. On Wednesday it had dropped just below 11 feet on the Jed Smith gauge, which is a good level for side-drifting. A handful of boats were out, and most of them caught a few adult steelhead. But now it looks like more wet weather is ahead, which will keep boats off the water until sometime next week. At least we know the fish are there, and that’s the most important part.

Weekend Forecast
According to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather Service, rain will be in the forecast everyday from Thursday until mid next week. “The first big storm will arrive Thursday night and go through Friday. Del Norte could see anywhere from three to five inches and Humboldt may see two to four inches. Saturday should bring showers, with snow hitting elevations above 3,000 feet. After a break on Saturday night, another big wave of precipitation will begin on Sunday and stick around through Tuesday. The rainfall totals are still moving around, but Del Norte could see from five to seven inches, four to six inches could hit Humboldt, and the Eel basin may see up to five inches. More showers are on tap for Wednesday, and looking out longer shows a continued wet pattern,” Kennedy added.

2016 Fishing license
A reminder that it’s the time of the year to purchase your 2016 license, which is required for residents 16 years of age or older to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptile in inland or ocean waters. The cost of a new resident sport fishing license is $47.01. A North Coast salmon report card, which will run you $6.22, is required for all anglers taking salmon in the Smith River System or Klamath-Trinity River System. If you plan to fish for steelhead, you’ll need to purchase a steelhead report card, which will cost $7.05 again this year. Fishing licenses and reports cards are available to purchase online. For more information, visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing

Holiday gift ideas for outdoor enthusiasts
If you’re looking for a great holiday gift for the outdoor enthusiasts in your life, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has a couple options according to their website. The 2016 Warden Stamp, a decal that can be displayed on vehicles and other items to show your support for California’s wildlife officers, is available online for a donation of just $5. Also, CDFW’s award-winning publication Outdoor California has a special offer. For just $12 for six issues, a 20-percent discount for the holidays, you can celebrate the state’s natural habitat and wildlife through in-depth features and outstanding photography. If there’s an angler on your list, consider purchasing a fishing license gift voucher for $47.01. All items are available for purchase http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ols

The Rivers:
Chetco River
Flows were back down under 6,000 cfs late Wednesday, but it was a brief reprieve. With more rain on the way, it’s predicted to peak at roughly 26,000 cfs on Friday morning. According to Val Early of Early Fishing Guide Service, after the next rise, it looks like it will be on the drop through next week. “I’m guessing we’ll be back on the water somewhere toward the beginning of the week. Plunking will be good when the river gets down below 12,000 cfs, although people will be out there before that time too. It looks like we’re done with major rain for a little bit anyway,” Early added.

Smith River
The Smith was a beautiful emerald green on Wednesday reports guide Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman’s Guide Service, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the color will stick around. He said, “The good news is there seems to be quite a few fish around. The bad news is we were only able to get a couple days on the water before it blows out again. The river fished really well on Tuesday and Wednesday, everyone I saw was catching fish. There were also a few hatchery fish landed too. It looks like the flows will be unstable into next week, I’m hoping we get a few days of plunking in.”

Eel, South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers
Both the upper South Fork Eel and Van Duzen dropped to a fishable level by Wednesday, but remained off-color. Both are predicted to blowout again with the next round of storms. The main stem Eel dropped to 7,000 cfs, but wasn’t close to fishable. Like the rest of the rivers, it too will blowout, peaking at over 33,000 cfs sometime Saturday afternoon.

Mad River
Receded to just about eight feet on Wednesday evening, but was still off-color. With more rain on the way, it doesn’t look like it will be green anytime soon. Projected to hit 12-feet on Friday afternoon and hang around 10-feet through Monday.

Upper Trinity
Steve Huber of Steve Huber’s Guide Service reports the Trinity colored up slightly following last week’s rain, but it’s back to mostly clear. He said, “The water is a little bigger, but it’s nice and clear. All the creeks are running clear and cold. It’s been real cold in the morning, which has thinned the crowds slightly. With the larger flows, a lot of fish are on their spawning beds and quite a few late fall steelhead moved into the upper river. We haven’t seen any winter fish show up yet, but they should be making their way through the Klamath and the lower Trinity now.”

#wintersteelhead, #fishingthenorthcoast, #smithriver, #steelhead, #wildsteelhead, #redwoodcoast, #californiafishing, #fishing, #fish, #humboldtsteelheaddays