North Coast | Fishing the North Coast with Kenny Priest

California Halibut Derby on Humboldt Bay this Saturday, July 19

The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA.org) will be holding the first annual California Halibut Derby on Saturday, July 19. The fishing event will be held within the waters of Humboldt Bay and is a Slot Size Derby. Fishing times are from 5:30am to 2:30pm. Check-ins, Weigh-ins and Awards Ceremony will be held at Woodley Island, 601 Startare Drive at the East-I Lot Grass Area. Weigh-ins from 2:30-3:30pm. Must be in line with your fish by 3:30pm in order to qualify. A slot size measurement will be drawn at the Eureka Public Launching Facility (between Englund Marine and the Vista Del Mar on Eureka Waterfront Trail and posted to the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Adult payouts will be $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $150 for 3rd place. Youth Payouts – $100 for 1st place, $75 for 2nd place, $50 for 3rd place. Youth payouts will be in the form of RMI Outdoors gift cards. All Youths registered in the Derby will receive a rod and reel combo!

Big Fish Prize: entries will be California Halibut 30” and above. ONLY ONE Big Fish can be entered per entrant. In case of a tie, winner will be determined by weight. For the big fish, adult and youth divisions will be combined. Winner to be announced at event.

Other Prizes from our Partners, Sponsors

• Fishing Trips with Sea Hawk Sportfishing, F/V Wind Rose Charters, Crescent City Fishing with Steve Huber, and Alan Borges Guide Service

• Fishing Tackle & Gear from P-Line Fishing, Pacific Outfitters, Englund Marine, RMI Outdoors, Grundman’s Sporting Goods, Reel Steel Sportfishing, Bigfoot Bait Co, B2-Squid Co and more!

• $50 and $100 Gift Certificates from Leon’s Care Care, Six Rivers Brewery, Arcata Pizza Deli, The Mill Yard and more!

Winners will be announced at event. Find details about the other prizes on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Raffle Tickets for Purchase at Check In

Win donated raffle prizes at the event by purchasing ticket strips! You can purchase raffle tickets at the check in station at the event.

$20 = 5 raffle tickets

Fill out your full name on the back of the tickets and insert tickets into a drum or bucket. Tickets will be drawn at the event.

Contact Nor-Cal Guides Board of Directors Kenny Priest for more information, how to donate products or to sponsor the event. Email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com or call or text (707) 496-8671

California Halibut Derby Rules

You must be a CURRENT NCGASA MEMBER to PARTICIPATE in this Derby PAYOUTS AND PRIZES ARE BASED ON 70 minimum ADULT ENTRANTS.

FISHING HOURS: JULY 19 from 5:30 am to 2:30 pm • WEIGH-INS from 2:30pm to 3:30pm
RAFFLE PRIZES and AWARDS START AFTER LAST WEIGH IN
WHERE: Woodley Island, 601 Startare Drive East-I Lot/Grass Area
The boundaries of the 2025 California Halibut Derby are: All California halibut must be caught in the waters of Humboldt Bay

All entrants must be entered by Friday, July 18th by midnight. Derby event date is July 19 starting at 5:30 am and closing at 5:30 pm. Sign up and register at ncgasa.org/product/california-halibut-derby/. Registration fees will cover the entry into the event including annual 2025 annual membership to NCGASA. Current members will receive $20 in raffle tickets at event check in. There is a Youth division for 13 years old and under. Entrants closest to the slot size will win. There will be three winners for adult and youth. Derby fees are listed on website.
Payouts will be as follows for CALIFORNIA HALIBUT ONLY. 1st place $500, 2nd place $300, 3rd place $150. Youth payout: 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50. All adult payments will be a written check from NCGASA. Youth will receive Gift Cards. Prizes based on 70 minimum adult entrants and subject to change.
The Derby will officially draw the slot size July 19 at approx. 5:00 am LIVE on FACEBOOK. The NCGASA Board will have a qualifier of 3” over and under from the target size. Fish that fall within the slot size will be measured to the 1/16” up to 3” from target and weighed. (Example: 27” TARGET = qualifier 24” to 31”). The closest entrant to the slot size wins. Entrants can ONLY ENTER ONE FISH for the main slot category.
“Big Fish” entries will be California Halibut 30” and above. ONLY ONE “Big Fish” can be entered per entrant. In case of a tie, winner will be determined by weight. For the big fish, adult and youth divisions will be combined.
Measuring device and scale will be provided by the NCGASA Board of Directors and used for all the same fish. Upon an exact tie in length, with 2 Board of Directors confirming a tie, the winner will be decided by weight. All fish within 3” of the target length will be weighed. Biggest weight would take 1st and losing entrant takes 2nd. Upon a 3rd place tie, we will take the same direction. All disputes will be solved by NCGASA Board of Directors present at event.
A Slot Length of a fish is measured from the tip of nose, closed mouth to the CENTER of the tail. Measure your fish from the tip of nose to the center of a fanned-out tail. The tail should be fanned opened and it will be measured to its longest point in the center of the tail, not the tip of the tail.
All people on a vessel must be registered for the Derby if one is participating. For example: If there are four people in a boat, they all must be registered in the Derby. 2-3 people CANNOT fish as a team for one person. Any cheating on this will be a forfeiture of all monies paid for entrants on that vessel. Only exception is licensed guides do not have to be entered. Any licensed guide entered in the Derby must be a current member of NCGASA to avoid paying derby entry fee.
The boundaries of the 2025 California Halibut Derby are all waters within Humboldt Bay. All derby waters are off-limits at Friday, July 18 at Sunset until 5:30 am when you can launch your boat on Saturday, July 19. You are not allowed to be on the water before 5:30 am on Derby event day. If anyone sees you on the water before 5:30 am, besides getting ready to launch at the dock, you are automatically disqualified. Fishing event hours are ONLY from 5:30 am to 2:30 pm on event day.
All entrants must be in line for weigh-in before 3:30 pm. One minute late is an automatic disqualification. Weigh-in takes place at Woodley Island in Eureka at East I lot and weigh-in starts at 2:30pm and finishes by 3:30 pm. All awards and raffle will start after weigh-in is complete.
All derby monies and proceeds go to help fight to save our fisheries and wildlife in Northern, CA. NCGASA is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, and all donations are 100% tax write off. Tax ID # 680294956
All entrants and people helping with derby understand the risks involved with fishing and boating on Humboldt Bay and are required to follow all CA Department of boating and waterways procedures and California Department of Fish and Wildlife rules. All entrants must carry all boating safety equipment on their own vessels per CDFW. All Derby fish must be taken to the Woodley Island for weigh-in and measuring location between 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Winners will be reported to local police and investigated upon any form of foul play or cheating determined by the NCGASA Board of Directors. By registering online, all Derby participants understand and are responsible for all the risks to participate in this event.
All entrants must follow all local, state, and federal laws in this Derby. All CDFW laws are required to be followed. All fish must be caught in the mouth and landed legally by hand or net. You may use any legal technique to fish for California Halibut.
NCGASA reserves the right to deploy emergency rule changes if deemed necessary by the NCGASA Board of Directors. Please make sure that you check the NCGASA Facebook and Instagram account before the start of the derby or any changes to the rules will be announced at that time.

Questions: ncgasa530@gmail.com Kenny (707) 496-8671 or Tracy (707) 496-2948

Coastal King Season Off and Running

Smith and Chetco both kick out big kings

Haley Richards, who grew up in Crescent City but now lives in Salem, Ore., holds a salmon caught over the weekend with guide Rye Phillips of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The season’s first big storms hit North Coast over the weekend and the Smith and Chetco both kicked out good numbers of kings. Both rivers have been loaded with kings in their lower sections for quite some time, and when the rivers finally rose, they were on the move.

On Friday evening, the Smith went well over river level projections, but peaked and was on the drop Saturday morning, providing nearly perfect conditions from the forks to below the 101 Bridge. Fishing was wide-open, with most drift boats putting up double-digit scores on salmon of all sizes and colors. Fishing continued to be excellent through the weekend, but the river dropped quickly.

With the Smith dropping and clearing, the focus Sunday was squarely on the Chetco. After going over river level projections and peaking at 10,000 cfs Friday, it needed Saturday to clear up and by Sunday it was game on with wide-open fishing. By Monday the river had dropped to under 4,000 cfs and was clearing quick. Fishing has been decent all week, with most of the action on the lower end.

Both rivers are now low and clear and in need of rain. And it’s on the way. Large rises are predicted starting Monday, and both should see a push of fresh salmon.

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

Smith
Fishing slowed this week on the Smith as the river dropped and cleared quickly. Flows were down to 850 cfs by Thursday, and it could close prior to the weekend. If it does close, it will be short lived as the next storm is forecast to hit Sunday night. The river is expected to peak at 7,300 cfs Tuesday morning. Rain is in the forecast for most of the week, so conditions should be good. The daily bag limit is one Chinook salmon per day and no more than five wild Chinook salmon over 22 inches per year. Minimum flow: 600 cfs at the Jedediah Smith State Park gauging station. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Mad
Forecast to reach 880 cfs by Tuesday and should have some color. Rain is in the forecast for much of next week. Minimum flow: 200 cfs at the gauging station at the Highway 299 bridge. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
Flows are predicted to surpass 800 cfs Tuesday morning, and could be fishable. With more rain in the forecast next week, it could remain open to fishing all week. The Eel River is open to catch and release of salmon in 2024/25. Minimum Flow: 350 cubic feet per second at the gauging station near Scotia.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
As of Thursday, it looks like the South Fork could rise above the minimum flow requirements by mid next week. Flows are predicted to peak next Tuesday and could remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 340 cfs at the gauging station at Miranda. cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
If the storm prediction is correct, the Van Duzen should approach 250 cfs by next Tuesday morning. It’s predicted to remain above the minimum flow threshold all week. Minimum flow: 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Chetco/Elk/Sixes
“Salmon fishing has been decent on the Chetco, with hot fishing following last week’s rain, and plenty of fish with tougher conditions as it drops out this week,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Back-bouncing roe is accounting for most of this fish as the river becomes low and clear. Plugs worked well over the weekend. The river crested at 10,000 cfs, and was down to 3,900 cfs the next morning. It is now down to 600 cfs. More rain is expected to begin next week, which should kick the Elk and Sixes into high gear.”

Sixes River low flow angling closure lifted
Beginning Nov. 1, the Sixes River low flow angling closure was lifted according to a press release issued by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It states, “ODFW closed a portion of the river to angling Oct. 1 to protect wild fall chinook salmon vulnerable to snagging or poaching while staging between Crystal Creek and Hughes House Boat Ramp. With increased flows, salmon are now migrating upstream.

Anglers are reminded the bag limit for wild adult chinook in the Sixes River is one adult chinook per day, 10 for the season. Elk River, just south of Sixes River is closed to retention of wild fall chinook this year.” For more information, check the ODFW Recreation Report.

Sport crabbing update
The sport Dungeness crab season opened Saturday, but the weather failed to cooperate. Boats didn’t make it offshore out of Eureka due to large swells. The ocean finally laid down enough Wednesday, and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing was one of the boats setting gear for Thursday’s crab trips. With a 24-hour soak, Klassen needed just 4 pots to get 60 crabs. “The crabs were all good size, we only had a couple shorts,” said Klassen. “The crabs were really clean and looked pretty full.”

Inside Humboldt Bay, which is typically a good plan B, was reportedly slow for the handful of boats that braved the weather. Offshore conditions look decent for Friday, but a south wind is predicted for the weekend with seven to eight-foot swells.

Nicole McCain of Carson City NV., holds a nice ling cod caught this week out of Shelter Cove. Photo courtesy of Jake Mitchell, Sea Hawk Sport Fishing

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, rock fishing was pretty good over the weekend in marginal conditions. He said, “The lingcod bite was really good. Crabbing started a little on the slow side, but we managed limits and the meat quality was excellent. Conditions look good the next few days before they start to deteriorate towards the end of the weekend.”

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

North Coast Rivers Likely to Remain Closed

Incoming Storm Won’t Pack Enough Punch To Open Rivers

The Chetco estuary continues to be the hot spot for kings, with plenty of big ones being landed daily. Pictured above is Capt. Rye Phillips, right, of Brookings Fishing Charters holding a client’s salmon. Photo courtesy of Brookings Fishing Charters

The good news is we’re about to see a weather pattern shift, bringing with it the first rainstorm of the season. Unfortunately, it looks like it will fall well short of what we need to open up the rivers to fishing. The bulk of the rain is forecast to fall south of the Mad River. The main stem Eel could see up to a half inch on Saturday while the South Fork Eel may see up to three-quarters of an inch. While this will help, the parched rivers will need inches of rain along with consistent storms to open them up. Hopefully this is just the beginning and the storm door has been pushed open. In the meantime, the Chetco continues to be the bright spot on the coast for kings. If you’re looking for big fish, you’ll want to get there before the rains come and they all make their way upriver.

Weekend marine forecast
South winds, albeit slight, are in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. As of Thursday afternoon, out 10 nautical miles, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 4 feet at 11 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 14 seconds. Saturday, winds will be out of the southeast 10 to 15 knots with south waves 4 feet at five seconds and west 6 feet at 11 seconds. Sunday, winds will be up to 5 knots out of the northwest with west waves 6 feet at 11 seconds and south 2 feet at 13 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or https://www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Expired marine flare collection events
In an Oct. 9 press release issued by California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), the Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch campaign have partnered with CalRecycle, and the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, Del Norte County, Humboldt County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, the City of Morro Bay, the Port of LA, and the Port of San Diego can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall.

A collection date for Del Norte and Humboldt County has been set for Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1700 State Street, Crescent City. For more information, visit www.calpsc.org/marineflareswitchcampaign

Warnings lifted for some shellfish in Humboldt County
According to a press release issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), shellfish safety notifications have been lifted for sport-harvested mussels, scallops, and most types of clams from Humboldt County. A warning against eating sport-harvested razor clams from Humboldt County remains in effect as razor clams are a high risk for long-term elevated levels of domoic acid. Razor clams are known to retain domoic acid toxin in their meat and tissues much longer than other species of bivalve shellfish. More information can be found here.

Dungeness crab testing continues
Domoic acid testing in Dungeness crabs continues on the California coast. To date, samples from Half Moon Bay/San Francisco (Pidgeon and Pillar Point) and four collection sites off Bodega Bay have been reported. Only the Russian River site exceeded the action level of 30 parts per million. For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/DomoicAcid.aspx

The Oceans:
Eureka
“Excellent ocean conditions last weekend allowed boats to venture out to the deep water for rockfish where the fishing was excellent,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “The Pacific halibut bite was slow over the weekend, but there wasn’t much effort. “Ocean conditions are looking good again this weekend.”

Shelter Cove
According to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing, the deep water rock fishing was really good over the weekend with easy limits, but only a lingcod per rod. “Looks like we have some decent weather coming up this weekend again,” said Mitchell. “Most of the effort was along the edge of the canyon.”

Brookings
Halibut fishing remains decent out of Brookings, while lingcod and rockfish action has been good reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Sport crabbing also is good,” said Martin. “The forecast looks promising this weekend.”

North Coast river closures
Currently, all North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, including the Eel, Mad, Redwood Creek, Smith and Van Duzen are closed. Sections of rivers that are open include the main stem Smith River from its mouth to the mouth of Rowdy Creek.

The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any river will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2025.

The Rivers:
Lower Klamath
Water conditions on the lower Klamath remain off color and unfishable. Conditions should begin to improve soon as dam removal work has finished and water clarity is improving upriver. It’s not likely conditions will improve enough for steelhead fishing before the rains come.

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

Chetco/Rogue
According to Martin, lots of big salmon are being caught in the Chetco estuary, while a few salmon also have moved into the tidewater. “The good fishing has attracted big crowds, with more than 30 boats crammed into the small area between the jetties. Fish to 40 pounds are being caught daily. With no major rain in the forecast, the estuary fishing is expected to last for another few weeks. Salmon fishing has slowed in the Rogue Bay, but kings and coho are still moving through.”

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