Pacific Halibut Season Kicks OMonday

By Kenny Priest fishing@northcoastjournal.com

May 1 marks day one of our abbreviated ocean sport fishing season on the North Coast as Pacific halibut will open Monday. Our rockfish season will follow, opening on May 15, but will also be shorter than previous years. Without an ocean salmon season this year, these two fisheries will be more popular and will see more pressure than ever.

The Pacific halibut season will be open until Nov. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The 2023 Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 39,540 pounds — approximately the same as the 2022 quota. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will monitor catches of Pacific halibut during the season and provide catch projection updates on its Pacific halibut webpage, wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.

The fishery will be open seven days a week, and the limit remains at one with no size restrictions. When angling, no more than one line with two hooks attached may be used. A harpoon, ga or net may be used to assist in taking a Pacific halibut that has been legally caught by angling. For Pacific halibut regulations, visit wildlife. ca.gov/conservation/marine/pacific-halibut#31670771-pacific-halibut-regulations.

Determining that consumption of razor clams in the area poses a significant threat for domoic acid exposure, CDFW has closed the razor clam fishery in Humboldt County as of April 21. A sampling of razor clams from Clam Beach in Humboldt County in early April found clams exceeding the current federal action level for domoic acid of greater than or equal to 20 parts per million.

The Pacific halibut season opens May 1 on the North Coast. The season will run through Nov. 15 or until the quota is met. Pictured is a group of anglers who caught their limit of halibut while fishing out of Eureka last season.

The recreational clam fishery in Del Norte County is also closed at this time. CDFW will continue to work with the California Department of Public Health and O ce of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to collect, monitor and analyze razor clams to determine when the recreational razor clam fishery can be reopened safely in these areas.

For more information on any fishery closure or health advisories, visit wildlife. ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Health-Advisories.

To get the latest information on current fishing season closures related to domoic acid, call CDFW’s Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line at (831) 649-2883.

“Lingcod and rockfish action is good out of Brookings on calm weather days,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Good weather returns on Friday. Halibut season opens May 1. Some halibut have already been released. Deeper water fishes best early in the season, with fish in 220 to 300 feet of water. Fishing for hatchery coho opens June 17 out of Brookings.”

Reminder: The South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, Mattole, Mad, Redwood Creek and Chetco rivers all closed to fishing March 31.

The main stem Eel remains high and o color. As of Tuesday, flows were right around 10,000 cubic feet per second on the Scotia gauge. Warm weather the past few days has started the snowmelt, raising flows nearly 4,000 cfs since Saturday. With plenty of snow in the hills, it doesn’t look like it will drop to a fishable color or level anytime soon. The main stem Eel to the South Fork is open all year. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used from Apr. 1 through Sept. 30.

The lower Rogue is producing its best spring salmon fishing in years, with high catch rates of hatchery fish, according to Martin. “Guides anchoring and running anchovies and spinner blades, and shore anglers plunking Spin-N-Glos or 4.0 MagLips are getting into good numbers of fish, and many are getting limits. The peak of the season is here, but decent fishing will likely continue into June with high flows this spring. Wild springers must be released through May. The Umpqua also is having a strong springer run.”

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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.