FISHING THE NORTH COAST
Rough Seas Curtail Pacific Halibut Bite By Kenny Priest
fishing@northcoastjournal.com
W
hen the ocean has been fishable, the Pacific halibut have been chomping baits at a pretty good clip out of Eureka. Most of the charters and sport boats still fishing are scoring their one-fish-apiece limit. The biggest detriment has been the weather. Large swells have been the norm over the past few weeks, limiting the fleet to just a day here and there on the water. When the stars do align, the fishing has been very good. “There’s plenty of fish out there,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “Most of the action has been in the same general area, between the 49 and 54 lines in 200 to 300 feet of water.” According to Klassen, the majority of the fish are running between 10 and 20 pounds, but a few bigger fish have shown up. The top baits have been herring along with salmon and tuna bellies. Rough ocean conditions are in the forecast at least through the end of the week. The good news is with no fishing, the quota will last longer. The halibut fishery will run through Nov. 15, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. As of Sept. 12, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated 26,118 net pounds of Pacific halibut had been harvested toward the 39,260-pound quota. To view the latest catch projection information, visit www. wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking.
Recreational crab regulation changes for 2021
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The California Fish and Game Commission adopted new regulations for the recreational crab fishery in 2021. The revised regulations include the following new requirements when fishing with crab traps: • A standardized buoy and additional red buoy marker for each trap • All crab traps must be serviced at least every nine days • A Recreational Crab Trap Validation is required when fishing crab traps • A limit of 10 traps per person Also note that the CDFW director can now implement a season delay or early
NORTH COAST JOURNAL • Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 • northcoastjournal.com
season closure due to marine life entanglement risk. Notices of delay or closure will be posted on the CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries web page at least five days before any delay or closure. The Dungeness season is expected to reopen on Nov. 6. Crabbers can also sign up to receive important season information and updates on the Eureka resident Jazz Lewis landed a nice Pacific halibut while fishing web page. The new out of Eureka on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi, Full Throttle Sport Fishing regulations are in effect beginning Nov. 1. hours this week and landed seven fish to 27 The Recreational Crab Trap Validation can pounds right out front inside of the whistle.” now be purchased at www.wildlife.ca.gov/ Licensing/Fishing as well as from other Crescent City approved license sales agents. For more According to Britt Carson of Crescent information on regulations changes, visit City’s Englund Marine, tuna were caught last www.nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashxweekend 40 miles from the harbor. “Since ?DocumentID=195067&inline. Sunday, the ocean has been really rough,” he said. “When the boats can get out, the rockfish and lingcod bite is still excellent. The Eureka California halibut are pretty much done.” Rough ocean conditions have kept the boats tied up since Monday and it looks like more of the same all week. The Pacific Lower Klamath halibut bite remains solid between the 49 Salmon fishing slowed slightly late and 54 lines, weather permitting. Accordlast week, as the mouth was reportedly ing to Klassen, the rockfish action near sanded over. The fishing picked up on Cape Mendocino was tougher than usual Sunday, with jacks and some adults caught over the weekend. “There’s still lots of between Starwein and Blue Creek. With blacks but not big numbers of the other more than an inch of rain on Monday and species,” he said. “The ling cod bite wasn’t flows jumping up 400 cubic feet per secthat great, either. The ocean conditions ond, there should be plenty of fish moving could have put them off the bite.” through the mouth into the lower river. Shelter Cove ● The rockfish bite was great all week, acKenny Priest (he/him) operates cording to Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide Fishing. “We made it up to Rodgers break in service out of Humboldt specializing marginal conditions and did really good for in salmon and steelhead. Find it on a couple days,” he said. “The weather finally Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and laid down enough for us to get up to Gorda www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. on Sunday, and we had limits of rockfish For up-to-date fishing reports and and lings along with four Pacific halibut. We North Coast river information, email fished for salmon for about a total of eight kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.
The Oceans:
The Rivers:
