Fishing the North Coast

Kenny Priest
Times Standard Fishing Report

Ocean fishing hit-or-miss due to wind 

Salmon action slows on the Klamath, Trinity 

The lousy sea conditions continue to complicate the ocean fishing season along the North Coast. The amount of wind and swells directly affects where the boats can and can’t go and what species they can target. With our current weather pattern — which is calling for big winds out of the north this weekend — runs to the cape for rockfish and trips to the halibut grounds have been put on hold. This leaves us with salmon fishing as the only option, at least out of Eureka.

Last week's breezy forecasts never did materialize and the charter and private boats took advantage, stringing together three or four days on the water, but with mixed results. The break in the weather allowed boats to hit the cape for rockfish and they found plenty willing to bite. Some nice halibut were also caught, including a 72 lb beauty caught by one of Tim Klassen’s clients aboard the Reel Steel. The salmon action, unfortunately, wasn’t as hot. The average over weekend was one to four salmon per boat with lots of zeros. The majority of the fish are coming straight out west near the whistler buoy in 130 to 160 feet of water. On the positive side, when our weather pattern does make a change for the better, at least we know the rockfish and halibut will be willing and ready to bite.

Skipper Phil Glenn on the Shellback had his best day of year on Sunday when he put four salmon in the boat. “The conditions look great for salmon, the water temperature is good and there’s lots of bait, but the big schools of fish just aren’t here yet,” Glenn said.

Captain Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sportfishing did his share of trolling last week and averaged one to three salmon per outing. “There just doesn’t appear to be a lot of fish around, but the ones that we’re catching are healthy and full of fight. It’s taking everything we have to get these fish in the net,” Blasi added. Skipper Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing landed four salmon on Monday, which was by far his best day of the week. “The crummy weather we’re having hasn’t allowed the boats to really spread out yet. There may be a bunch of fish to the north or south, but no one’s been able to get to them,” said Klassen. In Trinidad, Captain Brendan Semmes of Northwind Charters reports a very good halibut and rockfish bite last week when the weather cooperated. “The salmon are few and far between at the moment, but we’re hoping that will change soon. The rockfish fish bite continues to be solid, with lots of real nice lings hitting the deck. We’re also getting between two and four keeper crabs when we’re running our combo trips,” Semmes added. 

Windy weekend ahead

The weekend ocean conditions from Pt. St. George down to Cape Mendocino aren’t looking too fishable. For Saturday and Sunday (out 10 nautical miles) the forecast is calling for winds coming out of the north at 15-25 knots with combined seas seven to ten feet. Friday could be fishable early, with winds 10-20 knots, five to seven foot swells with three to five foot wind waves. Near shore, Friday’s forecast is calling for winds nine to 15 knots with four-foot swells and wind waves three to four feet. On Saturday and Sunday, we’re looking at a north wind 12 to 19 knots with swells and wind waves both around four feet. For up-to-date weather forecasts, 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. 

Trinity River safety precautions:

With the coming weekend being the July 4th holiday and the possibility of a large number of vacationers taking advantage of the weather on or near the Trinity River, the National Weather Service Office in Eureka has issued the following safety advisory:

“Along the Trinity River, temperatures during the day will be in the mid 80s to lower 90s for the July 4th weekend. However, the water temperatures on the Trinity River will be in the lower 60s. The cold water temperatures can paralyze your muscles and make it hard to keep your head above water.  As of Tuesday, June 29, the Trinity River water temperature at Hoopa was near 63 degrees with a flow near 5,000 cubic feet per second. At Burnt Ranch the flow was near 3,300 cubic feet per second. Boaters and swimmers should use life vests because of swift currents and the cold water temperatures.” 

HASA, Humboldt Tuna Club to hold rally

The Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers and the Humboldt Tuna Club are asking all their friends who love the North Coast to join them in creating a huge rally on land and at sea against the MLPA on Wednesday, July 7 at 4:30 p.m., at the MLPA “Summer Public Open House” at Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, 921 Waterfront Drive, Room 211 in Eureka. Organizers are asking anglers to “Float your boat” in front of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center or pay your respects in the parking lot. Bring your signs, flags and noisemakers. 

The Oceans:

Eureka
“The weather looks iffy for the weekend,” according to Phil Pritting of Englund Marine in Eureka. “Last weekend the forecast was calling for some pretty good wind, which never materialized, so make sure and check the weather before you head out. Who knows, the forecast could really change by the weekend. From what I’m hearing the salmon are scattered with most coming in 120-150 feet of water north off the stacks. The ocean is full of bait, anchovies, herring, sardines, krill, and smelt, so the conditions are right. There is also a decent amount of bait showing up in the bay, so the California Halibut bite could be picking up. I also heard of a salmon that was landed off the jetty on Sunday, so that’s a possibility as well,” added Pritting. 

Crescent City

According to Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine, there’s very little salmon fishing going on right now. “The rockfish bite has been good, but anglers are having to work a little to find limits. The redtail perch bite was steady last week to the north of us, with sandcrabs, clams, and mussels the top baits. There were also quite a few horseneck clams taken out of the bay during last weeks minus tides,” Hegnes added. 

Shelter Cove:

The salmon action is slow right now according to Russ Thomas of Mario’s Marina in Shelter Cove. “The weather is keeping most of the boats from venturing too far out in search of salmon, but there’s lots of bait around. There’s been some nice halibut taken near the whistle and the rockfish bite has been real steady, with most everyone coming back with limits,” Thomas added. The boat launching service, which is up and running again, now has a direct phone line, (707) 986-1234 and according to Thomas, they’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. 

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

The spring salmon bite over the weekend was steady, with most boats getting one to two opportunities per day. The river is in perfect shape color-wise, but with the water level dropping, spots that were catching fish a week ago are no longer fishable due to either lack of current or they’re too shallow. I did hear of a few boats that caught up to three fish on Wednesday, so more fish could still be coming. 

Trinity

Rick Frederick of Hawkins Bar Mini Mart (530) 629-1142 reports the spring salmon bite has slowed the past two to three days at Gray Falls and Burn Ranch areas. “Last weekend the fishing was great, but now I think we’re at the tail end of the run here, as far as big numbers of fish. The water is still pretty high and will start to come down after the July 4th weekend, which should slow the fish down and force them to hold up in the deeper holes. The bait of choice has been a combination of tuna balls and roe,” Frederick added.

Questions, comments, tips, and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com


 

Salmon season opens with a thud

Rockfish bite wide-open
Last weekend’s salmon opener was not all that it was cracked up to be, with only a handful of kings landed. In talking with the local experts, the main culprit behind the salmon disappearance is the wind and current coming in from the south. These currents apparently planted a large patch of warm water along the North Coast. We’re not talking tuna water, but rather 57 to 58 degree water, which salmon don’t find particularly to their liking. Until the wind and current starts coming out of the northwest, the salmon will be hard to come by. According to Troy NicoliniTroy Nicolini of Eureka’s National Weather Service, “The long-range forecast is calling for a brief change in the current pattern on Saturday, then we’ll be right back to a wet pattern with southerly swells on Sunday. Obviously that can change, but that’s what our models are showing right now,” Nicolini added.

Birthday tradition lives on:
Last year my girlfriend and I started a tradition of going salmon fishing on her birthday. Her birthday falls on the Memorial Day weekend, which luckily for me, happens to coincide with the spring salmon run on the Klamath River. Last year we spent the holiday weekend fishing with guide Mike Coopman on the Klamath River. Of course she caught a huge king and I caught nothing. So, when her birthday rolled around this year I figured I’d better call up Coopman and get us penciled in.


We met Coopman at the boat ramp at 3:45 a.m. or as my girlfriend likes to say, “we were up at o-dark-thirty.” We made our way up river to one of his favorite spots and after setting the anchor and putting the spinners in the water, Coopman proceeded to cook us up a hearty breakfast. If you’ve read my column before, you’ll know this is one of my girlfriend’s requirements if she is to fish that early in the morning.

Around 7 a.m. we had our first take down and my girlfriend ran to the bent rod. Ladies first, as tradition would have it, or as she exclaimed, “If you aint first, you’re last.” Seemed fitting as we were quoting lines from the Talladega Nights movie all day long. 

While Coopman and I cleared the other rods and turned the anchor loose, my girlfriend was fighting what turned out to be an ocean-fresh 20 lb king salmon. So, the birthday tradition lives on — girlfriend lands big salmon and boyfriend gets skunked. The big fish was our only fish of the day. Birthday-girl-power bragging rights were in order once again.

Weekend forecast
The wind is forecasted to lie down on the weekend after blowing up to 20 knots Thursday and Friday. Saturday we’re looking at wind less than five knots with seven-foot swells coming out of the West and wind waves around 1 foot. Sunday is calling for wind up to 5 knots in the morning, then becoming six to 11. Swells are predicted out of the NNW at six to seven feet with wind waves at one to two feet.

For up-to-date weather forecasts, 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.

The Oceans:

Eureka
“The salmon opener was pretty rough for just about everyone,” according to Phil Pritting of Englund Marine in Eureka. “We had a couple of salmon come in on Sunday that were full of dayfish, so my guess is they were feeding near the beach. The few fish that were caught came from down south near the mouth of the Eel and Centerville Beach. The forecast for the weekend isn’t looking great, your best bet may be the jetty’s, — either from the shore or by boat. We’re still waiting for bait to show up in the bay, until then it will be tough fishing for California Halibut,” added Pritting. 

Though the salmon bite was slow over the weekend, the local charter boats are reporting fantastic rockfish action from Trinidad down to Cape Mendocino. After dragging salmon bait around for the better part of two days, Skipper Phil Glen of Celtic Charter Service headed south to the Cape on Monday for some rockfish action. What he found was a nice grade of reds, coppers and blacks. He also boated 6 lings for his clients. On his way home, he ran into a school of bait and diving birds, so he dropped the down the salmon gear and landed a nice keeper. Good way to end the day.

Captain Tim Klassen on the Reel Steel also had zero kings to show for two solid days of trolling, so he too headed for the Cape on Monday. Klassen reported that the rockfish bite was excellent and he came home with limits of both rockfish and lings.

After sitting out the salmon opener with a minor boat issue, Captain Gary Blasi on the Seaweasel was back on the water Sunday. What he found was warm water and no salmon. On Monday he trolled his way down to the Cape and had a couple grabs, but nothing stuck. When he arrived at the Cape, he put quick limits of big rockfish in the box.

Skipper Matt Dallam, of Northwind Charters, fishing out of Trinidad didn’t find any salmon on the weekend, but found plenty of hungry halibut and rockfish. Monday he boated four halibut to 50 lbs and put two more in the box on Tuesday. Matt also found the rockfish and lings eager to bite and boated limits each day.

Crescent City
Chris Hegnes of Crescent City’s Englund Marine didn’t hear of a single salmon landed on the weekend, but reports the rockfish bite was excellent. “Just about everyone who went for bottom fish got limits or close to it,” Hegnes added.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath
The springer action on the Klamath continues to be steady according to Mike Coopman’s Guide Service. “On Wednesday we went five for six, with the big fish weighing 25 lbs. Overall, boats are averaging four to five hookups a day and landing about half of them. The river’s going to get quite a bit of rain and is predicted to rise about eight feet between now and the weekend, which will make conditions real tough. The clarity of the water will certainly be a factor as well as how wide the river will get. The salmon will be able to pass on the inside of the boats amongst the willows where you won’t be able to get a spinner out,” Coopman added.

 

Questions, comments, tips, and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

 

Time to hook some Chinook

The signs are there — birds, bait, krill, crab larvae, sea lions, whales and even salmon sharks — all indicate hungry salmon are in the vicinity. We’ll know for sure come Saturday as the sport ocean salmon season officially opens along our part of the North Coast from Horse Mountain north to the Oregon border.

In talking with some of the local charter boat captains, they unanimously agree on one thing — the ocean is absolutely teeming with life. The hope is this life will translate into a banner year for sport salmon anglers who, for the better part of three years, have been deprived of fishing for the prized fish of the North Coast, the Chinook salmon.

While just about everyone is ecstatic with the length of this year’s salmon season, you can’t help but question the science behind it — especially with two years of low salmon returns on the Sacramento River and virtual shutdown of commercial and sport fishing up and down the California coast. According to Mark Heisdorf, an Associate Biologist with California Dept. of Fish and Game, it’s all about the “jacks” that return to the rivers. Jacks, or 2-year old salmon, are the leading predictor for the following year’s 3-year old salmon. According to Heisdorf, each jack returning to the San Joaquin and Sacramento river system translates into roughly 25-30 3-year old adult salmon. Last year, just over 9,000 jacks returned, meaning about 245,000 3-year adults are swimming off our coast. And that’s just the Central Valley stocks. The Klamath also use jacks as a predictor, and if the science is right, another 220,000 Klamath 3-year old salmon are out there as well. Add in a good number of 4 and 5-year old fish, and you’ve got the makings of good salmon season. Let’s hope so.

Regulations:

Our 2010 ocean sport salmon season runs from May 29 through September 6 and is open from Humbug Mountain, OR south to Horse Mountain, CA. The daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species (except coho) with a minimum size limit of 24 inches. No more than one daily bag limit of salmon may be taken or possessed by any one person. No salmon punch card is required for ocean salmon fishing and anglers will no longer have to display their sport fishing license on their outer clothing above the waist, but their sport fishing license must still be in their possession while fishing.

With hatcheries producing more and more salmon, there is a good chance more will be caught by anglers this year than in years past. Fish and Game Biologist will once again be stationed at all the launch areas interviewing anglers and examining hatchery salmon. Please be courteous to them as they gather data for research purposes, which will help our future salmon runs.

Gear restrictions:

North of Pt. Conception: No more than two (2) single-point, single-shank barbless hooks shall be used and no more than one rod per angler when fishing for salmon or fishing from a boat or floating device with salmon on board.

Horse Mt. to Pt. Conception: If fishing with bait and angling by any other means than trolling, no more than two (2) single-point, single-shank barbless circle hooks shall be used. The distance between the two hooks must not exceed five (5) inches when measured from the top of the eye of the top hook to the inner base of the curve of the lower hook and both hooks must be permanently tied in place (hard tied). Barbless hooks are required and anglers are limited to one rod per person when salmon fishing or when fishing from a boat with salmon on board.

Important reminders:

According to Ed Roberts, Associate Marine Biologist with CDFG in Eureka, when fishing for halibut, rockfish, and salmon, or any combination of the three, the more restrictive gear and depth restrictions apply. When targeting rockfish, cabezon, greenling and lingcod, or once any of these species are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to fishing in waters shallower than 120 feet when fishing for other species.
When targeting salmon, or once salmon are aboard and in possession, anglers are limited to using barbless hooks (barbless circle hooks if fishing south of Horse Mountain) when fishing for other species.

Marine forecast

It couldn’t have come at a better time — sunny skies are predicted for the holiday weekend! The ocean conditions aren’t looking too shabby either. Saturday’s forecast, out five nautical miles from the bay entrance, is calling for NNE wind eight to 15 knots becoming NNW in the morning with a mixed swell, NW 3 feet and W 1 foot and wind waves 3 to 4 feet. Sunday is looking a little better with a NNW wind seven to nine knots. The swell is forecasted to be WNW two to three feet with wind waves 2 to 3 feet. Ocean conditions in Crescent City are looking comparable to Eureka. 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.

Weekend tides – Humboldt Bay

For the anglers who aren’t aware, there could be potential early morning hazardous bar conditions this weekend 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. 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/

• Sat., May 29 (High: 12:32 a.m. and 2:32 p.m.) (Low: 7.36 a.m. (-1.5). and 7: 18 p.m.)

• Sun., May 30 (High: 1:13 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.) (Low: 8:17 a.m. (-1.2) and 8:04 p.m. 

Outlooks from the pros and where they’re headed:

PHILLIP GLEN of Celtic Charter Service (Eureka)
Outlook: My sense is we’ll have a good opener. The water temps are looking good and I’ve seen lots of birds working, especially in close. The bait balls that I’ve seen have been in 30-35 fathoms. I haven’t seen many fish roll, but all the signs are there. My plan is to head out SW and start looking for birds and baits as well as edges of the current that hold baitfish. Once I find some activity, I’ll drop the lines in.

TIM KLASSEN of Reel Steel Sport Fishing (Eureka)
Outlook: I think we’re in for a good year and I’m optimistic about this weekend. The last time I was on the water I saw an incredible amount of birds working off Table Bluff. The water down that way was dirty, which the baitfish like, but that could have changed since then. Last week the water temps were around 50 degrees, I’m hoping to find some water around 52 degrees. More than likely, I’ll head south to Table Bluff on Saturday and start there.

GARY BLASI of Full Throttle Sportfishing (Eureka)
Outlook: I’ve been seeing all kinds of life — birds, bait, whales, and even salmon sharks, out deep in 220 to 300 feet of water.  That’s probably where I’ll start on Saturday. Hopefully all the boats will spread out so we can cover some water. I’m confident the fish will be here. Historically, we’ve done well this time of year off Eureka and all indications are pointing to a good year.

MATT DALLAM of Northwind Charters (Trinidad)
Outlook: Over the past week, I’ve been seeing schools of large sardines and lots of birds, as well as whales feeding on crab larvae. I haven’t seen any salmon on the surface due to the choppy water, but all the signs are there. My plan is to head straight west and start looking for whales. Once I see the signs, I’ll use my electronics to locate columns of bait and we’ll start fishing.

PHIL PRITTING of Eureka’s Englund Marine
Outlook: The weather’s shaping up nicely for the opener and I’m guessing there will be fish around. The fact that no one has caught Klamath or Trinity River fish in the ocean for the last three years tells me it should be a great year. From what I’m hearing, the bait has been in close. My plan would be to head straight out and start fishing in 150 feet of water and then start tacking SW. Historically, May has been a very windy month with lots of days spent at port. On an average year, June will produce lots of fish in the 12 to 18 lb range, with the big fish coming in July. The best piece of advise I can give is if you catch a fish, make sure and mark the spot on your GPS and circle back through it.

CHRIS HEGNES of Crescent City’s Englund Marine
Outlook: The last week or so the commercial boats coming back to port have started seeing some good indicators that some salmon are around — birds and bait. The water temp has been ranging from 50 to 54 degrees, which is good. My advice would be to take the 260 line out of the harbor and head out to 40-50 fathoms outside of the big reef, working out from there. Another good spot this time of year has been off the Sisters in about 22 fathoms of water.

Big fish contest:

Eureka’s Englund Marine is once again holding its annual Big Salmon Contest. The event, which runs from May 29 to September 6, 2010, is co-sponsored by Suddenlink. There will be prizes for the top three fish and all entries are eligible for “door prize” drawings. For all the rules and regulations, visit Englund Marine at 2 Commercial St., or call (707) 444-9266.

Charter contacts:

Eureka: Celtic Charter Service (Shellback), 707-442-7115, Reel Steel Sport Fishing, 707-499-4925, Full Throttle Sportfishing, 707-498-7473, E & D Charters, 707-668-5850

Trinidad: Trinidad Bay Charters, 707-839-4743, Patrick's Point Charters, 707-445-4106, Northwind Charters, 707-616-5803

Crescent City: Tally Ho II Ocean Charters, 707-464-1236, Golden Bear Fishing Charters, 707-951-0119

Phone numbers and radio channels:

Note: all area codes start with (707)

• U.S Coast Guard Humboldt Bay Samoa Station, 443-2212

• Group Air Station (McKinleyville), 839-6113

• For a bar report or to contact the Coast Guard, marine VHF channel 16

• Recreational boats, marine VHF channel 68

• Woodley Island Marina, marine VHF channel 14

• CA Dept. of Fish and Game, Eureka office, 445-6493

• DFG Cal-Tip, 888-DFG-CALTIP (888-334-2258)

• Ocean Salmon Sport Regulations hotline (707) 576-3429 

Fuel available on the bay:

Englund Marine (Eureka: 444-9266) hours: Mon. – Sat., 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sun. 6 a.m. –noon; E-Z Landing (King Salmon: 442-1118) hours: Mon. – Sat., 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m. – noon; Johnny’s Marina (King Salmon: 442-2284) hours: Every day 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

Bait dealers:

Pro Sport Center (Eureka) 443-6328; Englund Marine (Eureka) 444-9266; Redwood Marine (Eureka) 443-7029; Bucksport Sporting Goods (Eureka) 442-1832; Mad River Outfitters (Arcata) 826-7201; CVS Pharmacy (Eureka) 443-7045; CVS Pharmacy (Arcata)  822-2414; Shafers Ace Hardware (Eureka) 442-5734; Broadway Gas & Deli (Eureka) 442-5507

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

The action on the lower Klamath has really picked up over the last week according to Mike Coopman of Coopman’s Guide Service. “Most of the boats are landing between two and five salmon per trip with lots of action, up to eight takedowns per day. We’re starting to see more boats each day and I’d expect the river to be crowded this weekend,” Coopman added. 

 

Questions, comments, tips, and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com

 

Eureka boats load up on rockfish

Halibut bite slows
For the boats that made the left turn out of Humboldt Bay and trekked down to Cape Mendocino over the weekend, the reward was limits of tasty bottom fish. The halibut bite on the other hand, has tapered off the last few days. On Saturday, the boats that stayed close to home and drifted for halibut had a miserable day. A fierce wind and a ripping current made it nearly impossible to keep your bait anywhere near the bottom, even with four-pound balls. The lone bright spot was a 34lb halibut caught by a 13 year-old angler who was fishing with Captain Gary Blasi aboard the Seaweaseal. But that was it for the Seaweasel and most of the other boats reported big fat zeroes.

While Blasi and Captain Tim Klassen on the Reel Steel fought the elements out front, Captain Phil Glenn on the Shellback ran to the Cape for rockfish on Saturday. Though he ended the day with limits for his four paying customers, the action was anything but red-hot. He hit all his favorite spots, having to really work them over to get his fish. But he got them.

On Sunday the ocean flattened and the fleet took advantage — steaming south for both rockfish and halibut. As the old saying goes, “What a difference a day makes.” Captains Blasi and Klassen seized the opportunity and ran way south, past the Cape in search of halibut. The fishing wasn’t great, but both boats landed one nice halibut each. Heading back north, they dropped their lines at the Cape and both reported easy limits of rockfish, with a few big lings mixed in. The Shellback, who headed straight for the rockfish grounds in the morning, put seven limits in the cooler as well as a 14 lb ling.

The baits of choice for Klassen were shrimp flies and split-tail scampi jigs. Glenn's top getter for rockfish and lings were shrimp flies and diamond jigs. Blasi’s top producer was the three-ounce Pucci Minnow.

Weekend marine forecast:

Let’s just hope Mother Nature is getting all this bad weather out of her system in time for the May 29 salmon opener. Conditions for Saturday off the coast of Eureka are looking more fishable each day — though a run to the Cape may be iffy. The wind is predicted to blow seven to nine knots, with swells up to eight feet. Sunday, the wind will get up to 15 knots, with six foot swells and three foot wind waves. North to Crescent City, the ocean isn’t looking any better. Saturday you’re looking at wind up to 10 knots with eight-foot swells. On Sunday, the wind is predicted to blow up to 20 knots, swells to six feet and wind waves to four feet. Trinidad will probably be your best bet as the boats are closer to where the fish are. The early morning trips will be best.

For up-to-date weather and marine forecasts, visit www.weather.gov/eureka

Saltwater Tackle Tips:

With the North Coast saltwater fishing season in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to talk about maintaining your saltwater rods and reels. There are different ideas for this process, below are some of the more common methods.

1) The most important rule is to make sure and wash your gear after every trip. Never leave your saltwater fishing tackle sitting after coming back from a fishing trip or you’ll risk permanent damage from salt corrosion. The reason for this is that every time saltwater gets on the reel and dries, it leaves a microscopic coating of “crystalline” salt residue. This salt coating will not only attack the components in the reel but will create the same wearing and or binding effect as sand or dirt.

2) Remove reel from rod. Never try and clean a fishing reel when it’s still attached to a rod. The rods can be wet down and washed off using the car wash cleaner and a mesh scrubby. A light cleaning is all that’s required. A harsh scrub could damage the guides or wraps on the rods.

3) Soak a towel in clean, cold water and squeeze some dish soap onto the towel. Wipe down all exposed surfaces of the reel to remove salt and slime. Rinse the reel in cold, running water to remove soap, salt and loosened dirt.

4) Remove the spool on a spinning reel by unscrewing the lock nut on the top of the reel. Remove the spool on a baitcaster reel by unscrewing the knob on the side opposite the handle or by removing the screws on the reel side opposite the handle to separate the two halves so the spool can slide off.

5) Rinse the spool and fishing line under cold, running water.

6) Use cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean the spool spindle and metal parts inside the spool housing. Alcohol will help dissolve and remove dried salts and minerals that can corrode and grind down metal parts.

7) Place the reel and spool on a clean, dry towel and allow it to air-dry completely.

8) Add a drop or two of reel oil, not WD-40, which leaves a residue and attracts dirt, to the spool spindle, the reel handle and on either side of the line bail on spinning reels. Add a drop of oil to the line level on a baitcasting reel. The line level is the wire loop that glides back and forth on the top of a baitcasting reel to add line evenly to the spool.

9) Wipe down the reel with a towel to remove any excess oil or residual moisture. 

The Oceans:

Eureka

“Ocean conditions aren’t looking great for the weekend and running down to the Cape may not be an option. A good alternative would be fishing the jetty’s from your boat. Anglers fishing the south jetty did well last weekend fishing at the top and bottom of the tides,” according to Phil Pritting of Englund Marine in Eureka. “Another option is giving the bay a try for California Halibut. I saw some bait schools near our dock, so there’s a good chance the halibut will be right behind them. I did hear of a few being caught near the Coast Guard Station,” added Pritting.

According to John Corbett from Pro Sports Center in Eureka, the redtail perch bite has been fair of late. “Guys are still getting them at Elk River Beach, though the action hasn’t been lights out. The mouth of the Eel is another top spot to find perch this time of year. Another option as we get into June and July is Bat Ray fishing in the bay. The best spot is the middle channel in the North Bay at low tide and fishing through the slack. Whole squid using a sliding sinker rig is the gear of choice. There are tons of them in the bay and they are a kick in the pants to catch, but not good to eat,” Corbett added.

Corbett also reports that the sport crab season is still going strong, and anglers dropping pots just outside of the entrance on the south side are scoring some nice size Dungeness. “In close near the beach is your best bet this time of year.”

Crescent City

“Saturday’s rockfish opener went real well, with limits for just about everyone. The Big Reef and the area around the Sisters were two of the better spots. A good grade of blacks and some nice lings were caught,” according to Chris Hegnes from Englund Marine in Crescent City. Hegnes also reports the locals who made it down to the beach last weekend found some nice razor clams. “With the rough ocean we’ve had this week, I’m hoping it will move some of the sand bars around and open up some new spits to dig. The next round of minus tides will be coming Memorial Day weekend.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath River

Spring salmon fishing on the Lower Klamath remains challenging according to Mike Coopman of Coopman’s Guide Service. “The snowmelt put the river on the rise over the weekend and the water color is a little on the muddy side. I’ve fished clients Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and averaged two to three takedowns a day. With the water color being what it is, my guess is the fish can’t see the spinner until it’s right in front of their face, and that’s probably too late for them to strike. It looks like the water will peak sometime Thursday and begin to drop. Conditions should improve by the weekend. According to Coopman, the best fishing is still to come. “Historically, my best days have been towards the end of May,” Coopman said.

Lower Rogue River

Guide Rick Howard of Rick Howard’s Guide Service reports the fishing slowed over the weekend. “The river dropped and cleared, making the conditions tough. We’re supposed to get a fair amount of rain this week, which should improve the bite. There were 20 boats on the lower river Tuesday and 10 salmon were landed. The fish seem to be scattered throughout the tidal area. Anchovies have been the top producer,” Howard said.

 

Questions, comments, tips, and photos can be emailed to kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com