Saturday ended up really windy, but before the wind hit a number of boats were able to get out. I only heard of one nice halibut caught (Nice job, Richard!) out of several trying for them, though. Today, only four boats launched here, but at least two of them caught halibut. One boat had a couple of keepers on the bar. The other boat limited off of Dillon Beach, their first time catching limits. Good for them! They also hooked and landed a salmon. That did not work out so well, as there was a warden here checking everybody and salmon is closed. Also, even when it is open, salmon can't be kept if caught on the hooks we usually use for halibut (barbed, trebles, etc. You know, the good ones). Just to complicate things, if you have a salmon on the boat (legal or otherwise) you have to fish by salmon tackle rules, barbless hooks if trolling, barbless circle hooks with no offset if drifting, and no more than one rod per fisherman. Salmon will reopen on September 1st but ONLY BELOW THE 38º 02" LINE. You can bring salmon ashore here and in Bodega Bay but you have to run 15 to 20 miles south to fish for them. If you go and catch a salmon below the line you may not fish north of the line while the salmon is aboard your vessel. Transit only. You probably already know this, but it bears repeating. 

 

     Kind of windy today but the halibut were biting. Lots of shorts, but in among them were some nice ones. Luckily we caught quite a few squid for bait by Buoy 02. The halibut liked them.  I caught an 18# and a 23# fish and Gage, of course, smoked me with a 26# and 29# fish. We fished 40 to 45 feet of water in the mouth of Tomales Bay. We got distracted early by some bird action at the mouth of Estero de San Antonio....

    Here's another group of birds off of Dillon Beach yesterday afternoon: 

   I think there may be some bait around. Maybe. That may even be a squid "suicide ball" under the pelicans and in the surf. Strange days, but would explain our success using squid for bait.

 

    It's a heck of a thing when lightning strikes you. If you heard thunder this morning, this is why. Paul Piazza of Graton caught this 28 pound white seabass while surf fishing. It bit a white fluke. Your results may vary. This is the second white seabass I've heard of caught from the shore here during my lifetime. It had a belly full of anchovies and was probably following a big school that slid into the bay earlier. That school is probably near Hog and has some salmon chasing it as well. 

    Gage was chasing the salmon this morning before work and he found his two to 22 pounds. There's some fish by the wreck but the bite slowed dramatically after Gage left. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

      Gage and I headed to San Diego to fish on the Pacific Queen on Eddie Kim's charter. We got there in time for the bluefin bite to die (it went off from Santa Cruz to Cordell instead) and the wind to come up. The boat still finished with 243 yellowtail and a bruised and tired group of fishermen. In the meantime there were a few reports I missed. Here's one from Ron Johnson:

"My wife's cousin Sue Munson is visiting from Minnesota aka ice fisher person caught her first salmon today 21lbs." It's almost as cold as ice fishing. Nice fish, Sue

He further reports from yesterday, "And today Sue got her first Halibut on the first Jig drop..... 45 seconds in she says I think  I have one on. The morning lasted 'til the wind blew us off. Picked up 3 in an hour or so. I'm sure you have heard the salmon quota has been met and our season closes Sunday.😥" Yes, last chance for salmon here. The weather forecast is crappy but there may be a morning window. Nice work on the halibut. Also yesterday: 

     

Jack and Connor caught this 22 pound halibut.  Connor has been looking for this one all summer. Nice job, boys. 

Mike Morgan sent in one last report before he went home on Tuesday:" Hey Willy I caught a 19 pound halibut and Teddy caught a 10 pounder down by hog island," Nice way to finish up  Mike. Good to know that few fish have made it back to Hog.

 

   How's a pair of salmon weighing 23# and 21.5# for your first time salmon fishing? Sydney Closterburg of Los Banos knows. She has yet to learn the pain of loss or the dull ache of grinding all day for nothing. Look at that smile. Good for you, Sydney.  Your day will come, but it ain't today, and that's a damned good day. These fish were caught at McClure's. 

   I didn't catch his name, but this gentleman walked up with this 24 pound halibut just after I weighed Sydney's salmon. I know it bit a swim bait though. Halibut was mostly slow in the bay today with the bar being particularly dead. Hog Island had a few though...

   Of course, if anyone is going to catch a halibut it'll be Frank Green. He caught not one but two by Hog. I heard there were six in the boat for four guys. Big fish (Frank's, duh) weighed 14 pounds.

   

   "Jigger" John Rosasco and his nephew Seth caught three salmon and a mystery fish (He Who Shall Not Be Named). The two largest salmon each weighed 20 pounds. Michael I'm the upper picture had a 17.5 pound salmon. No weight given for the Voldemort, nor location for any of them. John's big boat is broke down, so I'm guessing they weren't too far.