The wind blew offshore this weekend keeping the water cold and very bumpy outside the bay. A few boats went out and caught a few rockfish but most boats stayed inside and tried for halibut. The halibut bite was slower than the rockfish bite and only a few were taken. Some smaller fish from the back and a couple of nice ones (15-25#) from the bar. Hopefully the wind will die by August and we'll get a decent shot at some flatfish this summer.

The halibut bite isn't quite dead. A 25 pound flattie came from the bar today and a limit was taken from there yesterday. At least one came from the back bay Wednesday along with some other bites and shorties. Foul weather offshore has shut down the fishing outside the bay so the locals here won't be contributing to the rockfish quota this week. The best thing I heard was some kids on the pier on Monday evening catching over two dozen 6" salmon and returning them safely to the water. I'd never even heard of anyone catching salmon of any size from the pier,so I'd say it looks good for the future of salmon fishing.

The halibut bite dropped off this last week. Way off. The bar suffered the the worst slump in the action with only one fish landed from Wednesday to Friday and divers speared it. A few fish were taken at Hog Island during the week. Today rockfish were caught by those who went out despite a forecast wind of 20-30 knots. A halibut was taken from the way back bay. Hero of the day was Mike Gibson of Lodi who landed two halibut, 21.5# and 23#. Both fish came from the bar on the outgoing tide.

Ron Johnson shows off his 22# halibut he trolled up at the Keyholes.
Mike Garello (and his assisstant) are standing next to the new fish to beat. Mike caught the 30# halibut on the bar on a large live jacksmelt. Many other halibut came from the bar on Sunday with boats reporting 0-5 fish. The average was 1-2 and most fish weighed in the teens. One 20#+ salmon was safely released as well.

Gerrie and Tom Carter landed five halibut on the bar today including these 20 and 24 pounders. The halibut ate live jacksmelt. I guess this means the halibut are on the bar. Ten Mile beach has given up a few halibut for those that could avoid the worst of the dogfish sharks. Rockfish is still on the slow side due to too many good things to eat for the fish.

Nate Bauman, 13, of Lakeport shows off the new big fish board leader, a 24.5 pound halibut caught on a drifted dead herring in the channel by marker #5. Larger numbers of halibut were taken further back in the bay with counts of 2 to 5 keepers, but Nate's fish dwarfed them all. The water closer to the mouth of the bay is still on the cold side for quantities of fish but apparently warm enough for a few halibut to bite.

The way back bay is still giving up halibut. No really big ones landed but a few boats are catching four or five fish in as little as three feet of water. Divers speared two halibut over 20 pounds on the bar but saw no other fish. The rockfish bite is still on the slow side but limits are possible for the patient.

Our first fish on the big fish board! Jason Robertson landed a 24 pound halibut at Hog Island on a bucktail jig. Another legal fish was also taken. Farther back in the bay has been better for numbers of halibut when the bite is on. The problem is that the bite is sporadic and the fish are mixed legal and not legal yet. The rockfish bite has been slow the past few days. Most boats are catching fish, just not quickly.