Not a red hot bite this weekend. There were halibut and rockfish taken but not in great numbers or large sizes. Another striper from the bar, about 10 pounds. The wind is supposed to blow for a few days and if it cools the water down too much the halibut fishing could be done for the year. Let's hope for some indian summer weather.

Live jacksmelt are still bringing in halibut from the bar. Catching the smelt can be the hard part. It took one fisherman 3 hours to make bait on Wednesday and 2 hours to catch his limit of halibut. Ten Mile has its share of halibut as well although the fish seem to be smaller down there. 5" and 7" Zoom Flukes colored "white ice" behind a dodger has been outfishing bait on the troll. A boat landed 9 halibut on the little rubber fishes on Tuesday. I could only get three to bite yesterday. The rockfishing is good when the drift is slow enough. This week there were some nice limits of black rockfish. Lingcod should be in to spawn any time now, hopefully before the season closes.

Mike Gibson again, this time with a 21# striper. He also caught 2 halibut, all of them from the bar and on live jacksmelt. Two boats had limits of halibut from McClure's Beach. Most other boats had 1 or 2 halibut from the bar or Ten Mile and there were also some nice rockfish taken.

The rockfish bit well this weekend with some nice blacks and blues for some. I got to see my 4th tiger rockfish ever. The halibut did show this weekend and most folks caught at least one (most is more than half) but no big numbers of fish. Most of the halibut weren't jumbos either, but hey, the little guys taste better anyhow.

The halibut are still on the bar with most boats catching. High boats in the last few days had up to 5 fish. Most have come on the incoming or turn of the tide, but personally, my best bite was after the tide turned and had been outgoing for three hours. Ten Mile Beach has also been kind with the fish if you're willing to put in the time. Rockfishing has been good, not great, but good enough that a talented few are getting their limits of rockfish before finishing out with a limit of halibut. Who knows how long the weather will hold. Get 'em while they last.

Yes, for those of you that know me, this is me and my boys showing off (25#). The point I'm trying to make though, is that (obviously) any fool can catch a halibut now. This one was caught after work on Sunday in 45 minutes of trying. This one came on the Bolinas jig, a white bucktailwith a red worm on it. Other fish (and quite a few of them) have come from the bar and from Ten Mile beach. On Saturday, large herring worked for limits (9 fish) at the first parking lot. Sunday demonsrated the effectiveness of the dreaded rubber fish, in this case the trolled Zoom Fluke in White Ice. 4 halibut to 29# for the Fluke. Monday the bar produced 5 fish for one boat. It may not equal the excellence that San Francisco Bay produced earlier in the year, but on the other hand, it ain't San Francisco Bay, either. If the forecast holds (and why should we doubt the word of any meteorologist?) the weekend's weather sould be good. If the weather holds the fishing should be good. The water is the right temp, color, etc. If there was going to be one time to be here this year to catch halibut, this looks to be it. Those of you that enjoy eating the true chicken of the sea, see you on Saturday.

Quickly, just overheard a boat on Ten Mile with 2 halibut and just lost a 6 foot thresher shark.

Sorry about this late report but between trying to stay in business and brown-outs burning up appliances I haven't had much time. Here's the scoop: The water warmed up for the start of Labor Day weekend and many halibut were caught. Then the wind blew, the water chilled and the fish got lockjaw. No wind the last few days, the water has gone from 52.8 to 57.8 on the bar (as of last night, it could be warmer now and probably is) and the water went from clear to coffee (sorry divers). The forecast is good for the next few days and if the halibut are going to bite at any time in the next 8 months, this should be it. Rockfish have been slow out front with the best bite at Point Reyes, danger close to the rocks. If you're not nervous, you're not close enough. Be careful and don't fish it if the swell is up at all.