The Pacific Fishery Management Council has issued a draft management plan for salmon seasons for this year. For our area here, Point Arena to Pigeon Point, it looks like we will have lots of fishing opportunities. The three options are:

    1. April 2 through October 31, seven days a week, 24" minimum size until April 30, 20" minimum thereafter.

    2. April 2 through May 31 and June 11 through November 13, seven days a week, 24" minimum size through May 31, 20" minimum size thereafter.

    3. April 2 through May 31 and June 18 through November 13, seven days a week, 24" minimum size.

    Of course, none of these options include keeping silvers (coho). Even so, the worst option listed here is still way better than I had been told to expect. The commercial guys options are much more restrictive with quotas and early closures if they do too well. 2017-2018 will probably have heavily restricted seasons due to the drought and El Niño ocean conditions. There may not be as many salmon out there as had been predicted for last year (last year didn't have as many salmon as had been predicted), but we still get quite a bit of time to try to catch them. Those of you that thought last year was too easy, you're in luck! Don't you enjoy spending the whole day grinding out a single fish? It's a special feeling knowing that you've earned that fish. It sure makes it a lot harder to share those fish, though.