The Pacific Fisheries Management Council have ended their meeting and they chose Option 1, only a two week closure on salmon season in our area (Point Arena to Pigeon Point). Officially it reads:
Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San Francisco)
• April 1-30;
• May 15-October 31 (C.6).
Seven days per week. All salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length through April 30, 20 inches thereafter (B). See gear restrictions and definitions (C.2, C.3).

In 2018, season opens April 7 for all salmon except coho, two fish per day (C.1). Chinook minimum size limit of 24 inches total length (B); and the same gear restrictions as in 2017 (C.2, C.3). This opening could be modified following Council review at the March 2018 Council meeting.

   Commercial salmon in our area gets August and September, except for August 30 and 31. We sporties got off light. From the sound of things, most of the fish aren't big enough for the commercial fleet, yet. Heck, they aren't big enough for us, even. That'll change slightly in May when our size limit drops to 20" and hopefully changes even more by the summer when the salmon have had a chance to grow larger. Probably not too much larger but every inch counts.
     The surfperch catching has picked up in the last week, as has the striper stories. I've heard a few tales of busted-off fish, and supposedly somebody caught a few shorties off of the Sand Point on squid heads yesterday, but my striper test fisherman says no fish. Then he gave me the stink eye. I guess he didn't have fun not catching out there in 25 knots of South wind.
     The Dungeness have been getting a bit fewer and skankier as the season wears on. Some of the ones coming in have a lot of barnacles and black spots. They still taste pretty good, though.