Here's a report from David White:"Willy- We fished the bar on the incoming tide Sunday morning and got these halibut from 23 to 35 inches. Thanks for the good advice from Lawsons—I suspect it was one of your sons. Polite and very helpful! Frozen herring and live mudskippers worked equally well. Thanks again!" Nicely done, guys. The advice didn't come from Gage, as he was out catching salmon Sunday morning. The anchovies are on the move and as long as the water conditions allow we should be able to catch a few halibut in the channels and on the bar (NOTE: Larger swell late this week means the bar is probably off limits). The last two evenings I fished across the bay from the Landing between 6:00 and 7:00 PM for one halibut (Gage caught it) that ate a frozen anchovy and a jig. The salmon bite continues with mostly smaller fish being caught from Bird Rock down to the Keyholes in 50 to 100 feet of water. Watch for the birds feeding. A couple points of etiquette:
Don't net a fish you're going to release. There are special nets made to do less damage to the fish but not putting them in a net in the first place is probably better.
Even when you're careful, some of those short fish you released will die. Hooking less short fish ultimately means killing less short fish, and if you aren't eating them you shouldn't be killing them. That said, I've left my own trail of dead and dying fish this year. I just try to keep the trail short.
Here's a rule: Don't drive through diving birds. Just don't. The feeding frenzy that the birds are marking for you will break up and the birds and salmon will leave. And it'll be your fault. Circle around the edges where the salmon are picking off the baitfish away from the school. If you drive through the birds and someone yells at you or throws weights at you, well, they're right to do so. Stop it.
As a rule of thumb, at what point does the bar begin to break and become unsafe??
ReplyDeleteUsually as soon as crab season opens!
DeleteAny west or northwest swell 3’-5’feet @ 14-21 second interval...
ReplyDeleteUse caution on low and extreme low tides as the bar can wake up unexpectedly during the low tides...
Always keep an eye on the bar and watch the Reef off Tomales Point as it is a good indicator of what’s heading your way!
14-21 seconds - isn't that water skiing conditions?
ReplyDeleteWell in general the bar “shark Pit” can break on 3’-5’ feet @6-13 second intervals which is more of a wind swell. The wind swells are more on the surface of the ocean and need shallower water to break (unless it’s so windy it’s blowing the waves over causing them to break)... Wind swell size is usually close to what the buoys are reading/real-time conditions...
ReplyDeleteWhen the swell interval gets 14 seconds or greater the swell is considered a ground swell with more energy and travels at a higher speed and more under the surface of the ocean. As a ground swell gets into shallower waters it will crest upwards from under the surface causing it to break... This can surprise anyone real fast.
The ground swells can double in size as they break. So a 3’ foot swell reading on the buoy/real-time condition, can turn into a 6’ foot face before you know it... and obviously any swell bigger can turn into a problem real quick.
The longer the intervals between the swells, the cleaner the swells are, that’s because they are spaced farther apart.
The longer interval swells can be deceiving, due to the fact they are more under the surface as well they are spread farther apart... But the longer the intervals are, the stronger the swell is...
I have witnessed death and a handful of very lucky survivors have their LIVES taken and or humbled on that bar...
I have also assisted in rescues over the decades of surfing and boating this area...
Just fallow these rules...
1)Wear your life jackets
2) Know the real-time conditions of the ocean and not just the marine forecast.
3) Know the limits of your boat.
4) If the ocean looks angry, that’s because she is.
5) If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not.
6) Listen to the locals who give advice...
7) Know your ability/limits.
Delete8) Use a real chart/plotter and make sure the charts are up to date- do not use google earth or some app on your phone... always a good idea to make a track on your way out so if it gets to foggy to see you have something to navigate to coming back in...
If the swell is up and the fog is on the deck, then just don't. Better off swallowing your pride, going in, flushing your motor, stowing your gear, lowering your antenna, hitting the petaluma Lumberjack, and sleeping in your bed instead of davy's locker!
ReplyDeleteIt was breaking sporadically last mid-week on a 5 foot North swell. Anything 5 foot and over, go to Bodega or stay in the bay. People die on the bar. Summer fishing is probably fine, but fall to spring, watch out. Especially on the outgoing tide. Space Invader is a surfer, so the man knows his waves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to put all that information out.
ReplyDeleteCrab opener looking very good on windy.com at the moment
ReplyDelete