We had some sun, some dense fog, some high overcast, some calm and some wind over the weekend. The intrepid angler stays flexible and rolls with the conditions. Larry Rogers and family ended up trolling the bay, then drifting live bait after they found schools of baitfish that would open their mouths. The trolling only produced seaweed but the live jacksmelt caught halibut and stripers. A few boats went out for little while yesterday and one even caught a salmon before people started almost falling out of the boat. There's a few salmon around in 160 to 240 feet of water but not even close to enough fish for me to want to brave the conditions (20 to 30 knots with gusts to 35) in the next couple of days. Looks like it's supposed to drop by mid-week. I hope it's true. We need to thaw this iceberg that we call the ocean out enough for some bait and salmon to really cluster in the Bodega-Point Reyes bight.
The fish of Alaska are breathing (?) a collective sigh of relief. Gage is on his way back to California. California fish, be afraid....
I thought those Hali were kinda square. Then I read the caption!
ReplyDeleteCalifornia requires you to take the sharp corners off for safety. That's where your California halibut come from.
ReplyDeleteI thought we cut corners to save money?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen a Pacific hali caught this far south?
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ReplyDeleteThey have been caught here before.....I say there out there waiting for us to chase them. Not many fisher peeps willing to put in the effort I guess when the cali hali's are so close.
A pacific was caught last year on a charter boat out by the islands, an incidental catch while rock fishing.
I saw one caught out of Santa Cruz years back,Thats as far south that I've seen or heard about.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes they around here you need to know a lot about the reserves and where you can and can't fish, be willing to spend some money on fuel and lots of time figuring it out and you might get one.
And like Rokefin said it's hard to run 30+ miles in search of a low percentage fish when the fishing is so good close to home not to mention the ocean needs to be perfect to have a chance.
ReplyDeleteWell said! "One more"
ReplyDeleteAny salmon reports or has the wind keep everyone on the inside? Ill be out Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully Sunday will be a halibut fishing day.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the fish Gage is holding in the second photo? Sablefish?
ReplyDeleteThose are just the Alaskan size black rockfish
ReplyDeleteDon't know if I've ever seen them caught while fishing for halibut when I did 1967-2004. Maybe times have changed or fishing for something else after limits of 'butts.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, those black rockfish were caught on jigs while fishing a reef for halibut.
ReplyDeleteSame for the yelloweye in the first pictures from Alaska.
Thanx for the details. Yes, jigs with hunk of Octopus work well for halibut.
ReplyDeleteA real benefit of jigs is that you don't have to crank up 24 oz from 250 with the tide ripping just to check your bait. The average person only has so many of those check baits in him.
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