So I gave the halibut a try this morning. Low tide (super low tide) so warmer water on the North end of the bay. The water color looked good but by water temp never got above 54º and I'm pretty sure that all my "missed bites" were imaginary. Maybe not, as cold water could have the fish short striking, but my scampi tails didn't look scarred up at all, so the evidence goes to imagination.  I tried by Hog, on the bar, and the clam channel down to Marker 5. Just jigging, no bait, but it felt like nobody was home. For me, at least. The wind pushing the boat into the bay against a fast current may have been a factor in the non-catching. For the record, the bar looked fishier than anywhere, but looks aren't everything.

     Dungeness crab season is winding down. Commercials need to have their gear out of the water by June 1. This year we still get to finish on June 30, for what it's worth. Just be mindful of the fact that an entangled whale in sport or commercial gear will impact next year's season. And not in a good way. Don't forget, next year you will need a 3" x 5" red buoy attached to each regular, large buoy you have on your traps. I was talking to Tristan at the Outdoor Pro Shop in Cotati this afternoon and he thought they'd be getting their red buoys by mid-summer. I'm not hopeful that the season will open on time but I want to be ready nonetheless. For the record, the crabbing is slow now but a few Dungeness are being caught by the lucky or very skilled. 

   Aside from that, the wind sucks and I for one am ready for it to stop, or at least chill a bit a let the water warm up a little. Social media wants to keep reminding me of the fish I caught in the spring last year as opposed to this year, and honestly, social media can suck it. If I want to be reminded of now painful memories I have a wife to do that. I realize that the last few years were special with catching starting early and lasting longer. I started to think that this global warming thing was really working out well. Well, you can share in my disappointment over this year. I bought a bigger truck with appalling gas mileage last year (thanks, Prius and CAFE) and all I got was colder water. I was kinda hoping for yellowtail. What's funny is that they're catching kelp and sand bass and a few barracuda in Monterey Bay and the water there isn't much warmer than here. I'm betting that those fish feel cheated. So do I.

    So I was drifting too fast this morning. What should I have done? Here's a few tips:

Electric trolling motor. I brought one. They work great. Make sure your battery is charged. Mine wasn't. 

Parachute. I have a 6' cargo parachute that I usually bring along. A debris bag or bulk bag for hauling sand or rocks works well, also. Small drift 'chutes don't work when the wind is really blowing. They light look overkill. They're not.

Crappy anchor. When wind and current are going the same way the parachute doesn't work. An undersized anchor can slow you down to fish-catching speed. Those mushroom river anchors work well for this. I knew a guy that used a length of large chain on a rope to slow him down. 

Backtroll. This takes two to do it effectively. One guy drives the boat in reverse, going forward with the current and wind, while the other guy runs the gear. This allows you to fish an edge or weed line that you couldn't while blind drifting. It is very effective and a lot of work and will have the two of you yelling at each other in a couple of hours. It's awesome. Do it. Success heals most wounds.