This photo arrived in a text around 10:30 this morning. Tom Carter just wanted to let me know that, yes, the water around Hog Island than looked like it should have biting halibut does indeed hold a few biters. He didn't see any sardines but jacksmelt seemed to work pretty well, so...  Fair warning to all fishermen in Tomales Bay; Tom and his boat got tuned up in the offseason and he can now see and the boat motor will run, so between him and Jerrie Carter the rest of us will be fighting over the scraps left over. 

   Thankfully, Tom and Jerrie aren't greedy and there are a few crumbs left around for the rest of us. John and Josten Daleuski caught this one today: "13 pounder on live smelt between the ranger station and the first sailboat. Said he followed your advice." I mentioned that the smelt were pretty easy in the warm water in back, so the Daleuski's flung the sabikis and connected with jacksmelt, and soon thereafter, a keeper halibut on halibut rig with that live smelt, and a damn nice halibut for the wayback. Hell of a crumb. There's hope for the rest of us.