I received this report from the Coastodian yesterday: "Any idea where the whales, birds or bait fish are ?

I was unable to make bait this morning near Hog. Others found plenty near the grass beds, I found tangles and lost gear as well as drifting far from where I wanted to be as I addressed the aforementioned.

Got three bites on frozen herring, converted two of them.

I heard of two other fish landed and one skunk.

Mildly sloppy for a kayak, but manageable." So, there's a few fish at Hog Island. I guess there had to be a few somewhere, and Hog is as good as anywhere. There are some scattered sardines and anchovies in the bay but they are harder to find than the halibut. Jacksmelt can still be had, but as mentioned in this report, they can be a bit hard to find, too. But, maybe you don't need live bait. Even better. I haven't heard any other reports of halibut, but this report is pretty good. 

    But who's thinking about halibut now? Salmon season is coming! And if you blink, you'll miss it! The Coastodian is not the only person asking about whales, birds and bait fish. So, here's what I heard: Commercial boats have seen quite a few whales and birds working baitfish out in 50 to 70 fathoms (that's 300 to 420 feet of water to us sporties). There's also some birds and whales off of Bodega Head in 40ish fathoms (240 feet). If you're a guy that likes to find the place with a bunch of other boats because instead of birds and whales, boats are your indicator species, well, Bodega Head should be your target. Whether there's any salmon there or not, there will be a lot of boats there. Put out your fenders and watch out for the MPA. In the last three years there will have only been two days to write tickets to salmon guys trolling through the Bodega Head MPA and those two days are this weekend. There will be wardens in boats. Good luck. 

   And don't forget to check your flares and get your Boater's Card.