Saturday ended up really windy, but before the wind hit a number of boats were able to get out. I only heard of one nice halibut caught (Nice job, Richard!) out of several trying for them, though. Today, only four boats launched here, but at least two of them caught halibut. One boat had a couple of keepers on the bar. The other boat limited off of Dillon Beach, their first time catching limits. Good for them! They also hooked and landed a salmon. That did not work out so well, as there was a warden here checking everybody and salmon is closed. Also, even when it is open, salmon can't be kept if caught on the hooks we usually use for halibut (barbed, trebles, etc. You know, the good ones). Just to complicate things, if you have a salmon on the boat (legal or otherwise) you have to fish by salmon tackle rules, barbless hooks if trolling, barbless circle hooks with no offset if drifting, and no more than one rod per fisherman. Salmon will reopen on September 1st but ONLY BELOW THE 38º 02" LINE. You can bring salmon ashore here and in Bodega Bay but you have to run 15 to 20 miles south to fish for them. If you go and catch a salmon below the line you may not fish north of the line while the salmon is aboard your vessel. Transit only. You probably already know this, but it bears repeating. 

    Just heard this evening that Mike Mack and Spinner caught three good halibut on Saturday. I apologize, gents. Today, nada. The fish gods are capricious.

    Here's a report from Sam Winglewich: "

Hi Willie and crew, 

This bit a purple/pearl swimbait at around the tide change.  I'm somewhat glad I got burned trying to catch anchovies for hours, otherwise it wouldn't have led to me getting a 35"er on a swimbait - the biggest I've ever caught inside of the bay.

 It was a pretty somber mood on the water today. Lots of helicopters, rescue boats, ranger trucks, everyone's looking for the two missing boaters. I was told by the FD to watch out for two men and a silver/grey canoe that went missing last night. Do you know any further information about the incident this weekend? 

- Sam Winglewich " Nice fish, Sam. Lures are more fun than bait when they work. I don't know much about the missing guys except for what I read. They found both men deceased. Supposedly they launched around midnight Saturday night. It was really windy Saturday night. They were wearing life jackets.