Vickie Campbell wasn't around yesterday, so Dan Steneck was forced to drive down to the Boathouse for a photo op. The striper wasn't weighed, as it was still flopping. It bit a jerkbait, which brand I can't say, but know that Dan lost another fish right before he caught this one and the fish came off due to straightened hooks. There's a brand with killer lures and bendy hooks that is sort of notorious for it in the surf scene. That one. Today Gage and I tried the beach for stripers and surfperch. Not all of it, but my legs say it was a lot of beach. Our pictures didn't make it on here because no fish were caught. As far as I can tell, the fishing is not very good unless you're Dan Steneck. 

   Rockfish opens tomorrow and salmon on Saturday. The wind is supposed to howl tomorrow through the weekend (and beyond). So, you can, except, you can't. Maybe next week? 

  Who needs Vickie Campbell when you can get the real deal (NOTE: I do. Thanks again Vickie for the info)? This was sent in by Dan Steneck, who looks suspiciously like the guy in Vickie's picture from the March 18 post. "3-25-22.Well, the Hooks were sharp and the senses keen.12 lbs -33" Female. There is not much to eat out there besides Sand crab. Her gut was empty." Empty guts should mean full hooks, in theory. My experience has varied, greatly. I'm two stripers landed for four hook-ups this season. Gage took me aside the other day to tell me, gently, that I suck. I think he meant at landing stripers. 50% isn't awesome, but it ain't the worst, either. My plan is to improve. Mr. Steneck seems to have figured how to keep those fish attached to the hook. We should talk. You tell me how to keep the fish on the hook, and I'll tell you how to hold the fish out for your photo.

   The crabbing is still going sort of okay (even without the Eddie Kim) in certain spots by certain people. The rest of us haven't been doing nearly as well. Reds are in plenty on the far side but Dungeness are much harder to get. Tim pulled his gear today after a few days' soak for six smallish keepers in the outer bay. I'm not sure if he pulled them for end of the commercial season or just because he gave up. Sport trap season is still on the books to end in June but I expect a closure announcement by Friday, as that will give CDFW a seven day window to close the trap season for sport Dungeness concurrent with commercials. 

   At least rockfish opens on Friday, God love 'em. Usually eager to bite and damned tasty on the plate. Saturday, salmon opens. If I were to go, I'd fish out of Monterey or Santa Cruz, as they usually get the numbers for the opener. The Bodega Bay area can have fish at the opener, but if you aren't sure where to go, don't come here. Plus, the weather looks, let's say, questionable. Let's just say that your season to start waiting for good weather starts on Friday.

 

 So, the Dungeness closure is official for the commercial fleet. Ours is coming: "

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program Update

March 25, 2022

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border) effective at noon on April 8, 2022. This closure is being implemented because of two recent humpback whale entanglements that occurred off San Mateo County and in Monterey Bay involving California commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear. All commercial Dungeness crab traps must be removed from the fishing grounds by the April 8 closure date. The recreational fishery in these zones remains open but may be subject to a future trap restriction when humpbacks return to forage during the spring and summer. In addition, CDFW is continuing a Fleet Advisory and reminds all in the commercial and recreational fisheries to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide. While this closure shortens the season for many fishermen, the RAMP regulations are designed to minimize risk and provide for a long-term viable fishery for all Californians. In addition, the Director has authorized the Lost and Abandoned Gear Retrieval Program to begin removing commercial Dungeness crab traps left in the water beginning April 15, 2022, at noon in Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. The full news release can be found at the CDFW News Room and for more information, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries Webpage.

"  The crabbing has been good in the bay for some and not good at all for others. Your results will vary. At least one boat today caught three limits near Marker 5 (not at, but near) so the crab exist. It's just that the time for traps is now limited, and probably very limited. I can't see sports getting a pass to run traps while the commercials get kicked to the curb. It could happen, at least for a little while, but not for too long. So, if you have traps and want go crabbing, go soon, or wait until next December or later. 

   Rockfish opens om the 1st and salmon on the 2nd, and good timing, because the stripers are a fickle fish. Gage and I found a couple of biters (not biting enough to stick to the hooks for more than three seconds) last night but today there were no takers. Last night had two on and off, three other bites and four surfperch, two redtails and two barred. The sand crabs are insanely thick and are probably the food source of choice right now. What bites we had were awful close to shore. They also happened around the turn of the high tide. Three evenings of no bites and then a flurry. There were a few guys bagging perch today, so they're still biting, at least. 

    Unfortunately, Vickie Campbell hasn't sent me any more photos of random fishermen catching srtipers (By the way, thanks for the report, Vickie). I did hear of one lost on Saturday. The story is that is bit a sand crab and was lost when trying to drag it ashore through the surf. I (and others) tried for stripers on the evenings of Saturday, Sunday and today and caught a grand total of zero stripers (one perch). The beach is literally wiggling with sand crabs, so I'm guessing that the stripers aren't far away, but catching them is, like lots of fishing, hard. For myself, when I actually hook one I generally stare at the rod for at least two seconds before I remember to even set the hook. It's more like, "something is wrong with my rod" than "Hook up!!!" Maybe if I caught more I could get my head out of my.... you know.

    In other news, the crabbing has been less than awesome out in the Outer Bay. There's some Dungeness to be had but they are outnumbered by the pots. Inside the bay, a few guys are doing pretty well but mostly it is hard. It will likely continue to be difficult as, rumor and a San Francisco Chronicle article has it, there is (are) entangled whale(s) (Couldn't read the article as I had already read too many for free. I'm a bad person)  that will shut down commercial crabbing early and with it, trap season for us sporties. While I didn't read the article, I did hear some dock scuttlebutt, and then I read this: "

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program Update

March 22, 2022

The CDFW Director will conduct an assessment of marine life entanglement risk for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery on or around March 25, 2022 using the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program (RAMP). In addition, regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission provide the Director authority to apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement risk informed by RAMP. The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group will meet on March 23, 2022 to review Available Data and CDFW's Initial Assessment and Preliminary Management Recommendation. The Director will consider the Working Group's recommendation, CDFW staff’s Final Assessment, and all data made available to CDFW prior to making a final determination of marine life entanglement risk. All materials will be posted on the Whale Safe Fisheries webpage as they become available. Additional updates will be made available once the Director has made a determination through this listserv.

"   Please note that mention was made that " In addition, regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission provide the Director authority to apply management actions to the recreational crab fishery to minimize entanglement risk informed by RAMP." Read that as, "traps are done, soon".  So, if you've still been on the fence about buying rings, just know that for the foreseeable future it looks like rings will be the start and end of our season for Dungeness. We will likely all have to get better at crabbing with rings, especially since the beginning and the end of the Dungeness season seems to be the best times for keepers. Something to think about. 

    I got this email this afternoon from Vickie Campbell: "Nice striper on the beach didn’t catch his name but he had fun getting it in." I bet he did. Looks like a Lucky Craft jerkbait did the job. I was out most of the day and missed most of what was going on, but thank you for the info Vickie. And nice job, happy fisherman.