Just when it looked like nobody would catch a halibut this weekend, these guys pull in and save the day. Thanks, guys. Unfortunately it was slooow for everyone else. The crabbing was OK, the clamming was good, and I heard of one barred perch from the beach. The weather is supposed to stay nice for most of the next week so hopefully I'll have some more fish to report soon.

Marshall seems to be the halibut hot spot on Tomales Bay. Not too many fishing for them yet so the numbers I've heard look petty good. 10 last weekend, 4 on Thursday and one yesterday. No big ones, but legal sized fish. Trolling bait was the best bet. The boat that had the one halibut also brought back crab and cockles. The water had been very clear and calm outside but the water has murked up and dropped visibility from 20' to 1'. Not so good for abbing, good if you're an ab. The perch are out there but the only ones catching perch are the ospreys. 

Halibut season has now started. I know this because they are biting, never mind the cold water. Two were taken near Marshall on Saturday and three were caught in 90 minutes near Hog Island today. The fish I saw looked to be 8-10 pounders. There are even a few dungeness around. On Friday one skilled angler caught his limit of ten from the pier. Surfperch fishing is very slow. On this end of the bay the leopard shark fishing has been slow as well. At least the flatties are biting.

The crabs have slowed a bit but are still coming. Again, be careful with your measurements since a 5 11/16" dungeness can cost you hundreds of dollars and a day in court. If you're not sure if a crab is legal size, it probably isn't, and you don't want it. The clams are definitely coming back with limits of nice clams for those with a bit of practice. The leopard sharks have moved on and the surfperch haven't really caught fire yet; there's a few perch being caught, but only a few. Abalone season starts on the 1st and luckily the only change is the size of the abalone punch card and tags. If you end up trapped on the beach while abbing you can almost use your punch card as an emergency blanket. You should still review the regulations as they are very specific as to the order and timing of your tagging procedure. 

Between storms the weather has been very nice and several boaters have gone crabbing. Inside the bay has still been the top provider with some people limiting out. Most folks aren't limiting but are still catching enough for dinner. There are a few crabs in the outer bay as well. Ten Mile is good for a nice drive but not much else. The fishermen that are catching more are changing their bait often and using fresh, not rotten, fish, squid and chicken (the fattier, the better). There had been a good leopard shark bite from the beach about a half-mile past the end of the seawall but that has slowed down. The surfperch are also biting for those patient enough to figure out where the schools are. Up near the rocks has been better on average but they can show up anywhere on the beach.