Here's a reminder that those of you with abalone cards this year had better remember to send them in or file online on time, or they won't sell you an ab card next year. Oh, wait...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 8, 2017

California Recreational Abalone Fishery to be Closed in 2018

Red abalone and urchins CDFW photo by A. Maguire The California Fish and Game Commission yesterday voted to close the 2018 northern California recreational abalone fishery due to ongoing environmental conditions that have significantly impacted the abalone resource. The closure affects next year's recreational abalone season, which was scheduled to open on April 1, 2018.   The Commission's 4-0 decision (Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin was absent) upholds the policies of the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan, which was adopted by the Commission in December 2005. Over the past several years, the Commission has taken several actions to reduce take and shorten the season to protect abalone from the unprecedented environmental conditions.   The Commission directed the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to work with stakeholders to deliver a new fishery management plan that includes guidance on navigating these unprecedented conditions. The Commission also directed CDFW to consider how the new fishery management plan can inform the potential re-opening of some fishing opportunity for the 2019 season.   More information about California's recreational abalone fisheries can be found on the CDFW website.   Oh well....Guess I should've got wet this year.

    The only picture I have to show is this photo of Gage and Nick's thornback ray from last week. I had to crop out Gage's boots from the photo so you couldn't tell how big (small) it was. The boys caught 14 bat rays and this little critter in three hours of night fishing at low tide on the mud flats off of the seawall. Squid was the hot bait.

     In other news, the rockfishing was on the slow side this last week, probably from large swells and the full moon. Crabbing in the bay was decent for the guys really working their gear and moving it around. Get too close to the rocks and kelp and it's nothing but reds. The outer bay still has some decent patches of Dungeness, again in places away from from the rocks. Also, a note to the clammers: Digging during later tides that may require you stay out after sundown is a bad idea. "No instrument capable of being used to dig clams may be possessed between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, on any beach of this state," and the wardens can get grumpy when they write tickets in the dark. Let's keep them happy and stick to daylight hours like we're supposed to do.

   Jamie Cooper caught this 13 pound lingcod today. There were quite a few lings brought in today but this was the largest one weighed in at the store. The crabbing was pretty good in the outer bay and inside Tomales Bay, at least for the guys that found the sweet spots. 

    Petaluma Newbie sent in this photo and report from Monday:"Not much of a report for today. It would've been very mundane day except that it was my dad's first time crabbing. It was his first time back up to the area in almost 30 years since he and my mom drug me up for annual family camping trips at Dillon beach back in the late '80's. We pulled out 4 keeper Dungeness today. I've caught more Dungeness and I've caught bigger Dungeness but I've never caught more memorable crab than I did today! We fished marker 5 and my "secret spot". You can publish this: the crab are further in the bay than anyone is fishing. I've had honest to goodness good trips every time out since the opener fishing further in the bay. I'm talking Pelican Point in the bay. I only found them due to the steep tides on opener Sunday pulling my buoys under. I had to move my gear in." That's some good knowledge.

     Now this is a mixed bag. Dungeness crab, rockfish, and a 15 pound halibut make for a pretty darn good day and quite a bit of cleaning. 

     Here's the big fish of the day, a 17 pound green lingcod. Nicely done, gentlemen. On the crab counts, they're still getting some nice Dungeness both in and out of the bay. At least one boat returned from a bay trip only one crab short of two Dungeness limits by early afternoon, so they're out there (or they were).

   Here's a late report from Joe Burke (Mustang Baits) as relayed by Gage:"Steve Burke pictured (Joe's dad) got this halibut while searching for rockcod and lings, waiting to pull their 2 traps that held 25 each" It was nice of him to include a background shot so we can see where they caught it.

    I may have to change the name of this blog to the "Eddie Kim Show." Mr. Kim and crew spanked the rockfish again today for limits of rockies and lings. It was a little slower for him the last couple of days but today he was ready for his photo op.

    Peter Kim caught this nice canary today. 

    Ted Costa caught this 21 pound lingcod today. During cleaning it was discovered that the bulge in this ling's belly was a couple-pound sculpin. Talk about indigestion.

     Sorry, no crab photos today. The bay still had some decent crab (lots of reds still but there were a few guys that caught up to eight Dungness), mostly for the boaters but there were still a few caught from the beach by snares. I heard a report from a commercial boat that on the opener he had 20-24 crab per pot on the first pull. Next day, second pass on the gear he averaged 4-6 crab per pot. Not a good sign when the numbers drop 75% the first day.