VOL.39 • ISS. 19
MAP FEATURE
Sept 11, 2020
15
Marin Coast Facts
Salmon Regulations: The season from Point Arena to Pigeon Point
(San Francisco) is from May 1 – November1 8. Minimum size limit: 20
inches total length. Daily bag limit: 2 salmon of any species except
coho (silver) salmon. Possession limit: No more than two daily bag
limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters,
no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit.
Retention of coho (silver) salmon or steelhead trout is prohibited in
any ocean fishery.
Rockfish Regulations: The recreational fishery for rockfish (Sebastes
sp.) is open to divers and shore-based anglers year-round. This fishery
is open to boat-based anglers from April 1, 2020 through December
31, 2020. These species may only be taken or possessed in waters
less than 240 feet (40 fathoms) deep. The daily bag and possession
limit is 10 fish in combination of all species within the RCG Complex
(includes all species of Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenlings) per person,
with a sub-limit on black rockfish (4 per person), canary rockfish (3 per
person) and cabezon (3 per person) also included in the 10 fish RCG
Complex aggregate limit. Yelloweye rockfish, bronzespotted rockfish,
and cowcod may not be retained (bag limit: zero).
Lingcod Regulations: The recreational fishery for lingcod (Ophiodon
elongatus) is open to divers and shore-based anglers year-round.
This fishery is open to boat-based anglers from April 1, 2020 through
December 31, 2020. Lingcod may only be taken or possessed in waters
less than 240 ft (40 fm) deep. The daily bag and possession limit is 2
fish, with a minimum size limit of 22 inches total length.
Other Species: Fishing for halibut, striped bass and leopard sharks
is open year round in San Francisco Bay and outside of the Golden
Gate. The bag limit for striped bass is two fish 18 inches or over;
halibut, three fish over 22 inches; and leopard sharks, 3 fish over 36
inches. There are seasonal closures for salmon, sturgeon and soupfin
sharks in San Francisco Bay.
Charter boats: Sportfishing boats from throughout the Bay Area
target kings salmon, rockfish, lingcod, halibut and striped bass on San
Francisco Bay and outside of the Golden Gate during their respective
seasons. Contact Captain James Smith of the California Dawn,
(510) 417-5557. Other boats booking trips out of the Berkeley Marina
include the; New Easy Rider, (707) 422-2050; Pacific Dream, (510)
993-4414; Happy Hooker, ((510) 223-5388; Hook’d Up Sportfishing,
(707) 655-6736; Goldeneye 2000, (510) 610-0888, or Bay Charter
Boats, 510-850-2285 or cell 510-672-6913, For more information, call
the Berkeley Marina Sportfishing Center, (510) 849-3333.The New
Huck Finn, Sundance, Superfish, C-Gull II, New Seeker, New Salmon
Queen, Sea Wolf and Wet Spot depart from the Emeryville Sportfishing
Center, (510) 654-6040.The Bass Tub, (415) 456-9055, and Silver Fox
Sportfishing, (415) 367-5600, depart from Fisherman’s Wharf in San
Francisco, while the Predator, (707) 342-8481, is berthed at the Vallejo
Marina. The Salty Ladu. (415) 548-0150, is berthed out of Sausalito.
US
Coast Guard
Point Reyes
Light Station
Point Reyes
Estero de
Limantour
Drakes Bay
Marin County
Coast
Pt. Reyes
National
Recreation
Area
Limantour Spit
Limantour Beach
Santa Maria Beach
Coast Camp
Sculptured Beach
Point Resistance
Limantour Rd
Kelham Beach
Arch Rock
Wildcat Camp
Alamere Falls
Double Point
Abalone Point
Sky Camp
Glen
Camp
Palomarin Trailhead
Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory
US Coast Guard
Fishing Notes
• Rockfish action is excellent on this coast throughout the season. Blue, Black, Bonitas Brown, Point
Vermilion, Gopher, China, Widow, Olive and Olive Rockfish are the main varieties caught,
while cabezon and greenling also spice up the catches. Anchovies on three-way live bait
set-ups are effective, as are Super Flies and other shrimp flies either fished alone or tipped
with strips of squid or anchovies. Many anglers like to toss out bars ranging from 1 to 8
ounces. Among the better bars and jigs are Gibbs Minnows, Mega Baits, River2Sea lures
and Horizon Pirk Minnows in a variety of colors. Berkley Gulp swimbaits, Fish Traps and
plastic grubs in a range of sizes produce lots of rockfish every year. Point Reyes, Double
Point, Duxbury Reef, and Point Bonita are among the many productive areas to pursue
rockfish.
• Lingcod roam the reefs of this coast. The top live baits are anchovies, mackerel, sardines,
kingfish, sanddabs and squid, while many lingcod will "hitch hike" on hooked rockfish as they
are being reeled up from the depths. The same bars and jigs used for rockfish will work for
lingcod, though you may want to use these lures in larger sizes than you do for rockfish.
Berkley Gulp 10 inch squid and other large swimbaits and the P-Line Ling Cod rigs are also
good lures to have in your lingcod arsenal.
• King Salmon fishing is traditionally best off this coast in June, July and August when the
fish are fattening up with anchovies, krill and other forage as they get ready to run up the
Central Valley rivers to spawn. However, the fish appear to be late this year. Trollers use
anchovies, herring and a variety of lures, including Pro-Troll E-Chip lures, Apex lures and
Krocodiles. Rotary Salmon Killers, Franko Bullet Rotators and hoochies are used in
conjunction with bait to entice big salmon. Mooching can be great when the fish are
schooled over concentrations of bait. Popular salmon spots include Muir Beach, Stinson
Beach, Duxbury Reef, Double Point and Point Reyes.
• Halibut can be good in both sandy and rocky areas in this area. The Marin Coast is known
for producing big halibut in the 20 to 30 pound range every season at a number of locations,
including Stinson Beach, Bolinas and Drakes Bay. Drifting live bait is the top method. Striped
bass are often caught by anglers fishing live bait for halibut or trolling for salmon. Regardless
of the species you fish for, make sure that you review the current Ocean Sport Fishing
regulation booklets and suppements.
Duxbury Reef Preserve
Tomales Bay
Bear
Valley
Bear Valley Rd.
Duxbury Pt..
Bolinas Bay
To Bodega Bay
Point Reyes
Station
Inverness
Park
Bolinas
Tocaloma
Jewell Jewell
Stinson Beach
Rocky
Point
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Gull
Rock
Muir Beach
Overlook
Nicasio Nicosio
Reservoir
Lagunitas
San
Geronimo
Kent
Lake
Mount
Tennessee Cove
Tennessee Pt..
Nicosio Nicasio
Hwy.
Tamalpais Muir
Woods
National
Mon.
State
Muir Woods Rd
Muir Beach
Golden
Pirates Cove
Gate
Rodeo Cove
Forest
Knolls
Pt. Bonita Lighthouse
Pt. Bonita
Woodacre
Fairfax-Bolinas Rd.
Petaluma Pt. Reyes Rd.
Nicasio Valley Rd.
Bon
Tempe
Lake
Panoramic
Park
Alpine
Lake
Lagunitas
Lake
National
Homestead
Valley
Tamalpias
Valley
Marin
City
Recreation
Area
Fairfax
Sleepy
Hollow
Larkspur
Corte
Madera
Mill
Valley
Stafford
Lake
Lucas Valley Rd.
Lucas
Valley
San
Anselmo
Ross
Kentfield
Richardson
Bay
Sausalito
Fort Baker
Point
Diablo Kerby Lime Pt. Cavallo
Pt.
Cove
To San Francisco
damage they are causing,” said McManus.
The ruling resolves a portion of a motion
for a preliminary injunction that GSSA and
allies filed on March 5. In the order, the
court directed the federal Bureau of Reclamation
to reinstate a restriction on South
Delta pumping that is more protective of
fish populations, including juvenile salmon
and steelhead through May 31 when the
more protective rule would annually
expire. Baby steelhead and salmon are
currently migrating through the Delta.
“This is a major victory for salmon
fishing families, California’s environment,
and the coastal and inland communities
that depend on salmon to survive,” said
McManus. “The federal Bureau of Reclamation,
under Interior Secretary David
Bernhardt, is trying to drain Northern
First-time angler Darien Corey of Fairfield landed two shiny
king salmon weighing 20 pounds each while trolling aboard
the Salty Lady during the GSSA “Fish Like a Girl” on August
16.
Photo courtesy of JARED DAVIS.
California salmon rivers and the Delta in
violation of the law, at great cost to California’s
salmon runs, and our court case is
putting a brake on those efforts.”
The federal plan allows boosted water
diversions from salmon rivers in northern
California and the Delta by 600,000 acre
feet at a time when the state and multiple
scientific agencies documented the need
to reduce such diversions and leave more
water in the rivers to maintain salmon and
other native wildlife.
Last July the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) scientists rejected the
pumping and diversion plan because of
the harm it would do to salmon and other
wildlife. Later, under pressure from the
Trump administration, NMFS reversed
course and approved it in a biological
opinion, or BiOp, according
to McManus.
The fishing and conservation
groups presented
evidence to the court that
the lax federal water rules
illegally ignored established
science demonstrating that
protected fish populations
have been precipitously
declining, that federal water
project operations have
significant, adverse effects
on these imperiled populations,
and that existing
protections need to be
increased to avoid further
jeopardizing the species.
Even though federal fish
and wildlife agencies until
recently supported the
science, they arbitrarily flip
flopped, a reversal noted by
the court.
“The federal government
is trying to drain northern
California’s salmon rivers
in order to transfer water
to the dry western San
Joaquin Valley,” said GSSA
Secretary Dick Pool. “This
is a violation of the law, at great cost to
our salmon runs.”
For more information about the Golden
GRADY-WHITE
State Salmon Association, go to goldenstatesalmon.org
or call 855-251-GGSA
(4472).
The 2021 Grady Whites are on the way —
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208 ADVENTURE
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3917