VOL . 42 • ISS . 13

The Muir Beach area provides excellent fishing for rockfish , lingcod and rockfish when the season is open for nearshore rockfish . Photo by Dan Bacher

ERKELEY – During periods of calm weather this summer ,

anglers were able to take their pick of fishing shallow water from a kayak , skiff or charter boat off the Marin County Coast or fishing newly-opened deep water spots outside of the Golden Gate on a party boat . But that all changed with an announcement from the Department of Fish and Wildlife that fishing for groundfish was closed on September 1 in waters 300 feet and less in the Mendocino , San Francisco and Central Coast Groundfish Areas because the “ quota ” on quillback rockfish , a fish that has been historically been rare in these waters , had been exceeded . Fishing for rockfish and lingcod had been productive for kayak anglers this summer off the Marin County Coast . For example , Oscar Whitney of Berkeley in August launched his kayak in the surf on a relatively calm day at Muir Beach and caught a total of 5 brown rockfish , 2 gopher rockfish , 1 grass rockfish and a 24 inch lingcod while fishing shallow water . On another August fishing adventure , Whitney caught three brown rockfish while fishing a white swimbait from his kayak , he reported during a trip I made to Muir Beach . The fishing along the Marin County Coast was also very good before charter boats began fishing the offshore banks and Farallon Islands . On Captain James Smith ’ s last trip to the coast , the California Dawn 2 returned with 18 limits of rockfish ( 180 ) and 18 limits of lingcod ( 36 ) to 20 pounds5 . Now only the deep water seaward of 50 fathoms to groundfish fishing . The good news is that anglers fishing aboard the California Dawn 2 and 1 sportfishing boats have been experiencing superb offshore fishing at the Rittenburg Bank , with limits of huge lingcod and rockfish have been reported on every trip since a break in the weather made fishing at the bank possible . Rittenburg Bank is an arrowhead-shaped , or heart-shaped , rocky feature located in the northwest corner of the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary . It is located approximately 31 miles off the Marin County coast and approximately 40 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge . “ We ’ re seeing world class fishing at the bank ,” said Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing . “ It ’ s easily the best rockfish and lingcod fishing of the season .” Anglers are using mackerel , live sanddabs , bars and swimbaits to entice the lingcod and rockfish . The new groundfish fishing regulations that went into effect this year allow anglers to fish the deep water that hasn ’ t been fished in years . In addition to Rittenberg , there are places outside of the Farallon Islands and Bodega Bay that have opened up to fishing , according to Smith .

Ish Monroe , professional bass angler , hefts up two giant lingcod that he hooked while fishing at Rittenburg Bank aboard the California Dawn 2 on August 20 .

Photo courtesy of California Dawn Sportfishing

“ We ’ ve been fishing from 240 to 350 feet deep ,” stated Smith . “ Anglers are catching a wide array of olive , greenspotted , vermilion , canary , China , yellowtail and bocaccio rockfish to 8 pounds . The lingcod taken on our boats have weighed up to 31 pounds .” On a trip to the bank on Sunday , August 20 , the anglers experienced some “ wild ” rockfish and lingcod fishing aboard the California Dawn 2 with a final count of 28 limits of rockfish ( 280 ), 28 limits of lingcod ( 56 ) to 28 pounds and 250 sanddabs , said Smith . “ The smallest lingcod that we kept today was ten pounds and there were around 14 fish in the higher weight range that vied for the jackpot ,” he stated . He noted that the California Dawn 2 , a catamaran , takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Berkeley to make the run to the bank . The California Dawn 1 fished the main Farallon island the same day , returning with 14 limits of rockfish ( 14 ) and 15 lingcod . On August 19 , he reported similar results . “ We saw some huge lingcod and rockfish on today ’ s trip up to Rittenburg . The California Dawn 1 and 2 combined fish score was 43 limits of rockfish ( 430 ) and 43 limits of lingcod ( 86 ) to 25 pounds ,” said Smith . On August 18 ,

Smith reported “ amazing fishing and flat calm weather ” at Rittenburg Bank . The two boats returned to the dock with a combined 45 limits of jumbo rockfish ( 450 ), 45 limits of lingcod ( 90 ) to 25 pounds and 350 sanddabs . In addition to the abundant rockfish