Fish Sniffer Magazine Volume 43 Issue 02 | Page 18

18 February 9 , 2024 VOL . 43 • ISS . 2

saltwater reports :

Continued from pg 17

fisherman ’ s wharf / berkeley / emeryville

on halibut / bass .” “ The past year saw the best bay fishing we have ever seen , with limits of halibut and bass being a regular occurrence ,” noted Rescino . “ In November we switched gears to crab / rockfish combos and we scored limits on every trip out .” “ I went down this morning and took a load of gear off the boat with Captain Aaron ,” said Eric Anfinson of the Bass Tub on January 1 . “ We will start having the crew put it away for the season . We will be bringing the boat to the shipyard to do some work with the John Deeres and some new upgrades . The boat is still going to be available for cruises , fishing and private charters . We will be updating the website and putting up the 2024 season in the next month .” “ We want to be ready for the bay fishing early . As for 2023 , it was an incredible fishing year despite some fishing restrictions . We are looking forward to 2024 and want to be ready early ,” said Anfinson . boats fishing out of Fish Emeryville finished their rockfish season on December 31 with limits of crabs and rockfish on their combo trips .

The fish counts were 200 Dungeness crab , 200 rockfish and 1 lingcod for 20 anglers aboard the C Gull II ; 270 Dungeness crab and 270 rockfish for the 27 anglers aboard the New Huck Finn ; 260 Dungeness crab and 260 rockfish for the 26 anglers aboard the Oakland Anglers II ; 220 Dungeness crab and 220 rockfish for 22 anglers aboard the Pacific Pearl and 230 Dungeness crab and 230 rockfish for the 23 anglers aboard the Sea Wolf .

- Dan Bacher

Monterey Bay

Sanddabs , Petrale Sole and Crabs Lead Bay Angling Parade

MONTEREY- The boat-based rockfish and lingcod fishing remains closed until May 1 when the season opens in the Monterey region . Chris ’ Fishing Trips is now booking sanddab / petrale sole . Crab combo trips now through April 30 . The Checkmate checked in with “ lots of sanddabs ” and 38 crab for 14 anglers on January 28 . The boat also reported “ lots of sanddabs ” and 44 crab for 15 anglers on

Erik Stinger proves that targeting surf perch at this time of year can be a lot of fun . Carolina rigs and jerkbaits are two of the go-to baits for surf perch .

Photo Courtesy of Edward Tomilloso

January 27 . The Checkmate came back to the dock with “ lots of sanddabs ” and 10 sole on January 14 , reported Chris Arcoleo . The most recent trip by Stagnaro Sportfishing in Santa Cruz brought in a total of 448 sanddabs . The CDFW director lifted the temporary recreational crab trap restriction , beginning Jan . 12 , 2024 , at 8 a . m ., from the Sonoma / Mendocino county line to Lopez Point , Monterey County ( Fishing Zones 3 and 4 ). A fleet advisory remains in effect for both the commercial and recreational fishery for all Fishing Zones ( 1-6 )./ “ This has been an extremely challenging year for California ’ s commercial fishing industry ,” said CDFW Director Charlton H . Bonham . “ Today ’ s action in the Central Management Area strikes a balance . It protects whales and turtles , and it gets people on the water allowing our hardworking commercial fishing fleet to provide fresh sustainable crab to California residents .” The California Department of Fish and Wildlife ( CDFW ) also opened the commercial Dungeness scrab fishery from the Sonoma / Mendocino county line to the U . S ./ Mexico border ( Central Management Area : Fishing Zones 3-6 ) under a 50 percent trap reduction beginning Jan . 18 , 2024 , at 12:01 a . m . with a 64-hour pre-soak to begin on Jan . 15 , 2024 , at 8 a . m . This management decision is a balanced approach that achieves two outcomes . First , this trap reduction will help reduce entanglement risk for humpback whales by reducing the amount of gear and vertical lines in the water . Second , the decision gets the commercial fishery open statewide . This management decision includes exhaustive coordination with affected fishers , businesses and environmental organizations . CDFW reached this decision after seeking feedback and input from the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group , during a meeting on Jan . 10 , 2024 . The working group expressed broad support for this management decision . Any commercial Dungeness crab vessel fishing in or transiting Fishing Zones 3-6 , regardless of fishing location is subject to the 50 percent reduction . Additionally , they must have at least 50 percent of their valid buoy tags for the current fishing season onboard and available for inspection by CDFW at all times . Commercial Dungeness crab vessels operating in Fishing Zones 3-6 must understand and comply with the restrictions by reviewing the CDFW Declaration ( PDF )( opens in new tab ), which includes additional information about this gear reduction . The commercial fishery north of the Sonoma / Mendocino county line ( Fishing Zones 1 and 2 ) opened on Jan . 5 , 2024 , under a fleet advisory and is not subject to any trap reductions . CDFW encourages both the commercial and recreational crab fisheries to implement best practices , as described in the Best Practices Guide and avoid setting any fishing gear in areas were whales or sea turtles are present . In addition , the commercial fishery is encouraged to remain vigilant for lost or abandoned gear throughout the fishing season . Permitted commercial Dungeness crab vessels are allowed to retrieve up to six derelict commercial Dungeness crab traps per fishing trip pursuant to Section 132.2 , Title 14 , California Code of Regulations . Derelict fishing gear may also be reported through CalTIP .

- Dan Bacher

Cody Harrell was using a VanStall VR50 teamed up with a 9 ’ Okuma SST and a FlipFlop N ’ Socks on a carolina rig when he caught this nice surf perch .

Photo Courtesy of Edward Tomilloso

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