Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3810 April 26- May 10 2019 | Page 29

27 Apr 26 - May 10, 2019 SALTWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 10 Monterey Bay Salmon Season Opens with Solid Fishing R ecreational salmon season south of Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to the Mexican border opened with a very promising start on Saturday, April 6. Anglers concentrated their efforts in Monterey Bay while fishing out of Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey. Many trollers reported catching two-fish limits of Chinook salmon ranging from 5 to nearly 20 pounds in a variety of areas on the bay. Some charter boats mooching with anchovies also did well. “We’re glad to see people bringing salmon home and we’re thankful for the good rains and Central Valley runoff in the spring of 2017 that helped these salmon survive,” said John McManus, president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). “The ocean was kind to many of the fishermen who fished the first three days of the season until northwest spring time winds increased on Tuesday.” “There’s no doubt that salmon caught off the California coast are the best tasting anywhere since they like to feed on small shrimp-like krill at this time of year,” said McManus. The Kahuna in Moss Landing returned to the dock with 20 salmon for 20 anglers on opening day and 15 salmon for 20 anglers the following day. The anglers mooched with anchovies at 120 feet deep on the south side of the canyon, about 15 minutes from the harbor, said Carol Jones of Kahuna Sportfishing. “There was a lot of action, with people losing lots of fish. The salmon averaged 8 to 12 pounds each,” said Jones. For more information, call (831) 633-2564. Out of Chris’s Fishing Trips in Monterey, the Caroline returned with 9 salmon for 17 anglers on April 6 and 1 salmon for 17 anglers the next day. The Checkmate checked in with 9 salmon for 15 anglers on Monday, while the Caroline had 6 salmon for 8 anglers. Private boaters experiencing top-notch fishing on opening weekend out of Santa Cruz include Brett Baker of Lodi. He and three other anglers trolled up 4 limits of salmon on Saturday, while Baker and another angler bagged limits on Sunday. The anglers caught fish while trolling with 50/50 hammered spoons, Ugly Hoochies, watermelon Apex lures and Krippled Anchovies at 120 to 150 feet deep south in the bay off the old Soldier’s Rachel “Hawkeye” Anderson poses with a beautiful Chinook salmon caught while trolling out of Santa Cruz on April 6. Her boat came back with eight Club. salmon for four anglers. Photo by Brett Baker, Lodi. Dan Wolford also landed two quality Photo by BRETT BAKER, Lodi. salmon while trolling aboard the Nancy H on opening day. Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz got in on northwest winds on Monterey Bay. “The fishing for the top-notch salmon action on Monday, April 8, before salmon was decent for the few people who went out in the northwest wind blew. the wind. There were a few fish caught at 36’50/121’55. “The salmon fishing was slower in the morning but it The wind blew hard at 9:00. There were only a few fish turned on in the afternoon,” said Fraser. “The area near caught due to very few people fishing.,” said Frasier. Moss Landing was slow, but there were a few fish caught The northwest wind restricts or stops fishing when it is near the yellow can.” blowing hard, but it is also needed to create the upwelling “I fished near that sustains the food chain that produces healthy salmon 36’51/121’57 and fisheries, 36’50/121’54 in 170-250 “The northwest wind prevents us from getting out when feet of water. We caught a it’s blowing, but it’s good because it causes upwelling few fish in the morning 140 out of the canyon that gives the water a dirty brown feet down. In the afternoon color,” said Carol Jones. “Anchovies will be feeding the bite turned on and we on the plankton and the salmon will be feeding on the ended up with limits. We anchovies.” caught the majority of our Recreational salmon season opened on Saturday, April fish on Krome Krippled 13, north of Pigeon Point all the way to just north of Anchovies and Glow Shelter Cove in southern Humboldt County. with red nose Krippled Currently, California’s salmon industry is valued at $1.4 Anchovies. The Salmon we billion in annual economic activity in a normal season. caught were down 150-200 The industry employs tens of thousands of people from feet down. The wind was Santa Barbara to northern Oregon, according to the not bad until one. The deep Golden Gate Salmon Association. water rock fishing has been This is a huge economic bloc made up of commercial good but the swell has fishermen, recreational fishermen (fresh and salt water), slowed down the inshore fish processors, marinas, coastal communities, equipment bite,” concluded Fraser. manufacturers, tackle shops and marine stores, the hotel This anglers landed this hefty king salmon while mooching anchovies in Monterey Bay On the following day, and food industry, tribes, and the salmon fishing industry aboard the Kahuna out of Moss Landing on April 6, very few anglers tried for at large. Salmon are the keystone species that reflect the Photo by CAROL JONES, Kahuna Sportfishing, Moss Landing. salmon because of strong health of both their fresh and salt water environment. FISH SNIFFER COUNTRY by Dan Bacher The Best Lingcod & Rockfish Jigs For Norcal Waters? T he American Maple Team turns out both Ahi Assault and Ahi Live Deception jigs. 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