Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 2724 Nov 9-23 | Page 25

VOL.37 • ISS. 24 Nov 9 - 23, 2018 SALTWATER 25 SALTWATER REPORTS BERKELEY Clock Ticks Down To Crab Season! BERKELEY - Fishing has been outstanding for East Bay saltwater anglers targeting bottomfish and salmon. As good as the action is right now, things are going to get even more exciting on November 3 when the Bay Area crab season kicks off. When crabbing opens, most charter boats will begin offering combination crab and rockfish fish trips. These are some of the most exciting and productive trips of the year. “We’ve had amazing fishing at the Farallon islands the past 2 trips,” reported Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing. “Yesterday we finished 22 limits of both rockfish and lingcod Today we finished up with full limits of both, 21 limits of lings and 21 limits of rockfish. Weather was flat and the fish bit wide open. We had lings to 23 pounds.” The story has been much the same on the Happy Hooker. “Today we ran a light load to the Farallon Islands,” reported Captain Jonathan Smith of Happy Hooker Sportfshing. “We are still getting limits of lingcod and rockfish, our biggest lingcod today weighed 15lbs. Overall great fishing action is available right now, we have lots of room for the coming up crab combo season.” The New Easy Rider wrapped up their saltwater salmon season this week with a series of trips that produced limits and near limits of big beautiful kings to 22 pounds. Captains Joe and Joey Gallia enjoyed an amazing salmon season in 2018 putting their clients on many limits of kings and many trophy caliber fish. This angler had his hands full with a hefty lingcod and a pair of big rockfish when he hit the ocean aboard the Goldeneye 2000 in mid-October. Photo courtesy of GOLDENEYE 2000 SPORTFISHING, Berkeley. BODEGA BAY Combo Trips Yielded Fanastic Action BODEGA BAY – Fishing couldn’t be much better that what has been occurring over the past several weeks out of Bodega Bay, but just when the ocean salmon season ends on October 31st, the recreational Dungeness crab season opens on Saturday, November 3rd. Hordes of recreational anglers will arrive to open what has become one of the coast’s biggest weekends of the year with kayaks, shore anglers with pots and snares, and private boats all attempting to get in on the action. The weather has been These anglers headed out beyond the Golden Gate in search of salmon incredible for the last week of October as generally the first on October 11 with Capt. Joey Gallia and were rewarded with these week of November and the crab opener has been the start of dandy kings. Photo courtesy of NEW EASY RIDER SPORTFISHING, Berkeley. big swells and inclement weather. As crab pots are currently not allowed to be set prior to midnight on November 3rd, a number of private boats and kayakers have headed out in the middle of the night to set pots. Along with shore fishermen clambering around the rocks on the North and South Jetties, a big swell only contributes to the already dangerous conditions of setting pots in the dark. Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing and the 65-foot New Sea Angler said, “This has been one phenomenal week of combination fishing with 122 salmon, limits of rockfish, and a healthy ling count on 4 trips during the week. I have never landed the number of salmon, including limits, at the end of the season like this year, and there has been a mixture of big spawners Captain Shawn Flading shows off the massive Half Moon Bay cabezon he caught while bottom fishing this October. Photo courtesy of SHAWN FLADING, Half Moon Bay. CONTINUED ON PG 25 New Easy Rider Sportfishing Departures from Berkeley Marina 3712 N ow B ookiNg SALMoN, HALiBUT, BASS LiVE BAiT TRiPS Rock & Ling Cod and Sturgeon Reservations & Information (707)422-2050 captainjgallia@neweasyrider.com www.neweasyrider.com Commercial Fishing CREW NEEDED! We crab, longline black cod and baitfish or “jackpole” albacore. Experience is not as important as the right attitude and a true and unabiding love of fishing. Must have reliable transport and DL. Based in the North Bay Contact us at fishingvessel@gmail.com 3720