Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 2724 Nov 9-23 | Page 27

SALTWATER REPORTS: CONTINUED FROM PG 23 BODEGA BAY Nov 9 - 23, 2018 SALTWATER VOL.37 • ISS. 24 cont. and 2nd- year fish in the mix. Most of our salmon have been taken at the upper end of Ten Mile Beach, and we have just been ‘hammering’ the rockfish. The weather has just been great, and it looks like another week of great late fall weather for the recreational crab opener.” Powers is filled during the first weekend of the crab season, but there is room during the week along with Saturday, November 10th. He is concerned about the potential dangers of setting pots in the middle of the night, and due to the overall volume of crab pots in the Outer Bay, it is easy to run over a floating line and get jammed in the prop of a motor. He advised private boaters to bring a long retracting pole with a sharp cutting implement on the end to cut a line in the event of getting stuck in the prop since it only takes a few minutes to swamp a boat if the wind comes up while a line is stuck in the prop. 27 Captain Eric Holthouse of North Bay Charters will be taking rockfish/crab combination or crab-only trips starting November 3rd, and they are filled during all weekends in November, but there is room during the weekdays. - Dave Hurley FISHERMAN’S WHARF Crab/Rockfish Combos Begin November 3 SAN FRANCISCO – The Dungeness crab season opens on November 3, providing anglers with the chance to catch both limits of crabs and rockfish, along with some big lingcod. “Our last trip before the crab opener produced limits of rockfish and 17 lingcod to 10 pounds for 17 anglers,” reported Erik Anfinson Captain of the Bass Tub. “The anglers drifted live anchovies along the Marin County Coast to hook the bottomfish. “ “The boat is already now for crab season,” added Anfinson. “We plan on doing on rockfish trips at the Farallon Islands.” On the last halibut trip of the 2912 potluck season aboard the Bass Tub, Captain Patrick reported in with 4 halibut Get to the fishing grounds Get fast on to our 50’ charter boat in Moss Landing-Monterey Bay the fishing grounds fast on our 50’ and “the world’s charter boat in Moss Landing - Monterey Bay WWW.KAHUNASPORTFISHING.COM largest lizard fish” www.kahunasportfishing.com 4.23.10 for their private 6 person charter, said Anfinson. The final salmon 56’ High Speed Stable Catamaran trip of 2018 aboard Halibut•Stripers•Rockcod the Bass Tub produced limits Captain Call for of salmon and 3 CRAB Quang COMBOS! Vo white seabass for a private charter. The salmon season closed on October 3508 31. SALMON • - ROCKFISH ROCKFISH • - ALBACORE ALBACORE SALMON 831-633-2564 831-633-2564 GOLDENEYE 2000 Departs Daily from The Berkeley Marina www.goldeneye2000.com RESERVATIONS: 510-610-0888 The lingcod bite has been red hot for anglers fishing aboard the Happy Hooker this October. Photo courtesy of HAPPY HOOKER SPORTFISHING, Berkeley. HALF MOON BAY Rockfish Action Remains Excellent EL GRANADA - Rockfishing has been the best thing going out of Half Moon Bay, but this is all set to change with the arrival of the recreational Dungeness crab season starting on Saturday, November 3rd. Salmon fishing closed on October 31 and all party boats are focusing on the solid rockfishing south of the harbor. Out of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, Split Grip Rods for Saltwater Fishing They are all the rage in the world of or more a day. Considering that some of fresh water bassing. It seems the tournaments would run over as if every manufacturer of a three day period with a couple fishing rods has at least a of pre-fish days thrown in, we are line or two of them. What are looking for at least 4,000 casts in a they? I’m talking about split matter of grip rods. days. Anything that would re- Back in the old days (pre- duce weight would keep the angler 1970s?), the only split grip in the game longer, possibly avoid- rods you saw were those ing repetitive use disorders. humongous surf casting It would only be a matter of time rods. These came more as before these same conditions a practical design because would sneak themselves into the covering the entire rear grip salt water fishing world. The use of by Steve involved too much material, live (or dead) bait is certainly still “Hippo”Lau very popular, but a growing num- either wood or cork. It also addressed the issue of ex- ber of anglers who ply the salt are cessive weight. opting for the fake baits. As with our fresh As tournament bass fishing started to water fishing cousins, salt water anglers catch on in a big way, there was intense would seek the same solutions to the competition in the tackle world for an same problems. edge, any edge, that would give the There are many instances in which competing angler that little extra push to there is casting and retrieving for salt wa- be a winner. ter fish where a light, strong rod is helpful The logical place to start was the rod. in keeping one fishing all day. Awhile back, Since contests are run using artificial I bought a Wright&McGill Skeet Reese baits only, this was going to mean lots Alabama rig rod that features no foregrip and lots of casting would be involved; and a minimal split rear grip. This rod is sometimes casts would number 800 light! Coupled with a modern levelwind SALTY TIPS CONTINUED ON PG 26 reel (I switch among Lew’s, Shimano, and Daiwa baitcasters) I have been able to cast for hours trying to get a striper to hit my bucktail jig, swim bait, or Rattle Trap. Even more telling, however, is the use of lighter rods in vertical jigging. The modern age of speed jigging started in the early 2000s in Japan, and later was introduced to the Western world by Shimano with the production of their butterfly jig system. With such an aggressive method of yanking and crank- ing, lighter (but stronger) tackle was the order of the day. Initially, the rods Shimano featured for such fishing, the Trevala series, had full rear grips. A later model, the Trevala-S, has the lighter split rear grip, as does their newest model, the Game Type J. I myself have been using the Okuma Cedros jigging rods for some time now, and have enjoyed them very much. This jigging rod with the split rear grip, is a little different in that the blank is fiberglass instead of graphite, so it produces a slower, smooth- er action to the jig. When coupled with a superbraid line, the fiberglass also protects against the sudden jolts of a head shaking fish on the hook. There is no doubt as fishing methods continue to evolve and advance, even stronger, even light- er rods will come into play. Having a split grip and removing unnecessary weight will have a part in it. Perhaps you will find yourself owning a split grip rod in the near future.