Queen of Hearts
Departing from Fisherman’ s Wharf • San Francisco
Light Tackle Rockfishing 650-728-3377
VOL. 37 • ISS. 14
SALTWATER
June 22- July 6, 2018
Bodega Bay Adventure Aboard New Sea Angler Yields the Jackpot Ling
Seven years old or 70, some of us still jump up and down with the excitement of going fishing. Back in early May I was like a kid on Christmas Eve.
How long has it been since I fished out of Bodega Bay? Even when I did, my last couple of trips were for Humboldt squid. Loved it, but it wasn’ t quite the same as working a jig on the bottom for rockfish and lingcod.
My joyful anticipation was partly because I’ d be fishing with my old friend, veteran Bodega Bay skipper Rick Powers. Powers has 35 years experience fishing the
Sonoma Coast – and who knows how many more before that, fishing out of Berkeley Marina? He is the best.
So we gathered aboard the 65-foot New Sea Angler, met mate Dana Amundsen( a licensed skipper himself), and began getting acquainted with our fellow passengers, including a married couple and three men all from Solano County. Five fishing writers made up my group: Patrick Young, Carol Martens, Bob
WHAT’ S HOT SALT by Kathie Morgan
Semerau, John Hennigan and myself. We listened to the safety briefing, then settled down for the ride up to Fort Ross. Powers explained choosing the Fort over Pt. Reyes because of the wind that had already started and was scheduled to increase.
When I think of Fort Ross, I think blue rockfish. Used to, anyway. Blues don’ t exactly set my soul on fire, but if that’ s what’ s there, I’ m just happy if I can get some. The“ Love the One You’ re With” philosophy.
Our first drop got me a nice canary. Good timing. Up until last year you weren’ t allowed to keep them, but now you can keep two. Judging by the canary crowds that came aboard that day, legislators are going to have a hard time justifying keeping a bag limit on the species. Canaries topped all other species for us, far as I could tell.
Did I mention the wind? I got bit on a ling bar but got rocked almost immediately. I handed Dana my rod and he managed to get me loose. My fish was
still aboard, and it felt decent.
It turned out to be the big fish of the day, a ling estimated at 15 pounds. An hour later I filled my lingcod limit with a fish that wouldn’ t let go of the blue rockfish that had bitten my hook. See, I told you there were blues there!
Meanwhile, I kept catching big canaries and sharing them. I caught a good gopher, some lovely browns, and a handsome cabezon. All mild whitefleshed dandies.
When you’ re away too long, you fear forgetting how. In many ways, I’ m there. But I remembered to cast the exact direction the swells were running. That gave me the most time in the bottom’ s vertical zone. Once you’ re jigging horizontally, you’ re best off winding back up to reset. It’ s a long way to the top, but if you’ re not maximizing your potential, what’ s the point?
For more information about trips aboard the New Sea Angler, contact: Bodega Sport Fishing Center, PO Box 1207, 1410 B Bay Flat Rd., Bodega Bay CA 94923,( 707) 875-3344, http:// bodegabaysportfishing. com
I’ ll be looking for you on the banks
29
Kathie Morgan of Santa Rosa holds up her jackpot lingcod caught on a recent bottomfish adventure aboard the New Sea Angler out of Bodega Bay.
Photo courtesy of KATHIE MORGAN.
SALTWATER REPORTS:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
BODEGA BAY cont.
upcoming salmon season as the wind turns over the water and creates upwelling. The opener looks particularly good since we will have at least three calm days before Sunday, and there are salmon in the area as we have released three while rockfishing in the past few weeks.”
Out of Lawson’ s Landing, Willie Vogler reported,“ There’ s a striper or two in the surf with the perch, and they will also eat the Berkley Gulp! Worms. The halibut bite in the bay hasn’ t panned out for the guys I spoke with, but then again, the weather wasn’ t what I could call good, either.”
– David Hurley
FISHERMAN’ S WHARF
Stripers, Halibut Invade San Francisco Bay
SAN FRANCISCO- Live bait action for striped bass and halibut has been superb in San Francisco Bay lately, with the exact mixture of species caught varying by the tide.
The 12 anglers fishing aboard the Bass Tub landed 22 stripers and 4 halibut on a half day trip in the bay on Sunday, June 10.
On June 9, the 21 anglers aboard the Bass Tub bagged 24 bass and 10 halibut on a full day trip. Teresa Keenan-Johnson of Sutherlin, Oregon, started the day right with a 24 lb. halibut, according to Aaron Anfinson, Captain of the Bass Tub.
“ We fished inside the bay around Alcatraz,” said Anfinson.“ The halibut averaged 15 to 18 pounds. The stripers averaged 8 pounds each.”
- Dan Bacher
HALF MOON BAY
Skippers Optimistic About Salmon Opener
EL GRANADA- Out of Half Moon Bay, there is optimism for the salmon opener this coming Sunday, Father’ s Day, and the bulk of the action is anticipated south of the harbor just above Pigeon Point.
Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said,“ The wind has been the story here, but we were able to make it out Saturday for ¾ limits for 16
Queen of Hearts
Hard fighting fish and big smiles, that was the scene aboard Berkeley’ s New
Easy Rider on June 3 after an S. F. Bay live bait potluck adventure. Photo courtesy of NEW EASY RIDER SPORTFISHING, Berkeley.
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