Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3718 Aug 17-31 | Page 29
HALF MOON BAY
Local Salmon Bite Turns Off
As Rockfish Action Booms
EL GRANADA - What a difference a few
weeks can make, as salmon limits were
the rule two weeks ago only to slow to the
occasional fish in local waters during the
first week of August. With the arrival of
big salmon showing up on rockfish trips in
the Monterey area, there is optimism for
the next wave of salmon moving through
the San Mateo coast on their way to the
Golden Gate.
Salmon boats are making the long run
north to the Channel Buoys or around
Point Bonita as the action at the Deep
Reef, Pedro Point, and the buoys in front of
the harbor has slowed to a crawl.
Captain Dennis Baxter of the New Captain
Pete said, “The local waters out in front of
the harbor have turned green, and there
are only a few salmon coming from the
area around the buoys. The Coastside
Fishing Club salmon haven’t shown up as
of yet, and they are not in the harbor. I have
been running north to Point Bonita as the
numbers of salmon are found here, and the
commercial boats are all icing up for run
north of Point Reyes towards Bodega Bay.
The local waters are solid jellyfish offshore
in the deeper water, and the squid boats
are working in the clear water near the
shoreline. You have to run north to find an
accumulation of salmon right now.”
Rockfish action
has been very
good aboard the
Queen of Hearts,
Riptide and other
boats out of the
Half Moon Bay
Sportfishing
Center, with limits
the rule.
“The school
rockfish are
really biting along
the San Mateo
County Coast,”
said Sherri Ingles
of the Half Moon
Bay Sportfishing
Center. “The
bottom dwelling
rockfish are
hunkering down
and not biting as
well as the school
fish. The anglers
who listen to the
crew and follow
what they say are
catching limits.
We’re not seeing
big numbers of
lingcod at this
time.”
Striper fishing is
still going strong
along the San
Mateoo Coast
beaches. Ingles
recommended
using top water
poppers and Miki
Jigs for the bass.
- Dave Hurley
MONTEREY BAY
Rockfish, Lingcod Bite Off
Carmel
Pleasure Point, Mile Buoy, and Pajaro in
40-60 feet of water,” said Todd Fraser of
Bayside Marine in Santa Cruz on August
5. “The lingcod fishing was productive for
the anglers who fished up the coast near
Wilder Beach. The rockfish action was solid
in the deep water early in the morning.”
Meanwhile, striped bass and small
halibut continue to keep beach anglers
busy from the San Lorenzo River mouth to
New Brighton Beach. “The bait is in and the
fishing is good,” said Fraser.
- Dan Bacher
MOSS LANDING – Although the
Kahuna hasn’t been able to make it to
Point Sur or Lopez Point for a couple of
weeks because of persistent wind, the boat
has been able to fish the reefs off Carmel
and Monterey for success on rockfish and
lingcod.
The 26 fishermen aboard the boat on
Sunday, August 5, bagged 260 rockfish
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
and one
lingcod. The
22 anglers
on the boat
on August 4
landed 220
rockfish and
10 lingcod,
reported
Carol Jones
of Kahuna
Sportfishing.
Eleven
fishermen on
a previous
trip bagged 8
lingcod and
110 rockfish.
The
boats out of
Monterey’s
Fisherman’s
Wharf also
landed limits
of rockfish
and some
lingcod on
the weekend
of August
4-5. The
22 anglers
aboard the
Checkmate
bagged 200
rockfish and
12 lingcod
on August
5. The 22
anglers on
the Caroline
the same
day caught
220 rockfish
S.F. Bay shark fishing has been incredible