The Lost Anchovy Fishing Report 2017
HMB 9.13.2017: The salmon action has slowed down from the Hot action last month–That is to be expected this time of the year. The good news is the grade of fish being caught. Anglers are finding fish in the 15-20 lb class and some pushing 25+. The action is spotty but the reward is worth while.
Dux has slowed down significantly but there are still fish to be found. The party and private boaters can be found working the green can and the inside reef; both are known productive areas. Word on the street is that the Linda Mar action is gone.
The majority of the Kayak fleet has been working the HMB area. The fish are being caught in the early morning until 10-11 a.m. The best bet is work the first green can with a dd6 diver, flasher and bait. (apparently that has been the magic combo). I have personally trolled the entire area (Green can to Red can and back to green can), without a doubt the first green can, and inside the can, has been where anglers have scored. If the fish are there, and they are biting, that is the place to be.
HMB/Dux 9.4.2017: The salmon season is slowly coming to a close and eager anglers are working the coast in search of the season ending fish — 25+ chrome to go home. There is an unbelievable amount of bait (anchovies) in the HMB and Bolinas area, and the birds, whales and birds are having their fill. Lucky kayak anglers, who are in the right place and the right time, will be treated to an aerial show by the whales gorging on the abundant forage fish.
However, the fishing has slowed down a bit after a HOT HOT record breaking week in the bay. The increase water temperature in the ocean has slowed down the salmon bite. Ocean water temperatures reached the mid to high 60’s. Pedro point, Pacifica, HMB and Dux are still producing fish.
Finally, there has been scattered reports of Squid in the local waters from Santa Cruz, to Monterey. Typically, the WSB (If they arrive), will start trickling around late August and run into October and Nov. We are still waiting on a WSB sighting, but the full moon is in a few days and time will tell if they decide to show up this year. (Fingers crossed)
Dux/ Bolinas: The salmon season has finally arrived for the Kayak fishing community and not a moment too soon. The fish seem to be biting everywhere and NOW is the time to get that Kayak salmon if you have been sitting on the sideline. The fish have been biting from HMB, Pacifica to Bolinas/Dux. Anglers have been using APEX, FBR and Cripple Anchovies to get them. As salmon Sifu Chet says “They will bite on almost anything, even a barbless hook.”Look for the bait, whales and diving birds to get the general location where the fish are. Kayak anglers have been working the 25-35 ft line for the fish.
Update: The high winds yesterday scattered the bait around Bolinas and slowed down the bite. We expect the conditions to normalize once the marine layer and fog return. There was a HMB harbor bite that emerged and some kayakers got on them.
HMB 7.28.2017. Well, i couldn’t stand it any longer. The salmon reports from HMB around the deep reef were just too much to sit around and watch. I did the unthinkable and took a charter to investigate the carnage myself. Here is my first hand report–IT’S ALL TRUE. The fish were on the bite the minute we arrived on the scene after a 2.5 hour trek down the SF coast line and 4 beers later. It was absolute mayhem with multiple hook up all morning long. However, its not all happy dances and unicorn farts. The fish are a smaller grade then what we have come to expect but they are respectable with most fish avg. 5-8 lbs and a few larger ones in the 20-25 class mixed in. We achieved boat limits by 11:30 a.m.
The Tomales bay bite slowed down with the larger tides last week (to be expected). There seemed to be more sharks and rays in the mix then respectable halibut, however, the butts are still there for those willing to put in the time. The size of the fish also seemed to have diminished.
In the bay, there have been some action around the Crissy fields area. There have been larges schools of anchovies that worked their way into the SF bay bringing the stripers and halibut along with them. A few lucky kayakers were able to nail some flatties in the area.
Finally, the squid have shown up in Monterey bay/SC area. Many anxious anglers are still waiting for the word that the WSB have shown up, but this chovie has yet to hear of anything solid. Good luck out there; be safe and tight lines–LA.
Tomales bay 7.15.2017 Tomales bay is on fire for the halibut. There is a tremendous amount of bait and feed inside the bay and the fish are on the chew. The main fleet is working the channel markers and west of hog island. Finding live bait is best for targeting the fatties. Anglers are picking up smelt and shiners along the skirts of the kelp beds and rocks. I also witness a 30lb striper caught in the bay, so the strip bass are in the mix as well.
The salmon are still feeding, and the fleet is working two main schools [The Mussle rock (Pacifica fleet), and the HMB (Deep reef fleet)]. The fish in HMB are smaller grade than the Mussle rock school. Both schools are still too far out of kayak range, unless you are hardcore or 30 lb chrome has blocked your better sense (That’s me!! the latter)
SHARKS!! It is well documented that there is a school of GWS that has made Santa Cruz/Capitola their summer home. Unfortunately, they need to eat to survive. Last Saturday, an unfortunate kayaker found himself on the dinner plate. The shark took a bite out of the nose of the kayak; knocking the kayaker off his boat, before realizing it was not edible and swimming off. Researchers and officials will get into their canned response that “Shark attacks are statistically a rare occurrence”, which–To be fair is correct, but that response is relative. I’ll tell you, kayak anglers don’t think it is rare enough. Good luck and tight lines folks!
Santa Cruz/Linda Mar 7.6.2017: It finally feels like summer when the fish are biting. The hot weather in June has finally moved the bait closer to shore and this is a great time to hit the ocean and start chasing down the King Salmon along the coast. Many of the charter boats out of Berkely/Emeryville have been working the king salmon outside the gate and south near mussle rock. The closest kayak launch is Linda Mar. Launch and head north towards pacifica pier and mussel rock. There is also Salmon in Santa Cruz and Capitola. There are large schools of bait size anchovies outside the harbor that can be pulled up for salmon. Bayside reports salmon anglers are getting Salmon 70-100 ft down in 120 ft of H20, straight outside the harbor. There is also a decent halibut bite near the SC3 can and in Tomales bay for the flat fish.
Finally…Is it possible that there is Salmon in HMB already. YES! There are schools of anchovies outside the harbor and a lot of bait, and whales. It was only a matter of time before the chrome showed up. With so many options to fish, it sure does feel like summer!
ARW 6.17.2017: The past weekend was the inaugural event for the ARW halibut tournament. 88 Participants entered the tourney and raised 2,200 dollars to support PIF. The halibut are still in the bay with the majority of hopeful fisherman working the TI and Berkley flats for the larger fish. There have also been good reports coming from the oyster point area with trollers doing well. The stripers have returned from their hiatus after a hot bite in May. They are around the flats with the halibut. The larger tides this upcoming weekend should spark the striper bite but show the halibut.
With the hot weather, the ocean is finally starting to warm up along with the action. There have been reports of halibut being caught in santa cruz and capitola area around the mile buoy and local sand/reef areas. Although as my friend bushy says “There have been a ton of smallies too” ( Guess the bay isn’t the only place for the smaller fish). Anglers can also find schools of anchovies along the shore breaks from seaside to New brighton. Historically the shoreline of NB was my hunting grounds for halibut and stripers before the landlord decided to move in near the cement ship and take up residency.
The salmon are back! and are starting to move into Kayak fishing range. There are schools of 15-20 lb chrome roaming the coast from Dux to rocky point. (Spot bite). The fish are still feeding on the large krill feed out deeper, but we expect the heat to bring in the bait and the salmon soon. The early bite out of moss landing has slowed down but they can still be caught around the canyon edges.There was also a rumor that they were just outside the Jaws. (Not confirmed by this chovie)
Finally, there was an unconfirmed rumor of WSB roaming the Monterey area during the last full moon. I can confirm that there is squid in the bay. The squid boats were working the lovers point area pretty hard during the last full moon cycle. That doesn’t guarantee the we need to call in the ghost busters to take care of business, but it is a good sign whenever there is spawning squid. I would wait until late august – September for signs of ghost hunting.
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Oakland Airport 5.28.2017: If i was a betting man, i would bet there is not an abundance of big fish at oyster point or ARW right now. If you are looking to get over 200″ total of tiny undersize fish, that’s the place to be, otherwise try the Berkley flats to Richmond point and even paradise cove. The larger fish have seemed to move north into the flats but there are fish to be had in the south bay. Sturgeon typically gets a reprieve around this time of year as the fishing pressure focuses on halibut and salmon off the coast; however, the typical spots are still producing for the willing angler. Ariel and the chovie hit up the airport with the larger tides to try for dinosaurs. “We were marking fish all day, then as the water slowed, ariel’s pole goes bendo…BIG TIME!”, says the chovie, long story short, the fish won out and got its freedom, but it is good to know they are still around. The hot bait was alameda ghost shrimp. The waters are warming along the coast and there have been some reports of halibut being caught inland. A local angler caught a limit of halibut next to the cement ship by new brighton state beach, but you won’t see this chovie there… you know, i’m not into fishing with 10 gws on my nine.
Montezuma Slough/Oyster Point: 5.13.2017: The start of the California halibut season in the bay started with a large bang as the bite was HOT HOT HOT in the south bay. Most people were coming home with a fish a rod and with good size. Over a hundred boats would work the Rock wall and central by over over the weekends. The heavy fishing pressure has put the fish off and the bite has taken a dive. The strong tides have muddied the water in the southbay making it even harder for the flat fish to find their meals, however, there are some favorable tides coming this month and we look for the fishing to start to rebound. The sturgeon are still around and the sloughs have been the place to go for the ancient fish. Soaking eel and shrimp is a good combo, but some locals have said using roe has been the secret bait at the slough. The start of the MOGAN stripers is starting to pick up. The shad are starting to appear on the American and Sacramento river, and getting that DD striper is a real possibility. Catching shad is typically good as the sun goes down when the fish start to bite. Try drifting a freshly caught shad down the river, and see what’s hungry –It could just be that elusive DD striper you have been waiting for.
Alameda Rockwall 5.2.2017: All good parties must come to and end. Unfortunately that’s what it seems like, but i am crossing my fingers it doesn’t. The bait moved out of southbay on Tuesday and migrated to the TI and Berkley Flats area. I worked the outside and inside, but didn’t really see much bait. The good new is the fish are still holding in the area and they are biting when the water turns. The question is…”For how long?”
Alameda Rockwall 4.30.2017: The wall and the central are still stacked with bait and the strong tides turned on the striper bite. Charter trips were able to put their customers on easy limits. The halibut continue to bite at the start of the tide turn. The charter boats are working farther out near the bait, but fish can be had inside and on the ledges of deep the deep channels that hold bait. The shaker to legal ratio is about 5:1. Make sure to take care of the shaker fish and NEVER net an undersize fish.
Alameda Rockwall 4.22.2017: The good tides for halibut is behind us and it was a spectacular week for the flat fish. The water in the south bay was clear, and the bait was plentiful. The bite exploded last week for TLA, but dialed back over the weekend; however many notable fisherman have been able to land legal ones on the boat including our own Crazy Fisher. (congrats!). This week tide the tide will favor our friend Mr. Dino. The negative tide will also be good for gaper clams at Tomales bay over the weekend. If you plan on going to clam dig make sure to follow DFG regulations. Ten is allowed per day and must be caught by the person fishing w/ a license. Game wardens are out enforcing the law and limits (which i completely support), so make sure to know and follow the regulations.
Alameda RockWall 4.19.2017: For readers of the TLA. The rockwall is on fire for halibut. The tides, clear water and live bait has exploded the halibut bite today.
Half Moon Bay: Co-editor Crazyfisher set up a hook up for this past Saturday at HMB. The hkp brought together over a dozen kayakers. The rolling swells slowed the fishing down substantially at pillar point. The crabbing was slow but there are keepers to be had. The salmon are on and off again around soliders club and mulligans in Monterey. They can be found 100 ft down on kripple anchovies, and blue dancers. The halibut are on the bite in the bay and live bait are reported to be in the receivers in Berkley and SF docks. Look for areas with warm, clean water and bait. There have been reports of party boaters working the candlestick point area for the flat fish. Finally, my favorite fish of the month–Sturgeon! The sturgeon bite has been solid at Montezuma slough, so soaking bait up there would be a good bet. I’m personally an airport kinda guy so you will find me soaking shrimp and herring, while waiting for the next flight.
Oyster Point: The spring is finally here after a very long winter season. The bait is concentrated in the south bay. ARW,Coyote point, and Oyster point all have good concentration of bait. Many trollers are working the oyster point marina area for multiple shakers and the occasional large keeper. The larger tides this upcoming weekend will slow the halibut bite and muddy the south bay waters; however, it should trigger the sturgeon bite once the storms pass and the tides get large. The ocean remains spotty for the salmon but the parajo and moss landing area are proving the most productive for anglers trolling krippled anchovies and purple haze hoochies in 70-100 ft of water.
Alameda Rockwall: This lost anchovy will be out of town for rest of March, but here are the second hand reports. Halibut fishing in the bay is off to a good start. Sunday our own Ariel_Sea was out at the Rockwall and noticed good concentration of bait balls. There were numerous small halibut but some keepers can be found in the mix. This time of year the south bay waters are heating up first and concentration of bait can be found around the oyster point area. Sturgeon fishing will slow down soon, however, there is a full moon in the middle of April. The fast moving and muddy waters will make for a good dinosaur bite.
Oniell Forebay/Montezuma Slough: The weather was nice but eating wasn’t on the menu. The water coming down from the oroville damn has muddied the central river coming down from Sacramento. The debris is still coming down the main channels and is making it tough for anglers looking to anchor up. Fishing has been slow through out the entire delta system. The Forebay is MUDDY!! The fish are having a hard time zoning into the bait so fishing is slow. Is it spring yet?
Montezuma Slough: The rain subsided over the weekend and the big minus tide led to some spectacular sturgeon fishing in the delta. The early morning out going tide got the sturgeon going on early. The fish were moving through the system and were hungry. Our very own “crazyfisher” got his first DINO ever!! using eel and ghost shrimp. The window for fishing is very limited this year because of the wind and storms but those who make the effort are getting paid handsomely.
San Pablo Bay: The sturgeon fishing in San Pablo bay has slowed down significantly since the influx of dinosaurs into the bay a few weeks back. The general consensus is the massive herring spawn in Sausalito and Richardsons bay has moved the fish south to gorge on the eggs. There is a full moon expected for Saturday Feb. 11. 2017. The strong tides, fresh water and plentiful feed should get the fish going…If they are there.
Herring Report: There is a herring spawn occurring at coyote point as of 2.1.2017
SPB/Montezuma Slough: The fishing in SPB was slow on Saturday. The fishing was memorably bad and that is being modest. The bite was slow to non-existant for the anglers that showed up and gave their hand a shot. The fishing in the delta wasn’t far off either. The water temperature was reading 48 degrees but the sunshine would have fooled you. The fish were lethargic as we mark them swim by. We need another set of storms to tigger the appetite. Here Dino Dino Dino
January 23.2017: The San Pablo bay sturgeon bite is heating up. The word is that a lot of the fish are being pushed down from the delta by the large freshwater run offs. The fish are staying in San Pablo feeding on the abundant food source being pushed down. The water is muddy and the fisherman are having success fishing live ghost shrimp. Here is a nice report by Allen Bushnell from the FishRap in SC about the current action. Oh and “that” girl on the front page – she is only the best Kayak Fisherwoman on the west coast.
Fish Rap – Allen Bushnell
http://www.montereyherald.com/article/NF/20170119/SPORTS/170119712
Sturgeon at Paradise Park
http://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Bay-Area-Sunday-Getaway-Paradise-Pier-and-Park-10874387.php
Oakland Airport 1.15.2017: Sturgeon!! is the name of the game as the cold winter months is hitting the bay area. The annual herring run is the highlight of the winter fishery in the bay, however the king of the delta demands respect. A fresh set of rain is forecast this week and should muddy up the delta and bay. The Kings will be out to feed. There have been good reports of the ancient predator near china camp and the southern tip of the sturgeon triangle. The fish are probably on the move to feed on the abundance of herring entering the bay.
Ferry/Richmond point 1.7.2016 : The first big herring spawn happened at Ferry point over the weekend. The wind and rainy conditions made it difficult for fisherman, but it didn’t deter the determined and courages. The early morning incoming tides held off the run until around 8 a.m when the full spawn was under way. Fisherman filled up buckets and coolers quickly and effortlessly.