The Lost Anchovy Fishing Report 2019
SF and SanPablo Bay: 1.11.2019
Welcome to 2019!! There is much to go over so let’s get started. I officially start the season when sex herring make their appearance in the bay- And they are in the bay!!
The Herring Spawn has been sporadic throughout the bay, but there has been a few successful spawns that allowed anglers to load up. The spawn so far has covered parts of Sausalito to Candle Stick Shores. The lucky herring hunters who who arrive on time have been well rewarded. For everyone else — Next time
The end of the Rock Fish season for Northern California ended on December 31 2018, however, there is still other species to target. With the influx of rain, the Sturgeon bite has picked up! There has been good reports from San Pablo bay for Dinos. This isn’t surprising with the rain and bait moving in the bay. Try mud, grass or ghost shrimp for Dino.
Kayak Sturgeon Fishing Tutorial
Kayak Anglers are also finding fish in fresh water. From Shadow Cliffs to Clear Lake the winter Kayak fisherman are finding trout, bass and catfish!
Finally, If you don’t want get on your Kayak, try giving surf perching a try! The Surf lines from Monterey to Santa Cruz offer great a great stroll and fish opportunity as well for the shore fisherman.
San Francisco Bay/ San Pablo Bay 3.18.2019
Happy days are here folks! Spring time has finally feels like it has arrived. The storms over the last few months has added a lot of fresh water into the system, and with the warm temps arriving, the fresh water will be making its way into the delta system.
The spring is a good time to target a few fish. Most notably the California Halibut! My favorite fish!!! The temperature is rising and there have been fish caught in the bay. There have been fish caught trolling from ARW to the Oakland Airport and Paradise Park.
The first California Halibut is caught by EDDIE (The sturgeon whisper)–> Turned halibut slayer. Congrats!
Spring is also a great time to target fresh water crappie around Clear Lake. There have already been some local NCKA members getting into the action. Good luck!
Alameda Rock Wall/ Oyster Point / Moss Landing 5.1.2019
Halibut Halibut Halibut!! The spring time has offered residents of the bay area a great gift. The California Halibut bite has exploded in the south bay and it is on like donkey kong!
Kayak anglers are getting in on the Hot bite in the south bay. The Alameda Rock Wall has been the hot location over the past week with many anglers getting a fish a rod and limits are not uncommon. Anglers have been trolling anchovies, smelt and herring to find the fish. Look for the large schools of bait and fish near them. When the tides are right the fish should be under them.
There have multiple reports of fish pushing beyond 40+ inch range, and 30+ inchers are not uncommon right now. Remember to bring a big net or gaff for the large fish!
Outside the bay, the Salmon action has also picked up. The fish are found 5-6 miles outside of moss landing near the edge of the canon around 40-80ft in 150+ ft of water. The fish can be caught trolling anchovies, herring or hoochies.
Without an outboard motor, it will be difficult and potentially dangerous to be out that far if you are not a season angler or a strong kayaker. I would personally wait until the fish come closer.
Reminder: There is two weeks left to register for the 2019 ARW tournament held at the Alameda Rock Wall.
Oyster Point/ San Bruno Shoals/ Pacifica 5.27.2019
The halibut action continues to be phenomenal in the bay, and the ocean butts are finally starting to turn on as well. There have been good reports of Halibut caught in Monterey Bay near MBK. In San Francisco bay, the halibut and fleet have concentrated around Oyster Point. The fish can be caught from 13-26 ft of water out to the San Bruno shoals.
However, the shallow water is producing some impressive large fish this time of the year. There have been multiple 30+ fish caught and lost by kayak anglers this month in the OP area. The Berkeley flats have also been producing fish and the occasional WSB. Try trolling along the pilings and near TI (Treasure Island) for a Flatty. There are large concentration of bait balls in the deep waters of TI.
Salmon fishing is finally starting to get into range for Kayak anglers. There have been reports of King Salmon near Pacifica and mussel rock. There is a fleet of boats working the area for Kings and the action has been good.
Paradise/Oyster Point 6.13.2019
HALIBUT IS WIDE OPEN!!! They can be found practically anywhere in the bay, but the north side is starting to pick up. Try Ferry point, paradise cay and/or the Berkeley flats for the larger fish.
Tomales Bay is also been producing some impressive fish in the 30+ range. Try drifting a live shiner, smelt or dragging an anchovy on the bottom. Anglers have also found success swim baits. Tomales bay is considered part of the ocean so anglers can use multiple rods. Maximize your chances and use two rods. Try drifting around hog island. Get a big net or gaff. These fish are big.
Crabbing is surprisingly good in June. Crabbing season closes on June 30, 2019 so get your fix while the season is still open. Many anglers working traps are able to make limits of crab within a few hours around the HMB area. I went on a recent trip and was able to make a limit of crab in 3 hours.
Be careful, the poachers are out in force. Leaving an unattended trap is an invitation to be poached at HMB. Monitor and keep an eye on your traps. I recently got both my traps poached at HMB, and there have been multiple stories of the same thing.
Marin Coast/ Pacifica 7.5.2019
This is the season when multiple species is readily available. The decision “If” you should fish is not as difficult as “What” you should fish. In other words, pick your favorite species because it’s time to go fishing!
The ocean and bay halibut are chomping at the bit. It just depends on where you would like to target them. This time of the year, fishing the South Bay (ARW, Oyster Point), may not be as productive as fishing the central bay, north bay, or even the ocean. The grade of fish in the ocean are bigger, and there are less shakers to weed through.
The fish have arrived in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Capitola, and even along the Marin coast. Drifting live bait is always preferred, but a sex herring, anchovy or hoochie can be just as effective.
The Salmon season feels like its on the cusp of breaking out. The fish have been mainly stagged along the Pacifica and the Marin coast (Duxbury) to Muir beach. There have been some second hand good reports at bodega but I can’t confirm. Trolling, drifting or trooching anchovies is my preferred method, but some anglers are doing well trolling watermelon apexes. Try targeting mid column first and adjust the offering based on your fish finder marks.
The Rockcod regulations have been updated. You can read them here.
IMPORTANT: There have been discussion, at the CA fish and game commission, regarding Herring regulations for recreational take. Read the documents here.
Here is the recommendation to the Commission:
Recreational Regulations – Prior to this FMP, there was no limit for the
recreational take of Herring. To address this, the FMP recommends a range
between 0 and 100 pounds, which is equivalent to up to 10 gallons (or two 5-
gallon buckets), as a daily bag limit. This established bag limit is easily
enforceable and provides for a satisfying recreational experience while
deterring illegal commercialization of the fishery.
If herring season is important to you, now is the time to speak up, and provide your feedback. I will have a dedicated post to this topic soon.
Marin/Pacifica 7.28.2019
The Salmon season is finally upon us. Most of last month was scattered reports but now the salmon are in striking range for our kayaks. There has been solid reports of fish from Bodega bay, Pacifica (linda mar), Moss Landing, Bolinas and even HMB. Look for the large anchovy schools and fish are around them.
There are a large school of boats working the Duxberry buoy area. The boats are working from Dux to Rocky point and even down to muir. There is a good concentration of bait on the inside and outside of the cove in 60+ ft of water. Try fishing mid column with a Kripple Anchovy and a dodger or mooch an anchovy.
Last week Pacifica (Linda Mar), exploded with good size salmon. A bonus are the large schools of striped bass in the mix. Kayak Anglers who got into the mix were able to score both Salmon and Striped bass. There was also a report of a 50 lb WSB being caught among the bait. Be careful of the large swells and wind in this area and check the forecast before going out.
Tomales Bay is pumping out large size halibut. Anglers are working the HOG island channel. Live bait such as Anchovies can be caught early in the morning using a sabiki rig. Drifting live or dead bait as been effective for our flat friend but swim baits have been very effective as well. My friend Eddie recently limited out three nice halibut at Tbay.
Up North humboldt bay has exploded with California halibut. There have been numerous reports of fish in the 28-30 inch range being caught in the bay. Shelter Cove is also starting to produce halibut, king salmon and the occasional Thresher shark. There are few places where thresher sharks can be found (Besides bycatch) but Shelter cove is a local hot spot for this traveling fish. Hook one and you will be in for the fight of your life.
Summer is here and the fish are biting everywhere! Time to get out and enjoy the coast. Good luck and tight lines!
Marin/Pacifica/HMB 9.1.2019
I can feel the change in the air — Fall is coming. The last days of summer and heading into fall calls for a change in fishing strategy and targeted fishing. This is my time to fill up the freezer for the winter!!
RED TIDE is the topic for the week. With high temperatures over the summer the algea blooms have been reaping havoc on fishing. Red tides natural occur in the ocean and turn the water a murky red and brown color. These occurrences typically curtail the ocean fishing– not good.
Fishing has been slow for King Salmon over the last week. From pacifica/linda mar to the Duxbury the fish haven’t really been biting, however the ones caught are large (35+ inch class fish). Pacifica has seen an influx of jelly fish that has made trolling for Salmon an impossibility, and the striper bite has slowed down significantly.
To catch the large fish be patient. Duxbury area is between schools of fish now and is in slow, but once the next school of fish comes through it will be wide open again before they make their run to the rivers. This time of year try “Mooching or Trooching” for a big king salmon. You never know, it could be your day!
Halibut fishing is still solid in the bay. Many of the boats have been working the Angel island area. There have also been some schools of smaller, possibly resident, WSB roaming the bay. In Tomales bay the fish are still being caught and Tbay is still putting out some good numbers. There has also been some smaller WSB in the mix.
Finally, is it WSB time?? It’s been a long time since we have had a good haunting. There have been large squid boats working the Monterey Area. Maybe it’s time to go down and give it shot?? Who really knows right?
Fall is coming soon … time to get in on the last day of summer fishing. Best of luck and tight lines –TLA
Bolinas/Big Sur/ SF Bay 9.22.2019
Monday marks the end of summer, and the start of autumn/fall. The fish are starting to make transition to the cold winter month and as fisherman we should start to do the same.
King Salmon – This is the time of the year to start targeting trophy size king salmon along the Marin Coast. Over a hundred party boats, private boats, and kayaks can be seen targeting the Dux/Stinson area around this time of the year. The Salmon will be staging around this part of the California Coast before running through the gates and up the rivers. In the bay, the full Salmon migration is under way. The Pacifica salmon bite has slowed down over the last few weeks and the fish are starting to show up around HMB.
Come join Moo and I was we put on our meet and greet (Seminar and Sushi Demo) on September 28, 2019.
California City all the way up to the Feather River are starting to see the Salmon. As I’m not a season angler, fishing for Salmon in the bay and delta, I will not speak too much on this subject. However, popular lures such as silvertrons can be used to target bay and delta salmon.
California Halibut – The California Halibut action continues to be good in the coast and the bay, however, the halibut action at Bolinas has slowed down significantly over the last few weeks. Up north, the shelter cove area is producing halibut out deeper, near the bread and butter, and inside the shallows.
White Sea Bass – YES, that rumors of the WSB in Monterey, and below do have some merit. There have been squid showing up in Monterey and anglers are turning their attention to finding the large secretive predator. Since, I have not caught one first hand lately, I will not confirm the bite, but there are large fleets making their attempt at the WSB.
Rock Fish – Rockfish continue to be a solid bet for anglers who are looking easily fill the freezer. October is the time of the year when large females lingcod come into the shallows to spawn. Try targeting the reefs around this time with a small sand dab, jig or blue rockfish. If something smalls the bait be prepared for a fight. Tighten that drag and don’t let them run to the rocks.
HMB/SF Bay 10.7.2019
Here a quick report on what happening in the oceans and bay.
White Sea Bass – The White Sea Bass are in but they are moving around, so having the latest and most detailed information is important to getting on them. White Sea Bass have been spotted in Monterey, Big Sur, Davenport (4 mile beach), to smaller schools roaming the Bay near TI.
King Salmon – The Salmon bite has been slow over the last few weeks but there have been reports of the salmon pushing into the bay. There have been crowds lining 1st street in Benicia to target the fish as they migrate to through the bay. The action has also been picking up at HMB. The HMB flossers are working the area next to HMB kayaks as the fish move into the harbor. The fish can also be found right outside the harbor. They are on top so try trolling a bait 20-25 ft down in the early morning.
California Halibut – There have been fish reported near the TI and the central bay, however, it is pretty late in the season to target halibut with the same success as we had in April -June. The fish are starting to slow down, so the best shot is to spend time looking for migrating salmon or the elusive White Sea Bass.
HMB 11.1.2019
Here is a quick check in:
The ocean salmon season is now officially closed for the 2019 season in California. The bite has been waning over the last few weeks as the larger schools of fished have been moving through the gate up through the delta and back to the Sacramento river.
California Halibut – This has been a historic year for the flat fish – my spirit fish. The Halibut season is open year round so if you are inclined to keep fishing do so. Usually the fish migrate out of the bay and ocean but this year they are still around. There has been an influx of large (30+) inch halibut roaming the reefs of HMB. Try dropping a swim bait, or drift a frozen anchovy or fresh caught smelt for a BIG FLATTIE!. Make sure to bring a BIG net or a gaff. These fish are big
Dungeness Crab – The crab season starts on November 2, 2019. There will be a few die hards–> (moomoo Outdoors), who will be doing mid night soaks on opening days. Look for flat sandy bottoms in the ocean to give crab a try. Read my crabbing tutorial to get started. Make sure all floats are marked with your GO ID located on your fishing license.
NOTICE: If you are going to HMB for crabs make sure to monitor your gear closely. There have been a lot of thievery over there the last few years. If you catch one in the act please report them to the DFW immediately.
HMB 11.11.2019
I’ll be away until Nov. 20th, but here is a short second hand report for Dungeness crab.
The crab season has open and it is wide open for the crabby crustacean. From Doran to Half Moon Bay, Anglers are finding easy limits of crab. As anticipated longer soaks are producing large numbers of crabs, with anglers reporting limits on one pull. It’s good so get out there.
The commerical crab season has been delayed because of concerns that crab pots are ensnaring migrating whales heading to Alaska. There is not immediate news when the commerical season is set to open, however with Thanksgiving quickly approaching the only way to get crab on the table maybe through the recreational channel.
Lingcod and friends – October- November is a good time to target the larger Lingcod along the coast. The larger Lingcod have moved into the Monterey Bay area to spawn. Try working the local reefs with live bait for a big filthy!
Adamhelm from MBK reports:
“The lings are in!!! Caught a 34 in fatty on Thursday. Still live bait to be caught. Rockfish have been hungry. If you aren’t finding fish try using a dodger and a hoochie trolling over the shale area. Easy limit. Big olives moving through the area and still getting some whitefish on dead anchovies“