Fishing the North Coast

from North Coast Journal 05-27-2021 Edition

News

Eureka Boats Finding the Halibut

By Kenny Priest

fishing@northcoastjournal.com

The weather fi nally cooperated for consecutive days and the Eureka boats took full advantage. Most of the angling e ort was on the Pacifi c halibut grounds but quite a few boats made the trip south to Cape Mendocino. While the halibut bite isn’t wide open, most of the charter boats are putting clients into limits. It can best be described as a grind and you defi nitely don’t want to forget to pack a lunch. Whether it’s a tidal issue — or just the right time of day — the best bite has been late morning into early afternoon. Those who have the patience and time have been rewarded. “We’ve had some really good conditions this week with very little current,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. “We haven’t looked around a whole lot yet; right now most of the e ort is from the 48-line north to the 53 line in 280 to 300 feet of water. There seems to be quite a few fi sh around.” O shore conditions are looking a little dicey for the holiday weekend. If they improve and the bar at Humboldt Bay is passable, be aware of the minus tides that will go through Monday. Thursday and Friday are the most dangerous as more than 8 feet of water will be leaving the bay down to a minus 2-foot low when boats will be heading through the jaws.

Weekend marine forecast

After Thursday, wave heights are forecasted to build through the weekend. Northwest winds blowing 5 to 15 knots are predicted through at least Sunday. Friday, northwest waves will be 8 feet at 11 seconds. Saturday’s forecast is calling for northwest swells 6 feet at eight seconds. Sunday’s prediction is northwest swells 5 feet at six seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www. weather.gov/eureka or www.windy.com. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service o ce at 443-7062 or the o ce on Woodley Island at 443-6484. The Pacific halibut bite has been pretty good out of Eureka this week. Pictured are a couple of anglers who boated their limit of halibut while fishing off Eureka on Monday.

Photo courtesy of Gary Blasi/ Full Throttle Sport Fishing

The Oceans:

Trinidad

The rockfi sh bite in Trinidad continues to be red hot and you don’t need to travel far. Capt. Curt Wilson of Wind Rose Charters reports a wide open bite right out front of Trinidad. “We’ve been staying close, right in front of Flat Iron and fi nding all the rockfi sh and lingcod we need,” said Wilson. “There’s a really good variety, too, including coppers, vermilion, canaries, blacks, blues and lings. The fi shing is as good as I’ve seen it in a long time. The crabbing is still good, as we’re getting limits for our clients each trip.” Ocean conditions look fi shable for the week out of Trinidad, especially if you’re looking to fi sh half days.

Shelter Cove

Conditions continue to wreak havoc on the Shelter Cove fl eet. “Saturday was brutal, but we were able to get our rockfi sh limits fi shing near the buoys and the Old Man,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “Only one other boat was out. The ocean was slightly better on Sunday, but we were still fi shing in medium whitecaps. Overall, the conditions have been tough, but the rock fi shing is really good when we can get out and hit a variety of spots. The lingcod bite has been a little tougher.” Conditions look good for Thursday but the wind will likely return prior to the weekend.

Crescent City

According to Steve Huber of Crescent City Fishing, the rockfi sh and lingcod bite continues to sizzle. “It hasn’t really mattered which direction you go, there seems to be a good amount and a wide variety of rockfi sh around,” said Huber. Windy conditions have really hindered both the Pacifi c and California halibut e ort, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine.

“Limits of razor clams are being dug but they’ve been on the small size,” he said. “Minus tides are on tap through Memorial Day, so it should be a good week. The redtail perch bite continues to improve at Kellogg Beach.”

Brookings

Halibut season is o to a good start out of Brookings, with several fi sh a day being brought in when the weather is calm, reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “Fish to 60 pounds have already been caught, with an average size in the mid- to upper 20-pound range. Herring and squid combinations fi shed in 180 to 230 feet of water are working best. Rockfi sh are keying on crab spawn, with good topwater action along the inshore reefs. Lingcod fi shing has been very good near the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.”

Lower Rogue

According to Martin, the Rogue spring salmon run has been a complete bust. “With low fl ows and warm weather inland, anglers are hoping the Rogue Bay will kick o early. A few kings are often caught in early June before action picks up in late June or early July.” ●

Read the complete fi shing roundup at www.northcoastjournal.com.

Kenny Priest (he/him) operates Fishing the North Coast, a fi shing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fi shingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fi shing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@ fi shingthenorthcoast.com