FISHING THE NORTH COAST
Anglers Await Arrival of Fall Klamath Kings
341 West Harris St., Eureka 707 445-3138
poletskis.com
By Kenny Priest
fishing@northcoastjournal.com
S
ome of the best steelhead fishing in recent years on the Klamath has kept anglers busy as we await the arrival of the fall kings. There’s been flurries of fish moving in the estuary and below the U.S. Highway 101 bridge, but not many are choosing to head upriver as of yet. The water temperatures cooled by a couple degrees Monday and quite a few fresh steelhead and jacks moved into the lower river. The big kings should start to move any time, especially with the water starting to cool down. According to Dan Troxel, an environmental scientist on the Klamath River Project, only 47 adult salmon had been harvested from the State Route 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the Klamath mouth towards the quota of 611 for the week ending Thursday Aug. 19. Of those, 20 adults were caught at the spit area of the mouth. As of last Friday, 163 adults remained of the 183-adult sub-quota for the mouth. If the fishing doesn’t bust open soon, there is some help on the way. Reportedly, flows coming out of the Trinity are scheduled to increase Sept. 3 for the ceremonial Hoopa Boat Dance. Flows are predicted to peak at 2,800 cubic feet per second on the Hoopa gauge Sept. 5 or Sept. 6 and then ramp back down by Sept. 8.
Marine forecast Gale force northerly gusts are forecast to develop Friday across the outer waters north of Cape Mendocino. Winds nearshore will generally be lighter. However, seas will grow steeper through the end of the week and over the weekend. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday’s forecast is calling for north winds 15 to 25 knots and waves out of the north 9 feet at nine seconds. Saturday is calling for north winds 10 to15 knots and waves northwest 9 feet at nine seconds. Sunday, winds will be out of the north at 5 to 15 knots and waves northwest 7 feet at eight seconds. These conditions can and will change by
the weekend. For an up-todate weather forecast, visit www.weather. gov/eureka/ or www.windy. com. To monitor the latest Cotati resident Brandon Crane landed a nice hatchery steelhead while Humboldt bar fishing the Klamath River Saturday. conditions, Photo courtesy of Alan’s Guide Service visit www. wrh.noaa.gov/ and hitting spots close to the harbor for eka/swan. You can also call the National limits of rockfish and some lingcod. The Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office Sisters continues to be one of the better on Woodley Island at 443-6484. locations. The tuna water is still sitting 30 miles straight out of Crescent City, but conditions don’t look great for the remainEureka der of the week and the weekend. Wind and rough ocean conditions have kept the Eureka boats tied up for well over a week. There is a brief weather window Lower Klamath for Wednesday and Thursday before the The stellar steelhead fishing is still going wind returns by the weekend. According strong on the lower Klamath. The river is to Tim Klassen, of Reel Steel Sport Fishing, full of half-pounders, along with lots of the tuna water is still within reach. “The adults running 3 to 6 pounds. More jacks warm water is roughly 40 to 45 miles from entered the river on Monday and quite Eureka,” said Klassen. “We just need some a few boats were getting limits. Very few decent weather.” adults are being caught, but that could Shelter Cove change at any time, especially with the The salmon bite has been pretty water temps starting to cool. The estuary good this week, reports Jake Mitchell, of fishery isn’t red-hot, but a few are being Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. “We had limits caught by boats trolling anchovies. Most most days of nice quality kings up to of the fishing pressure has moved upriver. 32 pounds,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been Read the complete fishing roundup at getting them just south of the harbor www.northcoastjournal.com. around the bell buoy. The rock fishing was ● stellar as well as we limited on rockfish a Kenny Priest (he/him) operates few days after our salmon. The lingcod Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide bite remains inconsistent with about a fish service out of Humboldt specializing per rod average.” in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Crescent City www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For Windy conditions have slowed the offup-to-date fishing reports and North shore fishing out of Crescent City. A few Coast river information, email kenny@ boats are getting out early in the morning fishingthenorthcoast.com
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northcoastjournal.com • Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 • NORTH COAST JOURNAL
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