Fishing the North Coast

“grizzly-tested” by whatever agency tests these things. It wasn’t cheap, but I could order it through my local hardware store and they’d deliver it for free right to my door.

When my new bin arrived, I dropped in a particularly odorous bag of trash and waited to see what would happen. Around 10 p.m. there was a crash, followed by thumping sounds. That’s when I looked out to see the bear jumping on the bin. When that didn’t work it clawed and chewed at the lid, then dragged the can halfway across the driveway. But the lock held, and the next morning there was no trash to clean up.

On day two, the bear visited again. In the morning I found the bin upside-down, resting on its lid. But it was still secure.

It’s not a perfect solution, but according to Shawn Fresz, Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor with the local California Fish and Wildlife Department, locking bins can be an effective measure, especially if there’s no garage or shed where trash can be secured. Fresz said eliminating attractants — like garbage, pet food and bird seed — is the key to reducing negative interactions with curious black bears.

“People need to do the right thing by their property to keep people safe and wildlife wild,” Fresz said.

With their keen sense of smell, bears can even be drawn to barbecues, Fresz said, so those should also be stored securely. Chicken coops and other livestock enclosures can be protected with electric fencing. The department has a designated wildlife conflict manager, as well as useful tips and links on their website under the heading “Living with Wildlife.” The site describes black bears as intelligent, adaptable and an important part of the ecosystem.

So on my street we’re doing what we can to make our properties less tempting to bears. The neighborhood is getting visited less often, though there are still a few mornings where my dog and I learn more about what our neighbors had for dinner than we really want to know (burritos appear to be a popular choice).

For the most part, the “bear-proof” bin is holding strong. A few days ago, though, it was tipped over and somehow the bag inside ended up outside. I suspect human error was to blame. But as I was sweeping up, I noticed the big yellow sticker on the lid with clear instructions on disengaging the lock.

I’m a little worried the bears have learned how to read.

l Sarah Hobart (she/her) is a freelance writer based in Humboldt County.

Storms Kick Off Coastal King Season

By Kenny Priest

fishing@northcoastjournal.com

The season’s first big storms hit the North Coast over the weekend and the Smith and Chetco both kicked out good numbers of kings. Both rivers have been loaded with kings in their lower sections for quite some time, and when the rivers finally rose, they were on the move. On Saturday, the Smith turned muddy, forcing anglers to wait another day. When Sunday rolled around, conditions were much improved and the fishing was wide-open. Most drift boats put up double-digit scores, though most of the fish were dark.

Conditions were similar up north on the Chetco. Saturday’s fishing was tough due to conditions but improved dramatically Sunday. Conditions were excellent on both rivers Monday and Tuesday and the fishing was good with some nice chrome fish hitting the net. With no rain in the forecast for at least the next seven days, fishing is going to get a lot tougher. The Smith is forecast to drop below the threshold of 600 cubic feet per second sometime Wednesday and will likely close to fishing Thursday. The Chetco will remain open, but fishing with a bobber remains in effect through Nov. 15 from river mile 2.2 to Nook Creek.

As of Tuesday, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures except the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen were open to fishing. Rivers open to fishing include the Smith, main stem Eel, Mad and Redwood Creek.

All are expected to drop this week due to dry conditions, but some could remain open to fishing. Be sure and call the lowflow closure hotline at (707) 822-3164 to determine if the river is open prior to fishing. California Department of Fish and Wildlife will announce whether rivers will be open by a telephone recorded message each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Rivers will not automatically open to fishing once minimum flows are reached.

Mad River

noon and rising slightly. Minimum flows are Eureka resident Whitney Floyd landed a king salmon while fishing 200 cfs at the Smith River on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Seth Waters Fishing the gauging station at the State Route 299 bridge.

Main Eel

Running at 560 cfs as of Tuesday and predicted to reach 1,330 cfs by Wednesday evening. Minimum flows are 350 cfs on the Scotia gauge to lift angling restrictions.

Van Duzen

Was peaking at just over 200 cfs on Tuesday afternoon and remained closed to fishing. Predicted to be below 50 cfs later in the week. Minimum flows are 150 cfs at the gauging station near Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park to lift angling restrictions. Sport crabbing update

South Fork Eel

Flows were at 235 cfs Tuesday afternoon and rising, but remained closed to fishing. Predicted to peak at 300 cfs Wednesday morning. Minimum flows are 340 cfs at Miranda to lift angling restrictions.

Smith

Fishing has been good on the Smith the last few days. Boats fishing sections from the forks all the way to the Outfitters have been boating plenty of big kings, as well as jacks. The majority of the fish are dark, but there are some fresh fish being caught. Most of the fish are coming on sardine-wrapped Kwikfish. Flows were down to 1,500 cfs by Tuesday, but were still fishing well. With no immediate rain in the forecast, it’s predicted to dip below 600 cfs by Wednesday mid-morning. Minimum flows are 600 cfs at Jedediah Smith State Park to enact angling restrictions.

Chetco/Elk/Sixes

The Chetco has been fishing decent for fall kings, with bright fish spread throughout the river, reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “Leaves made fishing tough on Saturday, but action improved as the river dropped Sunday,” said Martin. “Muddy water from Sunday night’s rain cleared quickly Monday, giving way to a fairly good bite. Flows will drop and clear as the week goes on. The Elk fished well on Monday, while the Sixes was still high and muddy. Both rivers will be in play this week. Salmon season is over on the Rogue, with winter steelhead still more than a month away. The Coos and Umpqua also are slow.”

The sport Dungeness crab season opened Saturday, but the weather failed to cooperate. Boats didn’t make it offshore out of Eureka due to large swells, but a few were able to get out of Trinidad and Crescent City. Reportedly, if you made it out and were able to drop your nets or rings, you were rewarded with limits of nice size crabs. Humboldt Bay, which is typically a good Plan B, was reportedly slow for the handful of boats that braved the weather. Offshore conditions will improve by Thursday, and we’ll likely see some good scores as both charters and sport boats will be able to drop their gear.

Read the complete fishing report at northcoastjournal.com.

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Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast. com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.