FISHING THE NORTH COAST
Smith, Chetco Best Bets for Green Water By Kenny Priest
fishing@northcoastjournal.com
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f your weekend plans involve the pursuit of winter steelhead, you’ll need to point your vehicle north. The quick-clearing Smith and Chetco rivers are currently the only real options for the green water steelheaders crave. All Humboldt rivers are currently high and muddy, and that will likely continue through the weekend. There is a chance the upper reaches of the Van Duzen and South Fork Eel could come around by late in the weekend, but that will depend on snowmelt. If those rivers do come in, it will be short-lived, as the next storm is forecast to arrive Sunday and will put the rivers back on the rise.
Weather ahead
The forecast for the remainder of the work week is looking dry. The next round of storms is predicted to arrive sometime late Sunday and looks to be a prolonged rainfall event. Over the course of three to four days, we could see 3-plus inches of rain at sea level and higher amounts in the mountains.
2022 fishing license
A reminder that it’s the time of the year to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license, which is required for residents 16 years of age or older to take fish, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians or reptiles in inland or ocean waters. The cost of a new resident sport fishing license is $54. A North Coast salmon report card, which will run you $7.56, is required for all anglers taking salmon in the Smith River System or Klamath-Trinity River System. If you plan to fish for steelhead, you’ll need to purchase a steelhead report card, which will cost $8.38 this year. The Department of
Guide Michael McGahan of Brookings Fishing Charters holds a steelhead caught Dec. 17 on the Chetco River by Larry Clark of Brookings. Photo courtesy of Wild Rivers Fishing
Fish and Wildlife does not accept cash for fishing licenses. For more info, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing.
New sport rockfish regulations coming in 2022
In a press release issued Dec. 17, the CDFW announced multiple changes to the sport rockfish regulations starting in Jan. 1. Changes that pertain to the Northern Management area, which runs from the California-Oregon border south to Cape Mendocino include: • Reducing the vermillion rockfish bag limit within the daily 10-fish RCG bag and possession limit from five to four. • Adding a new sub-bag limit for quillback rockfish of one fish within the daily 10fish RCG bag and possession limit. • Adding a new sub-bag limit for copper rockfish of one fish within the daily 10fish RCG bag and possession limit. For the complete list of regulation changes, visit www.bit.ly/3z5tC5e. The 2021 rockfish season in the Northern Management area will close for boat-based anglers Dec. 31. Rockfish is open year-round for divers and shorebased anglers. For more information about recreational groundfish regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/ Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary#north.
The Rivers: Smith The Smith dropped into fishable shape Sunday and conditions are now ideal. As of Tuesday, it was 9.5 feet at the Jed Smith gauge and dropping slowly. The snowmelt should keep the color pristine all week. The fishing has been decent, with a handful of steelhead being caught daily. The fishing pressure has been light, but that will change after the weekend.
Chetco
The Chetco is expected to come into shape this week after being blown out for nearly a week, reports Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. He said, “Plunkers did well over the weekend and on Monday, while drift boaters struggled to catch fish in high water. That will change as flows drop. The river crested at 11,000 cubic feet per second late last week but will be in the prime range of 2,500 cfs by the end of this week. Plunkers have been getting a nice mix of wild and hatchery steelhead.” ● Read the complete fishing report at www.northcoastjournal.com Kenny Priest (he/him) 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.
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northcoastjournal.com • Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 • NORTH COAST JOURNAL
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