16 July 9 , 2021 MAP FEATURE
VOL . 40 • ISS . 13
The Bodega Bay Area produced top-notch salmon fishing when the season opened on July 26 this year . Photo by Dan Bacher
Boaters Score Salmon Limits off Bodega Bay , Marin Coast on Opening Weekend
T he recreational salmon season opened in the San Francisco Management Zone with superb fishing on Saturday , June 26 , despite the relatively low abundance of Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon that state and federal fishery management have forecasted off the California coast this year . Many boats departing from Bodega Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area reported two-fish limits of kings for anglers on the opener , despite challenging weather conditions . Bodega Bay : Fishing was the hottest off Bodega Bay . “ We found absolute wide-open salmon and rockfish action on Saturday , Sunday and Monday with limits of both salmon and rockfish on our combo trips ,” said Rick Powers , captain of the New Sea Angler . “ The salmon are showing all over the Bodega Bay area . Fishing is as good as it gets .” The New Sea Angler returned with 29 limits of both salmon and rockfish by 12:30 p . m .
on Sunday and with 26 limits of both salmon and rockfish by 12:15 p . m . on Monday . Information : ( 707 ) 875-3495 . Cat Kaiser , events coordinator at the Golden State Salmon Association ( GSSA ) fished on opening day with John Schielein , a GSSA supporter , and four other anglers on his 30 foot Duckworth boat . “ We went on a field trip all over that rough , windy ocean on opening day with great company and ended up with nice grade of fish . It was a really fun , exciting day with us all looking forward to more salmon fishing . And I went
Kenny Carter from Santa Rosa caught this huge 45 lb . king salmon while trolling off the Marin County Coast on June 30 .
Photo courtesy of Salty Lady Sportfishing home with a 20 pounder ,” said Kaiser . Altogether , they released 8 coho salmons , kept five kings between 14 and 20 pounds , released two 22 inch kings and lost four other fish . The six anglers trollied with a variety of set-ups , including downriggers , flashers and an array of spoons . Kaiser opted to fish with 1-1 / 2 to 2-1 / 2 pound lead balls with a rigged anchovy at around 60 feet deep . “ I lost one huge king right by the boat ,” she noted . They started off trolling with the rest of the fleet about 10 miles straight out of Bodegahead , then went another 10 miles offshore where the commercial fleet was , only to return to where they started . Vance Staplin , a GSSA board member , reported limits of king salmon on the opener out of Bodega Bay , along with releasing cohos and hake . “ The water was nasty rough and the wind was blowing , but we got our fish on opening day in my Boston Whaler ,” said Staplin . “ The salmon were not monsters but were nice fish weighing 12-18 pounds .” Anglers are reminded that the retention of coho salmon is prohibited in all California ocean fisheries for the protection of Central California Coast and Southern Oregon- Northern California Coast coho stocks . Information : https :// cdfwmarine . wordpress . com / 2021 / 05 / 28 / watchout-for-coho-salmon-incalifornias-ocean-fisheries San Francisco . Boats fishing out of Bay Area ports reported top-notch salmon fishing also on opening weekend . For example , the Lovely Martha finished up with 15 limits of salmon to 32 pounds while trolling 20 to 40 feet deep in 60 feet of water off the Marin County Coast on opening day , On Sunday , Captain Mike Rescino reported another fantastic day of salmon fishing , ending up with 18 limits of salmon to 22 pounds . Then on Monday the boat returned with 19 limits to 22 pounds by 9:30 a . m . Information : ( 650 ) 619-6629 . Half Moon Bay : Half Moon Bay boats found solid salmon fishing on opening weekend . Michael Cabanas of Hulicat Sportfishing reported 9 salmon for 8 anglers on Sunday while trolling up north at Duxbury Reef . “ There were some nice big