MARINE MECHANICAL REPAIR INC .
26 Dec . 8 - 22 , 2017 VOL . 36 • ISS . 26
BERKELEY
Crab Combo Trips Provide Thrills And Great Eating !
BERKELEY - Crab combo season is a bittersweet proposition for East Bay charter boat enthusiasts .
On one hand , these fall trips are lots of fun and often produce a bountiful haul of great eating . On the other hand , the crab combo season marks the final leg of the saltwater fishing season . Once angler interest in combo action slows the East Bay charter boat scene goes largely dormant until the following May when spring potluck live bait fishing kicks off the next season .
Right now , a day before Thanksgiving , things couldn ’ t be better . Anglers that head out on combo trips are rounding up limits of crab , limits of rockfish and solid numbers of lingcod . The crab traps are spread out on the bars beyond the Golden Gate and the best rockfish fishing is taking place at the Farallon Islands .
On the California Dawn ’ s most recent adventure the 32 anglers aboard rounded up full limits of rockfish and crabs , adding 12 lingcod to 25 pounds .
The Happy Hooker ’ s trip on November 19 produced epic results with near limits of rockfish , limits of crab and 50 lingcod , with several in the 20 pound class , for their 37 anglers .
Capt . Quang Vo of the Goldeneye 2000 has also been rounding up big numbers of rockfish , lingcod and crab . Michael Tompkins landed all those species when he hit the water with Capt . Vo on November
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19 and added a big bad wolf eel to his sack as well !
BODEGA BAY
Charter Boaters Nail Bottomfish , Crabs
BODEGA BAY - The Dungeness crab counts are on the downslide , but party boats with abundant pots and the willingness to move their gear around are still picking up 10-crab limits for their clients . The Outer Bay crab pots continue to be plagued by thievery from fellow boaters . Ling cod action has been phenomenal as the big fish are moving into the shallows , and rockfishing continues to be limits all around as the school fish are on the chomp .
Captain Eric Holthouse of North Bay Charters said , “ Overall , we are getting the crab , but we have to move a lot of gear to get them . Our last trip produced limits of both rockfish and crab for 6 anglers along with 5 ling cod . We will be running the combination trips until the rockfish season closure on December 31st , and we have plenty of room throughout the coming month .”
Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sport Fishing said , “ It has just been about as good as it gets right now for rockfish , lingcod , and crab . We put in 210 lings in three trips during the Thanksgiving week as
GETTING HOME
You never leave the dock without believing you ’ ll be back , usually
later that same day . And you are almost always right . Last week my good friend Jim Royal told me a tale of the day he didn ’ t .
You won ’ t be surprised when I start by saying this occurred on the Napa River . Tides on our favorite river move so far and so fast that you can strand yourself at high tide unless you ’ re very careful . But guess again ! It wasn ’ t the tide that stranded Jim and Joyce .
Joyce ’ s sister and brother-in-law met them at Cuttings Wharf that morning in weather that was overcast but not raining . Two couples in two boats , they headed downriver to Napa 2 for striper fishing .
At the Brazos Bridge off the port side of their 15-foot Klamath they saw
THE SONOMA COAST by Kathie Morgan
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SALTWATER
SALTWATER REPORTS
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
a train car hanging vertically off the bridge and another car in the water . Not something you see every day . A big barge was there trying to raise the submerged train out of the river , and an oil slick floated above the downed car . A small sheriff ’ s boat and another small boat hovered nearby .
But the other couple in their boat had already passed through , so Jim and Joyce hurried to catch up . No one paid them the slightest attention . Soon they arrived at the fishing grounds , baited up and cast out . Nothing . Ditto for the other boat .
For several damp and dreary hours they toughed it out , but when the drizzle turned to rain the other couple headed for the barn .
Let ‘ em go . But after another hour or two of hopeful but unproductive casts , Jim and Joyce were ready to head back themselves . They arrived at the Brazos Bridge to find the entire river was blocked by a line of floating scrub-
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John Biven took his kayak up to Bodega Bay in early November and spanked a bunch of bottom fish including this big lingcod .
Photo courtesy of JOHN BIVEN , Sacramento . bers for cleaning up the oil . No , they couldn ’ t pass through . Jim ’ s question – “ What am I supposed to do ?” – was met with shrugs from the authorities . No suggestions .
A Good Samaritan living on Milton just downriver heard the exchange and spoke up . “ You can use my dock , and I ’ ll drive you back to Cuttings Wharf .” Joyce retrieved her purse , but they left their fishing gear in the boat . Samaritan No . 1 drove them to Cuttings Wharf , where they met Samaritan No . 2 , the chap they had seen at the launch that morning fishing alone with his little dog . Mr . Aquistapace had done all his fishing upriver of the bridge , so he was OK . He offered to let them keep their trailer at his place just outside of Schellville .
The next day Jim and Joyce drove over to
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3622
California Dawn
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SportfiShing
Crab , Rockfish & Lingcod COMBO TRIPS
CAPTAIN JAMES JR . SMITH
Schellville with some frozen filets for Samaritan No . 2 , then to Milton with a jug of liquid gratitude for Samaritan No . 1 . The water in the boat was ankle deep from the rain , but the barricade was down and they sailed right under the bridge and soon were safely home .
You can see Gene Poon ’ s amazing sequence of pictures of the train going off the bridge at http :// nilesdepot . org / niles / wreck . html .
Hoping to be home by nightfall , I ’ ll be looking for you on the banks .
start Nov . 4th !
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