SALTWATER
26 Sept 25, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 20
SALTWATER REPORTS
BERKELEY
Salmon, Lings, Rockfish &
Halibut All Bite
EAST BAY- East Bay charter skippers
continue to put their anglers on a parade
of different gamefish, both inside and
outside the bay.
Captain James Smith of the California
Dawn has been focusing on lingcod,
rockfish and halibut almost exclusively.
While fishing at the Islands or up the
Marin Coast, limits of lingcod and near
limits of rockfish have been the rule.
Inside S.F. Bay, anglers are averaging
about 2 halibut per rod along with some
bonus stripers.
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Similar action is being reported by
the Happy Hooker, Pacific Dream and
Goldeneye 2000.
“We had a great time catching rockfish
and lingcod today. We scored 18 limits of
rockfish and 27 lingcod up to 31 pounds,”
reported Captain Jonathan Smith of the
Happy Hooker.
Salmon fishing has slowed down
significantly, but trolling is still very
productive. Anglers trolling rigged bait
along the Marin Coast are averaging
about a fish per rod or less, but the kings
that show up have been running large.
Fish that go 20 lbs are common and you
have a realistic shot at a 30 plus with
Outstanding shark fishing is on tap in San Francisco Bay. This big leopard was caught
during a bait fishing trip with Captain Jay Lopes on August 23.
Photo courtesy of RIGHT HOOK SPORTFISHING, Sacramento.
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BODEGA BAY
Sonoma Coast
Produces Limits of
Rockfish, Improved
Salmon Count
BODEGA BAY – The
combination action continues
out of Bodega Bay as a new
wave of salmon have arrived
into the region. This may be
the last push of salmon for
the season as the fish are
migrating quickly south towards
the entrance of San Francisco
Bay at the Golden Gate on their
way to the upper Sacramento,
American, and Feather Rivers.
Rockfishing remains
consistent, and the popular
Dungeness crab/rockfish
combination trips will start
during the first Saturday in
November. The best salmon
bite has been northwest of
the harbor from Carmet to the
mouth of the Russian River in
deep water.
Captain Rick Powers of Bodega Bay
Sport Fishing continues to run his salmon/
ling cod/rockfish combination trips, and
limits of big rockfish remain the rule along
with a healthy count of salmon and ling
cod. He took out a small private charter on
Wednesday, and he said, “The salmon are
starting to bite again as our first three fish
were at 15,18, and 20 pounds followed
by three smaller ones. It was a three-man
charter and they left with limits of salmon,
limits of rockfish, and a few lings. We are
filled for the weekend, but we are wide
open throughout the next week.”
With the excellent albacore action
further up the coast off of Fort Bragg,
Powers is ready with either his luxury
boat, the Surf Scoter, or the 65-foot New
Sea Angler to make a run for the longfins.
There has been at least one boat out of
Lawson’s Landing that made a run to
Cordell Banks for three albacore to 26
pounds.
Captain Tom Mattusch of the Huli Cat
has been conducting rockfish research
trips along the Sonoma coastline, and he
said, “Wednesday was a very interesting
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PACIFIC DREAM
Captain Chris Smith’s 58’ Pacific Dream
Halibut continue to offer strong action for anglers drifting
live bait in S.F. Bay. This fish was landed aboard the
Happy Hooker on August 28.
Photo courtesy of HAPPY HOOKER SPORTFISHING,
Berkeley.
day as the sky was orange with no
visibility and everything was covered with
ash. We went north to Stewart’s Point for
outstanding ling cod and huge rockfish to
be tagged in the closed zone. One of the
lings had a big China cod in its mouth,
and we had tagged this fish last year.”
In Tomales Bay, Lawson’s Landing
reported halibut limits are possible, and
Margo Cooper of Roseville landed a
28-pound striped bass. There have been
a few stripers taken from the shoreline
north of Tomales Bay.
- Dave Hurley
FISHERMAN’S WHARF
Farallon Islands Kick Out
Rockfish Limits
SAN FRANCISCO – The Bass Tub has
been concentrating on rockfish at the
Farallon Islands, now that the salmon
action has slowed down along the Marin
CONTINUED ON PG 27
Halibut
Stripers
Lingcod
Salmon
Sharks
& More
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Departing Daily From The Berkeley Marina
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(510) 223-5388
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Captain Jonathan Smith’s 56’ Happy Hooker