26 Sept . 15 - 30 , 2017 VOL . 36 • ISS . 20

Red hot salmon fishing is on tap outside the Golden Gate . This impressive fish was caught off the Marin Coast on August 27 .

Photo courtesy of NEW EASY RIDER SPORTFISHING , Berkeley .

These folks headed outside the Golden Gate in late August and ended up landing a bunch of beautiful king salmon .

Photo courtesy of BASS TUB SPORTFISHING , San Francisco .

BERKELEY & EMERYVILLE

Salmon And Lingcod Dominate Charter Boat Scene

BERKELEY- Salmon and lingcod are the two species offering the most exciting fishing for East Bay charter boat enthusiasts .

For example , the Happy Hooker Sportfishing team has been splitting their time between bottom fishing trips and salmon adventures . Their most recent salmon trip yielded a fish per rod to 15 pounds . On the bottomfish side , limits and near limits of lings have been the rule along with plenty of quality rockfish while fishing offshore .

The California Dawn has been fishing the Farallon Islands almost exclusively and the fishing has been wide open for both rockfish and lingcod . Limits of lings have been the rule . Last week one angler reeled up a 21 pound and 18 pound lingcod on the same drop . That ’ s a quick limit of quality fish !

The Goldeneye 2000 has been mixing things up . Most days Captain Quang Vo has been working the Farallon Islands for limits of lings and rocks , but on other days he ’ s been working inside S . F . Bay for one halibut per rod on average .

On the salmon fishing front , Berkeley ’ s New Easy Rider has been rounding up limits and near limits daily while trolling rigged bait . The fish are ranging from about 24 inches to 26 pounds . Now is the time to book a trip and round yourself up a limit of late summer kings !

Captain Hayden

Mullins of Dragon Sportfishing has also been chasing chromers outside the Golden Gate with outstanding results . Most days his six anglers are scoring early limits of kings to 20 pounds .

BODEGA BAY

Salmon , Lings & Rockfish Biting

BODEGA BAY - The weather is a cool 60 degrees at Bodega Bay and there is good fishing on tap . What other excuses do you need to head to the coast ?

Rick Powers on the New Sea Angler ran a combo trip and reported 2 salmon to 8 pounds to go with their 14 limits of rockfish and 9 lings to 15 . pounds .

Rick said they caught the salmon off Bird Rock and the rockfish were all quality reds and browns taken off Point Reyes . Overall there were not a lot of salmon landed , but that should change shortly as fish to the north push through the local waters . This school will move through quickly and provide a day or three of action .

At press time , the weather was good with 10 to 12 knots of wind over a 4 foot swell .

Eric Holthouse of North Bay Charters was out with his 8 year-old grandson and his friend on Sunday , and they limited out on rockfish and lings at the Sunken Reef north of the harbor before trying for salmon in 230 feet of water with the commercial fleet . The salmon are deep , and he planned to scrape the bottom with 15 pounds weights on the downriggers .

- Mike Augney and Dave Hurley

FISHERMAN ’ S WHARF

Trollers Bag Big Kings At Duxbury

SAN FRANCISCO – King salmon fishing continues to be very good along the Marin County coast , while the rockfish and lingcod action is improving in the same region .

Eight anglers bagged 11 salmon to 24 pounds during a trolling adventure aboard the Bass Tub off Duxbury Reef on Sunday , September 3 , reported Captain Aaron Anfinson . Fish averaging 12 pounds each hit anchovies trolled at around 60 feet deep .

On the day before , the 12 anglers aboard the Bass Tub bagged 9 salmon

Big Golden Gate lingcod and big smiles , that ’ s the story from the deck of the Happy Hooker . Photo courtesy of HAPPY HOOKER SPORTFISHING ,

Berkeley .

to 2 pounds while trolling in the same area .

“ The fishing for rockfish is great at the Farallon Islands ,” said Anfinson . “ Today skippers reported solid rockfish and lingcod off the Marin County coast ; that ’ s where we ’ re headed for bottomfish tomorrow .”

- Dan Bacher

HALF MOON BAY

Charter Boaters Bag Big Bottomfish Sacks

EL GRANADA - Sherri Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing reported top-notch action for both lingcod and rockfish with experienced fishermen scoring big sacks of rockfish and lingcod south of the harbor from Martins Beach to Pigeon Point .

“ Rockfish action is fantastic , “ said Ingles . “ They guys who know what they ’ re doing are filling their sacks to the brim , but not everybody is doing that . For example , the anglers averaged about 9 rockfish per rod on