Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3714 June 22-July 6, 2018 | Page 29

Queen of Hearts
Departing from Fisherman ’ s Wharf • San Francisco
Light Tackle Rockfishing 650-728-3377
VOL . 37 • ISS . 14

SALTWATER

June 22 - July 6 , 2018

Bodega Bay Adventure Aboard New Sea Angler Yields the Jackpot Ling

Seven years old or 70 , some of us still jump up and down with the excitement of going fishing . Back in early May I was like a kid on Christmas Eve .

How long has it been since I fished out of Bodega Bay ? Even when I did , my last couple of trips were for Humboldt squid . Loved it , but it wasn ’ t quite the same as working a jig on the bottom for rockfish and lingcod .
My joyful anticipation was partly because I ’ d be fishing with my old friend , veteran Bodega Bay skipper Rick Powers . Powers has 35 years experience fishing the
Sonoma Coast – and who knows how many more before that , fishing out of Berkeley Marina ? He is the best .
So we gathered aboard the 65-foot New Sea Angler , met mate Dana Amundsen ( a licensed skipper himself ), and began getting acquainted with our fellow passengers , including a married couple and three men all from Solano County . Five fishing writers made up my group : Patrick Young , Carol Martens , Bob

WHAT ’ S HOT SALT by Kathie Morgan

Semerau , John Hennigan and myself . We listened to the safety briefing , then settled down for the ride up to Fort Ross . Powers explained choosing the Fort over Pt . Reyes because of the wind that had already started and was scheduled to increase .
When I think of Fort Ross , I think blue rockfish . Used to , anyway . Blues don ’ t exactly set my soul on fire , but if that ’ s what ’ s there , I ’ m just happy if I can get some . The “ Love the One You ’ re With ” philosophy .
Our first drop got me a nice canary . Good timing . Up until last year you weren ’ t allowed to keep them , but now you can keep two . Judging by the canary crowds that came aboard that day , legislators are going to have a hard time justifying keeping a bag limit on the species . Canaries topped all other species for us , far as I could tell .
Did I mention the wind ? I got bit on a ling bar but got rocked almost immediately . I handed Dana my rod and he managed to get me loose . My fish was
still aboard , and it felt decent .
It turned out to be the big fish of the day , a ling estimated at 15 pounds . An hour later I filled my lingcod limit with a fish that wouldn ’ t let go of the blue rockfish that had bitten my hook . See , I told you there were blues there !
Meanwhile , I kept catching big canaries and sharing them . I caught a good gopher , some lovely browns , and a handsome cabezon . All mild whitefleshed dandies .
When you ’ re away too long , you fear forgetting how . In many ways , I ’ m there . But I remembered to cast the exact direction the swells were running . That gave me the most time in the bottom ’ s vertical zone . Once you ’ re jigging horizontally , you ’ re best off winding back up to reset . It ’ s a long way to the top , but if you ’ re not maximizing your potential , what ’ s the point ?
For more information about trips aboard the New Sea Angler , contact : Bodega Sport Fishing Center , PO Box 1207 , 1410 B Bay Flat Rd ., Bodega Bay CA 94923 , ( 707 ) 875-3344 , http :// bodegabaysportfishing . com
I ’ ll be looking for you on the banks
29
Kathie Morgan of Santa Rosa holds up her jackpot lingcod caught on a recent bottomfish adventure aboard the New Sea Angler out of Bodega Bay .
Photo courtesy of KATHIE MORGAN .
SALTWATER REPORTS :
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
BODEGA BAY cont .
upcoming salmon season as the wind turns over the water and creates upwelling . The opener looks particularly good since we will have at least three calm days before Sunday , and there are salmon in the area as we have released three while rockfishing in the past few weeks .”
Out of Lawson ’ s Landing , Willie Vogler reported , “ There ’ s a striper or two in the surf with the perch , and they will also eat the Berkley Gulp ! Worms . The halibut bite in the bay hasn ’ t panned out for the guys I spoke with , but then again , the weather wasn ’ t what I could call good , either .”
– David Hurley
FISHERMAN ’ S WHARF
Stripers , Halibut Invade San Francisco Bay
SAN FRANCISCO - Live bait action for striped bass and halibut has been superb in San Francisco Bay lately , with the exact mixture of species caught varying by the tide .
The 12 anglers fishing aboard the Bass Tub landed 22 stripers and 4 halibut on a half day trip in the bay on Sunday , June 10 .
On June 9 , the 21 anglers aboard the Bass Tub bagged 24 bass and 10 halibut on a full day trip . Teresa Keenan-Johnson of Sutherlin , Oregon , started the day right with a 24 lb . halibut , according to Aaron Anfinson , Captain of the Bass Tub .
“ We fished inside the bay around Alcatraz ,” said Anfinson . “ The halibut averaged 15 to 18 pounds . The stripers averaged 8 pounds each .”
- Dan Bacher
HALF MOON BAY
Skippers Optimistic About Salmon Opener
EL GRANADA - Out of Half Moon Bay , there is optimism for the salmon opener this coming Sunday , Father ’ s Day , and the bulk of the action is anticipated south of the harbor just above Pigeon Point .
Sherry Ingles of Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing said , “ The wind has been the story here , but we were able to make it out Saturday for ¾ limits for 16

Queen of Hearts

Hard fighting fish and big smiles , that was the scene aboard Berkeley ’ s New
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