By: The Fish Sniffer Staff November 4, 2004 Last Issue Austin caught this bright 12lb King while fishing a Kwik Fish on the Sacramento River in the Freeport area with his Dad on October 18th. This was Austin's first Salmon and also was the first time he put dinner on the table! Judging by his reaction and smile I know I will have a fishing partner for a long time. Gobble Gobble, Brian Steck

MORRO BAY
Rockcod fishing along the California coast above Point Lopez closed on October 31, but anglers will continue to pursue rockfish off Morro Bay and Avila Beach through December 31.

The rockfish action has been great on both local and long-range trips. The latest long-range 10-hour adventure aboard the Fiesta yielded 12 lingcod, 90 red rockcod, 50 rockcod, 67 assorted rockfish, 3 cabezon and 1 sheephead, according to June Davis at Virg's Landing.

However, anglers will not be able to keep lingcod during November and December.

The 187 daily rockcod passengers during the last week of October landed 13 lingcod, 451 red rockcod, 522 rockcod, 759 assorted rockfish, 3 cabezon, 10 whitefish and 1 sheephead.

Big fish honors go to Kevin Little of Santa Maria, who bagged a 23 pound halibut aboard the Fiesta, and Joe Romley of Cambria, who captured a 17 pound lingcod on the Fiesta. Other successful anglers include Cody Tubberville of Bakersfield, with a 14 pound lingcod taken aboard the Admiral, and Jim Smith of Chowchilla, with a 13 pound sheephead caught on the Fiesta.

"The humpback whales are here and the sightings have been excellent," added Davis. "Trips are scheduled Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m."

MONTEREY
The Highlands and Point Sur were the last stops for rockcod boats out of Monterey as the season closed on October 31. Boats are now gearing up for flatfish and crab trips scheduled to start on November 6.

"We ended the season with great fishing for bottomfish in Carmel Bay and at Point Sur, but we were unable to catch any legal lingcod over 30 inches," stated Crissy Chonacki of Randy's Fishing Trips. "Over the last two days of the season, anglers released dozens of undersized lingcod and bagged some big blues, blacks and other assorted rockfish while using Mega Baits and jigs."

Randy's is tentatively scheduling trips for sanddabs and Dungeness crab following Coast Guard inspections.

Anglers fishing with Chris' Fishing Trips scored easy limits of assorted rockfish and several lingcod per boat on October 30 and 31. "We fished down south near the Carmel Highlands in 40-120 feet of water," said Todd Arcoleo. "It was amazing to see all the hungry school fish come up and eat the bait."

Chris' will be running sanddab trips and flatfish/crab combos on Wednesdays and Fridays after November 6.

SANTA CRUZ
Bottomfish enthusiasts took advantage of fishable conditions on the last weekend of the rockcod season, October 30-31, to nail limits of rockfish and some big lingcod.

Anglers in four skiffs caught good numbers of rockfish and three legal-sized lingcod on October 31, according to Ed Burrell of Capitola Boat & Bait.

Dan Williams nailed a 30 inch lingcod while fishing the second kelp bed from the wharf. Kent bagged a 14 pound, 32 inch lingcod while using squid by the Santa Cruz Lighthouse. And Dennis Hickey nailed a 12 pound lingcod on a live kingfish off Capitola Reef.

"One local surf fisherman, Gary, caught two striped bass in the 7 to 8 pound range while tossing a Pencil Popper off the beach near the wharf," said Burrell. "He also reported losing a larger fish."

The Wild Wave returned with 24 limits of rockfish and 3 lingcod to 21 pounds on a special charter to Point Sur on October 30, according to Bill Rawson at Shamrock Charters. The anglers used a mixture of chrome bars, jigs, and shrimp flies and squid strips.

On Sunday, the 21 anglers on the Wild Wave went up to Año Nuevo Island to fish. "They caught limits of rockfish and a 23 pound lingcod," said Rawson. "The wind came up, so the water was a little rough."

The 6 anglers fishing with Joe Stoops of Chartle Charters on October 29 boated easy limits of quality vermilion and black rockfish to 10 pounds. They fished the shallow water west of Santa Cruz with bars and flies.

HALF MOON BAY
Anglers are preparing for the upcoming crab/sanddab combo trips now that the rockcod season is closed.

Anglers wrapped up the rockcod season on October 31 with Captain Tom Mattusch of Hulicat Sportfishing off the Montara State Beach with "terrific" bottom fishing and early limits. "Most of the 15 people on the boat were either new anglers on the boat or new to saltwater fishing and it was nice to break them in to such great fishing," he said.

On the previous day, a group of 25 people from the Coastside Fishing Club Board of Directors fished with Mattusch below Pigeon Point at New Year's Island and came home just a few rockfish short of the boat limit. "We also bagged 2 lingcod and 2 halibut to 15 pounds," added Mattusch.

The fish were taken on Fish Traps and other rubber swim tail baits, tipped with squid.

Tom is now booking trips for Dungeness crabs, as well as sanddabs (once they start showing in numbers).

SAN RAFAEL
Drifting and trolling for striped bass is still productive in San Pablo Bay, but the anchor fishing has improved with the arrival of muddier water in the bay.

The Predator, skippered by Mike Andrews, returned with 23 bass to 16 pounds for 12 anglers on the latest anchor fishing adventure, according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Live Bait and Tackle. The anglers caught the fish while fishing bullheads and shrimp baits at the Pumphouse in 10 to 15 feet of water.

"Anglers drifting with live shiners and trolling with wormtail jigs are still catching bass, but fishing on the anchor is yielding the better fishing now," he added.

If you want to drift live bait, try the San Quentin Flats. A private charter of three anglers caught 75 stripers on a recent trip by Erik Anfinson, captain of the Bass Tub. They kept their limits of bass in the 6 to 15 pound range and released the rest. They found the top action while drifting live in 4 feet of water.

Anfinson is getting ready to make his annual move from Fishermen's Wharf to the Western Boat Shop in San Rafael. "

EMERYVILLE
Anglers fishing out of Emeryville Sportfishing finished off the rockcod season with a bang, catching limits of assorted rockfish plus several lingcod per boat. The final day of fishing was October 31.

"Every trip that went out scored limits of assorted rockfish, with each boat getting anywhere from 0 to 10 legal lingcod," stated Craig Stone of Emeryville Sportfishing. The rockfish were taken on an assortment of shrimp flies, jigs and live bait.

Now that the season is over, the Emeryville fleet will continue running salmon trips to Duxbury until the season closes on November 14.

"Up until Friday, the fleet was getting one fish per rod to limits," explained Stone. " Anglers caught a lot of big fish to 44 pounds over the weekend, but the salmon bite slowed down to under one fish per rod."

The New Salmon Queen returned with 13 salmon to 40 pounds for 18 anglers on October 31. The C Gull and Rapid Transit ended up with a total of 400 rockfish (limits) and 3 lingcod for their combined 40 anglers on the same day.

After the Dungeness crab season opens on November 6, Emeryville will begin offering offer sanddab/crab combos

BERKELEY
The Berkeley sportfishing fleet wrapped up the rockcod season with limits during the last week of October. Anglers are also booking the last salmon trips of the season as the final day, November 14, approaches.

"My only boat out today, October 31 the last day of rockcod season), was the Goldeneye 2000," reported Chris Nelson of Berkeley Marina Sports Center.

"The 15 passengers boated limits of rockfish while fishing shallow water spots around the Farallon Islands."

On the previous day, the California Dawn checked in with limits of rockcod and 7 cabezon for 24 people. The Goldeneye 2000 and New Goldeneye returned with limits for 22-26 anglers.

Now that the rockcod season is closed (until July 1), the fleet is focusing the remainder of the salmon season on fishing Duxbury Reef and Rocky Point for those big chinooks. "Despite it being late in the season, our boats are still averaging a fish per rod, with the occasional slow day thrown in," he revealed.

On the most recent salmon trip, the Eldorado checked in with four salmon to 15 pounds. The boat came back with 9 salmon to 36 pounds on the day before. Once the salmon season is closed, Berkeley will offer sanddab/dungeness crab combos. The dungeness crab season opens on November 6.

RICHMOND MARINA
Sport fishermen have little time left to catch ocean salmon outside of the Golden Gate, since the season wraps up on Sunday, November 14.

Captain John Badger of Barbarian Sportfishing found a few anglers eager to reel in salmon from Duxbury Reef during the week. On Friday, October 29, Badger and three passengers trolled the reef with Rotary Salmon Killers and crowbar hooks with bait to catch three kings to 39.9 pounds.

"The big fish are showing up now, a sure sign of the end of the run," remarked Badger.

On the following day, another group of anglers again fished Duxbury, but experienced tough fishing, resulting in the catch of a 28 pound salmon.

"After we netted the salmon we came inside to fish the bay and landed a 20 pound halibut and 6 pound bass," he said. "We could have caught more halibut and bass, but due to current regulations we had to continue using crowbar hooks after catching salmon."

BODEGA BAY
Anglers venturing out of Bodega Bay on the last three days of rockcod season - October 29, 30 and 31 - experienced outstanding fishing off Fort Ross.

"October 29 was the best day," said Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportfishing. "The 18 anglers on the boat landed limits of rockfish and 18 lingcod to 20 pounds. The sacks averaged 50 pounds each."

The 16 passengers on the New Sea Angler on October 30 bagged limits of rockfish, 7 lingcod to 15 pounds and one 6 pound cabezon. Sunday's trip was also good, with all anglers returning with limits of rockfish.

On all three trips, the anglers fished bars with shrimp fly teasers in shallow water off the Sonoma County coast.

After the crab season opens on November 6, the Sandy Ann and Rumblefish will begin crab only trips. The trips will leave at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

NORTH COAST
Despite unfavorable ocean conditions over the last weekend of the rockcod season, anglers fishing out of Fort Bragg still managed to get out to local spots and pick up near-limits to limits of assorted rockfish.

Captain Rick Thornton of Anchor Charters ran over to Westport in 80 feet of water on the final day of the season, October 31, to capture full limits of black, blue, gopher, and vermilion rockfish and cabezon for a load of 24 anglers. The group also released several dozen sublegal lingcod.

"The most popular set up was a 6 ounce bar with a Super Fly Teaser Hook about 1 foot above the bar," noted Thornton.

With the rockcod season now closed, Thornton is scheduling crab only trips starting on November 27.

"The last few days of the season could have been better weather wise, but we stuck it out and brought in just shy of a boat limit on the final day of fishing," reported Randy Thornton of Telstar Charters. "We had a combination of a north wind and fast drift that really hurt the fishing."

Thornton and his clients also managed to scratch out three legal lingcod to 13-1/2 pounds. "The fish were taken in 50-80 feet of water 5 miles south of the harbor using 3 ounce jigs with a teaser hook above," he said.

Telstar also has plans to run for crab once the season opens on November 27.