(East Bay) The bad news is that crab season has yet to open. The good news is that the latest testing indicates a drop off in the level of toxins found in the crab, so an opener is expected in the near future. The best news is that the bottomfish action for both rockfish and lingcod has been wide open at the Farallons when the weather cooperates.
Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing in Berkeley hasn’t been running everyday, but when the boat does head out to the Farallon Islands, limits of rockfish and limits to near limits of lingcod have been the result.
In Emeryville, the story is much the same. Anglers want the crab season to kick off so they can enjoy some outstand crab and bottomfish combination trips.
In the short term, boats like the New Salmon Queen, New Huck Finn and Sea Wolf have been pushing out to the islands for limits of rockfish and near limits of lingcod up to and beyond 20 pounds.
The rockfish season in the Golden Gate region is slated to run until December 31, so there is plenty of time to get out and top off your freezer with tasty fillets.
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