Berkeley/Emeryville
Rockfish And Crab Combo Action Red Hot For East Bay Anglers
(Berkeley) The crab season kicked off for Bay Area saltwater anglers on November 5 and since then it’s been limits all around with anglers scoring limits of big crabs and husky rockfish. As if that weren’t exciting enough there have also been solid numbers of lingcod in the mix.
Operating out of the Berkeley Marina, anglers aboard Captain James Smith’s California Dawn rounded up full limits of 280 rockfish and full limits of 280 crabs on the boat’s most recent foray outside the gate.
James is planning to run combo trips until the rockfish season closes at the end of December.
Captain Chris Smith of Captain Hook Sportfishing started off the combo season with a bang. His six anglers rounded up 45 crabs on a short soak and added full limits of rockfish and 10 lingcod to 20 pounds.
Captain Jim Smith of Happy Hooker Sportfishing is offering both crab only and crab combo trips. On the opener the Hooker scored 410 crabs and full limits of quality rockfish including some impressive vermilions.
In Emeryville several boats including the New Huck Finn operating out of the Emeryville Sportfishing Center are offering crab combo trips. As with boats running out of Berkeley full limits of both crabs and rockfish have been the norm along with some quality lings for anglers that concentrate on working the bottom with large baits and jigs.
Bodega Bay
Sport Crabs and Rockfish On Fire
by Dave Hurley
(Bodega Bay) Bodega Bay was crowded as expected on the opener, and both sides of the north and south jetties at the opening were loaded with fishermen hanging from the rocks in the middle of the evening after the 12:01 a.m. opening on Saturday morning.
In addition to the hundreds of shore fishermen with headlamps clinging to the jetties, there were at least 25 kayakers setting pots and moving to and from in the darkness. To add to the mix, several private boaters were out in the middle of the night dropping their pots in the Outer Bay. The middle of the night opening, on top of a huge swell, created plenty of excitement, but also the potential for extreme danger.
The crab and rockfish action has been ‘En Fuego’ out of Bodega Bay with Captain Rick Powers of the New Sea Anglers loaded up with 50 limits of crab, 50 limits of rockfish, and 3 lingcod on Wednesday, November 9th. They only had to pull 20 pots for the 50 limits of crab.
Powers has been south of the harbor near Point Reyes, but the big swell over the past week have put the lingcod off of the bite.
Captain Jeff Carmella of the six-pack Miss Anita was also able to get in on the crab with 8 limits to go with limits of rockfish and a ling. Carmella said, “Once the weather and swell lay down, the lings should be back on the bite.”
The Westside launch will be open Fridays through Sundays, starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. The Westside launch ramp will be closed Mondays through Thursdays, but open for Thanksgiving Day.
The Doran launch ramp is open and can accommodate parking for up to 40 trucks with trailers. In addition, boat trailer parking at the “Jetty” parking area north of the Doran launch will accommodate an additional 20 trucks and trailers.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Charter Boaters Bag Limits Of Rockfish And Crabs
by Dan Bacher
(San Francisco) Fishing for rockfish and crabs has been excellent outside of the Golden Gate since the Dungeness crab season opened on November 5.
“Anglers caught limits of Dungeness crabs, limits of rockfish and a smattering of lingcod on our first three trips of the season to the Farallon Islands,” reported Erik Anfinson, captain of the Bass Tub.
“Our latest trip produced 22 limits of both rockfish and crabs and two lingcod, said Anfinson. “The rockfish were a mixture of browns, blues, blacks, quillbacks, gophers and other species. The anglers fished mainly with shrimp flies, tipped with squid strips, at 100 to 150 feet deep.”
Peninsula Shoreline
Pacifica Pier Kicks Out Dungeness Crab
by Roland Aspiras
(San Francisco) Crab season opened on time for anglers to score on tasty Dungeness, while interest in fishing remained slow.
Anglers in search of crab were being sent to the Pacifica Pier by Stefani Scott at Gus’ Discount Bait and Tackle this week.
“The opener was ok and a few nice-sized crab came up. One of my customers even gave me one as a thank you for sending him down there,” she said.
“Other guys were tossing snares from Baker Beach, but this week the ocean is so rough no one is going out,” she added. “No one is fishing at all right now with the swells running nine to 12 feet.”