Fishing Report: Salmon Outlook: Sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns

When preparing for any fishing trip, there are a lot of things to consider. In fact, the success of most fishing trips is 90 percent dependent on preparation before you even get to the water. And, of course, one of the most critical decisions made is based on the weather conditions, especially when headed out on the ocean. Today’s fisherman has so many advantages with the Internet and modern day technology when it comes to forecasting but there is really nothing that can substitute real-time first-hand observations from where you want to go.
My friend and I were chomping at the proverbial salmon fishing bit and really wanted to give Bodega Bay a try last Saturday. The spring winds have been horrendous this year; and while I know that they bode well for future fishing in July and August, they have really taken a toll on the number of available days sport fishermen have been able to fish out of Bodega. In addition, it seems that any of the calm days this last month have been on Monday and Tuesday, which are closed to salmon fishing.  We had done all of our research online in the proceeding days and really didn’t have a good handle on what to expect. We knew it was going to be windy but didn’t know where the wind line was or how much swell there was going to be. And on top of that, the previous days fishing reports had been really good.
At 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, we both looked at the computer and still had no clear grasp on whether the conditions would allow us to fish. We decided to hook up the boat and head out there just to see what it was like. While we were gassing up, I made three phone calls to three different captains who were already on the water and fishing by this time. The first captain, Rick Powers, skipper of the ample 65 foot New Sea Angler, said, “You know, tomorrow might be a better day.” I called Vince Orsini, captain of the Miss Anita, and he said, “It really depends on your motivation and the size of your boat.” I responded that the motivation was high and the boat was small. And finally I talked with Bob Monkton aboard the Reel-entless and he said that “the seas were all jacked up.” These were certainly not good reports so we headed back home.
But then I started thinking to myself… but they are still all out there fishing. And yes, they are in larger boats but they have passengers aboard and maybe we should just give it a try and if it gets too rough we can always come in. So we went… and got limits of big fat king salmon. Did we get our butts kicked? Oh yeah! It was gusting to 35 mph on the way home. But it was worth it. I think the key is that you have to know your limits and that even having the very best information is no substitute for just going out there yourself to find out. One thing I know for sure… you can’t catch ’em tied to the dock.
Sunday, the weather out of Bodega Bay was much more manageable, and there were a couple of hundred skiffs out fishing and catching huge salmon. In fact, I can’t remember another year where there have been so many. So I called the Tides Wholesale Fish Company in Bodega Bay (they do a great job on lox, by the way), and Anthony Delima said that he sees mostly commercial fish; and while Friday there was a 16-plus average per fish (gutted and gilled), over the weekend, the size came down to a more normal 12-pound average. What that tells me is that on Friday, the commercial guys were fishing the same school of fish as the sport guys and then over the weekend, they moved further offshore and got into a regular grade but more numerous schools. All in all, it is going to be a great year for salmon fishermen and salmon lovers.
For more information and/or reports, please call Hunt Conrad at Prospect Mortgage, 431-9715.