THE FISHING REPORT

The Big Story on the fishing front is the seemingly nonstop wind
that we have been experiencing the last couple of weeks and look to
continue to have through this week. It has really been “honkin,” as
the sailors would tell you. And while this doesn’t bode well for
salmon fishing right now it portends really good things to
come. 
We usually get a strong northwesterly fill after numerous fronts
go over the top of us this time of year. World speed sailing
attempts are almost always held in April or May off of San
Francisco Bay. So while we can’t get out and fish, the ocean is
turning over big time. Just in the last week the water temperature
has dropped from 54 degrees to 48. When the swells gets big and the
current gets pushed along, the nutrients from the ocean’s bottom
come to the surface as a result of cold water upwelling and feed
the plankton which in turn feed the smaller creatures that the
salmon feed on. That brown water that the salmon seem to love in
July starts with cold green water now in the spring.
Last year we had good windy conditions in April and May and many
remarked just how windy it was because they had forgotten what the
spring is like around here. 2007 and 2008 were noticeably absent of
spring winds and many ocean biologists felt that this coupled with
the massive amounts of water being transported out of the bay and
down south were the reasons behind the collapse of the salmon
populations. 
So while we can’t fish for salmon off the Bodega coastline going
south is going to be a more rewarding option. Ports south of Half
Moon Bay typically have more shelter from the northwesterly winds.
The Monterey Bay has been fishing well and it really hasn’t been
that rough. If you are less than hopeful of good fishing this year
remember that this is a rebuilding year and that we are lucky to
have any salmon fishing at all. So head south and make sure you
have 300 feet of Spectra on your Downrigger. The fish have come
anywhere from 150 to 200 feet down trolling a watermelon Apex or
Hootchie combo.
When the PFMC announced that one of the options for the salmon
season would be to not fish the first two months of the season, I
wasn’t all that broken hearted. In my mind, I thought the fish
would get bigger and we would typically be blown off the water any
way. Once the wind lays down, three days after, expect there to be
pretty good fishing.  These are krill fish and they are getting big
and fight extremely hard. In addition, they taste great. We should
have good fishing in June and July as a result of all this wind
cooling the water temperature so look on the bright side.
Bits and Pieces: Paul Hamond reports that a friend of his just
got back from a steelhead trip to Yakutat, Alaska, truly one of the
best steelhead spots in the world. He hooked an average of 15 fish
a day to 18 pounds along with a 150 pound halibut he caught on his
off day. Roger Riccardi reports that the Salmon River in Idaho is
experiencing one of the best steelhead seasons in years. It just
closed down, but they had a great season and that is a good
barometer for our steelhead season coming back next year.
For more reports and/or information, please contact Hunt
Conrad at Prospect Mortgage in Healdsburg, 431-9715.