The Fising Report: Who’s got it better than us?

Who’s got it better than us?
If you were fishing after noon last Sunday anywhere, then I am sure you were asking yourself that question. No one was on the river and there were fish to be caught. If you were watching the football game, then you may have asked yourself the same question. Many folks fished the morning, only to retire to the couch and TV in the afternoon. Either way, what a spectacular Sunday. And really… who’s got it better than us?
After a month of rain, the rivers finally cleared and steelhead fisherman were able to fish up and down the state with great success. Now many of those rivers are dropping out and are unfishable due to low flow closures. The Smith River continues to fish well but is pretty tough. Low and clear, guide boats are getting one to three fish a day. Further down the coast, the main fork of the Eel has been putting out phenomenal numbers. It isn’t often that anglers get a chance to fish the main because of the dirty water conditions most of the year, but three weeks with little rain has put this river into a prime time condition. Because this river is a highway for so many great tributaries, when it clears, it can produce huge scores. Last weekend, a friend of mine had 12 hookups in a long day of fishing. The south fork of the Eel is running lower and clear and is still a good option but needs a shot of rain.
Last Friday I went by to put in at Memorial Beach in Healdsburg around 6:30 a.m. and there was a lineup of at least 15 boats parked along Healdsburg Avenue. I guess the park ranger slept in and didn’t open the gate at 6 a.m. Needless to say, it was a cluster when they finally got on. In addition, there was a Coho Enhancement study being performed and, unfortunately, some anglers were apparently rude to the scientists in their jet boats. Fishing has been good to very good for Russian River steelheaders. Boats are averaging a fish a rod and the better boats are getting limits in the section of river below Healdsburg. Many bank fishermen are connecting with a variety of offerings, with roe being the most popular. The entire river is now fishing all the way down to Guerneville. Steve Jackson, avid fisherman and owner of Kings Sporting Goods in Guerneville, reports good fishing in the Johnson Beach area and all the way to Cassini’s Campground. He said the water is still a little high on Monday but water color is perfect. The Healdsburg Wild Steelhead festival is going to be held up at the park next to the Warms Springs Dam Don Clausen fish hatchery on February 9.
Sturgeon fishing is still an option on San Francisco Bay. Keith Frasier at Loch Lomond reports good but not spectacular fishing last weekend. Apparently, a lot of the fish are in the main, closed part of the bay slurping down herring spawn. Out on the coast, the main attraction is the dabs and crabs combo. Party boats are catching large numbers of sand dabs to go along with limits of dungeness.
For more information and or reports, please contact Hunt Conrad at Prospect Mortgage, 431-9715