Fishing in the Bay Areas doesn’t shut down for winter

While everyone is hoping that the latest toxin tests will allow the Dungeness crab season to finally open, heavy seas have kept most fishing boats tied to the dock|

The recent series of January storms has diminished the opportunities for local anglers to put their lines in the water.1

And this weekend may be no exception.

In between, however, a few guys are managing to get out on the San Francisco Bay, especially the northern “sturgeon triangle” area where the sturgeon hang out.1With the right bait, primarily live shrimp or pile worms, some nice fish are being caught. Striped bass are also biting in the same area.

Over at the coast, while everyone is hoping that the latest toxin tests will allow the Dungeness crab season to finally open, heavy seas have kept most fishing boats tied to the dock with no other alternatives.

For Bay prospects, your best bet is to call Keith Fraser at the Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael, 415-456-0321. Keith has a good supply of live bait and is the expert on bay fishing for sturgeon.1He can also connect you with a party boat for bay fishing.

Inland, guide Hogan Brown says that the rivers, while high and brown when the rains are heavy, drop quickly afterward and he is optimistic about fishing prospects in February and March.1He believes there will be plenty of small windows between storms to allow us to go fishing.

The lower Yuba River just east of Marysville is a great winter trout venue. Hogan expects that the fishing will be good there over the next few weeks. It is just a matter of timing. He predicts also that fishing there this spring will be awesome.

Guys who like to throw flies at steelhead should look ahead to March and April when Hogan expects a strong steelhead run on the Feather River near Oroville.

I’ve fished with Hogan. He is an excellent guide and great conversationalist.1He teaches high school history in between fishing trips and specializes in waters near his home base of Chico. He has some open dates in February, March and April.1Call him at 530-514-2453, or email him at hoganbrown@hotmail.com.

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The annual Fly Fishing Show is coming up1February 26-28 in Pleasanton. If you love fly-fishing, a visit to this show is a must. Get more information at flyfishingshow.com.

Salmon runs in most California rivers are not nearly what they were or should be to sustain a healthy fishery.1Over the years, state authorities have tried to augment the wild runs with hatchery programs, in which the fingerlings from the hatcheries are released into the rivers in hopes that they will reach the sea and eventually return to spawn.

I read a report recently from the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is experimenting with a new approach, and injecting fertilized salmon eggs right into the river bottom of the Feather. Assuming that the water levels stay adequate, this could mean that the young salmon would be more immediately adapted to their home waters and have a higher rate of survival.

The annual GGSA Sonoma Salmon Celebration is set for Friday, March 11 at Ramekins. If you are interested in attending send an email to: rebecca@goldengatesalmon.org.

Hunting

and

Fishing

Bill

Lynch

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