Sonoma Coast Fishing Pressure

I was wandering what the difference in fishing pressure is as you move farther north up the sonoma coast.  I have seen less boats up around Salt Point than I have around Fort Ross.  Maybee it is my imagination.

I think fort ross is kind of a landmark, and our reports are probably heard by lurkers out of bodega bay.  I know one time a powerboat pulled up along side me just north of the fort cove and I heard them say "after all this way, we'd better get some quality fish..."  Unfortunately for them, the bite was off that day.  

I do believe the other spots are somewhat better, wether that's due to less pressure or better habitat, I'm not sure.  But fishing stillwater twice, and fort ross about 8 times, the two days at stillwater were better than any I've had at fort ross as far as CPUE. (one day was cut short at stillwater by the weather, but I still caught a fish every couple minutes).

I think the reef south of Fort Ross gets more pressure that out front of Fort Ross.  If you were in a boat in that area, wouldn't you get drawn to it?

And I think Salt Point gets more pressure than Fort Ross.  The PB fishing reports talk about Salt Point more than Fort Ross.  I rarely here of PB reports from Stillwater.

Regardless, all areas up there hold decent numbers of fish.

-Allen

I agree that all of these areas hold good numbers of fish.  Don't forget... Stillwater cove is right next to Ocean cove and gets frequent traffic from folks fishing from small boats and inflatables.

No matter where I've fished this year, I have yet to experience some of the wide open action that was the norm in 2002 and 2003.  I believe it has more to do with ocean conditions than anything else as fishing in general has been off this year.  

Occasionally I've seen party boats drift into Fort Ross Cove, but more often than not, they tend to fish outside in deeper water.  

I will agree, however, that as you get farther up the coast into the northern reaches of Sonoma county and into  Mendocino County, that fishing pressure is generally lessened and the fishing tends to be better in general... I think the Elk tourney proved that.

Erik

What is the range for most of the party boats and larger boats from bodega bay?  How far north can most of them travel in a day to fish?  I am wandering how far north I have to go to get out of the range of bodega bay..

Fort Ross is about as far as Bodega fleet will go, Elk is about as far south as Ft. Bragg fleet goes.  In between there aint much in the way of PB launches.   Pt. Arena has a sling launch (expensive and tricky) and then there is Ocean Cove, pressure by CA standards is LIGHT.

That Jelly kid is soooo smart  

Fort Ross is about as far as Bodega fleet will go, Elk is about as far south as Ft. Bragg fleet goes.  In between there aint much in the way of PB launches.   Pt. Arena has a sling launch (expensive and tricky) and then there is Ocean Cove, pressure by CA standards is LIGHT.

 Thanks, that is what I was thinking.

Think about it. I experienced this (we all perhaps have) in backpacking and mountaineering in the the Sierra. The farther from the trail head--the fewer camps and people. The higher the altitude gain--the fewer the people and the less the pressure on the campsites and trails. Human nature being a relative constant, it applies to fishing pressure relative to ease of launches and boat travel time. My best fishing on the East Fork of the Carson River ( below Hangman's Bridge-artificial and barb-less only) was to just walk straight out from the parking lot and down river by 2 miles before wetting a line. I was often alone and caught a lot of trout while others who started right at the parking lot ended up skunked or saw fish that wouldn't take a fly. They covered the frequently trod river with fish stunned by the invasion of fishers. Its to our advantage since kayaks can take advantage of launches power-boaters cannot.

A few years back I took my son out of Bodega Bay on a combo rock fish/crab party boat trip.
The following weekend I was in my kayak out of Ocean Cove and there was a party boat straight out so I headed towards it. It was the exact boat I was on the week before. I talked to Sal the deckhand for a few minutes before I headed back. The ocean swells were kind of big and they had a couple of green people hanging their heads over the sides. The chumming wasn't working for them as I had already caught more fish than the entire boat that day.
Another party boat trip with my son ( he was 6, a little too young to ocean kayak yet )  took us all the way to Stillwater, so the Bodega boats do make it north if the weather is good.