Salmon Season 8/29 to 9/7 North Seas

So with all the Doom and Gloom,

What's the deal with the 7 day season and where is the best area to launch/camp in the open season area,

  and most importantly....  Who's In??????????????

 SwellRider... AbKing.... ????

 Looks like someting to plan for....

MeMeMe I'm in! I need me a salmon bad. Let's set it up.

Opens at dawn on the 29th and closes at sunset on the 7th - 10 days.   

The 3 ports that we can fish out of are Humboldt Bay, Trinidad, and Crescent City.  I've always heard that CC has a spotty show for salmon, but we should keep our eyes on it in case the fish are in close.  Trolling south of the harbor there would be easy in less than an 8' swell.  At Trinidad the fish are often about 5 miles northwest of the Head - with currents that's too far.  Again, we should watch closely to hear a report of fish in close to the launch.  Humboldt Bay is the spot I've fished out of most - many many trips in powerboats and several trips in the yaks.  Sometimes the fish are just outside the jaws of the jetty, but more often they're several miles north and west.  SBD, MahiMahi and I paddled out of there trying to go northwest for several miles and we ended up straight out from the jaws...  It was a very flat day - the currents rip there.

So the key will be whether the fish are in close.  Unless...  Hawk had one of the local charter boat captains interested in a mothership salmon trip a couple years back, so maybe that's the route we'll have to take.

Time will tell.  I'm excited already.   

HMmmmm...

 That's a little more complicated than I first thought,

 Lets hope for a window with a little luck,  Fingers Crossed...

where would be a good campground to set-up base-camp should we be blessed with some decent weather ?

I don't know how late in the season the salmon stay on the munch up there but, the dates sound a little on the late side. It may be better to hit them on the river at that time. But still... hooking one up on the ocean does sound enticing...

Freddie

Patrick's Point State Park north of Trinidad would be a good base camp.

I think I'm most likely to go out of Trinidad because rockfish and lings will be open until 9/15 and the fishing areas totally overlap there.  If Crescent City or Humboldt Bay were happening it's 35 minutes back to HB or an hour up to CC from Trinidad.

...or camping at the Klamath could work - then if the ocean bite wasn't happening or the weather sucked there'd be river opportunities.  Personally, I'll take crap conditions and very little chance at a bite and fish the ocean.

 

I'm booked for 5 days on a boat (Seaweasel) out of Woodley Island ( 2 Rock/Halibut, 3 Salmon) and hope the Salmon join the party that will be held up there. Gary, the boat owner, said he expects around 500 boats will venture up that way for the abbreviated season.

I was there two years ago for a bite of epic proportions and don't doubt that the boat numbers this year will be close to his estimate.

I asked if he would be willing to haul myself and my yak out to the grounds with him on days he is booked. He said "sure" but he would have to check into insurance for that. Seems the carriers and CG take a dim view of intentionally putting people overboard at sea. Go figger.

There's a campground at the southern end of Woodley but I would recommend that you get high quality locks for your gear because it's somewhat of a tent-city there.

Very good rockfishing along the breakwater and I have seen some nice Lings taken along there and close to the harbor entrance. We fished live bait along that breakwater and destroyed the Blacks when people fishing jigs and plastics were hauling in 1s and 2s. There's good Cali 'Butt fishing inside Humboldt Bay too.

I love fishing the salt up there. Good quality rockies and 3 years ago I caught a 80# Pacific 'Butt about 5 miles out of the harbor.

Hope to meet some of you guys if you venture up that way.