Humboldt Salmon - 7/18/12

I'm planning to take the day off from work this Wednesday.  Here's the forecast from Pt. St. George to Cape Mendocino:

.WED...NW WIND 5 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 TO 6 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS.

I don't plan fishing days ahead of the forecast (except for GS!).  The bite out of Eureka has remained very consistent for over 2 months.  All the old timers who've chimed in on Humboldt Tuna Club are saying this year's is the best bite out of Eureka EVER.  Charter boats are getting limits for all clients EVERY day VERY early.  Granted, it hasn't all been close to the bay entrance, but lately it's been shallow and within a mile or so of the entrance.  I'm unashamedly shopping for a massive hog and will release uninjured fish without netting them unless they tickle my fatty-fancy by looking to go about 3' long or more.  It's time to put some serious focus on landing a whopper.

I plan to paddle through the Jaws around 6AM and land back at my truck around 1PM - that equals about 14 miles unless I stop to mooch or head in to the jetties to soak herring for a lingcod.  Biggest AOTY greenling came from South Jetty and ate a whole chove.  I would love to have some company and am counting on at least Rob.  This trip requires all the safety gear and advanced paddling skills and fitness.

We launch at the inner reach of the South Jetty - easiest launch you can imagine - back a 4x4 up to the water's edge, leave the rig there in the sand just above the high tide line.  Paddle along the South Jetty and out the Jaws to the SW.  Troll around south of the Whistle (3 miles from the truck).  Rockfish and lingcod opportunities along the ocean side of the South Jetty and all along the entrance channel on the south side too.  Crab is open through the end of the month as well.

Forecast includes thunderstorm potential - be careful out there.

Thanks, Doug - I'll watch it close.  Been my experience that summer t-storms are generally over the hills, but always good to be cautious.

True but this is the NWS forecast from this morning.

Area forecast discussion National Weather Service Eureka California 456 am PDT Monday Jul 16 2012 Synopsis...an upper low over Oregon will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms to the forecast area...mainly north of Cape Mendocino on Tuesday. Shower activity should linger into Wednesday. && Discussion...major change in the weather is in store for northwest California Tuesday as an upper low over Oregon tracks southward. This low will produce shower activity as well as a chance for thunderstorms...mainly north of cape mendo on Tuesday. Even the coast may see a few storms in the wrap around...but the best instability and lift still looks to be over the interior. It is really unusual for northwest California to receive rain in middle July which on average is the driest month of the year. We did see record rainfall of 0.88 inches on 17 July 2007. Amounts with the Oregon upper low probably wont be that much...but the GFS and nam12 have been cranking out a tenth or two along the north coast and up to a quarter of an inch across the interior mountains. Tuesday still looks like the best chances for showers and thunderstorms. The New Run of the nam12 and European model (ecmwf) have the low meandering around offshore north of the cape through Wednesday afternoon. Thus increased precipitation chances to slight chances and prolonged the forecast for thunderstorms through Wednesday. There are indications the low will linger into Thursday...but for now will maintain a dry forecast as the consensus amongst the models is for the low to dampen-out. Westerly cyclonic flow aloft will persist however...and we should still see a fair amount of cloud cover. The clouds will hold maximum temperatures down across the interior. Ridge aloft should build from the west Friday through Sat and compress the marine layer again. Inland maximum temperatures should warm back into the middle 90s to low 100's next weekend as thermal low pressure intensifies. Forecast for Sunday is still very uncertain. It will remain very warm. On average it is. Southeast flow seems favorable for drawing up middle level moisture...but strong ridge over the area may keep the moisture out and suppress the convection. I left the thunderstorms in the forecast as it is too far out to fiddle with. In the meantime..,today is looking about like yesterday except for the interior which will see about 10f degrees of cooling. Stratus was covering much of the coast and as far inland as northern mendo via the Eel. Stratus was also pushing up the russian into southern zone 76 and may hit Ukiah by dawn. It will clear out most everywhere again today...except along the north coast. && Aviation...IFR conds once again this morning along the north coast and well into the Eel River valley. Visibilities are higher than 24 hours ago and are expected to not really be an issue. There may be a couple hours of VFR conds along the north coast later this afternoon...but stratus will surge back onshore by evening as the onshore gradient increases ahead of a low pressure system dropping toward northwest California from the pacnw. Besides a brief MVFR layer at kuki early this morning...inland locations will remain VFR. -Shra and even the possibility of a thunderstorm will enter the picture at the very end of the forecast cycle (12z on the 17th)...but for now will not mention any sig weather in any of the tafs. Jca && Marine...winds and seas will drop off today as the gradient continues to weaken. Seas will be hazardous early this morning in the southern outer waters...with a downward trend kicking in by afternoon. Followed NAM guidance for the wind forecast as a low pressure system drops out of the pacnw and over northwest California on Tuesday and lingers over the northern waters on Wednesday. There will continue to be a northwest swell propagating through the waters along with a southerly swell...most prevalent south of Cape Mendocino through mid-week. Northerlies will return by the second half of the week as high pressure strengthens offshore. Seas will respond accordingly. Jca && Eka watches/warnings/advisories...Small Craft Advisory until 9 am PDT this morning pzz450-455. Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM PDT this afternoon pzz470-475. Hazardous seas warning until 9 am PDT this morning pzz475. && $$ Visit US at http://www.Weather.Gov/Eureka Follow US on facebook and twitter at: http://www.Facebook.Com/US.Nationalweatherservice.Eureka.Gov http://www.Twitter.Com/nwseureka