Humboldt launch

I, along with several thousand of my closest friends, will be fishing for Salmon this upcoming short-season.

I've read here that Shelter Cove is the best place to fish for Salmon from a yak in Humboldt, but the water's only open north of Horse Mountain.

Anybody care to share a launch point where someone with a kayak (me) can access and fish without the possibility the current will direct me to the Sea of Japan? Let me in on this info and I'll be your best friend and invite you to my birthday party.

If the fish are in close to the Humboldt Bay Jetties and the ocean is calm you can easily time the tides to ride out the out-going and come back with the in-coming.  A great place to launch close to 101 is King Salmon - 100 yard Roleez or drag-fest across soft sand.

Otherwise, we'll hope the fish are close to Trinidad Head, as it's an easy paddle to open water there, and it's a little more forgiving of large swell.

Keep your ear to the ground for more info...

 

Thanks Abking, you've achieved "best friend" status. Now, for the birthday party invite, can you tell me about any salmon success you've had near-shore and your method for same?

Much obliged.

I grew up fishing with my Dad out of Humboldt Bay.  Catching fish right around the jetties wasn't the usual scene, but it did happen on occasion.  We sometimes used noseclips like RSK and others, and a few times used the Apex lure, but the vast majority of our fishing, and therefore the vast majority of our catches over the years, were on a chovie double-hooked (slip rig), with or without a hoochie over it, behind a dodger and a DeepSix or downrigger or lead ball.  I prefer the DeepSix.  Hooking up the chovie with the double hook slip rig is an art.  The mobile hook goes up through the jaw and out the hard part of the head.  The terminal hook is wrapped once around the chovie and then hooked into the tail and the slack snugged up.  Presentation of this bait is a key to salmon fishing in the ocean, in my experience.  I can't wait to put that double-hooked chovie out there.   

The double hook rig you described is commonly used up north. I always used the big cannonball and a variety of terminal tackle; anchovy on a J hook,flasher/hootchie,Watermelon Apex,Coyote spoon,etc. Usually used a CalStar 870 and a MXL for trolling that big weight.

Couple of years back I fished salmon out of Eureka on a boat with downriggers and that was a kick. 1025 Loomis with a Calcutta 250. It would be nice to find fish thick enough to mooch. I think that's my favorite way to fish salmon.

In any case, I'm going to be up in your neck of the woods on the 25th, staying with a friend in Miranda. We're 'Butt and Rock fishing for a few days then the dodge boat games begin. I have a few days between boat salmon trips so I'd also like to give the Klamath a shot while I'm up there. I've fished the Smith a lot but it's been 25 yrs since I threw some gear into the Klamath.

Looking forward to it.

Dude! I just had an epiphany!
I was soo bummed that the rockfish season closed on Aug 15 for the Shelter Cove area…wishing they could’ve kept it open long enough to do a combo salmon & rockfish trip out of The Cove.
But then I re-read the regs and realized the rockfish season north of Horse Mtn IS still open! So we CAN still do a combo trip for rockies & salmon YAY!!!!

Here’s my plan:
-launch at the Cove and run 4 miles north to Horse Mtn
-troll for limits of salmon by 10am
-drift for Pacific Butts near Delgada Canyon
-jig up a limit of lings and a few selectively-harvested rockfish (using barbless lures and circle hooks, of course!)
-go inshore and jump out to pop a limit of abs, then find a few nice scallops
-go home and eat like kings…cackling hysterically as we enjoy our bountiful harvest
-post a report w/pics and videos so everybody can live vicariously though our insanity

Sound like a good plan?
(-:

Dude! I just had an epiphany!
I was soo bummed that the rockfish season closed on Aug 15 for the Shelter Cove area…wishing they could’ve kept it open long enough to do a combo salmon & rockfish trip out of The Cove.
But then I re-read the regs and realized the rockfish season north of Horse Mtn IS still open! So we CAN still do a combo trip for rockies & salmon YAY!!!!

Here’s my plan:
-launch at the Cove and run 4 miles north to Horse Mtn
-troll for limits of salmon by 10am
-drift for Pacific Butts near Delgada Canyon
-jig up a limit of lings and a few selectively-harvested rockfish (using barbless lures and circle hooks, of course!)
-go inshore and jump out to pop a limit of abs, then find a few nice scallops
-go home and eat like kings…cackling hysterically as we enjoy our bountiful harvest
-post a report w/pics and videos so everybody can live vicariously though our insanity

Sound like a good plan?
(-:

Plan-buster here.      The salmon regs always use Horse Mountain - I don't know what the lattitude is there, but it's not the 40-10 line where the rockfish Northern Mgt. Area is...  That line is about 20 miles north of the Cove near Punta Gorda.  If you get a FAC ocean you can still do it, but you're getting up into the tuna-mileage... 

I do like your plan though.   

WEll, I knew it was too good to be true!

So Eric, is the RF season still open north of Punta Gorda?

Yes, Dave, until 9/15.

Might be Making up that way towards the opener for a " Walk-a-Bout... "

  Hope to hook up with you guys       

I was talking to someone with a boat in Eureka yesterday. He runs that little 4-Pack the Seaweasel I fish on every Aug. I asked him if he was marking any bait close to shore. He said no, it was all in deep water. That means if you are going to fish salmon, you'll need a downrigger to get down to the 100' level.

Unless,of course,that bait moves in close by the 29th.

Thats good intel...

  Thanks

F&*%ing El Nino!  I want surface-salmon!!   

man this is a dream trip Eric... I am looking forward to meeting you! I know it's old, but any interest in doing a trip like this this summer?