Humboldt Has Come Alive - 7/16/16 - Video Added

Recently the wind has been preventing effective planning for ocean trips at Shelter Cove and Trinidad too, but there have been plenty of morning opportunities.  Over the past several days things have caught fire!  California halibut in Humboldt Bay are chomping for some - one aMayesing dude is flat out ruling the game.  Hopefully he'll put up a photo and stats on a hog rumored to have been caught yesterday... 

Shelter Cove salmon are suddenly happening too - I'm in contact with a few people there, and word has it a charter limited by 9AM on Saturday pretty close to the Cove.  Also heard from someone I took out 8 days ago - he's on a 10 day run there! - he got a TWENTY-SIX pounder yesterday!  OFY!!!

So, here's what happened Friday night and Saturday morning for me:

*** 7/15/16        Whoa!!! What a ride on Humboldt Bay this evening!

Straight up - I have to thank Matthew Mayes for calling me in on this halibut bite on the bay. You are the man. When you told me Chris was coming all the way from the Sierra I couldn't wait to fish with you guys. Fantastic meeting up today.

Matthew's been just destroying it! A fish this morning, a bigger lost fish this morning, several other fish over the past few days... Out of hand, but not really a big surprise for this dude who obviously has some serious skills for hooking some badass fish!!

We fish a couple hours as the wind calms down and the incoming tide finishes its flood, and what do you know? Matthew catches a halibut! LOL!! The man is living a charmed life - I'm not talking luck. Matthew is schooling. I made my way over to see his beautiful fish - second of the day for him - and soon Chris is on his own flatty! I got some pretty good video footage of Clayman landing his, and I was so stoked to have been included in this action. I'm sitting there like, "I'm with the Amayesing Bros, and it's literally amazing!"

I would've been fine with that - pics and vids of the Amayesings catching hali's 15 minutes from my house... but there was more to the story!

After Chris got his Matthew hooked me up with one of his last live 'dines, and I had a dead chove on the other line. I did a drift that I figured for my last of the day, as the sun was now down and out of sight. As I drifted at about 20 to 21 feet of water I tried to keep both of my setups right near the bottom but not on it - no more crab bites! I saw bait that I was passing over, so I jigged my sabiki and got a little chove which I put on in place of the bagged/dead chove I had on there. I felt good about my presentations. I felt like I was doing the right thing in the right place. I could be content with that, but I also really hoped for that one bite that would make this a truly amazing evening...

Then it happened! I heard the clicker go off a bit on my chove rod, and I could hardly believe it! I reeled up a few quick cranks on my other rod and lifted the chove setup. There was weight! It wasn't moving much, but it was NOT a rock!! I kept reeling it toward me slowly - thinking, "I hope this isn't a shark or a ray or a piece of wood..." Then,... it shook its head!!!!!

OMG! I've got a halibut on!!!!

I got it up to the top, took a swipe at it with my net, watched it literally fly out of the water and jump clean over my net - the biggest salmon net available, mind you! I fought it back to my yak, got the net under it, and I scooped with all I had. It was mine.

I cannot say enough about how thrilled I was to fish with Matthew and Chris. Thanks again, guys. I'd fish with you two anywhere, any time.
 
17 pounds / 35+" - "OFY"          ***

Then Saturday, after staying up way too late Friday night riding high on that catch, I managed to get another legal hali and lose one too.  I had to bail mid morning to do family stuff for the day, but I stayed in contact with the aMayesings and I am in awe of their persistence and productivity - we'll see some impressive numbers and visuals soon on that I'm sure. 

Also yesterday, salmon season re-opened up here off Eureka, Trinidad and Crescent City - it's open until August 16th.  Nasty seas outside the bar kept most inside, and some nice salmon were caught in the bay - this doesn't happen every year.  Humboldt Bay is primed for a hot bite to go off with 20 pounders in shallow water - watch for it...

So things are getting pretty hot and heavy around here - stay tuned, because it's getting serious! 

Please enjoy some visuals, and get in touch if you want to develop an adventure to go on in Humboldt.

Friday night pics:

It was quite a Friday night!

WTG guys! Thanks for the report and pictures Eric.

Saturday pics:

What lake is that? 

What lake is that? 

Lake Humboldt Bay where suddenly halibut are HOT! 

Nothing but net!  Hoping to make it north some days!

Hot dam! Nice fish gentlemen!

Makes me so hungry for some fresh fish.
Way to get after it fellas.

Great stuff guys - WTG!

Nice work!! Thanks for the great report!

awesome report and congrats on the butt...i'm still searching for my first keeper.

Better late than never - here's vid from July 15 and 16.

  it sure has.  They keep getting bigger.