A few party boats were
able to make it out to the Islands on Monday 5-20. The weather was sloppy
and rolly but fishable to the big boats. Roger on the Salty Lady from Sausalito
reported 5 salmon for 7 anglers with fish to 22 pounds. Roger said they had a
solid 15 pound average and lost ten mostly larger grade fish that were hot and
hard to hag onto in the slop. There were two 30 pound class fish landed in the
fleet today including one of 38 pounds. Roger said they had a double header of
two huge fish with both lost. Scores went as high as 20 per boat with most
seeing scores right around a fish per rod. Roger says the best action was 4 to 7
miles SE of the Main Island with most of the fish biting at 25 to 60 feet. They
had a steady 15 knots of wind over a 5 foot swell some not terrible conditions
but not good conditions for those anglers new to spring salmon fishing. The
forecast calls for high winds the next few days.
A good "Plan B" would be bay halibut where they have seen a huge influx of fish
the past few days. The bite has been the best in three years the past two days
and it looks likely that the counts will hold up for some time.
Captain Dennis Baxter of
the New Captain Pete found the fish biting on Friday with 14 limits to 23-pounds
with a mixed grade of fish near 37’34/122’53. He wasn’t able to make it up there
on Saturday 5-18 morning due to the winds, so they traveled down to tack
between the Deep Reef to Pigeon Point along the 50 fathom line. The weather was
very rough on Saturday morning, but they did land 6 salmon after hooking 20
legal fish. The conditions were less than ideal and many were lost due to the
sloppy conditions. Baxter has cancelled his trips through Tuesday, and
they are all waiting for the next break in the weather window.
Captain Tom Mattusch
made a quick turnaround on Saturday after a late start with 10 anglers looking
rather queasy after an attempt at make it to the salmon grounds. “We are ready
to go once the ocean allows.”
Further north in
Pacifica, Sheryl Jimno of the Rusty Hook reported continued decent crabbing with
squid, anchovies, or sardines. She was out of blood and pile worms on Sunday
since there has been high demand for the bait with fair striper and surf perch
action.
GGSA THANKS
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS’ STAND AGAINST MOVING NMFS CALIFORNIA OPERATIONS TO
SEATTLE:
On May 7th, the Golden Gate Salmon Association (www.goldengatesalmon.org),
a broad coalition of fishing groups working to restore Central Valley salmon
runs, thanked the seventeen members of Congress from California who sent a
letter to the Department of Commerce requesting that key salmon personnel
responsible for the recovery of West Coast salmon stocks remain in California in
light of the sequester-ordered merger of the Northwest and Southwest regional
NMFS offices. The California Congressional representatives say that the NMFS
Regional Administrator's office and the Sustainable Fisheries Office should
remain in California. Without these, salmon and other key fishery issues in
California would take a back seat in future management, at great price to the
tens of thousands of people who make a living in California salmon-related
industries.
“California is
currently proposing to build a massive water diversion project capable of
diverting the entire Sacramento River at some times of the year,” said Zeke
Grader. Grader is a GGSA Board member and the Executive Director of the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA). “The peripheral tunnels
project has already been slightly scaled back after vigorous warnings from
fishery biologists, including those from NMFS. More right-sizing is in order but
may not happen if key NMFS personnel are forced to relocate or operate from
Seattle.”
Current federal
Biological Opinions written by NMFS restrict water diversions from the
Sacramento, San Joaquin Bay Delta in order to protect winter and spring-run
salmon, steelhead and sturgeon. These rules are under fire from agriculture and
southern California urban interests and are currently being defended at the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals by the federal government along with fishing and
conservation groups that intervened. The presence of NMFS officials in that
state may be critical to keep this defense going. New threats to salmon are
being addressed daily in California by NMFS personnel. The latest example is a
possible shortage of water in the Klamath River system that could be needed in
the late summer and fall to accommodate the spawning needs of what could be a
large run of salmon. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will only reserve this water
under pressure from NMFS and salmon advocates.
“California has the
longest coastline, the most population and some of the biggest challenges to its
fisheries of the three affected western states,” said GGSA President Victor
Gonella. “Locating the Regional Administrator in any state other than California
would send a message that the federal government isn’t really interested in
majority rule.”
“The salmon industry
is very appreciative of the leadership shown by California members of Congress
who are calling on the Department of Commerce to keep key NMFS offices in
California because the state's salmon runs are threatened now by both climate
change and the insatiable demand for salmon water by agriculture and urban
interests,” said GGSA Executive Director John McManus. “Now more than ever, we
need NMFS personnel to lead the effort in California to keep our salmon runs
alive.”
The
weather held together on Friday 5-17 and party boats once again reported
limit or very near to limit scores. The combined Half Moon bay / Golden Gate
fleet were fishing 3 to 8 miles SE of the Main Farallon Island. Roger Thomas on
the Salty Lady reported 14 limits to 20 pounds. The Emeryville Sport Center had
three boats out the Huck Finn Seeker and Salmon Queen who landed a combined 84
salmon for 46 anglers to 26 pounds. Out of Half Moon Bay long time friend Dennis
Baxter on the New Captain Pete reported 13 early limits of salmon. The grade is
a mix of half running 8 to 12 pounds with a solid showing fish in the low to
high teens. The weather was good with 10 to 12 knots of wind over a 4 foot
swell. Boats have lots of room this weekend.
On
Thursday 5- 16 the seas laid out and party boats, most with very light
loads hammered limits of big salmon below the Islands. Emeryville Sportfishing
had two boats out the Huck Finn and Salmon Queen who reported a combined 35
limits of salmon to 24 pounds.
Out of Sausalito Roger on the Salty Lady had 4 limits to 20 pounds.
Out of Half Moon Bay Dennis on the New Captain Pete reported 8 limits averaging
15 pounds and going to 23. All captains said the size of the fish today were
impressive with most running 12 to 17 pounds and all boats taking a few in the
20 pound class. Boats were trolling 4 to 7 miles SE of the Farallon Islands in
flat calm conditions with winds less than 5 knots over a 4 foot swell. The
forecast calls for wind on Friday but the "window of opportunity" could remain
open long enough to allow boats to get out and get home before the winds pick
back up. Our sponsors in Emeryville, Sausalito and Half Moon Bay have lots of
space open on Friday. Walk on anglers are welcome!
The Sacramento Bee Editorial: If BDCP were science-based,
Delta flows would be a priority
By the Editorial Board
Originally Published Sunday, May. 12, 2013
For more than a decade, the big farm and urban
districts that have grown dependent on water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta have tried to discredit scientific findings that greater Delta flows are
needed to recover endangered species.
Asked which stressors were most important in the degradation of the Delta
ecosystem, 78 percent of scientists included flows in their top-two list, with
77 percent including habitat restoration. By contrast, water exporters ranked
flows the least important, putting a high value on improving habitat and
reducing discharges and invasive species, according to the report "Scientist and
Stakeholder Views on the Delta Ecosystem."
This editorial board has called on Gov. Jerry Brown not to approve any tunnel or
other "conveyance" project for the Delta until there is a clear understanding
among all parties on how much water would be available for the ecosystem, and
how much is leftover for water exports. He and his aides want to study that
question while the tunnels are built. That is unacceptable. It doesn't mesh with
sound science. It won't pass legal muster, and if it is put to a statewide vote,
there is a good chance Californians will reject it.
To read the full editorial, click here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/12/5411951/if-bdcp-were-science-based-delta.html#storylink=cpy
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