BODEGA BAY
 

"Harbor Delight "This Bodega bayside home is perfect for anglers and their families. All the comforts of home, the advantage of being on the water. +1.707.781.9168


Miss Anita Fishing Charters
707 875-FISH

May 03, 2008    Headlines

Salmon Closed
New Ab Tags Are a Pain But ....



While we won't have a salmon season there are other fisheries available for those, like me, just can't be off the water for too long. Ab pickers and divers will be descending on the Sonoma coast reefs and Dungeness crabbing though low in numbers in the spring is open through June. Rockfishing is open to shore  anglers year round and those on boats can start fishing on June 1st.  Halibut will arrive on the local beaches in July and the albacore usually arrive offshore of Bodega in August. Yes, salmon is our favorite fishery but with no season this year and likely next it's time for anglers to learn new tricks and check out some other fisheries. Local party boats will be doing the same. Rick on the Sea Angler will be running rockfish trips and will also be offering eco / whale watching trips throughout the year. The six-pack Sandy Ann will be running rockfish and ling trips as will be Vince on the 34' catamaran Miss Anita. Vince says they will be offering some halibut and albacore trips later in the summer and crab combos begin in November.
Regular reports will resume here once the rockfish season opens. The New Sea Angler will be running trips daily beginning June 1st.

Anglers need to get involved with the political process and support the many groups that are fighting for the fisheries we all so much love. If every California angler donated the equivalent of what they spend on their annual fishing license ($38.85 plus stamps) over $100 MILLION could be raised ever year. With a war chest of this size sportfishing organizations would have the political clout and funding to turn our fisheries around. If anglers don't support these groups then our fisheries and fishing rights will only continue to vanish right before our eyes.

It's been quite awhile since anglers have received any good news in regards to our fisheries but that is exactly what we want to share with our readers today. GOOD NEWS X THREE!. See our "Fishing News" page for key policy changes and a court ruling that will improve our future salmon returns. No, we will not have an ocean salmon season this year or next but this bill, a court ruling and a new F&G  and federal hatchery release policy will help enhance our fisheries in the future.


New Abalone Tags
Have any of you tagged an ab yet? I and a couple of friends took advantage of the weather window to punch a few tags off our abalone cards today. What a poorly thought out process theses new tags are. After about 20 minutes in the water it took us over 15 minutes to fill out our punch cards, date and tag both the card and the tags and attach the tags to the abs. I brought along zip ties to help with the process and they were too large and I had to borrow some from another diver. With wet, cold hands (that I tried to dry off the best as possible)  the ink still ran and was illegible. The type of paper used for the tags instantly clogged my pen so I also had to borrow a pen. If I had been stopped I would bet I would have been cited due to my punch card not being "properly filled out." Even if I had filled out the tag legibly it is doubtful that the date and time on the tags would have been legible by the time I reached my truck due to the water and slime that the abs are throwing off on the hike back. In the rain it would be IMPOSSIBLE to fill out that tag as required.
I support what F&G is doing to stop poaching but this new punch card system is a joke and will only lead to 100s of ethical anglers getting huge fines and will do nothing to stop poaching. If you want to take more abs than allowed you can just buy a whole new annual license and a new punch card. With no centralized computer system they will never know and when they bring new system on-line I would bet that unethical anglers if caught will get off and just claim they "lost their card and had not punched any abs". How would a F&G warden in the field ever know? We all want to see the poachers nailed but this new punch card is not the answer. The answer is to widen the "green line" and have more wardens in the field. After all wasn't one of the reasons for the punch card in the first place was to help pay for more enforcement? The cards will bring over one million dollars to the department this year why not hire a few wardens with those funds and have them concentrate on the large poaching rings that wardens claim take more abs than the 32,000 ethical sport abers combined.
I would bet that many of you will be cited this year and I would bet that most of those citations will be for not over limits, short abs or anything of the like but improperly filled out punch cards. This is just another example of the lack of thought and process of F&G. Why not sell individual tags only through the F&G regional offices and have them recorded as being sold to you? They could imprint all the info on a zip tie and wardens could check that info from the field. One name, 24 individual tags max and no trying to fill out a tag shore-side with wet hands. The department will have to first get a centralized computer system in place. They should see what other states like Alaska use for their systems with a centralized website where anglers can buy all their tags and licenses and info is collected and stored. This information would make a wardens job easier and possibly lead to some larger poachers getting busted instead of ethical, wet handed anglers wasting a day in court.
A few tips to keep you in the good graces of the wardens and out of court. Bring along some of the narrow (1/8th) X 4" zip ties. The tags are quite small and the larger zip ties will not work. Store a small towel or a few paper towels in a zip lock bag to dry off your hands prior to filling out your punch card. The fine point pen I brought along was not the best to use. A ball point is a better option. If it's raining filling out the tags would be impossible. If you can't fill out your tag when you exit the water I would at least attach my tags to my abs and immediately fill out when you return to your vehicle. Store your license, tags and two pens in a dry zip lock bag, close it securely and then place this into another zip lock bag. Though not following the letter of the law it's the next best option. Poaching is a huge problem and wardens need as much help as possible. If you see something suspicious call the DFG Cal Tip line. The number is on your fishing license.
Mike Aughney


Upcoming Events:
USAFishing proudly supports the many fishery and wildlife organizations that benefit anglers and hunters throughout Northern California. Does your organization have an upcoming event? Contact us at fishsite@aol.com and we will gladly post the information on our reports pages.

Recreational Fishing Alliance
"Randy Fry Awards" Dinner: Saturday, June 14, 2008 at the Marin Rod & Gun Club in San Rafael. Support the nation's #1 organization for saltwater anglers and divers. Doors open at 4 p.m. with no-host bar; BBQ Tri Tip dinner at 6 p.m. Raffle, auction and prizes. For more info call 707-357-3422 or visit
www.JoinRFA.org for online registration.


SalmonAid is a two day music and informational festival to be held on May 31 and June 1 at Jack London Square in Oakland. It is being hosted by one of the largest coalitions of salmon advocates across the West – commercial and recreational fishermen, conservationists, tribes, scientist and restaurateurs. 
 

 Party Boat Contacts:
The Bodega Bay Sportfishing Center is currently booking trips on the New Sea Angler. They also book the six pack Sandy Ann, Profishn't and during the summer the Predator. Reservations can be made at 707 875-3344.

The 34' Miss Anita captained by Vince Orsini, 16 passenger catamaran charter 707 875-FISH

Great Links:
Fishermen, check out DF&Gs easy-to-use California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations Map. Simply click the marine location where you plan to fish, and you will access a list of Sport Fishing Regulations for that area.

If you are looking to stay on top of the action check out the Northern California Hotsheet  These in-depth fishing and weather reports covering all of Northern California are emailed direct to your desktop three evening per week. The Hotsheet is a major source of support for USAFishing and helps to maintain this website.

 

Albacore Sea Surface Temperature maps below: 

 
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5-day plot - Wind Speed at 46013

5-day plot - Wave Height at 46013

 

 

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