Bodega Bay/Tomales Bay
Bodega Bay/Tomales Bay
King Salmon Fishing Busts Loose
BODEGA BAY – Anglers have been concentrating on trolling for salmon out of Bodega By with the limit fishing that charter boaters and private boaters have been experiencing this August.
“Salmon fishing is red hot,” reported Captain Rock Powers out of Bodega Bay Sportfishing. “The ocean was flat and the fish bit really well today, August 15, aboard the Surf Scooter, The 15 anglers aboard the boat landed 30 salmon to 25 pounds while trolling with anchovies.”
On the previous day on the water, Powers reported hot fishing on the Surf Scooter for a private charter. “The 8 anglers caught 16 Chinooks up to 22 pounds,” said Powers.
Powers sold the Jaws earlier this year, but he is now operating two boats – one the luxury charter boat, the Surf Scooter, a 56 foot Wesport boat, and a six pack boat, a 26 foot Farallon, out of the Porto Bodega Harbor.
When not salmon fishing, anglers aboard the Surf Scooter have been catching limits of rockfish and big numbers of lingcod, with limits many days.
“Nearly everything has been working for the fish – shrimp flies, bars, jigs, swimbaits, squid baits and other offerings,” said Powers. “The bottomfish have been a good mixture of vermilion, copper, canary, brown and China rockfish, along with some yellowtail and blue rockfish.”
During the 9 month season that runs through December 31, anglers can fish bottomfish in all depths for the first time in 22 years.
Anglers fishing out of Lawson’s Landing in Dillon Beach also reported top-notch salmon fishing off the Sonoma County Coast. The salmon are on the move, so one day’s hot spot may produce tough fishing the next day.
"Tom Brodsky and crew wound up with 5 king salmon to 21 lbs (gutted) on their latest trolling adventure,” reported Willie Vogler at Lawson’s Landing. “I heard the location was between Elephant Rock and the Keyholes. Other boats did well there also. Of course, yesterday when Gage and I went there the bite was kaput. We caught our three salmon between the Trees and Bird in 50 to 80 feet of water.”
Big fish honors go to Mina Reynoso of Elverta who caught a 27 lb. halibut on a recent trip.
“There's been an on and off bite with the halibut, with some days producing really easy fishing and some days producing really hard action,” said Vogler.
Frank Green also brought two quality halibut into the landing. "Four guys were fishing in the boat, but Frank caught both of them. The fish came from near Tom's Point, but there were quite a few caught earlier on the bar. Bait has been hard to catch in the bay and Frank and the boys missed the morning bite while trying to make bait. The halibut were caught while jigging," said Vogler.
- Dan Bacher
