Fishing Reports

5-18-13 It was an interesting day today. I did something that I do not normally do and that is change the game plan at the boat. Most were in agreement and we started our halibut trip fishing for salmon. The salmon fishing has just been getting better every day and they have been biting early with the halibut biting closer to the tide change. It was a great plan except that we just could not get located on the salmon. We had several dry spells and it took longer for us to limit out on salmon than I thought it would. This shortened our time on the halibut grounds and we did not get out there until the bite was nearly over. We had one good fish on for a while that just came unhooked and then we caught a skate before finally landing a small "chicken" halibut. So our total for the day was salmon limits for all five anglers and one halibut.

5-17-13 It was a great morning on the water. We had our salmon limits before 9am. A special thanks to Dee for his expert handling of the last two salmon back to back. It looks like we will miss a few days early next week due to rough ocean conditions. This has been the best start to a fishing season that I can remember. We have had limits on every trip except one since the season opened.

5-16-13 Fish report- We hit "The Cape" for rockfish again today. The ocean was calm and the showers that were forecast did not materialize. The fish bit much better today, like we are used to. There were some huge Black Rockfish and a nice mix of Cabezone, Coppers and Ling Cod. The Lings were still on the small size but we should see some larger models as summer approaches. Both days look like good weather.

5-15-13 Our first trip for rockfish had us heading south to Cape Mendocino. It was a little breezy in the morning but got nicer as the day progressed. We managed to get plenty of rockfish and a few smallish ling cod. I don't think that the bigger lings have moved into the shallow water yet. We did manage a nice surprise when Steve hooked up and landed a fat 60# halibut.

5-13 and 5-14 We did not fish these days.

5-12-13 Today was one of those days that we all dream about. The ocean was greasy-slick calm. The salmon bit early and we had our limits plus one for the Captain by 8am. That gave us plenty of time to search for some Pacific Halibut. The halibut have been hard to come by this year but finally started to show themselves today. Lonnie Dollarhide caught the first Pacific Halibut of 2013 on the Reel Steel with a nice 50# class fish. Nick followed up a while later with a 25# halibut. There was a 75# fish caught near us today as well. We headed in at the end of the day with a cooler full of fish to be proud of. **** We have room this Friday and the forecast does not sound too bad. It is a salmon trip.****

5-11-13 The salmon bit pretty good again for us this morning. The size was down a little today from what it has been for the last couple of days. It appears that there is a mix of fish out there. After securing our salmon limit we ran out for an attempt at the, so far, elusive halibut. We had two good takedowns but never hooked up. There have been a few caught but we really have not given them our complete attention yet. A whale gave us a little bit of a start this morning when he surfaced about 40 feet in front of the boat. I had to slow down a little to give him the right of way.

5-10-13 We had a nice steady pick on the salmon this morning. The ocean was calm again, making for easy fishing. We lost a few fish but were still able to get our 10 salmon for limits by 10:30 am. The fish are still feeding on krill and are spunky and in beautiful shape.

5-9-13 It had to happen sooner or later. In spite of having two triple hookups and quite a few other fish on the line we were unable to get limits into the boat today. We were close but we couldn't close the deal. The real heart breaker was having the largest salmon that I have seen this year come unbuttoned just out of range of the net. It was good to see that there are some larger fish showing up. The ocean was nice and flat and it was a nice group on the boat today.

5-8-13 We had to run a little ways today but ended up on another red hot salmon bite that kept our string of daily limits intact. We tried for halibut again after catching our salmon but only had a couple of skates to show for our efforts. It is possible that the halibut are still mostly out in the deeper water and just haven't moved in yet. The ocean is still flat calm which makes for an enjoyable day on the water. ((the great salmon fishing doesn't hurt either).

5-7-13 It was another great day on a flat calm ocean. It was so calm that you could hear the whales songs. Pretty neat! As far as the fishing went, today was much better on the salmon than yesterday. It took us a little while to get located then we had singles, doubles and even triples for limits by 10:30.
Steve caught one about 20# that was our largest so far this year. Then it was off to the halibut grounds to try for some flatties. We did get a couple of skates but no halibut today. There were a few caught so we have hope for the future.

5-6-13 It was a totally different kind of a day today. We had a little action early and then the bite just died off for us. We tried a few different spots(the ocean was flat calm) that didn't work out. We finally gave up and tried for halibut late in the day. We only had one scratched bait to show for the halibut effort. After 45 minutes of halibut drifting a radio call from a friend tipped us off to jumping salmon about 2 miles from where we were. We picked up and ran to his spot and there were small Silver Salmon jumping and boiling all around. There were some bigger Kings lurking beneath the Silvers and we were finally able to fill our limits and head for the barn. It was a great group on the boat and they handled the slow times with a positive attitude and were rewarded for their patience

5-5-13 We left the dock just a little late this morning but the fish were ready and willing as soon as we got out there. The body of fish seems to be moving a little each day but we pretty much landed right on them today. We had our limits of nice King salmon for four people by 8:30 am. The forecast for this week looks great with calm seas predicted all week. We have room for two people on Thursday and two people on Friday.

5-4-13 After taking yesterday off we were anxious to see if the fish had moved. We put a couple of fish in the box but it wasn't red hot. We had been fishing a little farther out the day before yesterday and we saw a couple of commercial trollers' working that area. So we pulled in the gear and zipped on out there to see what was going on. Well, that is where the fish were and we quickly filled every ones limits and headed back in before the wind came up. It looks like we are in for a few real nice weather days and with the fish already biting it should be a good week.(for us, not so much for the fish)

5-2-13 Our first day of the 2013 fishing season could not have gone any better. We had three nice salmon in the first 20 minutes of fishing. The fishing slowed down and the fish went deep for a while. We caught a couple while they were down deep but then the tide changed and the fish came back up to feed and we were able to finish with easy limits of King salmon to about 14#. Sherry has some open seats this weekend and next Tuesday. Give her a call at 707-499-4925 if you want to try for one of these salmon.

5-1-13 The season opener for salmon and halibut was quiet today since no one was able to get out this morning. We will give it a go tomorrow and hopefully find some early season fish around.

4-30-13 The fishing season starts tomorrow but it looks like the weatherman didn't get the memo. Thursday looks like it will be our first opportunity to fish. The weather looks to improve by the weekend and really is looking good for early next week. We have some openings for this weekend so if you want to be one of the first to catch a fish this year then give Sherry a call at 707-499-4925.

4-27-13 As we get closer the May 1st season opener it is looking more like the weather forecast is working against us. The good news, however is that the weather seems to start improving on Wednesday so we may be able to get out on the 2nd or 3rd. We won't make any decisions though until Monday. I spoke with a crewman on a yacht headed north from down south and he said that they saw a ton of birds, whales and bait on their way up. Sounds interesting to say the least. The boat and tackle are ready for what looks to be another great fishing season here in Eureka.

4-18-13 I just read a press release from the California Fish and Game Commission about the upcoming salmon season. It sounds like big numbers again this year with the expected Klamath River salmon abundance to be the third highest in nearly thirty years. A lot of those fish should be four year olds and that means BIG. Of course, we will have to wait and see but my adrenaline is definitely starting to pump now. Only two more weeks before the season opener.

4-15-13 I'm glad that the season is not starting this week. Gale force winds and 15 foot seas predicted for tomorrow. The wind is important to create the upwelling that jump starts the entire food chain here. It is that upwelling that makes our waters some of the most productive in the world. So we like the wind (for now). The reels are full of new line and the boat is sparkling clean so we will be ready to go on the May 1st opener.

4-10-13 Well... the latest word is May 1st for the Salmon opener!!!! YEA!!!

3-29-13 I finally have had a chance to get the boat out and check out conditions offshore. It looks real good to say the least. I ran out about five miles one day and saw eight whales and hundreds of birds feeding on krill in one area. It looks a lot like conditions last year. With all of that activity I expect a fairly quick start to the salmon season this year. Last year we had the best salmon fishing on the West Coast with limits practically every trip. Yesterday, we made a trip south and saw more whales, birds and bait. There were also a lot of fish showing on the sonar. I can't wait to get the party started!

3-6-13 Sherry and I just got back from Anderson where we got to see a lot of our good fishing friends from over in the Valley. The weather was nice and we were able to soak up a little sunshine while we were there. The salmon numbers for 2013 have been released and it looks like another fantastic year for our zone. There are plenty of Klamath fish with lots of 4 year olds. Those should be larger than the majority of 3 year old fish that we saw last year. We expect to get another full season from May to September. Yipee!! There was a Charter from Newport Oregon at the Show and I was able to compare our prices with theirs. Their halibut trips cost $180 per person and the boat carries 20 people. At $160 per person for four people I think we offer a pretty good deal.

2-26-13 The boat is finished and it looks and runs like brand new. We should hear the salmon numbers next week and that will give us an indication of what the season should be like. Our next stop will be the Anderson Sports Show at the Shasta County Fairgrounds. It starts on Friday March 1st and runs through the weekend. If you are in the Redding/Anderson area come by the Show and say Hello!

1-27-13 It's been quite a while since my last post but there hasn't been much to report, although Sherry and I have been busy. The Sacramento ISE Show went well for us and we met a lot of people and booked some trips for this season. I will start on the annual boat maintenance next week. This is where I go over the entire boat from stem to stern to make sure that everything works perfectly and the boat shines when the season starts. We plan to continue our limited loads with only four anglers on most trips.. This gives everyone plenty of room and you won't feel like a sardine like on some other boats. Catching fish is important for a successful trip but so is your comfort and safety. August is already starting to fill up but we still have plenty of other dates available. Last year we were pretty much booked out by the middle of May so some people missed out on the best salmon fishing I have ever seen. I can't imagine it ever being that good again but so far it looks like it could be another very good season and the three year olds that stayed out last year should be BIG fish this year. This may also be the last year of unrestricted halibut fishing as we are about to become victims of our own success and have our seasons reduced next year.

1-5-13 We pulled our crab pots and brought them in today. It was a great season with limits on practically every trip. I hope that everyone got all of the crab that they wanted. If not, the commercial season begins on January 15th and there should be plenty available then. We will be in Sacramento at the International Sportsmans Exhibition again this year. The Show runs from Jan 10th through the 13th. If you go, please stop by and chat with Sherry and I for a bit. We will be in Booth 3056 in the Pavilion.

1-1-13 HAPPY NEW YEAR !! We started off the New Year right with limits of fresh crab. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water. What a great way to start the year.

12-31-12 The crabbing continues to be excellent with limits for everyone each trip. Don't forget to get that 2013 fishing license. Hopefully it will get a lot of use in 2013.

12-28-12 We got out this morning on a nice ocean and pulled some of the crab pots that we set yesterday. They fished good overnight and we did not need to pull everything to get 70 nice crab. It looks like the weather will be halfway decent until the middle of next week. The commercial season will not start until January 15th. We will shut down sometime before then. Don't forget to get a new fishing license for 2013.

12-27-12 We ran out on a big swell this morning and reset our crab pots. The crab are in excellent condition now. Except for Saturday it looks like good weather until next week.

12-25-12 Merry Christmas!! I hope that everyone remembers the true meaning of Christmas this year. Sherry and I are very thankful for all of the wonderful friends that we have made through fishing.

12-24-12 We got out for crab today for the first time in a while. The ocean was very pleasant and we had a nice time.It looks like the weather will take a turn for the worse for a few days and by Friday we should be back on the water for more crab. If you want to go then give Sherry a call at 707-499-4925.

12-19-12 !!!SPECIAL ALERT!!! Is the Santa in you having a hard time coming up with a "special" gift for that "special" fisherperson? How about a GIFT CERTIFICATE for a fishing trip? Sherry can provide you with a certificate for any amount that you wish to give. Make someone happy in June when they use their gift certificate for a salmon or halibut trip.(that Christmas sweater will be long forgotten in the closet by then). Call Sherry at 707-499-4925


12-19-12 The weather is still keeping us at the dock today. It looks like some major wind and swells for a few more days.

12-16-12 It was just a little nicer this morning and we headed out to get the rest of our gear before a big swell starts up this week. The current was ripping but we were able to get most of the gear in. Unlike yesterday some of the pots were full of jumbo crabs. We plan on getting back out there as soon as the weather improves, hopefully later this week.

12-15-12 It was very windy this morning by the time we got to our crab pots. We pulled three pots and they were full of seaweed instead of crab. First bad pull this year.

12-10-12 The crabs are really filled out now. We are not having to sort many and we are pulling three pots on average for 50 large crabs.The ocean was rough Sunday but we did squeeze in a quick morning trip. We wanted to go back out in the afternoon but the wind came up and we stayed home. Today was beautiful and we had a nice trip with the sun shining on us.

12-7-12 Our trip today rewarded us with five limits of nice crabs. We got about 20 crab per pot and were able to be pretty selective of the crab that we kept. The quality has definately improved and the quantity is there. It looks like a couple of nice weather days coming up early next week.

12-5-12 We zipped out and set our crab pots this morning. We pulled a few after 45 minutes or so and got a couple of limits. A couple of the crabs were a little light but overall they were in real good shape. If you are ready for a crab dinner now is the time to go.

12-3-12 It has been a while since we have been on the water. We have had some big storms with lots of rain lately. One more storm tomorrow and then it looks like we will be back out for crab on Thursday and through the weekend. The last batch we had were filled out pretty good so I expect some good results. If you are hankerin' for some fresh crab then give Sherry a call.

11-25-12 No trip scheduled for today. Tomorrows trip may be the last trip for a few days while some significant seas build starting on Tuesday. The forecast for tomorrow(Monday) looks fantastic so if you want fresh crab for next week that is the day to go. It is still just $70 for 10 crab so give Sherry a call at 707-499-4925 if your Thanksgiving dinner is starting to wear off and you are ready for crab.

11-24-12 It was a beautiful morning as we left the dock just after sun up. There was a little bit of swell on the ocean but no wind. Still thousands of Scoters and other birds offshore right now. We started on the South end of our string and had limits of nice crabs before we were halfway through the gear. It looks like OK weather for a couple of more days. A chance of rain by mid week. Still no word on when the commercials will start but definately not until after December 15 and probably not until after the first of the year. Until then we will be running trips when we can fill the boat and weather allows.

11-22-12 Happy Thanksgiving!! We got back after the crabs today with limits for all. We have so much to be thankful for here on the North Coast.

11-16-12 We snuck out this morning ahead of the rain and collected five limits of jumbo crabs. The pots are still coming up full every time and we have plenty of crab to choose from. It is easy limits (10 per person) on every trip. It looks like bad weather for a few days but we left some pots out and will be running trips again as soon as the weather clears up a little.

11-10-12 We left the dock at 2pm and leisurely made our way out to our crab pots. The pots were full again and we were able to get six limits of nice crab in about an hour.

11-6-12 We pulled pots full of crab again today. There is no problem getting limits. There are enough crab that we are able to pick through them for the best ones.

11-3-12 The crab season started off with a bang today. The ocean was flat calm and we found lots of big crabs in our pots after only a two hour soak. We only needed to pull four pots to get 60 of the tasty critters. Crab for dinner at the Reel Steel house tonight. Call Sherry if you want to come out with us to catch a crab dinner of your own. 707-499-4925

10-28-12 We finished up our fishing for the year with limits of tasty Pacific Halibut for all on board. The ocean was nice and we had a great time on the water with plenty of wildlife to see while waiting for a bite. There were whales, ocean sunfish(molas) and birds of all types. I will do a full "Thank You" in a future report as well as a summary of this season( Hint: it was the best EVER) For now though, I will be getting the boat prepared for CRAB season which begins on Saturday November 3rd. Now is the time to start making reservations for crab trips. The cost this year will be $70 per person and usually involves about a two hour trip with limits practically guaranteed. You need to bring your own 5 or 6 gallon bucket. Remember, these are usually JUMBO size crabs.

10-27-12 It was flat calm again today and while the fish were not quite as hungry as yesterday they bit good enough to get everyone limits. Lots of vermilion, coppers, lings and quillbacks. It was foggy in the morning but cleared up when we hit the ocean and we had beautiful views all day.

10-26-12 We had great conditions on the rockfish grounds today. Everything was biting and we had easy limits of rockfish and ling cod plus a small halibut. It was a great grade of rockfish with plenty of coppers, quillback and big blacks coming up. We also had vermilion, china, cabazone and more. We released over a dozen keeper lings too!

10-25-12 HEY!! We went fishing today. It was a rockcod trip to Cape Mendocino and the weather was great. Clear skies and calm seas. We tried for ling cod for a while and got 5 for our efforts but no real big ones. Then we ran in and got our limits of a mixed bag of blacks, blues, coppers, cabs and more. The Coast Guard cutter swung by while we were fishing to say Hi and see what we were fishing for. Great guys, nice to have them around.Unless there is a cancellation we are booked for Friday and this weekend.

10-14-12 We snuck out for half of a day before the big swells showed up. The goal was halibut. There were three other boats out and no halibut were caught. We did get some nice sand dabs though. This was more of a trip for a friend than anything else. The ocean was beautiful and we had a nice time and except for reeling in 2# weights for bait checks we were well rested at the end of the trip. No effort was expended on fighting big halibut today. I called it a day when we all snagged what I assume was an old crab pot and lost all of our gear. There is a large swell forecast for the next few days so we will be shore bound again.

10-8-12 We made another successful rockfish trip today. We had a beautiful sunrise over a glassy calm ocean on our way to the rocks. The fishing was steady and we got a nice mix of blacks, blues, yellowtail, vermilion, coppers and ling cod for limits for all. The tuna water has moved out to about 85 miles and I don't hold a lot of hope for it to move back in.

10-7-12 We headed out on friendly seas this morning in search of halibut. We tried for about 3 hours without a bite. We only heard of a couple of halibut caught so we decided to get some rockfish. We tried for ling cod but only got a few but we did get a lot of cabazone (I thought that was a little strange). We rounded out the day with limits of rockfish for all.

10-6-12 It was another flat calm ocean with plenty of hungry fish. We fished for rockfish early and once we had near limits we switched over for ling cod or halibut. The halibut seemed to have moved back out to deeper water but the ling cod bit pretty good. We were able to try some areas that normally are too rough to fish. By the end of the day we had limits of rockfish and were one fish short of ling cod limits. It was another great group of folks and a special thank you to John for the unique tip!

10-5-12 It's been a while since we have been able to get out on the water. There was a little breeze this morning but it settled down nicely and we had calm weather down in the rockfish grounds. The rockfish bite was not wide open but it was steady. We had close to limits of nice size black rockfish and decided to run out to look for some ling cod or maybe even a shallow water halibut. We couldn't connect with any halibut but we did get a few ling cod and topped off the rockfish limits with some nice Coppers.

9-27-12 Today we snuck out for rockfish and ling cod before the next big swells show up on Friday. It was very foggy all day and enough of a swell that we needed to be back inside the Bay before the tide change roughed up the Bar. The Bar was just starting to kick up a little when we crossed so we made it back right on time. We were just a couple of fish short of limits for everyone with five nice ling cod and some big coppers to help fill everyones sacks.

9-24-12 We haven't been out for a few days. We are hoping to make some trips during the next weather window. There are some storms in Alaska that are creating some big swells right now. We missed a couple of days that were not a good forecast but ended up being OK. The last satellite SST showed the tuna water reforming but we will have to see what it looks like after the blow this week. The halibut have been biting for those that made it out the last few days.

9-18-12 We ran way offshore to look for tuna. We were hoping to fish the same water that we pulled 26 from a few days ago. Without any recent reports and a two day old satellite sea surface temp(SST) shot we headed out to where hoped the warm water would be. The water had moved up and out quite a ways and we never did find really good conditions. We did have one triple hookup and managed to land all three. That was it for the day. I'm sure that the fish have moved some and we didn't have enough boats out there looking to find them. Hopefully we will get a good SST to see where the warm water is before our next attempt.

9-17-12 We did a rockfish trip today and everyone was rewarded with nice limits of quality rockfish and some ling cod up to around 25#. There was a pretty stiff south wind that made fishing a little more challenging.

9-15-12 What a difference a day can make. After working hard all day yesterday for just two halibut the fish came quick and easy today. Lonnie started things off with a 14# chicken then Charlene Gift hooked something big that turned out to be a 7 foot Soupfin shark (released). Then Charlenes husband Todd put on a 38# and a 50# halibut. Then Charlene hooked another fish that looked pretty good but pulled off the hook halfway up. Then she hooked another fish which came to the boat pretty easily(especially compared to the shark). When it got to the boat I could see that it was a nice fish. I sunk the gaff in and Lonnie helped me pull it over the rail. Back at the dock it was too big for my scale so Sherry took it to Englund Marine for an official weight. It was 82# and tied for second in their halibut derby. Nice job Charlene. John finished the day with a 30# halibut so we had our five fish limit.

9-14-12 We had a halibut trip today. Our first in a little while. We ran out to the halibut grounds on a flat calm ocean. It was pretty slow fishing and we only had two halibut for the day. We had another good takedown that came unbuttoned. There were a lot of little nibblers like black cod and sole to keep us busy checking baits. The fishing was a little slower for the guys that fished tuna today as well. I'm blaming the slow fishing on this mornings earthquake. It's as good excuse as any.

9-13-12 !!!TUNA!!! Left the dock in the fog at 6am with a nice load of live anchovies to look for tuna. The warm water had moved in some and we were anxious to give it a try. When we got to the warm water edge we saw a couple of birds flying around so we put in the troll lines. We hooked up in less than five minutes. The troll rigs came in and the live bait went out. Everyone on the boat did a great job even though a couple had never tuna fished before. We quit at 1pm with 26 tuna, most of them mid twenty to thirty pounds. It looks like we should have some decent weather for a little while. There are some rockfish and halibut trips on the books but we will try for tuna when we can.

9-9-12 Salmon season 2012 ends with a flourish!! The best ocean salmon season EVER ended on a high note for us with limits before 11am. With only one fish needed for limits, the last hookup was a double on dandies with Nicks fish just shy of 20# and Larry releasing a fish just as large. We should get big "karma" points for next year with that release of the last fish of the season. It was truly a season for the record books. We had salmon limits on over 95% of our trips. We will concentrate on rockfish, Pacific halibut and tuna until the end of October.

9-8-12 Today was all salmon and once again it was early limits. The largest fish today was a shade over 24#. The ocean was flat calm.

9-7-12 Today was planned to be a salmon/rockfish combo. The salmon have been moving further north daily which makes a run south to the rocks more time consuming( more travel time = less fishing time). We headed south and looked for salmon sign along the way. We found some birds and feeding whales and dropped in our salmon gear. It was not red hot but we picked up two nice salmon before heading down to try for ling cod. We ended with limits of ling cod including a 21# beauty caught by Don Neilsen. We also had a nice variety of rockfish.

9-6-12 Only three days left of the greatest salmon season EVER!! We had salmon limits again today and then ran out to see if there were any halibut around for after the salmon season. Lonnie started the party with a small halibut and then Nick put on a slightly larger one only to be topped by a nice 40# halibut caught by Nicks friend Larry. There were plenty of whales around again.

9-5-12 It was early salmon limits again today with mostly high quality fish over 16#. Everyone on board had fished with us before and knew the drill. I mostly sat back and just watched them bring in fish. A couple of the fish in the 18# range were real fighters and pushed the tackle and angler almost (but not quite) to the limit. No sea lion encounters today.

9-4-12 Todays group cancelled at 9:30 last night which left us with only one person for the trip. Since it was way too late to try and add more people and it wasn't her fault we took out the one plus Sherry. Sherry hasn't been out this year so she finally got to pull on some salmon. The two girls pulled on about 13 salmon to get the four that they wanted. It was pretty lumpy and no one complained about heading in early. Once again we furnished breakfast for a hungy sea lion. They have been pretty bothersome for the last few days but the fishing has been so good that we haven't minded sharing the occasional salmon with them.

9-3-12 It seemed a little slower today but we still had limits for everyone by 9:30. We found a good spot of fish but Lonnie hooked a good one only to have it repossesed by a hungry sea lion. We decided we had better leave that spot even though there were some nice fish there. We managed to find another spot with no sea lions but lots of feeding whales. Some came pretty close to the boat as we trolled around. We worked that area for our limits with the largest at just over 18#. Since it was early and there was no wind we tried for halibut for a couple of hours with no takers.

9-2-12 A real nice grade of salmon today. One sea lion was so impressed with our fish that he decided to have one for breakfast. We broke a couple of leaders on fish as well. That's something that doesn't happen too often. We ended fairly early again with limits of salmon up to 22#.

9-1-12 September started like August ended with an excellent salmon bite going on. We had six limits pretty early again today. The bite was a little slow first thing thing this morning but then got better and better until we were having a tough time just keeping two lines in the water.

8-31-12 The incredible salmon fishing continued today when we found a large area of feeding birds and whales. Once the fish started biting(which was pretty quick) the action was almost nonstop. We had a couple of fish in the 10# range but all of the others were large beautiful fish up to 22#. I guess that we were in the spot because when I called a friend into our area on the radio it was no time at all before there were 20 boats around us. There were nets flying everywhere. We finished our limits with two 18# fish that came in together so we scooped them both at the same time.

8-30-12 The amazing salmon fishing just keeps on rolling!! We had some friends from Redding that came over and really put it to the salmon today. It was early limits again with a couple of real nice fish. At the end we could hardly keep two lines in the water.

8-29-12 Another great day on the salmon grounds! The fishing started off a bit slow and just got better and better. We had doubles and even a triple(all three were landed on that one). It was a bit breezy but that didn't keep the fish from biting. We ran back in with six limits before 11am. Nice size fish again today. A lot of folks have been asking about tuna. The warm water really made a big push in the last couple of days. If we don't get any prolonged north winds then I would expect that we will be making some tuna trips after salmon season and when the weather allows for offshore runs. Sherry has a pretty long list of folks that want to go tuna fishing so hopefully, we will be able to acommodate everyone.

8-28-12 The salmon fishing was WIDE OPEN!! this morning. We had five limits of nice big fish by 8:15. It was very foggy but all we needed to see were rod tips going down. We had a real fun group (same group as yesterday) and this time they made the sea lions fend for themselves.

8-27-12 It was a great day with flat calm conditions(foggy though) and plenty of biting salmon to keep us busy. John from New Zealand boated a couple of real beauties. A hungry sea lion got a couple of our fish too. Everyone went home with limits, Sherry's cookies and big smiles!

8-26-12 !!!TUNA!!! We finally were able to get out for tuna today. The warm water was about 45 miles from Eureka. We ran southwest on a glassy calm ocean. When it started to look like tuna water one of our friends called and said he was hooked up. Then we saw some birds and as we trolled closer we could see tuna jumpers. As we trolled by we had a double hookup. We brought in the other lines and sent out some live bait. We hooked four more and landed six total on that stop. A little while later we saw some more tuna jumpers and every troll rod went off. We chummed the school to the boat and managed a total of fourteen fish on that stop. We got one more troll fish before the wind came up and we headed in around noon.

8-25-12 After taking a couple of days off due to wind I was concerned that the conitions may have changed on the salmon grounds.We usually start where lightning struck last and that was our plan for this morning. We spotted some bird activity on a nice current edge and dropped in our lines. It only took a little while before we had our first strike. It was steady action from then on. We had limits for everyone including the Captain by 8:10.The fish were a nice grade from 13 to 21#.

8-23-12 With a weather forecast of wind and swell we took today off and will do the same tomorrow as well. We plan to be back at it on Saturday and beyond.

8-22-12 Today was an interesting day. I was at the boat at the usual time to meet the folks that had the boat chartered for a day of salmon fishing. It rarely happens but they were a no show. I was a little frustrated but knew that a day off would probably do me some good so I had a nice breakfast at the Woodley Island Cafe. I got a call from one of the other charters that had just lost one of his engines to a crab pot entanglement. He asked if I could take some of his folks so I got the boat ready and away we went to try for salmon. The bite was kind of slow for the boats that were out so we looked around to try and find some fish. We caught a couple and missed a couple but the fishing was pretty slow so we went looking for greener pastures. We found exactly what we were looking with massive bait schools, whales feeding and birds everywhere. It was a feeding frenzy. It only took a few minutes to limit out with all of the fish 15 pounds and up. Definately a great day!

8-21-12 The salmon fishing slowed some today but the ocean was flat calm all day. We had a lot of short bites and fish that just came unhooked before we could get them to the net. We were hoping to get done early then try for some halibut but the salmon made us work for them so we only fished salmon. We did manage limits for everyone today in spite of the tough bite.

8-20-12 It started out as an easy and quick day for us. We only had three on board and had our six big salmon by 9:30 and were back at the dock before 10am. A group of five people from the Humboldt County Fair Horse races came by and saw our fish and wanted to go out. Even though the bite was not red hot for most out there we decided that "what the heck, let's give it a try". So we ran out to where we had fished in the morning only to find about 50 boats there. I'm not big on crowds but we gave it a shot and picked up four nice salmon before things slowed down. So off we went to look for greener pastures. We found some working birds and stopped and dropped the lines in and managed to put four more fish on the boat before we headed in at 1:30.

8-19-12 The salmon have been a little tougher to find out of Eureka but we were able to land on a nice spot of fish after spending a little time exploring. We put on limits of excellent grade fish for everyone. It was no surprise that Lonnie had big fish again with a nice 24# fish. Larry had a big one on for quite a while before it spit the hook. We were all alone today and only saw one other boat while we were fishing.

8-18-12 The salmon fishing has slowed a little and we needed action today so we ran for the ever hungry and plentiful rockfish. We had our six limits of a variety of rockfish and 9 ling cod in what seemed like no time. The ocean was nice as well as the company and everyone had a good time and will go home with plenty of fresh fillets.

8-17-12 Well it had to happen sooner or later. We actually had to work a little for our limits of salmon today. I was concerned when I saw the crystal clear water out where two days before it was dirty and full of bait, birds and salmon. Most of the other boats struggled as well. Tomorrow we will head out with some fresh intel that should put us back on the fish.

8-16-12 The salmon fishing was excellent again today. We had a great group of people on the boat and we had a great time on a calm ocean. The conditions were a little different from yesterday but we still found some fish. There is a boat fishing about 50 miles out with 22 tuna on board as of his last report.

8-15-12 The salmon fishing continues to be RED HOT!! After a slow start early in the morning we got located on the fish after seeing a lot of birds in the area. It was quick and easy limits after that. We nearly lost one fish to a sea lion but we were able to horse the fish in and the sea lion just didn't want to work that hard(probably already stuffed with salmon). Once again it was a mixed grade of fish with smalls up to the high teens. The ocean is laying down as predicted.

8-14-12 We ran out on a bumpy ocean to find the salmon to be eager biters again this morning. We had limits for all by 7:30 am. After sending our folks home with bags of fresh salmon fillets we picked up another group from one of the other charter boats that was having some minor mechanical difficulty. We zipped out and found the salmon still biting and managed limits before the tide change at 11am. The morning fish were a little larger with most around 12#.

8-13-12 The forecast for today was pretty crummy but we had a couple of guys from out of town that came just to fish so we decided to take a look anyway. The ocean was lumpy but about the same as yesterday so we plodded out to yesterdays spot and put our lines in. We had six fish(limits) before 8am and cruised back in. There seems to be a lot of salmon right now and they are really hungry.

8-12-12 The ocean was a little lumpy but OK for fishing so we went on the search for salmon this morning. As luck would have it we landed right on the fish and had limits for everyone including the captain before 9am. The size of the fish was as good as it has been all year with most of the fish between 15 and 22 pounds. The forecast for Monday and Tuesday has really taken a turn for the worse so I don't know if we will be able to get out the next day or two. The swell starts coming down Wednesday.

8-11-12 We took yesterday and today off due to a forecast of rough sea conditions. We will try to get out tomorrow. It has been good fishing for the boats that did get out although the seas were not too friendly. There is some good looking tuna water but it is still well offshore for now. We need some calm offshore conditions to let it push in. There are plenty of anchovies in the Bay so things may be lining up for a good late season live bait tuna show. For now the salmon are numerous and occasionally a large one is caught so we will continue to concentrate our efforts there.

8-9-12 The salmon fishing was excellent again today with a couple of fish over twenty pounds and limits for everyone. It looks like some crummy weather for a few days so we may take a little time off until it settles down. There were some tuna caught out of Eureka but it was a long run for the boats that went. The good part is that there seemed to be plenty of fish. Hopefully September and October will be good tuna months for us.

8-8-12 Some trips are just meant to be and todays was one of those trips. We had a cancellation that that left the whole boat available. There was a group with family visiting from Spain that was on the cancellation list. Sherry gave them a call and they were all in. Three generations worth. We ran out a little south of yesterdays spot until we saw some good sign and put the lines in. It was limits for all by 9am. The grandmother caught the largest salmon of her life at 22# which was also the largest of the day by one ounce. One VERY IMPORTANT ounce. Everyone had a great time including yours truly who enjoyed watching all three generations catch fish. We also saw whales again today.

8-7-12 We ran a little ways away from the crowd today and were rewarded with limits of salmon by 8:30. There were lots of birds around and fish boiling on the surface and even some salmon jumpers. There were a lot of whales around us too. We tried for halibut for a while but there was very little drift and as frequently happens in those conditions we were besieged by little bait stealers like dog sharks and black cod. We did not get any halibut although we heard of a couple caught.

8-6-12 We were able to take advantage of some of the best weather of the year so far. We did an exact repeat of yesterdays trip. Limits of salmon, ling cod and a 53# halibut to top it off. It is nice when the weather is good enough to do what we want to do instead of what mother nature lets us do. At least the salmon are close and they continue to bite like crazy so we have been able to get salmon almost whenever we can get out.

8-5-12 It was a great day on the water with a group of folks that have all become very good friends to Sherry and I. We started off with the wide open salmon bite. We got quick limits and then ran down to try for some ling cod with the hope of maybe a bonus fish. It all went according to plan and we had limits of ling cod for everyone and the bonus was a 70# plus Pacific halibut caught by Lonnie Dollarhide. If you want to learn how to catch big fish just watch Lonnie. The ling cod ran from small to one about 20#. It was nice to take advantage of some real nice weather.

8-4-12 It was another hot salmon bite today and we had limits for everyone pretty early. The fish continue to be a real nice grade and are not too willing to come to the boat. The ocean was pretty nice and we managed to get away from the fleet for a bit. All in all, another fine day.

8-3-12 After taking yesterday off we were back at it again. The salmon have not gone anywhere and were up and biting. The fish continue to be very shallow although there is some grass to deal with. We had limits early again with all of the fish in the mid to upper teens.It looks like good weather again for a while so that is good news. And last but not least, today is Sherrys' birthday.And she still baked (lemon cake today)and was there to meet the boat when we came in.

8-1-12 We started off August with a good bite on the salmon. It took us until around 8:30 to get limits for the guys on board. It seemed like slow fishing compared to some of what we have experienced here lately. All of the fish were a real nice grade, running from about 14# up to 22#. The ocean was nicer than forecast. Tomorrows forecast does not look so great so we will be taking the day off. The weekend is looking good so hopefully the salmon will be ready for another round.

7-31-12 We ran out to where we were successful yesterday and dropped in our lines. We were greeted by lots of small fish. In fact, for the first time this year I was wondering if we would have enough bait. We caught one nice size fish before we picked up and ran to an area that was reported to have some larger fish. The fish there were biting and all were keeper size. In spite of all the shaker action and running around we still had limits by 9am.

7-30-12 It was early limits again today with just a light breeze on a calm ocean. We definately had a mixed grade of fish with shakers on up to 24# and everything in between.

7-29-12 The salmon fishing was wide open again this morning. The fish were a little smaller grade today which kind of shows just how many fish are out there. We had limits for 6 anglers before 8am again this morning and we did it with just two rods in the water. We never went more than a couple of minutes without a bite.

7-28-12 The best part of this job has been the friends that Sherry and I have made. Today we took out some old friends and some new friends. My job was made easy again by salmon that have been absolutely suicidal. We had seven limits on the boat before 8am. It was early enough that we made a try for halibut. They weren't biting real good for us and we only managed one small one before it was time to go back to the dock.

7-27-12 It was a nice morning on the ocean and the fish were still in a biting mood. We had salmon limits by 9:30 again. We were hoping to make a run for rockfish but there was some wind offshore and the forecast for the rockfish zone wasn't too good. It looks like that will be the weather situation for a few days. We haven't had a clear shot at sea surface temperatures offshore in several days so I don't know how the tuna water is looking. It is typical this time of year for the water to recede offshore before it makes another push in August. There is some talk of an El Nino which may help push the warm water in closer. In the meantime we will concentrate on some of the best salmon fishing EVER.

7-26-12 We had limits of mostly nice size fish by 9:30 this morning. The fish were shallow. We had three triples but only successfully landed the first one. We also had our largest salmon of the year(so far) a fat 26.6# fish. The ocean was nice.

7-25-12 The morning started off slow for us as yours truly went the wrong way to look for the fish. A friend was catching some fish but he was 15 miles away. We weren't doing anything so we just hiked up our skirts and made the long run to what we hoped were biting fish. When we got to the spot we dropped in and...... nothing. Then all heck broke loose and we had three fish on at once. We got all three in and that was the start of a good bite for us and we finished with limits for all including a couple for the Captain. All in all a pretty good day on the water with some wonderful people.

7-23-12*** We may have a couple of openings for salmon on Wednesday. The forecast has been improving and looks pretty good now. If you want to jump on then give Sherry a call at 707-499-4925.*** Sherry gets me home today for our anniversary since the ocean is still rough with gale winds offshore. It looks like Wednesday will be our first chance to get back at the fish.

7-22-12 No fishing again today due to rough ocean conditions.

7-21-12 We took the day off today. It looks like it will be rough with windy conditions for a couple of days. If you have a trip schedul