Fishing Reports

5-10-2025 The weather has kept us onshore for a few days but we finally got out again to try to redeem ourselves with some halibut success. Conditions were favorable for our small crew and we set up and got lines wet around 8am. After an hour or so we had a good bite that didn't stick but we felt we were in a good zone. It was nearly noon before we got another bite. By then our patience was beginning to wane but not our enthusiasm. That fish stuck and we soon had a small but welcome halibut in the box. Lines back in with renewed vigor from the crew and we soon had another fish on. Over the side and into the box it went. Lines in again and in no time we had another fish on. This proved to be a little larger fish and was all we needed to head back to the dock with halibut limits. A nice day with some great friends and fresh fish too.

5-2-2025 The ocean was beautiful all day for our trip to the Lost Coast for rockfish. The first few spots we tried did not produce for us at all. So we went on the hunt to look for some biters. The fishing improved at every new spot. Eventually everyone was hooking up on every drop. We ended up with rock fish limits and two fish shy of ling cod limits. It was a perfect day to be fishing and everyone was tired but thankful at the end of the day.

5-1-2025 Well today wasn't the season opener that we were hoping for. Out of three boats only one halibut was caught. There was not much going on anywhere we tried. Even the pesky little bait stealers that we get annoyed with took today off. The current was surprisingly light considering the big tides. The water was a dark brown and there was not much showing on the fishfinder. We called it a day and came in a little early. We will be fishing again tomorrow and then it looks like the wind machine cranks up again. Stay tuned.

4-29-2024 Only a couple of days before Pacific halibut and inshore rockfish open up. Can't wait!

4-5-2025 Wow! What a day! The ocean was greasy slick with practically no swell which made the deep water rockfishing easy and productive. We tried our new Penn electric reels and other than some learning pains they worked great and saved a ton of reeling. As long as we stayed on the spot the fishing was great. We easily got limits of BIG Canary and Yellowtail rockfish. We got some real nice Ling Cod too. Great group of guys and everyone had a ball with these tasty fish. It was definitely a great way to start the season.

3-30-2025 Boy, it sure has been wet so far in 2025. That should be good for our salmon in the future. We should find out if we will have any salmon fishing at the April PFMC meeting in San Jose. It wont be much and the dates will fill FAST. The options have a four day season in early June and if all of the salmon allocation has not been caught then maybe another opportunity in early July. April is deepwater rockfish month and it looks like a couple of nice weather days are possible around April 5th. We have a couple of new Penn electric reels we hope to try out. Give Sherry a call if you are interested.

2-13-2025 OK I know it's been a long time since we posted a report but January to April is our OFF season and a time to do boat and tackle maintenance and just kick back a little. We won't have official news about salmon for a little while yet. Rockfish season will be the same as last year. Halibut will open May 1st and last year we didn't catch the entire quota due to bad Springtime weather and less interest than normal in August. We did have some pretty good Albacore fishing though so hopefully that will repeat for this year. Look for tuna to begin to show in late July. Sherry is currently booking trips but we will have some fewer days available due to important fishing meetings this summer. Hope to see you back out on the Reel Steel this year.

12-7-2024 Today was our last crab trip for a while. It looks like stormy weather on the horizon. Whether we go again this year will depend on having some good weather for more than just a couple of days. The trip today was interesting because there was a Christmas boat parade when we came in. Rather than just sit and wait we jumped in line and joined the parade. I'm pretty sure we won least decorated entry.

12-5-2024 We have been crabbing every day with great success. Our morning trip went off without a hitch and we sent everyone home with their limit of crab. The late trip had some added excitement. We were halfway down the Bay when everyone's phone went off with an earthquake alert. A 7.0 Quake had just rattled the North Coast and of course, we didn't feel a thing on the boat. By the time we were by the Coast Guard Station a tsunami alert was issued. The safest place to be was out to sea so we kept on going. Only to be followed by the Coast Guard Cutter and the Fish and Wildlife patrol boat. We made it to our pots and ran our gear for limits. The tsunami alert was still in place so we ran out a little further and hung out with the Wardens on the patrol boat until the alert was lifted. The weather was great and we all made it in safe and sound.

12-2-2024 We have been crabbing every day and it is still very productive with limits of crab every trip. The crab are filled out and in great condition. It looks like the weather will come up this coming weekend and next week so this may be the last week of really good weather for a while.

11-29-2024 We continue to take advantage of some good weather to make crab trips. The crabbing has been very good and everyone has gone home with their limit. The crabs are full and tasty.

11-26-2024 We were back on the water and looking for some crab today. We were very happy when we started to pull pots loaded with big healthy crabs. The ocean was nice and it was easy peasy all the way.

11-23-2024 We were going to set crab pots today but we decided to wait until Tuesday. The forecast for Sunday and Monday don't look too good. The forecast for Thanksgiving week looks really good so we will be running crab trips all week.

11-7-2024 We pulled the first crab pots of the season and we were pleasantly surprised. The pots were full and the crabs look to be in great shape. We had some for dinner and they are pretty full. Tasty too.

11-1-2024 Feelin' crabby? Crab season opens tomorrow. The weather does not look too good until the middle of next week. We have plenty of room then. It's hard to beat that first crab dinner of the season. The trip usually takes less than two hours and you get 10 crabs for a very reasonable price. A fishing license and a crab stamp are required.

10-24-2024 The ocean was pretty sloppy from an overnight blow but the forecast was for better conditions later on in the day. So we toughed it out to the halibut grounds and set up to fish. It was still pretty bumpy. We had a passenger get sick and with some other health issues we called it after about an hour and came back in. We did land one decent halibut and missed another bite in the short time we were fishing.

10-16-2024 We took a chance that the big tides wouldn't affect the California halibut bite. Well let's just say today was very slow. We caught a couple of sharks but that was about it.

10-12-2024 We experienced just about every kind of weather on the Bay this morning. Drizzle turned to rain. Fog turned to sunshine. Wind that turned calm. If we didn't like the weather we only had to wait a few minutes and it would change. While not red hot we had our opportunities for limits of California halibut. We had a couple on the boat without much fishing experience. In fact, one had never even been fishing before. She was the lucky one and had a couple of real nice fish that got to boat side but then broke off. Her friend then caught a couple and convinced her to try again. Third time was a charm and she landed a real nice halibut. The first fish she had ever caught. We ended just two fish short of limits and there were some big bags of fillets at the end of the day.

10-11-2024 Today was a day of halves. We fished for half a day and only landed half of the fish we hooked. The Bay was calm and serene most of the morning and we had a couple of California Halibut in the box. We didn't do much during slack tide but when the current picked back up so did the fishing. The wind started to blow from the South when we turned the boat towards home.

10-6-2024 We had quite the whale show around us as we fished deepwater rockfish. The colorful rockfish were really biting and we had limits in short order.

10-5-2024 It's been a while since we have been able to get out. It is deep water rockfish season and today was our first try. The fishing started off slow but eventually we began to put some fish on the boat. In the end we were a couple of fish short of limits but everyone went home with a nice bag of fillets. The ocean was real nice and we saw lots of whales and a big pod of Risso Dolphins.

9-24-2024 It was warm and sunny as we fished for California halibut in the Bay. The tides were good for halibut fishing and we had high hopes as we arrived on the fishing grounds. We got to work pretty quickly and put half limits in the box before the tide slackened and the bite shut off. We were hopeful that once the tide began to run again the fish would start biting. That is exactly what happened. It was slow for a while but then we began to hook some fish and before long it was limits and time to go in. Great bunch of folks on the boat today.

9-11-2024 What a long difficult day. We fished for tuna out a little north of where we fished a couple of days ago. We finally got a sea surface temperature shot that showed the warm water moving north a little. It was drizzly and a little breezy in the morning as a weather front passed through. Maybe that's what kept the fish down but they didn't show themselves all day. Not much sign as far as other life like birds or dolphins either. So we trolled all around and only picked up two very random fish. I believe the fish are still out there and it was just an off day. Now it looks like some wind for a few days and then I'm off to some fishing meetings. Hopefully, when I get back the weather will be good again and the fish will be back on the bite.

9-9-2024 Today's tuna trip was quite an adventure. We had some good intel from a friend who had fished a couple of days earlier and caught fish. Our plan was to head to his numbers. As we got closer the ocean got rougher and rougher. We were about 4 miles short when we crossed a good edge. The ocean was so rough there that it was hard to stand. We managed to get the lines out and a couple of minutes later it was FISH ON!. DOUBLE! We got those fish in and put the lines out and FISH ON! TRIPLE! Boy this is going to be a great day. Then reality set in. We worked that area hard for nothing more so we went looking. We were all over but besides one triple we just weren't finding the fish. I told everyone that 2pm would be the cutoff time and we would head back to beat the tide. At 1:55 we crossed a strong edge and we were hooked up on a five way. We broke one of those fish off(we broke off three fish during the day). We put the lines back in and were hooked up again. We got that fish in the boat and it was time to head back. By then the ocean offshore was pretty nice but the trip in had turned bouncy. We crossed the Humboldt Bay Bar at about 4pm in the dense fog (had fog all day).

9-7-2024 We had a morning of wide open rockfish fishing. From the first stop on the fish were biting. We only moved to get some variety in the box(which we did). We got a few really nice Ling Cod. The drift was really fast but the fish didn't care today.

9-6-2024 The water on the halibut grounds was clear blue and about 59 degrees. More like tuna water. The halibut bite was slow for us but we caught a couple. All in all a good day with nice people on the boat.

9-3-2024 We went Pacific Halibut fishing today. The ocean had come up some but winds were light. It took a couple of hours before our first bite but then the fish bit pretty good. We lost a couple of fish on the way up and had to leave early to beat the tide so we ended up one fish short of limits. Big fish for the day was 50#. As we were winding in lines to leave a big Blue shark grabbed one of our halibut rigs and gave us a pretty good fight before we were able to release it.

9-2-2024 It's amazing the fishing opportunities out of Humboldt right now. Tuna, rockfish California halibut and today's target, Pacific Halibut. The ocean was greasy calm for most of the morning and it allowed us to see things that are usually hidden from view. We saw a massive bait school churning the surface. A Blue shark that hung with the boat for half an hour or so. A big salmon chasing a bait fish right on the surface. But what we wanted to see were some big Pacific Halibut. The bite wasn't red hot but we stuck with it and by 12:30 we had our halibut limits and were ready to head for the dock.

9-1-2024 Rockfish were on the menu today. The fish were eager to bite and we quickly began putting fish in the box. Vermilion, Blacks, Blues, Canarys and more. The only no show were the Ling Cod and today they just were not biting for us. The weather was perfect and we had a great morning of catching.

8-31-2024 We left the dock in search of Albacore tuna with no intel except a three day old sea surface temperature chart. We had a plan though and we made the two hour trek out to our starting spot. After trolling for about three miles we saw some fish working the surface just ahead. We hooked up as we trolled by and that was the start of a great day. We had multiple hookups and then caught fish on live bait and swim baits. We trolled from bird pile to bird pile and hooked into some real nice fish. The best grade I have seen this year. We had some heartbreak as we had a number of fish break off of our bait rigs. This was all in spite of the fact that "someone" brought a banana on the boat. However, she said her natural good luck could overcome any bad that a single banana could produce. And she was right. We had a great day catching some real nice fish.

8-29-2024 Due to 10 foot waves offshore we were stuck in the Bay again for halibut. It was the same crew as Tuesday and everyone had a good time. The bite was a little off but we got a few fish and lost a dandy at boatside. Looks like good weather coming up so we should get offshore soon.

8-27-2024 The ocean forecast had us fishing the Bay today. The California Halibut bite was good once the tide got right. It was a good grade of fish and our gang from Arizona and the Bay area got to pull on some nice fish with light tackle. As always, there were fresh cookies waiting for us at the dock.

8-26-2024 The ocean was nice for our trip down to the Lost Coast for rockfish. The fish were biting good and after a few hours we were headed back to the dock with limits. The ride home was a little bouncy but not too bad.

8-24-2024 After sitting in one spot most of the day for only one halibut that stuck we made a long move late. We had received a good report but was it worth the long run late? Well, yes and no. We did land one more nice fish before we had to head back to the dock but finished one short of limits. It was a nice day with nice people.

8-22-2024 The ocean was eerily calm as we made our way down to the Lost Coast for some rockfish and ling cod. We had very little drift when we started and we had to be right on top of the fish to catch any. While not wide open, the fishing was very good with plenty of big rockfish and lings going in the box. The wind just started to come up as we made our last stop of the day to top it off for limits for everyone. On the way back the fish were filleted(in the rain and drizzle).

8-20-2024 It was a beautiful morning on the ocean with calm seas and warm temperatures. We tried a different location for halibut than yesterday and it really paid off for us. We had a family that was having a reunion here on the Coast and they were such nice people that we were hopeful they would get some halibut. Other than one broken leader they managed to hold onto their halibut and get them in the boat. By 12:30 they had their limits and we were headed back to the dock to fillet their catch and have some of Sherry's fresh cookies.

8-19-2024 The halibut bite was a little weird for us today. Conditions were pretty good but we just couldn't seem to hang onto the fish. We had quite a few bites that didn't stick and a couple that looked like they were well hooked just come unbuttoned. We did put a nice 50# halibut in the box and later a smaller version but we should have done much better than that.

. 8-18-2024 We proved that the albacore fishing out of Eureka is still RED HOT! It took a little bit for us to get located but once we did the fishing was steady all day. We had troll fish and live bait fish and even a swimbait fish. The ocean was really nice except for a couple of hours of thick fog. Although the fog dissipated by the afternoon. Mix grade of fish but the fish box and the fish bag were both full when we headed back to the dock.

8-15-2024 We had most of the group from yesterday's tuna trip on today for rockfish. There was a little breeze and the water was dirty brown when we got to the first spot. The drift was wonky(west to east) but the fish were cooperative. In a few hours they had limits of big rockfish. Blacks, Blues, Canarys, Coppers, Vermilion and more. Ling Cod were a fish per rod. Needless to say, everyone was beat after two days of hot fishing action.

8-14-2024 It was a fantastic day on the ocean. There was some fog here and there but the ocean was glass flat with no wind. There were lots of birds working with tuna jumping all around them. We worked around the same area most of the morning and by noon we had plugged the fish box and a fish bag. We got a few fish on bait but most came on the troll. There were a few "peanuts" but most fish were in the 12 to 15# range. Even though the fish had a mind of their own once hooked, the guys did a great job of getting them into the boat with few tangles.

8-13-2024 We had a great day today out on the tuna grounds. It was my chance to repay two individuals that work very hard on behalf of us fishermen. Wayne Kotow and Merit Mcrea. Great guys and excellent fishermen too. We only fished for a couple of hours but got double digit albacore before we had to head back to attend a meeting in Eureka. It was hard to drive by schools of "jumpers" but it was important that we get back on time.

8-12-2024 We had a really great group on the boat today. It was a pleasure to find some fish for them. We have not really made a serious attempt for California Halibut until now. The fishing started off very slow with only one small fish by 10am. Eventually though, we found some biters and by the end of the day we quit only two fish shy of limits. The fish were mostly a very nice grade so they went home with plenty of fillets.

8-10-2024 Our halibut trip got off to a slow start this morning. Apparently our whole boat charter had some fun last night and the "alarm monitor" didn't do his job. They had the whole boat so we waited until they showed up and left the dock about an hour late. These are great guys that have been on the boat before so it was not a big deal. One of them laid down on the engine cover for a long nap. The other guys took care of baiting and watching his rod. After about three hours of this he finally woke up, rolled over and instantly had a fish on. In one continuous motion he took two steps to his rod and proceeded to reel in a nice 35# halibut.

8-9-2024 The halibut fishing was slow today. Regardless, everyone on board had a great attitude and still had a good time. It's always nice when someone who catches fish shares with those that weren't so lucky. We had that happen today so everyone that wanted fish went home with some fish. The ocean was very nice with just a light breeze for an hour or so and then it was calm again.

8-5-2024 We took a chance that we could beat the wind in the forecast and made a trip to the Lost Coast. Our target was rockfish and Ling Cod. There was a little breeze when we arrived but the fishfinder screen lit up as we crossed over our first rock. Down went everyone's line and it was game on. The fishing was fast and furious. It was the best fishing of the year so far. Huge Black rockfish with some Canary, Brown and of course Lings filling the box. Before long we had limits and were headed for home. We are helping to collect data on Northern California rockfish that will help scientists to better understand our rockfish populations here. We measure and tag up to 30 fish a trip and the carcasses (fillets still go to the fishermen) are sent to be analyzed. We are proud to be part of this effort.

8-4-2024 It was an average day on the halibut grounds. The weather was good but not great. The fishing was good but not great. Only the company on board was great today. Good guys that fought their way through waves of Black Cod to try to get their bait down long enough to entice a halibut.

8-3-2024 First of all, it is Sherry's birthday today. We all thank her for the cookies and for keeping this operation running smoothly. Second, we had a great day of halibut fishing. We had to make a long move but it paid off big time with a nice grade of halibut in the box.

8-2-2024 The fishing was a little better than yesterday but we still had to stay out all day. There seems to be plenty of halibut out there but not in any large congregation. So we end up spending more time than usual to get fish. We are still hoping for tuna. There is a little bit of weather next week. Hopefully it will be short lived and we can get offshore.

8-1-2024 It was another day of fairly slow halibut fishing. The fishing was a little better than yesterday so we are hoping that it continues to improve.

7-31-2024 It was a slow day on the halibut grounds for us. The ocean was nice and conditions good but we just could not get the fish to go. Hopefully, it was a one day thing.

7-30-2024 Most days we stick it out to the bitter end. We have been blanked on halibut until the last hour and then filled our limits so we know it can take patience sometimes. Today though, we ran out of patience early and made a 5 mile move. When that wasn't working out we punted and ran to the rocks for some rockfish. We had to look around there for a bit but soon we landed on a nice batch of biters and before long everyone had their limit. This isn't our normal routine but sometimes you just have to be flexible.

7-29-2024 We set out for the Lost Coast on a flat ocean with a group from Weaverville. There was a little breeze when we got to the first spot but the fish were biting. We started with Canary rockfish then found some big Black rockfish. We had Coppers, Cabs and some Lings too. We finished the day with a nice box of fish.

7-28-2024 We took advantage of an ocean that was calmer than expected. It took a little while before the halibut started biting but once they did it was steady action until we had limits. The grade of fish was excellent with only one fish under 25#. We pulled the anchor and were heading in before noon.

7-24-2024 We did a half day trip in the Bay today. Even though the tides and moon were not in our favor we managed to scratch out a halibut and a handful of rockfish. It was a nice morning with some real nice people. The ocean is still a little bumpy for offshore fishing but we are looking forward to some calm seas next week. We are saving some days in July and August for tuna fishing. If you want to go tuna fishing with us then just call or text Sherry or email us and let us know that you want to catch some tuna.

7-19-2024 The halibut bit good for us and we had limits by around 9am. We stayed a little longer to try for a Captains' fish but the wind started to come up so we headed back to the dock. The fishing has been improving for halibut and albacore. The trick is getting a good weather window to head offshore. It looks like we have some wind coming (again) and we will just have to wait and see how long it will last.

7-18-2024 The ocean was still pretty nice this morning and conditions were good for halibut fishing. We tried a new spot and we had 5 good takedowns which resulted in three fish landed. The Black Cod were not a problem either. Today was the second day of fishing for some friends from Chico. They will have plenty of fresh fish to eat when they get home.

7-17-2024 The weather was perfect for a rockfish trip to the Lost Coast. Clear skies with light breezes and warm temperatures made for a great day. The only drawback was that the fishing was kind of slow. We still put a lot of fish on the boat but it wasn't what we normally expect. There were tuna caught offshore and the halibut bit pretty good too for those that went.

7-16-2024 We only had two guys on the boat today and they got their halibut. Once again the onslaught of Black Cod tormented us all day by stealing our baits before a halibut had a chance. If you like to eat Black Cod (Sablefish) then there are plenty right now and they are very easy to catch.

7-15-2024 The ocean was not too much improved today with a stiff south breeze and northwest swell all day. Yesterday the halibut bit early but today we didn't get a bite until about one in the afternoon. The first fish came unbuttoned but then we put three in the box. Lots of Black Cod and some sand dabs made sure we were well practiced at changing baits. Fun bunch on the boat. We have room for halibut fishing tomorrow.

7-14-2024 It was a pretty rough ride out to the halibut grounds this morning. Once offshore the weather was a little better but not great with 12 to 15 knots of South wind and 7 foot seas. But once we got the boat set it wasn't too bad. We only had lines in for 15 minutes or so when we got our first hookup. It was a wild fish and shook its head and peeled line. It was almost to the boat when another rod went off. It was obvious this second fish was a pretty big one. We got the first fish (45#)in the box and leaned over to gaff the second fish. It was more than I could lift so two of us slid a nice 70# fish over the side into the boat. Then things slowed down a little and the bait stealers were on us. The Sablefish have been thick this year. We managed to keep some baits on long enough to hook and land two more halibut for boat limits. It was blowing pretty good by then but the Reel Steel kept us warm and dry inside on the trip home.

7-9-2024 Whew! What a day. The day started off in the usual way with a pleasant boat ride out to the halibut grounds. Once there the wind was out of the south and the current was out of the north. This makes the boat "set" weird but it is usually not a problem. Once again the Black Cod were ravenous and they were on our baits almost immediately. But we were prepared for that and soon we were getting the "right" kind of bites. We put a couple of halibut in the box and looked up to see one of the rods had disappeared. Gone. Apparently the line broke at the rod tip and the rod bounced up, out of the rod holder and over the side. Darn. Then all of the other lines got tangled because of the weird set of the boat to the current. Once we got the lines to the boat each one had a Black Cod and one of the worst tangles ever. Apparently, when the line broke on the rod that "left the boat" all of the loose line wrapped around the other lines. Add in four or five Black Cod and it was a heck of a mess. We got everything sorted and put a couple more halibut in the box. Then we hooked a skate. It was too much for the reel and the reel quit so we had to hand line the skate to the boat. At that time we only need one more halibut for limits. It wasn't long before we were hooked up again and put the largest halibut of the day in the box. Game over!

7-8-2024 The fog limited our visibility for our trip out to the halibut grounds. The ocean was nice though and the fog soon lifted so we could see around us. The halibut bite was so so and the ever present Sablefish stealing our baits didn't help. But we stayed at it and almost got everyone their fish. We did catch a big Ling Cod that we released. All in all a good day.

7-7-2024. There was a real good albacore bite yesterday so this morning we loaded the boat with ice and headed for the tuna grounds. The fish were reported as small but we didn't care we just wanted some fresh albacore. We got to the area that we wanted to fish and put lines in the water and started trolling. After about 15 minutes one of the outrigger rods goes off. Line is peeling off of the reel at an alarming rate. Must have the drag too loose. A small albacore can't pull like that. Check the drag. It's tight. Must be a bigger tuna than than they were getting yesterday. We get it close to the boat and it's a dandy. We scoop it and lay it on the deck to spike it and "what do you know?" it's a Bluefin around 40#. What a pleasant surprise. We can't wait to get on the troll again. Unfortunately, that was our only bite all day. The reports of double digit catches of albacore have turned into just a few here and there. We had a great group of regulars on the boat and there was no whining because they know that the tuna are out there and we'll get them next time.

7-6-2024 It was another great day to be out on the ocean. We had a nice family on the boat that wanted some rockfish. The fishing started out a little slow but then we found a good area and the bite really turned on. They were hoping for a repeat of their last trip where they went home with a 44# Ling Cod but it was more of a rockfish bite today. It was t-shirt weather and there was no wind.

7-5-2024 It was t-shirt weather for our group from the Operating Engineers today. The fishing wasn't red hot but we managed three nice halibut. The largest was mid forties so they went home with plenty of fillets. There were some albacore caught out of Eureka today. The warm water is not that far and hopefully we can get out there for the next weather window.

6-30-2024 The weather was much better than yesterday so we made a trip to the halibut grounds. The bite was fairly slow but we managed to get everyone their fish. About noon the current made a drastic change and the water temp jumped up about 3 degrees. The current caused a few tangles which we handled ok but then we hooked a skate that we literally could not pull to the boat against the current. After struggling with the skate for a while we were forced to release the boat from the anchor so we could drift back to the skate. That did the trick and we were able to release it and recover all of our gear. Something else everyone has been dealing with is the plethora of Sablefish. It is hard to keep a bait on the hook for more than a few minutes before they have it chewed off. They are especially fond of Herring. The result is that you end up fishing bare hooks much of the time. It was a great group on the boat and they had plenty of snacks and even a sandwich for everyone which kept us busy stuffing our faces between fish.

6-29-2024 We made an attempt to run offshore today. The ocean was just sloppy enough that we decided to wait for a better day. I expect that the Pacific Halibut season will last longer than last year because we have missed so many days due to weather so there will be more chances to go. On a brighter note, there seems to be a strong push of warm water headed our way so maybe we will be tuna fishing soon. We just need this wind to stop.

6-27-2024 We had a great morning out on the halibut grounds. The ocean was very nice and the people on the boat were the best. We are so lucky to have friends like them. The halibut bite was slow-ish but steady for us and by noon we were done with limits.

6-26-2024 The wind finally gave us a break today and we had some real nice ocean conditions. We made a trip to Cape Mendocino for rockfish and had a great day. We caught a wide variety of fish. The stars of the show were the Ling Cod and we had a good day of catching them with limits all around. At one point we had schools of bait boiling on the surface in every direction. There is a lot of life there now.

6-21-2024 We had a nice group from San Diego that came up for some Pacific Halibut fishing. The forecast was marginal but we thought we would have a shot. Well, the buoy report in the morning made it clear that we would not be going offshore. So we tried fishing in and around the Bay. Everything had lockjaw except for one Leopard Shark. I felt bad for them but that's the way the weather has been all Spring. Let's hope it turns around soon so we can get back out and start catching fish again.

6-19-2024 Today was going to be the best weather all week so we gave it a try. It was not too bad for most of the time. We anchored up in what we hoped would be a good spot. By 11 am we had not had a single halibut bite. About 11:30 we slid a 30# fish on the boat. We eventually put another halibut in the box but two was all we could hook. We missed a couple of good bites and caught some Sablefish and Hake but it was a pretty slow day. It was a friendly bunch on the boat so there was plenty of time to get to know one another and that's what makes it fun even when the fish won't cooperate.

6-16-2024 We just had a couple of folks for a Bay halibut trip. After a couple of hours with no luck we headed out to the jetties where we picked up a couple of Ling Cod. It wasn't the day we had planned but we made the most of it.

6-14-2024 I just got back from a week of fishing meetings in San Diego. The weather has kept us off of the water so we are anxiously awaiting a break so we can get back to fishing.

6-3-2024 We started out this morning in the rain and wind. The forecast was for better conditions within the next few hours so we plodded our way out to the Halibut grounds. Once there we set up and it wasn't long before a fat 50# fish came over the rail. With all the wind and chop we slid off of our spot so we took some time to reset. By then the weather had improved considerably. After the first fish the catching was pretty slow but by the end of the day we had put a couple of nice 40# plus fish in the box. It wasn't as good as yesterday(it hardly ever is) but we still ended up with a bunch of fillets for everyone to take home.

6-2-2024 We finally had the kind of day we have been looking forward to. After a month of strong North winds that mostly kept us off of the water we had beautiful ocean conditions with very little wind or swell. The halibut fishing started off pretty slow and by mid morning we only had one fish in the box. Then the bite started to turn on. It wasn't wide open but it was steady for the next couple of hours. We lost a couple of real heavy pumpers but still managed to put limits in the box. Most of the fish were mid 30# fish but we had a real nice one that taped out to about 70#. It was halibut fishing like we got used to over the last couple of years.

5-28-2024 We made it out today to try for some rockfish. Breezy conditions kept us close to shore so we did not do much exploring. The fishing started out "just ok" but really ramped up towards the end. We ended up with everyone's limit for just a couple of hours of fishing. The only downside to the day was when one person got a hook in their finger. The hook was too deep to remove out on the water so we cut the hook and wrapped his finger. He put a glove over it and finished the day. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. All in all, it was a nice day with nice people on the boat and everyone went home with big bags full of tasty rockfish fillets.

5-24-2024 We finally had good enough weather to get offshore. Unfortunately, there were big tides and off color water and the halibut bite was not too good for us. We had really nice folks on the boat and everyone had a good time visiting while we waited for the Halibut that didn't show up.

5-21-2024 It seems like forever since we were on the water. The wind has blown a gale offshore for quite a few days now and it's not done yet. The boat is fueled, the leaders are tied, the freezer is full of bait so we are ready to go as soon as this crazy wind quits. Every day we check the forecast and every day the good weather is pushed back. We'll get out there and then all of this waiting will be forgotten. In the meantime... the yard never looked so good.

5-11-2023 Well.... It was really slow halibut fishing today. Even the little bait stealers took most of the day off. A little after lunch time we hooked a nice fish and we all got pretty excited. But it turned out to be a big skate. We just finished releasing the skate when another rod bent over. It was obvious from the start that this was a halibut. We landed that fish but that was it for us. Very slow fishing today.

5-10-2024 The Humboldt Bar was a little bouncy this morning but we had no problem crossing it. As we made our way out to the Halibut grounds we decided to try a new area that we had not fished yet this year. We had a small group of fishermen but it still took a few hours to get their limits. We had a couple of nice fish in the forties. It was sunny and warm and the ocean stayed nice. We saw a couple of Blue whales in the distance and had some salmon boiling on the surface around the boat. We all agreed that it was a great day to be out fishing.

5-3-2024 What a difference a day can make. The skies were clear this morning and there was no wind or swell on the ocean. The fish bit a little better too. While it wasn't wide open we had limits by noon. There were still a lot of sand dabs and small black cod trying to steal our baits but we managed to outsmart them long enough for the halibut to bite.

5-2-2024 Today was our first day of Pacific Halibut fishing for 2024. It was drizzly and breezy all morning and then it got nicer after about 11am. We found a spot with a lot of life and we had a workout keeping bait on our hooks. There were lots of little bait stealers around. We had a few chances at halibut but were only able to land one. The fish are there we just need to keep them on the hooks a little longer.

4-20-2024 We made another deep water rockfish trip today. When we got to the fishing grounds it was foggy, breezy and cold. We caught a few fish but it was not the action we were looking for. Eventually, we ended up about 25 miles from Humboldt Bay where we found some hungry biters. So hungry in fact, one angler ( I'm sure it was skill) brought up three fish on two hooks. What made it unique was that they were all different kinds of fish. The fish today weren't huge but they were eager. The weather settled down nicely and it wasn't too long before everyone had limits and we were heading for home. Great group today too.

4-19-2024 It was another beautiful day out on the ocean with sunny skies and calm seas. We were after deep water rockfish and we found plenty of biters, Mostly big Canary rockfish. We couldn't find any Ling Cod today but everyone went home with a nice bag of rockfish fillets. We saw whales and porpoise too.

4-12-2024 Everything lined up today for our first fishing trip of the year. An offshore rockfish and Ling Cod trip. The ocean was very nice all day with hardly any wind or swell. We only had to hit two places and were able to catch our limits of big Canary, Yellowtail and Widow rockfish. We also got some HUGE Ling Cod. It felt great to finally get back out fishing after numerous fishing meetings (that rarely have good news). We are still a go for a May 1st Pacific Halibut opener and we can't wait to go chase one of our favorite fish. Sadly, we won't have a salmon season again this year but we are hopeful that giving the fish a break for a couple of years will bring the stocks back to what we had not that long ago.

3-22-2024 Sherry has been busy booking fishing trips as opening day approaches. April will be open for deep water rockfish and we hope for some good weather to get offshore and try for some quality fishing. May will be the start of Pacific Halibut season and we expect to have another banner year on the halibut grounds. Last year we won the Englund Marine halibut derby for the biggest fish weighed in. And speaking of Englund Marine, Captain Tim will give a seminar on fishing for Pacific Halibut off of Humboldt Bay with some advice on anchoring for halibut at Englund Marine in Eureka. They will have specials and prize drawings as well as seminars on tuna fishing, boat maintenance and bar crossing safety. They might even have hot dogs. That will be Saturday March 30. I hope to see you there.

2-7-2024 OK I admit it. I have been neglecting this report. We have been very busy with fishing meetings from Alaska to Southern California. There will be some changes to some of the regulations for this year. Halibut should be the same as last year but there will be significant changes in rockfish regulations. We'll know more about that in a few weeks. I don't expect to get a salmon season again this year but that has not been determined at this time. We have been taking reservations for the 2024 season but there are still plenty of openings. We are hoping for Albacore and maybe we will see those giant Bluefin tuna show up again. If they do, we'll be ready.

12-13-2023 We will be setting pots for crab this Saturday the 16th. Just in time for the holidays. Weather permitting we will be running trips daily.

11-16-2023 We are currently running daily crab trips when the weather allows. The crabs are nice and full.

11-11-2023 There was a pretty big swell on the crab grounds today but we made it out and sent everyone home with their limit of crabs. The crabs are in the best shape that I can recall seeing for this time of year.

11-10-2023 CRAB!! We set our crab pots yesterday and pulled for the first time this morning. The crabs are big and heavy. It looks like there is some decent weather the middle of this week. Call Sherry at 707-499-4925 if you want some fresh crab. Don't forget you need a crab stamp in addition to your fishing license.

10-30-2023 Four lucky anglers got the trip of a lifetime today. When you think of Humboldt fishing you normally think of salmon, rockfish, halibut and albacore. You don't think of "big game" fishing with huge reels and heavy tackle. With some big Bluefin tuna around that has changed. Today we made our way southwest from the harbor in the dark to where we caught a big tuna a couple of days ago. With loads of anticipation we put the lines out at first light. The we started trolling and looking for tuna sign. And we trolled, and trolled and trolled some more. We had one big tangle that took some time to deal with. Then the ocean erupted with life. Whales, birds, sea lions all going crazy chasing bait near the surface. The ocean was glass flat so we got a good view of the action. We trolled that area and something popped a little drag but when we reeled in all we had was a snagged bait fish. Then we got tangled with someone's lost gear. We got everything cleared and we got a call that a friend had caught a big fish and was heading in. So we trolled out to that area and were just making a turn to head towards home (it was around 2pm)when the long rod went off. Drag screaming as the fish made a run. Finally, our persistence had paid off. But this was just the beginning. The guys took turns on the rod as they learned the hard way about the strength and endurance of these big tuna. Eventually, we got the fish within about fifty feet from the boat. That was when we reached a stalemate. We would gain a few inches and then lose it to the fish. This went on for what seemed like forever. It was getting late and we could see the sun approaching the horizon. Even 30 pounds of drag wasn't beating this fish. Against my better judgement we clamped down on the reel and started to make some progress. Finally, after three and a half hours we had the fish next to the boat. We sunk a couple of gaffs into the fish then tail roped it and pulled it through the transom tuna door. Victory! By then the sun was setting below the horizon. We tied up in the slip around 8pm. Everyone was exhausted but happy. The fish was 70 inches and had a huge girth. A Humboldt trophy fish. It was definitely a day to remember.

10-28-2023 We have been notified that crab season will start on November 4 and we will be able to use pots instead of rings. That's great news for all of us that love to eat one of this regions' major delicacies. Sherry is taking reservations for November crab now.

10-27-2023 We were back on the hunt again for a giant bluefin tuna. I don't know if it's the full moon or what but they weren't biting. We heard of one hookup on the radio but that was all. Most of the boats ended up with nothing to show for a day of trolling just like us. It was a great day to be out on the water though and we saw plenty of marine life on a flat calm and sun drenched ocean. Hopefully the fish are still around. Bluefin are notorious for being finicky at times and that may be all it was.

10-25-2023 It's not very often that we get to experience something totally new on a fishing trip. Today was just such a day. We crossed the Humboldt Bay Bar in the dark and slowly made our way out to the fishing grounds. Just as it started to get light the rain began. Then it got a little breezy. After about a 40 minute boat ride we were in position to set out the gear. This is not our normal tackle. This is big stuff made for big fish. We did not know what to expect but after a half hour of trolling one of the rods went off. We brought in the other rod and the fight was on. After a 45 minute heavyweight tug of war we saw our quarry. A big Bluefin tuna. We got it next to the boat and sunk a couple of gaffs into the fish. After letting it bleed out in the water we opened the tuna door and drug the monster in. Up until now the tuna door had only been used once to pull a half drowned homeless person into the boat. But that's another story. The rest of the day was pretty much sightseeing. We saw a pod of Killer Whales, Some dolphins rode our bow wake for a while. Lots of birds but no more tuna. We didn't have a scale big enough so we are guessing 125# to 150#. It was a first for the Reel Steel and hopefully not the last.

10-8-2023 What a great day to be out on the ocean. The water was flat calm and we had some really nice folks on the boat. As we made our way offshore we saw feeding salmon and a couple of Blue Sharks chasing bait. Once on the spot we dropped lines to the bottom as the gulls and some albatross watched. The fishing did not start out wide open as it sometimes does but built as the morning wore on. Eventually we had limits of Canary and Yellowtail rockfish with a couple of nice lings. This could be our last fishing trip of the season since October 15 is the last day of rockfish and the weather between now and then doesn't look that good for offshore fishing. Next, we will begin crabbing on November 9. See you then!

10-6-2023 We had another fantastic day fishing deep water for rockfish. These fish are big and mean. We had some monster Bocaccio to go with some huge Canary rockfish. Limits for everyone on a flat calm ocean. Other than the hard work of reeling big fish up from the deep it can't get too much better.

9-23-2024 What a difference a day can make. We had great weather and made a comfortable trip offshore for deep water rockfish. A friend of ours was already on the spot we were planning to fish and as we pulled up we saw him lift a fat rockfish over the side. Game on! Everyone dropped their line over the side and as soon as they hit bottom it was "FISH ON!". In less than two hours we had limits for all on board and were heading back in. The ocean was glass flat, perfect amount of current and biting fish. Who could ask for anything more? Well, how about some of Sherry's cookies back at the dock. It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

9-22-2023 With a forecast of 5-10 knots of South wind we figured we would be ok for an offshore trip for rockfish. Well, we made it out about three miles and decided that it was in everyone's interest to turn back. The wind was blowing pretty good and the water still had a lump on it from yesterday. We came in and dropped one guy off and made some live bait. We tried for California Halibut for an hour or so and just pulled the plug entirely. Bummer.

9-17-2023 We finally got out for our first tuna trip of the year. There did not seem to be too many fish around and we only got a few strikes and they were all singles. We heard there were some fish south of us (we went north yesterday). The wind is supposed to blow all week so we will see what happens when the weather settles down. The fish seemed to be in a late season mode. The fish down south were still biting clones so maybe there is still some season left.

9-16-2023 After a long break to attend the Pacific Fisheries Management Council meetings we were finally back on the water. We were hoping for big rockfish in the deep and they did not disappoint. It only took the gang a couple of hours to put limits on the boat. Canary, Yellowtail, Widow and Bocaccio all wanted to bite. Plenty of nice fillets for everyone.

9-3-2023 We took advantage of a very flat ocean to fish the deep water for rockfish again today. The fishing did not disappoint as everyone reeled in big rockfish and ling cod.

9-2-2023 The forecast wasn't great with some late morning south wind and a 70% chance of rain. We all decided to give it a look anyway and we were glad we did. The deep water rockfish were really biting. The wind was calm and the seas weren't too bad either. It was a really good group and they had a ball reeling in fish two at a time.

8-27-2023 We have had very calm seas for the last few days and it looks like those conditions may persist for a couple more days. Unfortunately everyone cancelled so we have not had a trip. Disappointing to miss such good conditions.

8-18-2023 Today we made our first try this year for California halibut in Humboldt Bay. The fishing was somewhat slow and we only landed one fish out of five bites. We had two nice young ladies on the boat plus Lonnie(who is neither young or a lady). They had a good time and bravely fought a Leopard shark and watched leaping Sturgeon as the Bay continuously changed moods throughout the day going from foggy to clear and calm to breezy and back again.

8-17-2023 The weather wasn't as nice as we would have liked but we worked through bumpy seas and a little rain for quick limits of big rockfish. We made a brief run to look for some warm water but tuna just weren't in the cards for us today. We did see some Killer Whales though.

8-16-2023 We fished the Lost Coast for rockfish today. The bite was not red hot but it was steady and we caught fish on practically every stop. The ocean was nice with the right amount of current which made the fishing easy. We had some nice Lings to go with the rockfish limits. The warm water is really pushing in so we hope to make a tuna run soon.

8-11-2023 We just received notice from California Fish and Wildlife that the nearshore rockfish season will close next Sunday the 20th at midnight. It looks like some ok weather mid week this week with light winds but 5-7 ft seas. Not flat but ok to fish. So beginning 8-21 we will be fishing deep water (300ft+) for rockfish or tuna(hopefully). The warm tuna water has been trying to move within our range but the wind keeps pushing it back. We just need a week of good weather and it should push right in. For now though, it remains a little too far out.

8-10-2023 We had a group of young people from Wyoming and Fortuna. They did a great job of fishing and caught their limits of rockfish in record time. The ocean was beautiful and so was the scenery when the fog lifted. It was another great day!

8-9-2023 We got back out today and made our way down to the Lost Coast for rockfish. For the first couple of hours we tried for Ling Cod but could only catch (and release ) giant Coppers. So we moved around some as the wind increased. It was still good fishing conditions and everything but the Lings were biting. We got some nice Vermilion and lots of Canary and Black and Blue rockfish. We did pick up a few Lings but we were hoping for more. Eventually the wind blew us closer to shore where we finished our limits on a red hot rockfish bite. We had a young man, 15 that did quite well for his first time on the boat. The "seasoned" fishermen did well also.

8-4-2023 It was a bittersweet day for the Reel Steel crew. The Pacific Halibut fishing was amazing again with limits of big fish before noon. The fish came a little slower than they had the last few days but the grade made up for it with the biggest over 70#. Sadly though, today is the end of halibut season for the year. It has been epic this year with plenty of big fish and early limits (usually). We are sad to see it end but are looking forward to tuna and rockfish.

8-3-2023 Wow! The halibut fishing was great again today. We had limits up to almost 50#. It was steady action all morning. The ocean was absolutely flat calm. We had a great group that would have had a good time even if the fishing was slow. Tomorrow is the last day of Pacific Halibut fishing and then it will be closed until May. No word on tuna yet but we will be watching that very closely.

8-2-2023 The good news is that the Pacific Halibut fishing continues to be RED HOT! The bad news is that the season ends the day after tomorrow. We had limits before 10 am.

7-31-2023 We managed to sneak one in today before the wind started to blow offshore. The halibut fishing was steady all morning with early limits again.

7-30-2023 Another great morning of fishing for Pacific Halibut. They were biting right off the bat and never really stopped. We had a couple of smalls, a couple of mediums and a couple of large size fish. We missed a few and lost a couple that apparently weren't hooked that good. All before 9:30.

7-29-2023 The red hot Pacific Halibut bite continued today. We had limits by 8:30 this morning. The fish were not real big but the action was great. There are some rockfish mixed in with the halibut so you never know what you might hook.

7-28-2023 The ocean came down a bit today and we were able to get out for some Pacific Halibut fishing. We tried one spot for a little while with no luck so we moved on to another spot that has produced in the past. The tide went slack and not much was happening but then suddenly the bite went wide open with fish being hooked all around the boat. It didn't take long before we had limits for all and were heading for the dock in time for lunch.

7-25-2023 We had a family from Wisconsin on the boat today. We fished for deep water rockfish and they caught limits of big Canary and Yellowtail rockfish plus a couple of Lings. It was still early and Mom wanted a halibut and since it was her birthday we gave halibut fishing a shot. There was a fair amount of Hake and Black cod biting and it was hard to keep the hooks baited. Eventually though, it was time to head for home. I dumped out the last of the bait and that was when Mom hooked up her birthday halibut. Talk about last minute. Anyway, it was a nice 20# fish. I think they had a day of good family memories.

7-24-2023 The halibut fishing was not as good as we had hoped although we did catch a couple of medium size fish. We had a lot of trouble with big Canary rockfish but fortunately we can keep them so they went into the fish box. The ocean was beautiful and there was plenty of wildlife to watch while we fished. We had a couple of Blue whales hanging around for a while. A big sea lion paid us a visit later but didn't cause any problems for us. The fog rolled in late but it was sunny and warm at the Marina.

7-23-2023 We had a real nice group on the boat for our fishing trip today. The ocean started out a little bumpy but got nicer as the day progressed. The halibut started pretty slow for us so we ran for some bottom fish. It turned out to be a good decision since we picked up some dandy rock fish and Ling Cod. A new angler got their first halibut too, a nice 40# fish that was shared with the other anglers.

7-20-2023 It's been a while since we have been out and it showed today. We ran out on a nice ocean to where we have been catching some good size halibut. As it turned out we caught just about everything but a halibut. We had wonderful guests on board who were gracious even though the fishing wasn't what any of us expected. So all I can say is "better days are coming".

7-13-2023 We had a fantastic morning out on the halibut grounds. The ocean was glass flat without a breath of wind. Other than a little fog it was perfect weather. The fishing was not red hot at first but a little after the tide change the fish started to bite and it wasn't long before we had limits from 15# to 50+. The fish were feisty and it took some serious effort to get each one to the boat. We were back to the dock by one o'clock.

7-12-2023 We made a trip down to the Lost Coast for rockfish. The weather was ok but not great. We started inside where the fish were really tearing it up. Then we went looking around for some variety. We caught one real nice ling cod and lost a couple of others but they weren't that hungry today. We had limits of nice rockfish though so everyone went home with a big bag of fillets.

7-11-2023 Conditions really flipped on us from yesterday. It was breezy and bouncy and the fish were uncooperative. We had plenty of miscellaneous action but only one halibut where they were plentiful before. Eventually, the decision was made to head for home. But as were slogging our way back we got a call that conditions were better and some fish were biting where we fished last week. We headed over that way and it was so much nicer. We managed to pick up a few more halibut there before it was time to go home.

7-10-2023 The halibut fishing was as good as it can get this morning. In less than an hour and a half we had limits and were on our way in. No big ones today although we had a good one bust a leader. It was a little breezy but otherwise the ocean was very nice. Fishing is a lot of fun on days like this.

7-9-2023 We had a flat calm and mostly sunny day for our halibut trip today. We got set up in our spot first thing and waited for a bite. And then we waited some more..... Eventually a couple of friends sent messages that they were catching like crazy about 5 miles from us. I was getting the skinny from one of them when we had a rod go off. It was a little halibut but the bite had started. But of course, the grass is always greener so we left to go to the new "hot spot". We set up there and began fishing and of course, the fish had quit biting right before we got there. ( I'm sure there is a lesson here) After what seemed like a long time we caught another small halibut. But then one rod doubled over on a big fish. We got it to the boat but it had tangled with another line. We lifted the big fish into the boat and went about untangling the other rod. Which as it turned out also had a fish on it. We got that fish in the boat just as another rod went off. Three fish in about 15 minutes to cap off our limits.

7-8-2023 It was a very pleasant morning out on the halibut grounds. The fishing started off a little slow but then we started to put some fish in the boat. There were some small ones, some medium ones and a fairly large fish in the 50# range. When it was all said and done we had halibut limits before 11 am.

7-7-2023 Some days it pays to grind it out. This morning we only had one small halibut in the box. We had a good one pumping but the angler was in the bathroom and by the time he finished his business and made it out on deck the fish was gone. We had plenty of action on Black Cod, Hake, Sand Dabs etc. but no more halibut action. By 1pm with still only one (very) small halibut in the box we decided to try somewhere else. It was the right move. The action picked up right away and we were able to put limits on the boat. All of the halibut were small except for one fat 42# fish. It was a good gang that maintained a positive attitude all day.

7-5-2023 Today we had the honor of taking a group of veterans fishing for rockfish. The forecast wasn't very good but we gave it a try and we were glad we did. It wasn't flat calm but the ocean got pretty nice. The rockfish were ravenous but we couldn't get the Ling Cod to bite. Everyone caught fish and each of them went home with a nice bag of fillets.

7-1-2023 Well, we are still tied to the dock waiting for good weather to return. The weather and the forecast have not aligned too well so we missed a couple of days that we could have fished. Very frustrating. We try to watch out for our customers and we won't go if it might not be comfortable for them.

6-29-2023 I finally returned from a week of fisheries management meetings in Vancouver. The weather and the forecast have not aligned too well so we missed a couple of days that we could have fished. Very frustrating. We try to watch out for our customers and we won't go if it might not be comfortable for them.

The forecast for today was not very good but we had some folks that really wanted to go and were willing to give it a try. The ocean was not too bad and never really got as rough as predicted. There were a lot of unwanted fish biting and we released lots of skates, hake, sharks and black cod. Eventually we caught a nice halibut but by 1pm it was the only thing in the box. Then the fish started biting and by 1:30 we were done with limits and heading in. The grade was mixed with a couple of smaller fish and a couple of pretty nice ones. We even had a double with a big canary rockfish on one hook and a halibut on the other hook.

6-19-2023 The weather finally settled down enough for us to get out again. The goal was rockfish and we had a great day with plenty of fish. It wasn't lights out but then again, we're pretty spoiled up here. After getting limits of
big rockfish we bounced around for a while looking for Ling Cod. We lost one big one when it ran all of the way to the bottom but spit the bait when it was just about back to the surface. We caught some more including one large green ling. We'll be shut down for a few days as I travel to Vancouver for Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings.

6-10-2023 Yesterday the story was big fish. Today's story was the weather. It was a pretty bouncy Bar crossing and it was choppy and breezy all of the way out to the Halibut grounds. We were jostled around quite a bit for the first couple of hours and then it laid down and was downright beautiful. Like yesterday, the fish didn't start biting for us until after noon. But then it was a steady bite. We missed a couple but managed to land our limits just as the wind began to ramp up. It looks like windy weather will keep us off of the ocean for the next few days.

6-9-2023 Sometimes being patient means waiting for something that never happens. Other times patience can pay off in a big way. Today it paid off in a big way. We fished all morning with nothing but a few junk fish bites and a double hookup on skates. Yuck. By noon we were relegating ourselves to the fact that maybe we weren't going to catch a halibut today. But right around 1pm we hooked up. Finally! And it was a heavy pumper. We got it in the boat and it was a fat 50#er. In the next 45 minutes our gang landed 4 more halibut for limits with the biggest tipping the Englund Marine scale at 84#. The gang today is a wonderful young family and everyone reeled in their own fish. Mom had big fish honors which entitled her to the choice for dinner. A bet that was made long before the first fish was caught. So patience paid off today.

6-8-2023 The ocean was flat calm all day today. We ran down to the Lost Coast for some rockfish. The bite was a little on the slow side but we caught plenty of fish. The variety was amazing. We caught Ling Cod, Black. Blue, Copper, Quillback, Yellowtail, China, Kelp Greenling, Tiger, Rosy, Yelloweye, Yellowtail and an Octopus. We released a lot too.

6-7-2023 We had an interesting morning on the halibut grounds. The ocean was glassy calm and conditions looked perfect. We dropped lines in and waited. We had one bite in the first hour and a half and that fish didn't stick. Maybe they were waiting for the tide change. Then we hooked up to a decent fish. We just put it in the box and another rod bent over double. And then another rod bent over. Double hookup! These fish were a nice grade and they had a mean streak and peeled line with heavy head shakes. We were busy for the next 20 minutes with fish and then we were limited out and ready to head for the dock.

5-30-2023 With yesterday's success on our minds we made our way out to the halibut grounds for a repeat. It was obvious as soon as we got there that things had changed. We still had trouble with bait stealers but today they were mostly Hake and not Black Cod. We fished through the tide without a single halibut bite. There was a little more breeze on the water but otherwise seas conditions were similar to yesterday. Eventually, we surrendered and gave credit to the halibut for being able to keep their mouths shut. We'll get them next time. For now, it looks like rough ocean conditions will keep us off of the water for the next few days.

5-29-2023 The forecast wasn't great but we decided to try anyway. It was lumpy but not much wind just like the forecast said. The first hour we had two light bites but neither one stuck. There were some small Black Cod and Spiny Dogfish that were chewing our baits and generally making our lives difficult. Then we caught a small halibut and we boxed it. (Never throw back your first fish) Then we caught another slightly larger halibut and we kept it. Then a young lady on the boat tied into a real nice one that was pulling line and was pretty heavy. She got it up and it went a little over 40#. Then we caught another small halibut which was gently released and right after that we hooked another nice fish that went into the box for limits before 8:30.

5-26-2023 We were back on the water today, finally. We left the dock at 9am (planned) because one of the gang didn't get off work until 8. We ran out to the halibut grounds and put our lines in at 10am. We had one bite right off the bat
that let go and then a little lull before we got one to stick. The Black Cod continue to give us problems. Then we caught another one before another short lull at the tide change. Then it was bang bang and we were done before noon with limits for our four anglers. The bouncy ocean didn't agree with three of the four but they toughed it out until we were done. We bounced our way back to the dock where everyone enjoyed some fresh cookies.

5-20-2023 It looks like blustery springtime weather is upon us. With all of this wind we will be off of the water for a few days (at least). With the excellent fishing we have been enjoying we are anxious to get back to fishing. Stay tuned.

5-19-2023 It was breezy on the halibut grounds but that didn't bother our intrepid group of anglers today. Everyone had a gre