Halibut Go On The Bite From Alameda To Paradise Bay   By: Dan Bacher May 15, 2008 More Articles by Dan

The California halibut (Paralichthys californicus), known for their stubborn fights and excellent table fare, is one of the most exciting fish species that anglers pursue on San Francisco Bay. With the unprecedented salmon closure this year along the California and Oregon cost, you can expect a lot of company on the water by anglers that normally fish for salmon as they refocus on halibut, at least until rockfish season in the DFG’s north central zone opens on June 1.

California halibut range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California, to the Quillayute River, British Columbia. Though the fish are found along the northern and central California coast, the top two areas for them are San Francisco and Monterey bays. The San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, the largest estuary on the West Coast, is one of the most significant spawning grounds and nurseries for the halibut in their range.

Though halibut can be found in the bay year round, anglers pursue them generally from April to October. The fishing is best in the spring, when the fish move into the bay to spawn, and early summer.

The fish spawn in relatively shallow water from April through July. Males first mature when 2 or 3 years of age, but females do not mature until 4 or 5, according to the Department of Fish and Game. A 5 year old fish may be anywhere from 11 to 17 inches long, according to the DFG.

The largest California halibut documented have come from southern California waters. Roger W. Borrell set the state California halibut record for hook and line when he caught a 58 lb 9 oz fish at Santa Rosa Island on Jun. 26, 1999. William Skwarlo set the sport diving record for the species when he captured a 72 lb. 8 oz. fish off Santa Cruz Island in Aug. 1982.

However, large fish in the 30 to 40 lb. class come from the San Francisco Bay Area every year. The heftiest fish caught locally usually come from the deep water around Angel Island, Alcatraz and Treasure Island or outside of the Golden Gate at Seal Rock and along the Marin County coast.

The halibut show throughout the bay from its southern tip to San Pablo Bay, but the most popular area is the central section from Alameda to Paradise Bay. Every year, the fish begin showing in good numbers in the south bay first, where the water is warmest, followed by the central bay.

This year, probably due to the lack of fresh water inflows into the bay, the halibut appeared in the bay in early March. Private boaters and pier fishermen started catching them while trolling anchovies and herring in the Oyster Point and Alameda Rockwall areas. By early April, charter boats out of Berkeley and Emeryville were already catching big numbers of halibut while trolling anchovies behind dodgers in the Berkeley Flats, Paradise Cay and Alameda Rockwall areas.

“Halibut fishing has been excellent so far this season,” said James Smith, captain of the California Dawn berthed at the Berkeley Marina. “The fishing is the best that I’ve seen in the last five years, probably due to the good spawns that the halibut had during recent wet years. We averaged a fish per or rod or better on our halibut trolling trips this spring.”

The halibut fishing has had its ups and downs over the years, but the restrictions on halibut trawling outside of the Golden Gate initiated in January 1993 through legislation authored by Senator Henry Mello and United Anglers of California have resulted in the good to excellent fishing we have seen most years since then. The change in sport halibut limits from five to three fish in 1996 have also helped boost fish populations.

I made a trip aboard the California Dawn on the boat’s second-to-last halibut trolling trip of the season on Friday, April 19, a day that yielded 13 halibut and 1 striper for the 12 anglers. After Captain Smith drove the boat out of the Berkeley Marina, we were fishing soon off the Alameda Rockwall, a prime location for early season halibut.

For the next several hours we trolled with anchovies behind Sep’s # 9 silver and gold dodgers with green, red and gold tape in various combinations. The anchovy is rigged up with a two hook rig, with one hook through the mouth and a treble hook through the tail, on a 2 foot leader is of 50 lb. test monofilament. Above the dodger is attached anywhere from six ounces to 2 pounds of weight.

“Check your baits often because there is a lot seaweed and grass in the water,” advised Smith.

The bite started out quickly on the incoming tide when within the first 10 minutes Dan Chandler of Fremont hooked a keeper halibut about 10 lbs. Chandler managed to not only catch the first fish, but the largest fish of the day and the most, with 3 halibut to the boat!

After anglers put 7 halibut into the boat at this spot, the tide slowed down along with the fishing and Smith went to the Berkeley Flats, where the wind made fishing very tough.

Smith finished the day at Paradise Cay, within sight of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, where anglers experienced the second bite of the day, landing another 6 halibut and 1 stripers. In addition, anglers released numerous shaker halibut.

Successful anglers include Mark Bockcom of Sacramento, who landed two keeper halibut, and Brian Martinez of Pleasanton, who nailed two halibut also. Jim Vezo of Vallejo nailed two halibut and a striped bass, while Jerome Camp of Twain, CA. bagged two keeper “flatties.”

Other anglers bringing tasty halibut fillets home included Rodney Rodriguez of Sanger, Bruce Morgan of Richmond and Grant Schumman of Berkeley. The halibut ranged from 4 to 10 pounds.

One great aspect to fishing aboard the California Dawn is the great food that Bob Houston and his wife, Tawny, cook up in the gallery. Not only are the breakfast burritos fantastic, but the two make some of the best hamburgers and chicken sandwiches found anywhere!

Fishing was tough on Smith’s trolling adventure the following day, when high winds beat the water to a froth. The 14 anglers aboard the boat landed 5 bass and 5 halibut while fishing Paradise Cay and the Berkeley Flats.

However, the score jumped up on Sunday, when the California Dawn and other boats out of the Berkeley Marina made their first live bait trips of the year after live bait became available at the harbor’s bait received.

The 18 anglers on the boat caught 26 halibut to 25 pounds and 3 stripers. Kashimieer Singh of Sacramento bagged the jackpot 25 lb. halibut while drifting a live anchovy at Paradise Cay.

One of the great joys of live bait fishing is that you never know what you’re going to catch, particularly after the rockfish season opens on June 1. While fishing the rocky reefs in the central bay, you may catch a halibut, a lingcod, striper or even a leopard or sevengill shark.

When the boats move outside the Golden Gate and fish the Marin Coast, you have the chance to catch a limit of rockfish, as well as halibut, striped bass, lingcod, sharks and other species. The summer is the time when this “potluck” or “freelance” fishing reaches its peak. Some trips have even produced white seabass, a fish more normally associated with warmer waters in southern California and Baja California.

For more information about booking a trip aboard the California Dawn, call (510) 773-5511.

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