The recreational salmon season will open on the California Coast from Point Arena to the Mexican border on April 7, drawing anglers from throughout the state to fish for the prized chinook salmon out of harbors from Bodega Bay to Morro Bay. The season will last through November 11 in the section from Point Arena to Pigeon Point and through October 7 below Pigeon Point.

The relative ease by which the season was approved by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) in its March meeting in Sacramento is in contrast to the contentious season last year. In 2006, it took an alliance of recreational anglers, commercial fishermen and Indian Tribes to pressure the federal government to allow any recreational or commercial season at all, due to a proposal from the White House to close all recreational and commercial salmon fishing, supposedly in order to “protect” Klamath River chinooks.

The seasons are based on a number of factors, including the health of specific salmon stocks. Last year’s constraining factor was the low number of chinooks forecasted to return to the Klamath River. This year the DFG forecasts a Klamath River ocean abundance of 515,400 fish age three fish.

The Central Valley (Sacramento) ocean abundance estimate is only 499,920 king salmon, less than a third of the record abundance of 1.7 million fish that was predicted (but never materialized) in 2005.

However, that’s over a million fish predicted out in the ocean along the California coast this year, noted Roger Thomas, a member of the PFMC whose nine-year term ends in August.

Thomas believes that the current indicators point to a much better season than last year, where all ports except Bodega Bay reported slow action throughout the season.

“The indicators we are seeing on the ocean this winter point to a great salmon season,” said Thomas. “While whale watching, skippers have observed a lot of bait. The water color is good for salmon, while the water temperatures of 52 to 54 degrees are good for the chinooks.”

One of the most positive things is that the current is running downhill. During the previous two years, anglers were faced with a southerly current that warms up the water.

“This downhill current, combined with northwest wind, should produce good upwelling,” said Thomas. “The upwelling stirs up the nutrients that sustain plankton. The krill, one of the main sources of food for the salmon, feed upon the plankton.”

Other factors indicating a potentially great season are reports of salmon hitting jigs that anglers are fishing for sanddabs and mackerel in Monterey Bay. In addition, some purse seiners fishing for anchovies along the San Francisco Bay Area coast have reported releasing salmon.

“Commercial crabbers fishing off Pigeon Point have reported that the water conditions look good for salmon,” added Thomas. “Rick Powers, captain of the New Sea Angler, has also reported fantastic water conditions off Point Reyes.”

Anglers will be both trolling and mooching out of Monterey and Santa Cruz on the opening weekend. Most of the anglers from other ports, including Bodega Bay, San Francisco, Berkley, Emeryville, Sausalito, Half Moon Bay and Morro Bay, will be trolling anchovies and an array of lures.

When Thomas finishes his nine-year-term this August, he will have served a total of 13-1/2 years on the PFMC and the balance of the time on the Salmon Advisory Subpanel of the Council. Thomas joined the sub panel when it began in 1977 and will continue to attend Council meetings. He has also been on the Council’s Coastal Pelagic Fisheries Advisory Panel for 16 years.

Thomas has played a leadership role in a wide array of fishery restoration efforts, including lobbying in Washington for the passage of the Central valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) in 1992. He is known for his ability to work with a wide variety of people including recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, Indian Tribes, government agency folks and environmental activists.

Whenever I have a question about upcoming fishing seasons and the PFMC process for articles I am writing, Thomas has been invaluable to me. California anglers owe a huge amount of gratitude for Thomas for fighting for the restoration of our fisheries and for our right to fish along the California coast. I personally will greatly miss having Thomas on the council!