|
|
Send This Page to a Friend!
Since the rockfish season opened on January 1, anglers fishing on Captain
Rick Powers' "Lingcod Specials" aboard the New Sea Angler have boated a
surprising number of big lingcod, along with limits of rockfish, on the
fishable days.
"For about one week straight, Powers has been fishing down south off Point
Reyes for school rockfish and lingcod weighing up to 26 pounds," stated
Jason Herum at Bodega Bay Sportfishing. "Powers found a shelf between 60 and
180 feet deep that is producing some huge lingcod and vermillion,
yellowtail, blue and black rockfish."
Powers has also been fishing up north around Fort Ross off the mouth of the
Russian River and near Salt Point in water ranging from 60 to 120 feet,
according to Herum.
"The reason Powers has focused his attention down south is that the water
north of the harbor tends to be more murky because of the fresh water that
pours out of the Russian River after it rains," said Herum. "Also, he
decided he would get all the fishing time possible in deeper water areas,
now that we can fish for rockfish and lingcod in water up to 180 feet deep."
|
||
|
Along with the murky water conditions, big ground swells and high winds are a lethal combination that also slows bottom fishing. Although the Point Reyes area has some freshwater inflows from Tomales Bay, the water is usually cleaner than north of Bodega Bay off the Sonoma County coast. "As the weather continues to clear up into spring, the lingcod and rockfish bite will only get better and then we'll start getting more angling interest," said Herum. "Since fishing pressure is currently light, with passenger loads averaging 10 to 15 people per day, this is the best time to come out and beat the crowds while catching limits of both quality rockfish and huge lingcod." While most of the California coast is running crab/rockcod combo trips on weekdays, Bodega anglers are targeting lingcod and school rockfish on the weekdays. The crab/rockfish combo trips are only running on Saturday and Sunday aboard the Pro Fish'nt. "It's a little late in the crab season to be running combo trips every day. We're in the normal slow period of the year when we start averaging 3/4 limits of crab," noted Herum. Bodega Bay crab pots are being placed off Duncans Landing to fill up with tender dungeness crab for weekend fishermen. Anglers can go on Lingcod Specials aboard the New Sea Angler with Captain Powers on Monday and Friday mornings. During the most recent light tackle trip to Point Reyes, Rick and 13 passengers boated full limits of assorted rockfish and 13 limits of lingcod to 26 pounds. "Most of the lingcod we caught that day weighed 10 to 12 pounds, with several 17 pounders and one huge 26 pound lingcod taken," he said. Meanwhile, the sacks of school rockfish brought home weighed 30 to 40 pounds, with some days yielding bag limits of 50 to 60 pounds. "A lot of 7 to 8 pound vermillion rockcod were taken, as well as red, blue and black rockfish averaging 4 to 5 pounds," explained Herum. "The most consistent lure used during the trip was an 8-10 ounce Hex Bar, followed by shrimp flies, jig heads and small scampi tails," he added. To schedule a rockcod/lingcod or Lingcod Special with Captain Rick Powers out of Bodega Bay Sportfishing, contact the shop at 707-875-3344. For other boats booking rockfish and lingcod trips along the northern and Central California coast, click here OR here. |
|
Copyright © 1997 - 2003 The Fish Sniffer. All rights reserved. |