By: The Fish Sniffer Staff December 6, 2004 Last Issue Deborah, Wanted to share a photo of my Halibut, caught drifting the beach, just outside the Golden Gate, on Labor Day... Spiderwire line - 20 Lb test leader - 2/0 circle hook - live anchovies. Karen Nixon

MORRO BAY
After a week of solid fishing for big albacore, high winds prevented the boats from getting out most days the following week.

"We were only able to fish two days on the week of November 21 through November 27," said June Davis of Virg's Landing. "Our 50 passengers caught 12 albacore weighing 22 to 33 pounds."

Big fish honors go to Dave Morgan of Tujunga, who nailed a 33 pound albacore aboard the Admiral. Dale Bunting of Cambria bagged a 22 pound albacore on the Admiral also.

During the previous week, 167 passengers landed 193 albacore, 13 bluefin, 1 skipjack and 51 bonita. Anglers nailed most of the fish on live bait, a mixture of sardines and anchovies.

"Anglers hooked the fish using 2/0 and 3/0 hooks, 1, 2 and 3 ounce sinkers and 30 to 40 pound test line," explained Davis. "They used 3/0 and 4/0 reels for live bait fishing and 6/0 reels with 60 to 80 pound test line for trolling."

Rommie Lewis of Frazier Park topped that week's caches with a 43 pound albacore taken aboard the Admiral. James Cassidy of L.A.bagged the second largest fish, a 40 pound albacore, also on the Admiral.

Meanwhile, rockfish season will remain open through December 31. This week's 113 daily rockcod passengers caught 350 red rockcod, 737 assorted rockfish, 20 ocean whitefish, 22 bocaccio and 1 cabezon. Alex Domas of Newport Beach landed the week's biggest rockcod, a 9 pound red.

MONTEREY
The charter boat fleet is targeting local beaches for crab and sanddab combos on Monterey Bay and experiencing great results.

"Our trips are averaging 4 to 5 Dungeness crab per angler, plus a load of sanddabs," reported Todd Arcoleo of Chris' Fishing Trips. "We are fishing about 30 minutes from the harbor at the Soldier's Club and other local beaches in Monterey Bay."

According to Arcoleo, Monterey anglers are using strips of squid to entice the sanddabs. "We're catching an occasional 5-6 pound petrale sole, but we haven't taken any halibut lately," he said.

Chris' is running trips once a day on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Anglers fishing out of Randy's Fishing Trips hit a bit of rough weather that deterred the boats from finishing off the crab and sanddab combos over the November 27-28 weekend.

"The Chubasco ran a charter with 12 passengers and reported good catches of sanddabs before the weather turned bad," noted Pete Bruno at Randy's. "The Sur Randy picked up 33 Dungeness crab for 6 anglers before they had to turn back because of rough water conditions."

The two groups fished from the outside of Lovers Point towards the Monterey Canyon in up to 220 feet of water. The sanddabs were taken on shrimp fly rigs baited with strips of squid.

Randy's is running sanddab and crab trips once a day on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

SANTA CRUZ
Surf fishing off the Monterey Bay beaches is your top angling option, since the Santa Cruz Municipal Yacht Harbor boat ramp is closed due to construction work. It is not expected to reopen until next spring.

On the calm days, anglers are nailing perch off the beaches from Seventh Avenue to Manresa Beach, advised Mike Levesque at Shamrock Charters. The barred and walleye perch are falling for Carolina-rigged motor oil grubs. The fish range from 1/2 to 2 pounds.

Anglers who have boats berthed in the harbor are finding decent action on sanddabs and Dungeness crabs in the bay, according to Levesque.

To launch a private boat 18 feet or under, you can use the hoist launch at Santa Cruz Boat Rentals or Capitola Bait in the meantime. Others will have to launch their boats at Moss Landing or Monterey.

"Surf fishermen using motor oil and gold grubs off the beach near the Capitola Wharf are bagging barred perch," reported Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait. "Anglers are also catching and releasing some steelhead to 4 pounds."

One local, Gary, reported hooking and releasing a coho salmon while using a Krocodile off the beach. On the previous day, he reported catching and releasing 3 striped bass in the 4 to 8 pound range.

"A few boats went looking for albacore on November 26 about 30 miles out of Santa Cruz," said Todd Fraser of Bayside Marine. "There was one report of jumpers and warm water, but I only heard of one fish, a 25 pound bluefin, caught at 36'27/122'11."

HALF MOON BAY
Dungeness crab and sanddabs are the main quarry for Half Moon Bay anglers. Anglers are targeting deep water off Montara State Beach, Pacifica and Pedro Point for limits of tasty crab. However, boaters setting down crab pots closer in-shore are having a bit tougher time filling up the crab pot, since the Dungeness have moved into deeper water.

Also, local beaches are prime spots for boaters to pick up a load of palm-sized sanddabs. According to Bill Beckett at Huck Finn Sportfishing, anglers are averaging 40-60 dabs each. "Most people have been using shrimp fly rigs with strips of squid for the flatfish," he added.

Anglers should expect the surfperch fishing to also pick up off the San Mateo County beaches. Fish motor oil plastic grubs or pileworms for the perch at Thornton, Rockaway, Linda Mar and the Half Moon Bay State Beaches.

SAN RAFAEL
In spite of very windy weather on the weekend of November 27-28, anglers nailed good numbers of striped bass on San Pablo Bay.

"The fishing was better on Saturday, when it was rainy and windy, than on Friday, when it was calm," observed Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Live Bait and Tackle. "The striped bass fishing is just terrific."

Anglers found the best action while fishing grass and ghost shrimp and bullheads on the anchor in the "Sturgeon Triangle," bounded by China Camp, the Pumphouse and Buoy #5. However, drifting live shiners and trolling are also productive, according to Fraser.

The Predator returned with 9 bass to 20 pounds for 6 anglers on Saturday, November 7. They fooled the fish while anchor fishing at the Pumphouse, said Fraser.

Shore anglers are also getting into the action. Tony Duong of Santa Rosa landed two striped bass weighing 5 and 17 pounds while fishing bullheads at China Camp on November 27.

Fraser noted that sturgeon experts Abe and Angelo Cuanang and their fishing partner caught and released 13 keeper stripers to 15 pounds, though no keeper sturgeon., during a recent bait fishing venture on San Pablo Bay.

EMERYVILLE
Dungeness crab and sanddab combos outside the Golden Gate are providing Emeryville anglers with full limits and light tackle fun.

"We'll continue to run crab and sanddab trips until the New Year," stated Craig Stone at Emeryville Marina Sportfishing. "Our trips depart on demand and run 15 to 20 miles outside the Golden Gate, fishing both below and inside the islands."

According to Stone, trips are averaging 900 to 1300 sanddabs, plus full limits of Dungeness crab. "Anglers are catching the 'dabs while using both Sabiki Rigs and strips of squid," he added.

Surfperch fishing should improve along the East Bay shoreline in the coming weeks. Fish plastic grubs, pileworms or shrimp for the light tackle scrappers.

BERKELEY
Boats from the Berkeley Marina had to cancel their crab and sanddab combo adventures on the weekend of November 27-28, but the fishing has been good on the fishable days.

"The wind blew this weekend and we had to cancel our crab and sanddab trips outside of the Golden Gate," said Chris Nelson of Berkeley Marina Sports Center. "However, on Friday, November 26, the New Goldeneye fished just south of the Farallon Islands for 240 Dungeness crab (limits for 40 anglers) and 1360 sanddabs (over 30 each)."

If sanddab and crab fishing is not your style, the sports center is also running sturgeon and leopard shark trips on the bay. For example, a recent trip to San Pablo Bay by Captain Chris Duba of Silver Fox Sportfishing produced a 67 inch, 65 pound keeper sturgeon. The fish fell for ghost shrimp.

"The New Easy Rider also made it out to the North Bay, but they didn't catch any sturgeon," Nelso said. "However, they did boat three leopard sharks to 35 pounds while fishing pile worms, shrimp and roe near China Camp."

CROCKETT-MARTINEZ
Striped bass are on a great bite in Suisun and San Pablo bays.

Captain Jim Smith of Mr. Bass Sportfishing has experienced excellent fishing at the Sisters and in Carquinez Strait for striped bass running 10-15 pounds. With the aid of Captain/crewmember Chris Smith, the two are coming back with 1 to 2 fish per rod for their passengers.

For example, on a November 26 fishing trip to the channel above the Sisters, 17 passengers boated three halibut and 21 striped bass. On the following day, 21 anglers bagged 26 bass running 11-12 pounds and three quality halibut. While fishing in Carquinez Straight and again above the Sisters, Jim and Chris finished the weekend off by landing one leopard shark in San Pablo Bay and full limits of striped bass to 15 pounds for 11 anglers. The Smiths used a combination of live bait and bullheads to entice the bass.

Captain Gordie Hough of the Morning Star ran into a burst of action in San Pablo Bay while fishing between the Pumphouse and Buoy 5 on Friday, November 26. "The group boated eleven 4 to 5 pound stripers, two leopard sharks over 45 inches and a 66 inch sturgeon," he noted.

Along with all the keepers put in the box, the group also had fun catching and releasing bat rays and skates.

POINT SAN PABLO
The striped bass bite is still going strong in San Pablo Bay for anglers drifting live bait and anchor fishing with mudsuckers and shrimp baits.

For example, Captain Frank Miller of Fury Sportfishing ran a charter for 14 people to fish live bait in the North Bay and the group boated a total of 18 striped bass to 5 pounds. "We fished just above the Sisters for the bass," he added.

Miller finished up the November 27-28 weekend with a group charter for sevengill cow sharks at Yellow Bluff.

"We have a 40 pound cow shark in the box and we have about an hour left to fish," said Miller. "The shark was taken on squid in 150 feet of water."

BODEGA BAY/SONOMA COAST
High winds kept the charter and private boats off the water on the weekend of November 26-27, but the crab fishing has been excellent off the Sonoma County coast when the boats are able to get out.

"The fishing for both Dungeness and rock crabs has been good in Tomales Bay and off our dock," said Jean Burbank at Lawson's Landing. Fishing for perch and sharks is slow in the bay.

"A series of minus tides are coming up from December 8 to 11, but I don't expect many clammers to try digging because the tides are late in the afternoon," said Burbank. "The low tide is 2:20 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., depending upon the day."

The Sandy Ann has returned with full limits of crab every day on both its morning and afternoon trips. The trips leave at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m The bag limit is 10 crab per person for private boats and 6 crab per person for charter boats, according to Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportfishing.

FORT BRAGG
Fort Bragg charter boats braved windy weather on the opening day of North Coast crab season to catch limits of juicy Dungeness crabs.

"We caught 24 limits on our morning trip and 14 limits on our afternoon trip," said Randy Thornton of Telstar Charters. "It was blowing 35 knots when we left the harbor and the wind kept up the whole day."

However, the hardy anglers had no problem filling their limits. They put their pots in off 10 Mile Beach, 7 miles north of Fort Bragg, in 50 to 90 feet of water.

"The afternoon trip was best - we left at 1:30 p.m. and arrived back in the harbor at 4:15 p.m. with our limits," noted Thornton. "Out of the 38 people on both trips, only 3 were sick."

"The crabs taste better when they're caught in rough water," Thornton quipped.

A private boater reported catching lots of sanddabs off the Whistle Buoy on Friday, November 26, according to Thornton. He fooled the fish with squid in 150 feet of water.

Thornton, an experienced abalone diver, also reported getting his limit on four dives off Russian Gulch over the past month. Abalone season closed on November 30.

Rick Thornton of Anchor Charters cancelled his crab trips on the opening weekend because of rough weather, but will be available for crab trips throughout the season.