The salmon season started out slow and ended with a bang for Monterey Bay anglers.
The season closed Sunday, Sept. 18, while fish were still being caught.
There is more closure news: The Sonoma Coast is closed for the take of red abalone after a red tide caused a die-off that ended the season.
However, salmon in the rivers, along with white sea bass and albacore in the ocean, are still the target species to be caught.
“The salmon bite was hot, with a quantity-over-quality fishery,” reported Capt. Joe Stoops of Chartle Charters aboard the Taylor Gene. “We are sad to see the season close.”
Stoops explained that while the salmon were not huge, they were plentiful.
It was a great bite even up to the end of the season, and both mooching and trolling were effective for limits of salmon.
The release of Chinooks from the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project had to help, as many of these local Chinook salmon were fin-clipped hatchery fish. As the season closed, many king salmon had been seen, and even caught, by shore anglers in the Santa Cruz Harbor!
Now that the season is closed, Stoops will be chasing local white sea bass in the bay.
The season will remain open for salmon from Point Arena to Pigeon Point until Oct. 30.
On a somber note, red abalone season came to a sudden halt after a massive die-off of abalone occurred. A red tide and depleted oxygen levels in the tidal area of the Sonoma Coast caused the abalone and many inshore invertebrates to die. It was a unanimous decision for the Sonoma advisory commission to close the season in that area. People are advised not to eat abalone from that area. More information can be acquired by visiting www.dfg.ca.gov.
Dinner, raffle on tap
There is exciting news for all parties interested in saving our fish and local fisheries. Golden Gate Salmon Association will host a dinner and raffle Oct. 14, a Friday, at the Portuguese Hall near Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz.
The Golden Gate Salmon Association is made up of fishermen and environmentalists working together on behalf of the Central Valley salmon to protect its habitat, help with its revival and recovery and provide for its long-term sustainability as a recreational, commercial and cultural resource.
The dinner will have an extensive raffle, a full bar, great food and good company, all in an effort to support our salmon fishery. For tickets to the event, e-mail me at [email protected].
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at [email protected]. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays April through September.
