Salmon counts fueled some high expectations and liberal seasons were set for commercial and sport fishing, and so far, plenty of fish are hitting the docks. During all this excitement, we may ask, are there as many salmon as expected?
Salmon catches are up along the coast, and as the fish enter the rivers, fisherman will also target them there. The goal for salmon may include a proper management for the fish with adequate escapement for future stocks.
Monterey Bay has had a great spring and summer run of salmon, but it has been eclipsed by even greater salmon fishing to the north.
Bodega Bay has had fantastic fishing with great numbers of fish. Fishermen are catching limits of fish the majority of the time.
The best spot this season has been Eureka, where limits have been caught by close to every boat every day of the season.
This has truly been the best salmon fishing in recent history for Eureka anglers. Many days, limits of two salmon per person are caught in an hour of fishing with as many as seven anglers on a boat.
The fish in these areas are a combination of Klamath and Sacramento river fish.
From my simple fisherman’s prospective, the counts look great and the fishery looks strong.
But Michael O’Farrell, a research fish biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, cautioned against hasty conclusions.
“In general, it is too early to qualify the salmon season or salmon runs as a success,” O’Farrell said.
Fall Chinook will begin to return to their natal rivers in substantial numbers in August, but estimates of the total number of spawning salmon in the various river systems won’t be available until January or February.
It takes until then because the entire spawning run is monitored, from beginning to end, and some time is needed for analysis and development of spawning estimates.
Some of the Chinook salmon runs in California have conservation objectives, which are usually specified as a minimum number of fish that are expected to return to the river and spawn. One measure of success is when a salmon run (e.g., Sacramento River fall Chinook, Klamath River fall Chinook) meets or exceeds its conservation objective.
We will be able to evaluate whether conservation objectives are met in January and February.
O’Farrell also added, “With regard to fisheries, it seems that success would be better described by fishermen, buyers, tackle shop owners, and others involved in the fishery up and down the coast.”
I must conclude as a fisherman that this season has been a huge success for all involved and hope that the final counts include salmon to the success list.
– 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 20 years. Contact him at [email protected]. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 8:06 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through the end of August.
