For anglers looking to
get out and enjoy some
good weather and fishing
this past weekend
provided both. Todd
Arcaleo of Chris's
Landing at Old
Fisherman's Wharf said,
"its all you can get on
the giant squid here".
They went out on
Superbowl Sunday 2-7
for 80 squid and "as
many sand dabs as you
want". They haven't
pulled the crab pots the
past couple of days due
to the swell, and the
white sea bass seem to
have moved up the coast,
so they have been
targeting the squid and
dabs. There is a good
video on KSBW.com on a
recent squid trip on the
Checkmate. They are
running Monday and
Wednesday through Sunday
of the current week.
Ly Tu of Ly's Fishing
Goods in San Jose said
one of his regular
customers had a great
day off of Pajaro Beach
on Friday with a
40-pound white sea bass
and a 30-pound halibut,
both taken on dead
squid. He weighed in a
1.5-pound barred perch
from Sunset Beach on
grass shrimp on
Saturday.
As far as the future of
salmon or better put the
chances of us having a
salmon season this year
or next looks to be slim
and none. The returns to
the Central Valley
rivers this past fall
were worse than that of
2008. While some of the
state hatcheries saw a
slight uptick in counts
the federal hatchery on
Battle Creek came in far
lower. The PFMC will be
meeting this month and
next but given the
complete collapse of
fall run of the past
three years we don't see
any future for salmon.
Until the Delta is fixed
and water diversion is
brought back down to pre
2002 levels there is
little hope of us ever
seeing a California
ocean fishery (beyond a
short far north coast
season) ever again.
Politics
and 2010
Salmon
Next
year we
don't
expect to see a salmon
opener due to the far
less than expected
returns in 2009. Given
the lack
of
angler
support
to help
out the
groups
fighting
the Govenator's
canal plan, 2007
could
well be
the last
year of
ocean
salmon
in
Central
California
in our
lifetime.
Maybe
the next
generation
will get
it right
but we
sure
F&*%@!
it up
for
them.
YOU
aren't
fishing
salmon
this
year
because
the
politicos
in
Sacramento
and
Washington
DC
decided
it was
better
to grow
cotton
in the
California
desert
and put
a
subside
check on
a
millionaire
cotton
farmer's
pocket
(and a
contribution
to their
campaign)
than
keep
fish
swimming
in our
rivers.
Anglers
are the
last
line of
defense
but we
are so
unorganized
that
we are
going to
get
blitzed
by the
water
contractors.
There is
only one
way out
of this
mess and
it's
through
the
courts
and the
hard
work of
California Sportfishing
Protection Alliance
Please
consider
supporting
them as
they are
pushing
the
lawsuits
that
will
ensure a
future
or at
least a
hope of
us ever
salmon
fishing
in
California
again.
Our
salmon
runs
didn't
die,
they
were
stolen
from us
by a 40%
increase
in water
diversions
from the
Delta
beginning
in 2002.
Unless
water
diversions
are
rolled
back
(through
court
order
and the
litigation
of CSPA)
salmon
don't
have a
chance
of
making
it to
sea or
you or
your
children
to ever
fish for
them.
No
group
has done
more
over the
past two decades
to
protect
fisheries
than
CSPA. In
the past
two
months
USAFishing
readers
have raised
nearly
$10,000
for the
CSPA but
much
much
more is
needed.
Please
visit
their
website
and
learn
more
about
all the
great
work
they are
doing.
Become part of the
solution and support the
California Sportfishing
Protection Alliance
today!
Upcoming Events:
USAFishing proudly
supports the many
fishery and wildlife
organizations that
benefit anglers and
hunters throughout
Northern California.
Does your organization
have an upcoming event?
Contact us at
fishsite@aol.com and
we will gladly post the
information on our
reports pages.
California Waterfowl 2009
Dinners and Youth Events
Calendar
The BAY AREA
SPORTFISHERS CLUB The club
has monthly local fishing events and trips each
month and supports the Monterey Salmon and Steelhead
hatchery and Fishing in the Cities for Kids
programs. Annual Alaskan, Mexico, Colorado, Oregon,
trips are planned each year. See:
www.bayareasportfishers.com for more information
please call us. 408-263-5488
