The rockfish action remains good and while salmon scores are not incredible they are good for this time of year.
On Thursday 10-18 there were a dozen or so private boats working the Trees / Bird/ Elephant rock area. Most found limits for 2 to 3 anglers trolling in the shallows in 30 to 60 feet. Tom from Penngrove was out again and reported a quick limit to 7 pounds. He reported the jelly was thick outside of 60 feet but found fast action and released several small fish and was back in the harbor by 9:30.
Jeff on the sixpack Samantha Irene has been reporting steady limits of rockfish and lings working the reefs off Ft Ross. They are seeing some quality lings in the shallows with most running 10 to 15 pounds plus limits of some big blues and a mix of reds and schoolfish. He has room daily.
The salmon season ends on October 31st. The crab season begins on November 3rd and domoic acid results are showing some crabs above action levels here and there along the entire coast. I will dig deeper into that story over the weekend but levels look low enough to trigger viscera warning but not closures for recreational anglers. 

On Monday 10-15 Rick on the New Sea Angler started his day chasing salmon. Fishing off Elephant Rock reported 6 salmon to 28 pounds for his 21 clients. Switching to rockfish late in the morning they put in full limits of browns, reds and schoolfish adding 16 lings to 17 pounds.
Jeff on the Samantha Irene reported limits of both lings and rockfish working the reefs off Ft Ross. Jeff said the bite started slow and they had to work for lings but by late in the morning found limits of mixed fish and some more of those bomber blue they have seen the past two weeks. The weather was flat and glassy.

The weather was flat and the rockfish were biting over the weekend. On both Saturday 10-13 and Sunday 10-14 captain Jeff on the Samantha Irene reported fast action on the lings and rockfish. They took limits of lings to 14 pounds and limits of some of the biggest blues he has seen this season with olives and the whole usual assortment of rockfish that the shallow reefs off Ft Ross have to offer. Jeff has lots of room this week as he works on his crab gear between trips.
On the reader front Tom C from Penngrove reported limits of rockfish and lings last Friday with one bonus salmon trolling off the river. Darren D worked Ten Mile and Elephant rock for one 20 pound halibut and three salmon to 13 pounds. The weather has been flat for the past few days and looks to remain good through mid week.


After taking a few days off the New Sea Angler was back out on a flat clam ocean on Thursday 10-11. Rick had a light load and opted for another combo trip. Trolling off the Russian river they landed 12 salmon to 12 pounds for 14 anglers. Late in the morning they switched to rockfish for mixed limits of reds, and school fish adding 9 lings to 11 pounds. Rick said they worked the -100 foot depths off Fort Ross.
We have not received much from the private boater front of late. Brad S reported one 10 pound salmon working hard from Ten Mile to the Estero last weekend and Mike K sent in a shot of two limits of lings and rockfish taken off Ft Ross. Otherwise there have only been a few private boats out the past few days. With the calm weather and good fishing it is surprising we aren't seeing anglers take advantage of overall great fishing and conditions.

The fall action remains great with easy limits of salmon and rockfish available. On Friday 10-5 my phone was ringing by 8:30. Painting decoys in the shop I'm thinking it's one of my fellow club members checking in.... it's not. It's Jeff on the Samantha Irene reporting 5 limits of 6 to 10 pound salmon. Jeff was trolling out in 50 fathoms west of the Head and said "you should have been here. We has several doubles and just put the last fish in the box". The weather was great and the whale show has been exceptional for the past two plus weeks with all the feed in the area. It's rare to wrap up a good season with even better signs of the next to come. I will go on the record and say that next season could possibly be as good as 1988. I may not be publishing this report then but all the signs (the only negative is a possible El Nino) are pointing to an excellent year.

All boats are currently booking salmon and rockfish trips and all are filling quickly for the first few weeks of the crab season that begins Nov 4th.

Rick on the New Sea Angler is running captain's choice salmon / rockfish/ lings combos. 707 875-3344

Jeff has room on the Samantha Irene for salmon and rockfish trips. 707 245-1157