Fort Bragg Fishing Report

Shelter Cove:

Captain Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing reported a “Wide Open” salmon bite with big fish the rule down by the Hat On Thursday 7-15. He said there were 20 boats out there today with fish 10 to 20-pounds the rule. Trolling has been the technique with the fish found from the surface to 125 feet in depth. He is putting together his trolling gear for a run down there in the morning. On his regular super combo trips, he continues to average one Pacific halibut per outing to go with limits of big rockfish, ling cod and Dungeness crab. The tractor launch at Shelter Cove is in full swing known as Shelter Cove Launch. Information (707) 986-1234.

Fort Bragg:
Noyo Sport Fishing in Fort Bragg said a rockfish trip was out today at Westport with limits of rockfish and a few ling cod. The weather has been flat calm, and they are running rockfish trips throughout the weekend since the salmon have been absent locally. They added that the day and night fish run along the beaches has been great for those tasty "popcorn" fishies.

It's that time of year that we stow the keyboard and get serious about fishing. We are packing up the kids, extended family and friends and headed north to our vacation home on the Kenai peninsula for the next two weeks. This is "the trip" that we look forward to all year in a place where they still value salmon and manage their fisheries for sustainability. (Cal fisheries managers could learn a lot by visiting) We will be targeting sockeye and kings in the local rivers, chasing halibut and lings in the salt, clamming along the local beaches and not typing reports (we have a no computer rule when in Alaska). We still have one week available in the cabin this season, August 22-29th and we are taking bookings for 2011.
Reports and updates will resume here on July 31st. In the time being please contact our sponsors or visit their websites for current reports, information and bookings.
Until then... good fishing!
Mike Aughney

Shelter Cove:

On Sunday 7-11 Trent Slate of Shelter Cove Sport Fishing said the ocean conditions have been “flat, flat, and flat” the past couple of days, and he has been averaging 2 or 3 Pacific halibut per trip in his past four journeys on the water with the exception of Friday, July 9^th where they had to settle for a solitary 62-pounder. Slate said Pacific halibut have been all of the rage at the Cove with most boats landing at least a fish. One private boat put in two limits at 103 and 72-pounds on Thursday up at Punta Gorda where Slate had his crew bring up fish at 62, 45, and 25 on the same day before loading up with 7 limits of ling cod to 24-pounds, 7 limits of the big quality rockfish, and 7 limits of Dungeness crab. Now that is a trip! Trent said they only had to put 10 pots to put in the 70 crab. The ocean was very flat on Friday, and the halibut weren’t biting as vigorously, so they had to settle for the 62-pound before boating 5 limits of rockfish and 3 lings, in addition to crab limits. The interesting thing is that commercial fishermen are finding some quality salmon with one boat putting in 17 fish with an 18-pound average. The fish are hugging the bottom in 200 feet of water, and there have been several Pacific halibut landed right out of the harbor near the Red Buoy by fishermen mooching for salmon on the bottom. One 10-foot Zodiac has landed a Pacific halibut near the Red Buoy the past three days. Slate thought the halibut bite is finally on for the year, and he anticipates great action through October.

Here is local angler's chance to voice your opposition to the impending MLPAs which will close some of the best traditional fishing areas off Ft Bragg and Shelter Cove. If you wish to have access to these areas in the future it's important that LOCAL anglers support this rally>

Protest MLPA Ocean Privatization- Rally in Support of Public Access in Fort Bragg July 21!

We urge EVERYBODY who cares about defending environmental justice, tribal gathering rights and public fishing access and stopping Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative ocean privatization process to attend this demonstration in Fort Bragg on July 21 at noon. The MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force, overseen by oil industry, marina development, real estate and other corporate interests, will be meeting in Fort Bragg on July 21 and 22.

TIME TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD
MLPA Means Less Public Access!
SPEAK OUT!

TRIBES , NORCAL FISHERMEN, SEAFOOD PROVIDERS, DIVERS, ANGLERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, COASTAL BUSINESSES RALLY in SUPPORT of PUBLIC ACCESS & SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FISHING

PROTEST OCEAN PRIVATIZATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21st
Noon
Main Street, Fort Bragg CA
More info: Call Mike Carpenter @ (707) 937-4362

We appreciate our readers support as we tack in a new direction. With our new "support fishery conservation" message all we ask in return is that your readers support the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance so they can continue their fight for our fishery rights. We are working hard to keep you on top of the fish and the CSPA is working even harder to protect them.
Mike Aughney

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Great Links:
Fishermen, check out DF&Gs easy-to-use California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations Map. Simply click the marine location where you plan to fish, and you will access a list of Sport Fishing Regulations for that area.