Sunday Scoop & More Good Conditions!!

Excited to say we have another lineup of good conditions here for the week! I am most definitely taking advantage of this. In fact, if you’re reading this when it comes out around 10 I am out crabbing near Bodega Bay right now!

Even with good conditions, I want to remind everyone to stay safe out there - ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WEARING WADERS. I read that somebody unfortunately passed away fishing on the San Mateo County Coast a few days ago. I’m not sure who that was but our thoughts are with them and their loved ones. According to the report I read they were wearing waders.

You can get in trouble very quickly while wearing waders in the Pacific. All it takes is one sneaker wave to knock you over or fill your waders with water. If you go down and your waders fill up you are in serious trouble. So no matter what the conditions are, don’t turn your back to the ocean and fish with caution, especially in winter.

Without further ado, here’s our reports for the week:

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Dungeness and Rockfish combo trips are still hot!

*Counts Via Fish Emeryville, Lovely Martha Sport Fishing

Folsom Lake getting some love as always…

For this edition I want to do a simple breakdown of what I’m fishing for this December, why I’m fishing for it, and where I’m doing it. These will be some of the forecasted locations of the week so don’t forget to scroll down and take a look.

The reasoning why is pretty simple: the season for these fish closes at the end of this month. December is your last chance to get on these fish, as possession is explicitly illegal come January until April usually. I find rockfish to be exceptionally tasty, and I love going out on the jetty so I will be quite sad when this season closes.

Targeting rockfish of course depends on where you are and what your preferred fishing method is. I usually use a curly tail grub with a ½ or 1 oz jig head if I’m fishing off a jetty or another rocky area. My favorite grub this season is this Yamamoto Green Pumpkin Curly Tail.

If I’m not fishing with lures I find a simple hi-lo rig with squid, shrimp, or anchovy will do the trick. Keep in mind when fishing for rockfish you can only use one line at a time.

Lingcod are a bit of a different story, if I’m fishing for them I’m using a large swimbait and heavier gear in general. Squid and anchovy can still work fine. I’d recommend researching some lingcod specific rigs for best results, like the Fisherman’s Life floating bobber rig.

I’m hitting jetties and rocky areas on the coast for this. A ton of good spots starting at the Half Moon Bay jetties all the way down south towards Big Sur. Bodega Bay jetties could be a good move too. If you’re fishing jetties look for deeper water but be safe - the Half Moon jetties can get kind of sketchy on rough days.

While this isn’t really a fish, I’m taking full advantage of healthy crab populations. With the commercial season still closed this is one of the only ways to get crab anyway, which makes it all the more fun.

So far, at least for crab snaring, frozen herring has been my best friend. Also had some luck with frozen mackerel. Any smelly fish should do you right.

I’ve talked about crabbing a lot so you probably know where I’m going already. Peninsula has been a bit tough lately, but Ocean Beach always draws a crowd. I caught a couple large keepers near Bodega Bay last weekend too. Please do not take Dungeness out of the Bay itself that’s super illegal, be sure to crab on the coast.

If you haven’t seen the full sturgeon write up from Thursday, go ahead and take a look here.

The gist of it is: hit the North Bay for a chance at one of these bad boys. It’s catch and release only and this fish population is very delicate so it’s best to keep them in the water. Use barbless hooks only. This is one of the best times to catch sturgeon and these fish are a special catch - won’t be around forever unfortunately.

Try the San Pablo Bay, by Napa River, and Suisun Bay.

I can probably write a whole newsletter about shark fishing but I’m going to keep this one brief. While many fish in the Bay come and go, sharks are a constant that never fail to deliver a good time. As we swing into January and February you’ll see many people in the Bay fishing for Leopard Sharks.

Leopard Sharks are a blast to catch, as even the smallest ones put up a strong fight. I’m doing this as catch and release for the love of the game, although some people have been known to keep them. I don’t think that’s advised by CDFW as far as I know so don’t take that as a recommendation.

I’m hitting piers and shorelines in the Bay with squid and anchovies for a shot at fighting a big Leopard Shark. Usually on a fish finder rig or even a hi-lo depending on the spot. These fighters can be found in sloughs and rivers connected to the Bay too/

*Always check conditions before going out there, this data may no longer be up to date so please be safe

Good luck out there 😎