Fishing Articles

Main stem holds out hope through April
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, MARCH 23, 2017
Eel River

The main stem was starting to come around last weekend, but it’s now back up to 28,000 cfs on the Scotia gauge. It will take a couple weeks of dry weather for it to turn green, but that’s not in the foreseeable forecast. The main stem will remain open through April.

The Smith is keeping us hooked
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, MARCH 23, 2017
Smith River

“The Smith isn’t red-hot, but we’re still catching a couple fish a day,” said guide Mike Coopman. “The majority of the fish we’re catching are fresh ones, there’s only been a trickle of spent fish coming down. It’s possible after the next big rise we’ll see more downers, but there has yet to be a mass exodus. When they do...
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Chetco high and slow
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, MARCH 23, 2017
Chetco River

“The Chetco blew out again this week and looks to be too high to fish through the weekend,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “If it comes back into shape before it closes March 31, there may be a few down-runners left, but I expect fishing to be fairly slow. The last few days of the season may fish,...
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Shelter Cove/Fort Bragg salmon season to open April 1
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, MARCH 23, 2017
Shelter Cove

The recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain, Humboldt County south to the U.S. - Mexico border will open on Saturday, April 1. Between Horse Mountain and Point Arena, which includes Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg, the daily bag and possession limit is two salmon of any species except Coho. The season south of Horse Mountain will extend through various dates...
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Late-season steelhead anglers slowed by rain
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, MARCH 23, 2017
Smith River

It appears this steelhead season is going to end much like it began. All of the coastal rivers, other than the Smith, are currently high, muddy and not fishable. And more storms are lined up offshore. I swear I’ve written that same sentence about a million times since mid-January. But here we are in late March, with roughly a week...
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Threatened green sturgeon rescued, returned to Sacramento river
by CDFW, MARCH 22, 2017
Sacramento River

Biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently saved a Sacramento River green sturgeon trapped in the Fremont Weir. The five-and-a-half-foot long fish was stranded in the nearly two-mile-long concrete weir when Sacramento River floodwaters receded. Sturgeon in this area are migrating up the Sacramento River to spawn above Red Bluff. Sacramento River Green Sturgeon were listed as...
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