Kenny Priest

If you didn’t get in on the Chetco fall salmon action last week, you missed some epic fishing. Following a season that saw the estuary plugged with kings, there was little doubt that if, and when, conditions lined up, the bite upriver would go completely off. And that’s exactly what happened last week. Double-digit hookups were not uncommon. And there...
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Unsavory ocean conditions out of Eureka spoiled Saturday’s sport crab opener, keeping most of the boats tied up. The few bigger boats who braved the rough water were rewarded with big crab, and plenty of them. The last few days, boats pulling pots after a couple-day soak, or less, are averaging 10 to 20 crab per pot. Those are pretty...
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We may not have a rockfish season here in the far north, but at least our sport crab season will open on time. And with pots and traps allowed! The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife sent word Friday that our season, (40°10′ N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino) to the Oregon-California border, will open as scheduled Saturday with no restrictions....
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Mid-September of last year produced some pretty wild tuna action on the North Coast. Species that typically aren’t targeted here, including Bluefin, Yelloweye, and Bigeye tuna were popping up from Fort Bragg to Crescent City. And now, history is repeating itself – sort of. Large schools of tuna, made up of mostly bluefin, are thick from San Francisco north to...
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The Chetco estuary continues to produce some of the best salmon fishing on the coast, but time is running out. Rain is in the forecast for Brookings over the weekend and flows will be on the rise, which will trigger the migrating fall kings that it’s time to head up river. The good news is there should still be plenty...
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If you have any interest whatsoever in the future of our rockfish and Pacific halibut fisheries, your voice and opinion has never been more important than right now. At the upcoming November 3 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting, public comments provided by those affected by closures and limited seasons will go a long way in the future and management...
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