Kenny Priest


Late-season coastal king season starts with a bang
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, OCTOBER 26, 2017



Last weekend’s rain provided a glimpse into what could be one heck of a late-fall coastal salmon season on the Smith and Chetco rivers. Following last Thursday’s rain, the Smith opened to fishing above Rowdy Creek for the first time this fall. And per usual, that first big rise brought in plenty of big, chrome-bright kings. Sunday was the day...
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California halibut bite keeps rolling
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, OCTOBER 19, 2017

Eureka Coast

If you thought the California halibut season was belly up, you may want to reconsider. The effort has definitely tapered off over the past few weeks, but the bite remains as strong as it’s been all season. “We fished over the weekend, and it was as good then as it’s been all season,” said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport...
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Chetco Bubble season rebounds after slow start
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, OCTOBER 12, 2017

Chetco River

After a slow start to the Chetco bubble season on Saturday, the bite really picked up on Sunday. According to guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, the ODFW fish checkers reported 40 kings for 250 boats on Saturday. “We landed three kings on Saturday, but only one was over the minimum keeper size of 28 inches. On Sunday, we...
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Depth changes coming for remaining 2017 groundfish season
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, OCTOBER 5, 2017

Chetco River

On Sept. 18, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted to bring groundfish depth restrictions for the balance of 2017 back to 2016 depths in California from Pt. Conception to the Oregon border according to an Oct. 3 article in the Fish Sniffer Magazine. The reason behind the depth restriction is the yelloweye rockfish is predicted to exceed harvest guidelines....
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North Coast tuna still on the bite
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Eureka Coast

With the warm water still within reach and a flat ocean forecasted for Wednesday, that’s all it took to spark the interest of some late-season tuna die-hards. Or at least one die-hard. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing and a crew of anglers took a gamble and ran to the patch of water that’s held fish for a while...
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Freshwater regulation changes coming in 2018
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Humboldt County Coast

On September 1, The California Fish and Game Commission released to the public a list of proposed freshwater regulation changes for 2018. The changes coming down the pipeline are fairly significant, and could impact several angling user groups on the North Coast. The regulation changes will be voted upon at the Commission meeting begin held in San Diego on December...
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