Hi’s Tackle Box | Fishing San Francisco Bay & Northern California Articles, Tips & Information

Not surprisingly in this hustle and bustle society we live in, a lot of anglers have adopted the run and gun method of fishing. Basically it entails motoring into a spot and then pounding it very quickly and if it doesn’t produce in a couple of casts, you move on and cover new […]

Working this irregular shoreline outside the mouth of Putah Creek, it definitely had that fishy look. The surrounding water was quiet and relatively clear and instead of a brushy edge or aquatic vegetation this stretch was composed of a hard floor plan with smooth rocks spread out here and there. From […]

The conditions were optimum A light prevailing wind from the northwest added a slight ruffle to the surface, and the overcast conditions gave the water that quiet serene look. We were roughly west of Pedro Point slightly beyond the 25 fathom depth line, and although everything had that right look, the […]

With the arrival of spring the bay waters begin to warm and its clarity improves dramatically. As the water clears bait schools swarm across the flats and into deeper water. And like people who have nothing better to do than hang around on city corners all day, many of these bait schools which […]

Located between Hwy 24 and Interstate 80 on San Pablo Dam Road, San Pablo Reservoir has much to offer. Besides offering aesthetic views of the scenery and local wildlife it is close and easy to get to for most bay area residents, and it has a little bit of everything for the sport angler […]

Even though our fishing platform was a beamy 28 foot Black Fin the westerly breeze of about 18 knots had us sitting sideways in the trough, and as a consequence we were getting an aerobic workout as we tried to maintain our balance on the unsteady deck.
The wind and chop was testing our patience big […]

Like little kids anxiously awaiting for the afternoon school bell to ring, there will be an armada of eager boaters pouring out from their respective harbors from Bodega south to Monterey for this years salmon season opener. It is a ritual no dyed in the wool salmon angler would miss, and boating activity will […]

Within easy reach for bay area residents Lake Berryessa has much to offer especially for the sports angler. Its black, spotted, and small mouth bass fishing is well renowned and is the source of many tournaments that take place here each year. This of course attracts more boating traffic, and as the […]

As certain as gravity taking hold, you cannot avoid hooking sharks in our bay waters especially if you put your bait on the bottom. And barring any major intrusions of fresh water via storms it’s a rare piece of bay bottom that does not have some type of local shark in residence.
The more common […]

While they will not rate a second glance or pin you to the rail during a fight, nonetheless sand dabs have other qualities that makes them worth going after. Besides being willing biters, and no limit to worry about, they’re a perfect dinner combination to add with freshly boiled Dungeness crab.

Deep fried and […]