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 be busy wherever the salmon schools are dominant.
But as many newcomers will find the ocean is a vast playing field, and thus it does not yield its secrets easily. If anything, salmon openers at times can be like a roll of dice, but if you pay attention to the signs the ocean will reveal, they can be like road maps bringing you to the best spots.
The following will give a brief profile on what to expect on the salmons movements and location, and what signs to read for that can lead you to the jackpot.
Offshore Travelers And Structure
Salmon are highly transient and will school where their food source is abundant. Thus, you’re often likely to find early season salmon in deep water where currents upwell and baitfish are feeding on this plankton rich environment. Generally, 100 to over 300 feet of water will be the hunting range of the salmon, but more so along areas that parallel a distinctive depth change or drop, or along dominant reef edges. Near these transition zones salmon will usually feed and school.
Sign
Within the above described zones watch for current edges, especially if on the other side of this edge, the water is brown or somewhat tea colored. This dark “salmon water” as it is often called is loaded with plankton. It is a rich organic soup that provides food for krill and baitfish. And you can bet the salmon will be feeding in the dark water as well. When you find this dark water put the lines in.
Besides color changes watch for bird activity, indicating bait being pushed to the surface. Under these working birds it can be baitfish or pods of krill. When krill is schooled densely on top it will appear as a reddish brown blob. Baitfish such as anchovy or sardine will often be a dark purple in color. Salmon will often feed on the edges so its an excellent idea to troll near these surface bait schools when you find them. In other instances, if you don’t see visible sign on top watch your depth finder for hidden bait schools. If you find a particular depth that is layered heavily with bait, stick in that area.
Trolling
I love to mooch with light tackle, but given the salmons nature to wander along depth changes and reef edges and the fact the bait can be scattered over wide tracts of water means the fish will be constantly moving. For that reason, trolling often has the edge when dealing with early season salmon.
When possible bring extra friends because that will give the boater the legal advantage of fishing several lines. Additional lines will give you effective coverage at various depths, and you can generate more hookups if you run into a pack of fish. If you don’t have downriggers and you’re fishing with the traditional sinker release system that works fine for these early season fish.
A good basic spread should be clean and simple, and one that attracts attention. For example, if I’m running four lines, I like to run a flasher combo with bait or plastic squid on the stern rods, which will be placed deeper. On the two remaining front rods I’ll rig those with baits set up on Rotary Killers, crow bars or artificial lures such as Krocodile Spoons from 5/8 to ¾ ounces or the # 4 Point Defiance Spoon. Hot spoon colors can be all chrome, chartreuse, all white, or combinations of blue & silver or green & silver. Remember, bow rods should be set at a shallower level and rigged with heavier sinkers, while stern rods are dropped deeper but rigged with lighter weights. That way everything tracks in a staggered spread. To cover for changing conditions bring sinkers from 2 to 3 pounds. If you’re a down rigger specialist you can set up with the same terminal gear just described. However, run your offerings from 20 to 25 feet behind the downrigger cable, and stagger lines about two fathoms apart. Also it’s advisable to keep the flashers on the bottom stop.
Criss Cross And Circle Areas With Positive Sign
Once you find a zone localized with bait criss cross the area extensively, and stagger the gear just above the level the bait is holding, at the same level and just below the bait schools To ensure that your baits or lures are tracking smoothly I’ll quarter or parallel the swell on the uphill ride, but also trolling downhill will create a smooth ride as well. If the swell is steeper parallel it on the downhill tach. This prevents you from surfing the swell. If you’re getting on and off’s during the strike, try adjusting your speed. With bait slow the troll a little or with lures increase the troll pace a bit until you get solid bites.
Generating Multiple Hookups
When the rod is thumping with a solid hookup, I’ll slowly turn the boat to that side in a gradual arc. This causes the spread to slowly turn as well simulating a balled bait school, and as the gear makes that circle, the boat will often cross back into the school creating more hookups. You have to capitalize on these moments when you can because it might be awhile before you locate another wandering school.
Mark The Spot
Salmon will often localize on a certain portion of the reef or drop so if you’re getting steady action punch the numbers into memory whether you’re using a loran or GPS. If the fog rolls in just keep trolling around your numbers.
LOCATIONS
Bodega
Featuring a mix of deep water, reef edges and a shoreline with a rocky doorstep, salmon can be found relatively close to shore here, but they can also be found wandering farther out. Potential hot spots can include: the water outside of Jenner, Salmon Creek, Mussel Point, Bodega Head, the whistle buoy and farther south to Tomales Point. Also the deeper water to the edges of the Cordell Bank may produce.
Marin And San Francisco
On the Marin side the water west of Duxbury to Double Point may produce. Check water on the 20 fathom line and deeper. West of San Francisco fish may appear just outside of the Light Bucket. Moving farther offshore, N - Buoy, to the Farallons may carry fish. Action can also take place southeast of the Farallons, and near W and S-Buoy.
San Mateo Coastline
Continuing south hitting the 30 to 40 fathom line off Point Pedro, Montara, and Half Moon Bay will host fish. Southwest of Half Moon Bay, Deep Reef is usually a good standby. Moving inshore Martins Beach, and the reefs at San Gregorio, Pescadero, and Pigeon Point provide more good potential for roving salmon schools.
Monterey And Santa Cruz
Monterey Bay takes a big bite out of the California Coastline forming one of the most fertile fish traps along our Central Coast. At its northern bite at Santa Cruz deep water here lies close to the beach with good concentrations of bait. Some of its traditional spots include: Davenport, Soquel Canyon and a local lineup known as the Three Tree’s. Moving down to the center of Monterey Bay, deep water also cuts in close at Moss Landing. Typically, if there is plenty of bait salmon schools will often meander back and forth between Santa Cruz and Monterey for several weeks or months before heading north.
High Anticipation
The year of 07 will indeed be keeping everyone’s hopes high for the upcoming salmon season, and hopefully it will be a slam-bang opener. But keep in mind if things get tough find those bait schools and work those reef edges and deep drops. If you do that you’ll score more consistently.
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