Commercial Salmon Season Set to Start
With less than two days to go, the commercial fisherman of Bodega Bay will finally have a chance to go out after salmon this year.
July 1st – 4th and again from July 8th – 11th constitutes the full length of the season for commercial salmon fishing from Point Arena to the Mexican border.
After two years of no salmon fishing seasons at all for both commercial and recreational boats, this abbreviated season was recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
It is one of the shortest seasons of all Pacific Coast fisheries starting from Washington at the Canadian border.
Chuck Wise, of the Fisherman’s Marketing Association, Inc. of Bodega Bay, says he is not sure who will go out.
“I really can’t name any boat. They all have the right to go out, but there’s not much enthusiasm. A lot of the feeling is like the initial response to the announcement of only eight days.”
That announcement was made back in April.
Sports fishermen, including the charter boats, have been able to fish for salmon since April 3.
Their season is to run to September 6, but as of May 1, they can no longer catch salmon on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
The limit is still two fish per day, but the minimum size has increased from 20” to 24”.
Bodega Bay, San Francisco, and Half Moon Bay recreational fisheries have generally reported few salmon caught, although since June there has been some improvement.
See www.usafishing.com.
This afternoon at Spud Point Marina, Manager John Cruger-Hansen reports that he has “seen several owners and crew working on boats down here.”
“It looks like some of the boats are going to go out, but I have heard some may go up to Fort Bragg though because of the longer salmon season being allowed there.”
Fort Bragg is part of the Horse Mountain to Point Arena fishery north of here. The season there will include July 15th -29th, as well as July 1-4 and July 8-11.
There is also a Chinook salmon quota limit for July 15-19 of 18,000 with the possibility of the season resuming again August 1-31 based again on Chinook quotas.
Although there is no quota for Bodega Bay and south, the eight days only will have to be very good ones with calm seas and good luck.
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