Salt

[Paul B.]

After reading Larry's post about halibut down San Diego way I was wondering once again. Is there any place up here fish for these footballs in wadeable water. I'm already gearing up for surf ffing this spring thanks in part to Scott V's posts but throwing hallies or even sand dabs into the mix would be better still. Paul in Vacaville

[Ed Wahl]

Paul,
Ken Hanley and Jay Murakoshi are puttng on an informal surf fishing clinic in April. I'll be going and I'm pretty sure Scott V. is going also. Maybe we should all carpool.
All three of us fish some of the same water.

Ed

[Paul B.]

Let's go...........

[Darian]

Larry gave us a couple of clues on where and when Halibut can be caught in the surf. The timing is the same up here. They're spring spawners.

In addition to the surf, Halibut are available in most bays and estuaries. Some will be deep and others will frequent the shallows. I couldn't even begin to count the number of them (and flounder) I caught on flies while fishing an estuary for Steelhead late in the season. Some places where you might try for them up here are the Berkeley Marina (flats), Pillar Point Harbor in Half moon Bay, Bogega Bay, Tomales Bay, Humboldt Bay, etc. Lots of other places out there to explore. Watch out for mud bottoms, tho. Stick to the sandy areas for safety if wading. Check the regs for MLPA's; wouldn't want to trespass.... :smirk:

[Larry S]

My biggest halibut on the fly, by far, came in San Diego bay. Boat fishing with sink tip line
and clouser-type fly, just a few feet off of Harbor Island. I had just cast and was taking a sip of coffee waiting for the fly to drop. When I picked up the line, I can't budge the fly.
Believing it is wedged down in those big boulders, I start to break off the fly and it slowly moves. 15 minutes later, we horsed aboard a 20-lb'er.
In the surf, predators that they are, they chase and hammer the fly. Remember the size
limit, if you want one for the table.
Best,
Larry S

[gene goss]

There are some people from the Peninsula fly fishers that float tube in the estuaries around S.F. This person that i talked to said that its all about the tides, bait, weather, as to where and when they float tube for halibut. Looking on the inter. net i found this video on S.F. catching halibut from a kayak. http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/component/seyret/video/69/KAYAKING-FOR-HALIBUT-IN-SAN-FRANCISCO-BAY.html
The kayak looks like something that only shig's could design.

[Scott V]

I'm pretty sure Scott V. is going also. Maybe we should all carpool.
All three of us fish some of the same water.

Ed

I was really looking forward to going until my wife informed me that I get to go to Arizona for her parents birthday and anniversary that exact day. So I will not be there, but someone take notes for me.

[Dave E.]

Hey Paul,

The San Francisco Bay Trail - offers miles and miles of public access today.

All through the nineties and ending around 2002, I had a slide show that I would drag out, dust off and present at some of the peninsula fly shops and clubs. It was specifically targeted at getting shore bound fly anglers wishing to pursue Stripers in the south bay. Within that presentation I had identified over thirty public access areas known for their Striper & Halibut water.

If it’s California Halibut you're after, now’s the time to gear up. From now through ( peaking in April / early May ) June if you put in the time, you should be able to find Halibut along the flats inside of Candlestick Cove, From the ( Hwy. 101 ) Tubes south to the old Good Guys building, then heading south - around the corner into the basin separating Sierra Point & Oyster Points.
Or try the beach or in front of the old castaways at Coyote Point and then a smattering along the third ave. flats.
You can also target them in the manmade lagoons and sloughs along 3rd. ave. in San Mateo or south of the San Mateo Bridge.

Generally speaking, the further north you stay, say from Candlestick to Oyster, the higher the probability of finding what you’re after - fresh fish.

If you’re willing to stick to it, you can get good at this style fishing pretty fast. We did it from the time we were in our early teens with some pretty funk-a-delic gear.

Good luck, Dave


Along the bay trial, way back when.( typically, you would not wear waders fishing the Bay Trail in S.M. county. )
http://www.mr-tea.com/gallery/picture.php?img=1-striper.jpg&show=full

[Tony Buzolich]

Good report Dave. I can vouch for the area around Candlestick down to and around the airport. Oyster Point has a good ramp to launch from and the water is pretty safe as long as you hug the shore area on the west side.
We used to fish the bay between Candlestick and Oyster Point and had some fantastic days around the tubes going under Hwy. 101. Watch the tides though because you can get stuck out there on a falling tide. There's lots of shallow areas that go dry at full low tide. The first time Frank Alessio and I went out there I had my hummingbird on simulation and "THOUGHT" we were in deep water with lots of fish everywhere:) until I looked over the side and saw the bottom.

We had a fun day too just offshore a ways when we saw bait busting the surface. Turned out to be jack smelt busting but they took smal flies too.

Farther south the pilings around the airport lights and landing stip have produced some nice stripers. Amazing what it's like to be fishing under a landing 737.
Tony

[Darian]

Hey Tony,.... Do you remember the Japan Airlines 747 that was landed in the Bay just off the end of the strip in the early 70's :?: :?: Something like that could ruin a good fishin' trip.... :p :p

[Paul B.]

Thank you for the info. Fishing along bay or costal trails is just what I had in mind. Never really been a boat guy (some exceptions). I prefer to get there walking.
I forgot about the kayak site. It has had good information in the past. Paul

[lee s.]

Bodega Bay has about a mile or more of chanel, and that is ALL there is on a minus tide, that can be cast to from foot. May and June are good months for this on into August.
.....lee s.

[Darian]

Saw a recent article about Point Pinole in the SF Chron. You may already know about. in case you haven't already tried, it looks like a park with short trail to a pier. Lotsa beach area with a cobbled shoreline. Probably decent for Halibut and Stripers.

Never tried it myself but that'll change soon.... :D

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Us valley folks all love our Pacific coast, especially in the mid-summer heat.

I think July/August/September is a great time to go west and beat the heat.

The winds are down some then too.

I think that our coastal salt water surf fishing with flies is going to really take off now, partly due to the info on the Internet about it.

Yahoo......

[Paul B.]

Darian,
I've seen the park at Point Pinole on my way to work at Chevron refinery. I does look worth a try if it's not too windy.
I'll be out chasing steelhead with Toby Uppinghouse this weekend but like Bill says I love the coast and the bay so I'll hopefully be reporting (but not too much) soon.


Cheers, Paul

[Paul B.]

I might add that I just bought a used salt safe Winston from a board member. All I have to do now is stop by Kiene's for the right 250 grain sinker and maybe a few craby looking bugs and smallish clousers and I'm off. PB