Looking for some info on the Gualala & Garcia Rivers

[ICE]

Hey folks,
I'm taking a trip up to the Point Arena area in a couple of weeks and was wondering if any one out there was willing to share some info regarding the fishing in the area. Rivers, conditions, reports, guides anything worth mentioning. I have not been in the area before and cant find much online other than that there is the potential for some great steelheading. I should have a solid day maybe two available to fish and am considering using a guide.
Thanks for any help.
PM's welcomed.

ICE

[shawn kempkes]

My 2 cents.


Those two rivers are a real crap shoot its all about the conditions you need to be able to adapt your technique to fish them.Invest in a good shooting head system.
Don't waste your money on a guide. Almost all the good runs on both rivers you can walk right too. Fishing out of a boat is not allowed on the lower gualala.

Get the streamtime maps for those rivers.Fish the holes that are on those maps.

[Darian]

Both of these rivers are relatively small most of the year. They're both subject to low flow closures and, as Shawn has said, timing is everything. :|

The Gualala has a massive sandbar blocking outflow until the first heavy rains and the Garcia is almost always open to the surf. Although both rivers can have early fish in them, they're best in January/February/March. If you go in that timeframe, assuming it's rained and the rivers are open to fishing, you'll find yourself in the company of a lot of other fisherman, competing for the limited number of places where fish are known to hold. Both rivers have upstream limits on fishing. :|

IMO, the best fishing is in the tidewater areas of both rivers and I have had some luck in both rivers many years ago. :-)

As Shawn advised, both rivers are a "crap shoot". Take you gear with you but be adaptable. You might want to consider rock/surf fishing but watch out for the MLPA closures around the Garcia River.... :|

[pgw]

Before you go, contact DFG at 707-944-5533 for a recorded message regarding closures due to low flows...this recording is updated every Wednesday (orf if there is a significant change). As of today, all the streams in Marin, Sonoma, and Mendo (where the G rivers are) Counties which are tribs of the Pacific are closed with the exception of the Russian.

Paul

[Darian]

I forgot to mention that either of these rivers are a long way off from Hwy 101 or other rivers that may be open to fishing. Pt. Arena to the mouth of the Russian is approximately 50 miles. Even if there's been adequate rain to open the rivers, fish may not be in the lower parts of the river when you are there. Durning the days when I was atcively pursuing fish along the coast, I would start at the Russian and drive north until I located a river, stream or creek that had some in tidewater. In those days it was common to see them rolling in tidewater for finding fish. Somedays there just weren't any fish there. Time to clam or fish the rocks/surf.... Food for thought. :)

[Charlie S]

Check your PMs.

[ICE]

Well,
I appreciate all the input you folks have offered, I'll be up in the area on the weekend of the 14th. I'll definitely be prepared river, rock or beach. I'm with the wife for a quite weekend and she has granted me leave for a day.
Again thanks for all the info on and off the board.
Keep dancing for the rain and chrome.
Thanks.
ICE

[BobVP]

Everything on the coast is too low to fish now. I came back here (Fort Bragg) from Garberville last week and even the South fork of the Eel looks like August water! Do as everyone else suggested, call DFG first.