Headed for Lawson's Landing on the mouth of Tomales Bay

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We are driving over next Tuesday morning and driving home on next Friday morning.

We will be in site 608 on the sea wall.

Daily high temps in the 70s and night in the 50s.....should have clean air too.

Hope to eat some nice fresh seafood: Halibut, salmon, crabs and clams.

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You can fish in the protected Tomales Bay in small boats for Stripers and Halibut.

Fishing in the Bay has gotten better and I think it is cleaner in there now.

Anchovies come inside the bay in the summer time.

Someone got a 30 pound Striper in the surf last week on Dillon Beach.

Crabbing and clamming is good too inside the 10 mile long shallow protect Tomales Bay.

[Steve S]

Hey Bill,

How did you do out at Lawson's?

Was out with my wife in the kayak this Sunday and saw a few halibut caught although we did not catch any.

Best thing was was the air was smoke free with a light ocean breeze.

Steve S

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

NFF: Went out with a local expert fisherman in his 17' skiff last Thursday and it was highly educational.

We were launched at Lawson's with a tractor which is of the sand just inside of Tomales Bay on the north side.

We went a mile or two up the 10 miles long narrow protected bay to Hog Island.

When we got there I say dozens of boats, some serious kayak anglers, hundreds of bird over schools of anchovies.

With his 7" Garmin finder/GPS we motored around slow looking for balls of anchovies.

When we found a big school we put down a bait catching Sabiki rig on a small spinning rod with a 3oz weight.

We loaded up our bait tank with nice chrome live anchovies.

After we got enough live bait we drifted in the moving tide around Hog Island.

We each got one nice halibut, 12 and 8 pounds.

Fresh Halibut makes incredible fish tacos........with your favorite cold beer.


We are headed back Sept 8, and Nov 3.....we love the cold clean air and fresh seafood.

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Looking for a 40hp to 90hp 4 stroke outboard for this boat.

[Idadon]

In the later half of the 80’s I had a 14’ klamath with a 20hp Mercury. Pretty seaworthy little rig for its size. It saw a lot of use in Bodega & Tomales bay. Bodega had a plentiful supply of rock piles a short distance outside the jetties. Most of them held rockfish and in late summer we would troll for salmon till later in the day then go catch ground fish,lingcod, etc. One day while trolling, and bouncing the bottom, back to the ramp I hooked and landed a 34lb California halibut. We caught halibut regularly but none even close to that size. I miss Bodega and Tomales greatly!

[John H]

Halibut in Tomales Bay is a classic California fishing experience. I have not done it but it sounds great. I remember seeing people snorkeling and free diving to spear them. I saw one diving in San Diego once. That was a good sighting. I went on a halibut boat in Oregon the last two years. Kind on an ordeal to go way out to the deep water. This year it was rough. I did not lean over the rail but it was a long day. I came home with a big halibut so as soon as you are back on land it seems worth it.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The nice thing about fishing inside Tomales Bay is the fact that it is averagely 10 to 30 feet deep and very protected with the tall Point

Reyes peninsula to the south. You need something to camp in and a small to medium boat. July, August, Sept, Oct is good.

Clams, crabs, halibut and stripers are in there plus anchovies. The Halibut run 5 to 20 pounds most of the time.


Somebody just got a 49 pound Halibut in San Francisco Bay.