what has been a yo-yo of a season regulation-wise, CDFW will be lifting the temporary recreational crab trap restriction allowing Dungeness crab anglers to once again use traps and pots along the North Coast.

In a press release issued Dec. 7, CDFW has greenlighted the use of traps starting Saturday, Dec. 16 at 8:00 a.m. in the area between the California/Oregon state line and Cape Mendocino (Fishing Zone 1). At that time, the use of recreational crab traps will be allowed in Fishing Zones 1, 2, 5, and 6. The presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement from recreational crab trap gear from the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Lopez Point, Monterey County, (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) will keep those areas bound by the temporary crab trap restriction.

A reminder that sport crabbers in areas where traps are allowed must have a Recreational Crab Trap Validation. Validations are required even when under the age of 16, and when fishing from shore, pier, or other manmade structures. Validations are also required for passengers on party boats using crab traps to harvest crab.

The northern California commercial Dungeness crab season continues to be delayed statewide due to high numbers of humpback whales and a recent confirmed entanglement of a leatherback sea turtle. CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Dec. 21, 2023. That risk assessment is expected to inform a potential commercial fishery opener and further modifications of the recreational trap restriction.

Weather ahead
According to Eureka’s National Weather Service, “rain chances will return Saturday night into the first half of next week with widespread rain expected across Northwest California forecast Sunday through Tuesday. Currently the heaviest rain is forecast to fall Sunday through Monday night.” In the Smith basin and Humboldt, there’s roughly an 80 percent chance of an inch or more of rain falling through Monday night. The probability is much higher as you move south into Mendocino County.

Weekend ocean conditions/crabbing
Conditions look decent for the weekend, though we’ll start to see the winds come from the south. Saturday’s forecast is calling for southeast winds 5 to 10 knots and waves southeast three feet at 10 seconds and west seven feet at 13 seconds. Sunday looks a little worse with winds blowing 10 to 15 knots from the southeast. Waves will be southwest six feet at 11 seconds and northwest four feet at 12 seconds. The crabbing remains excellent off shore with boats scoring easy limits. South of the entrance from 100 out to 140 feet seems to be the sweet spot at the moment. Crabbing out of Trinidad has been good, boats and kayaks are reporting limits of Dungeness crab.

Mad River Steelhead Derby Starts Jan. 15
The Mad River winter steelhead run is just around the corner and with it comes the annualNor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen Association’s (NCGASA)Mad River Steelhead Derby. The derby will start on January 15 and will run through February 29. Anglers will have two months to catch a big hatchery steelhead, with the three largest measured in both the adult and the youth divisions eligible to win cash and prizes. Adult division payouts: 1st place: $500; 2nd place: $300, 3rd place: $150. Youth division payouts (16 years and under): $150 RMI Outdoors gift card; 2nd place: $100 RMI gift card; 3rd place: $50 RMI gift card. All the youth winners will also receive donated fishing tackle from our sponsors. Anglers who sign up for the derby will be entered to win weekly raffle prizes starting on Jan. 1. Early bird sign-ups for the derby that come in before Jan. 1 are eligible to win two free tickets to the International Sportsmen’s Expo (ISE Show) in Sacramento (Jan. 18-21). New this year is a Winner Take All Raffle Package that includes a guided river trip for two, plus crazy amounts of fishing tackle and gear. This package is currently valued at $850. Raffle tickets are $50 and only 100 tickets will be sold. There are other raffles that include several guided ocean and river trips or you can win a two-night Airbnb country home stay, located minutes away from the Mad River. These trips and stay raffle tickets are $20. Sign up online at madriversteelheadderby.com or ncgasa.org.

Mad River Steelhead

Reward Program
For the Mad River steelhead fishery in the upcoming 2023-24 season, the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) plans to attach reward tags to a small subset of hatchery-origin (i.e., adipose-clipped) adult steelhead upon their return to freshwater. This is in effort to estimate the steelhead harvest on the Mad River. According to John Deibner-Hanson, a Northern Region Environmental Scientist for CDFW, a number of fish will be captured in the lower river using tangle nets and affixed with spaghetti tags worth $20, $50 or $100 rewards. Once the tags are applied on their backs behind the dorsal fin, the fish will be released. Upon capturing a reward tag, anglers should follow one of the methods outlined below to answer a series of questions about how the tag was acquired (e.g., caught on fish, found on dead fish, found on bank). Anglers will have until April 15th, 2024 to report tags and claim rewards, after which reward tags from this season will expire. To attain accurate harvest estimates, we must assume 100 percent tag return rates on harvested steelhead, so getting the word out for our tagging program will be vital to its success.

There are three ways an angler may report their tag for reward:

1. Scan the QR code posted on message boards and signage around the river or carried by CDFW creelers.
2. Visit: https://forms.office.com/g/jjWnw9t7Ss.
3. Return the tag to CDFW at: 50 Ericson Ct., Arcata, CA.

Using options 1 and 2 above, anglers will not submit the physical tag, only needing to provide the unique tag number and answering the accompanying questions online. For this reason, anglers are strongly urged to retain the tag after submittal until all rewards have been claimed, as only one reward will be paid for each uniquely numbered tag.

For questions, please email MadRiverRewards@wildlife.ca.gov.

The Rivers:
As of Thursday morning, all North Coast rivers subjected to low-flow fishing closures, except for the South Fork Eel, were open to fishing. This includes the main stem Eel, Van Duzen, Mad, Redwood Creek and Smith rivers. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at any time. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is 707-822-3164. NOTE: The main stem Eel from the South Fork to Cape Horn Dam, the Mad River from the mouth to 200 yards upstream and the Mattole River will be closed until January 1, 2024. More information can be found here.

Mad
The Mad is just under 7 feet in Arcata and in good shape. There are a few adult steelhead being caught along with some half-pounders. Not red hot as of yet. A decent rise is expected to begin Monday morning which will color up the river for a few days. The hatchery water was turned on Wednesday. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=ARCC1

Main stem Eel
Flows are down to 1,200 cfs as of Thursday and the river is clearing. There are a few adults around as well as plenty of half-pounders. Flows are predicted to rise beginning Monday, which will likely turn the river off color. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=SCOC1

South Fork Eel
The South Fork closed to fishing as of Thursday, but this should only last a few days. Sunday’s storm will put the river back on the rise starting Monday, but it will likely be muddy for a few days. A few adult steelhead have been caught, and there’s quite a few Coho in the river. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=MRNC1

Van Duzen
Flows were down to 185 cfs Thursday morning, but it’s open to fishing. That could change by Friday. The next rise is predicted for Monday where flows are expected to reach 1,900 cfs. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=BRGC1

Smith River
The Smith was below 8 feet on the Jed Smith gauge Thursday morning after peaking at 15 feet last Friday. The river is low and clearing, and will remain that way through the weekend into Monday. Rain coming Monday, however, will put the river back on the rise. There should be some early steelhead around but the season typically gets going after Christmas. The first steelhead of the year was trapped at the Rowdy Creek Hatchery Sunday. https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/graphicalRVF.php?id=CREC1

Chetco
“After cresting at 20,000 cfs at the beginning of the month, the Chetco was down to 2,750 cfs on Tuesday, perfect for late-season salmon and early steelhead,” said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “A handful of adult winter steelhead were caught over the weekend by plunkers, while fresh salmon are few and far between. Peak season for steelhead begins in January, but fishable numbers of steelhead are common in mid to late December.”

Elk/Sixes
According to Martin, salmon fishing was decent on the Elk and Sixes on Saturday, but stormy weather and rising flows made fishing slow on Sunday. Both rivers are in good shape for what could be the last productive week of salmon fishing this year. 

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.