For anglers across the North Coast, Memorial Day weekend provides an excellent opportunity to try your luck at a variety of fishing locations. With plenty of options on the table, the biggest decision might not be if you want to go, but where. Here are a few of the options that will hopefully make your decision a little easier this holiday weekend:

• Jetties for rockfish and lingcod —When the windisn’t howling, the jetties have been providing excellent rockfish and lingcod action. Small swimbaits or scampi jigs are catching fish as well as herring fished under a float.

• California halibut —If bank angling is your only option, check out Fairhaven Beach on the bay side of the Samoa Peninsula. Fishing is best a couple hours before and after high tide. Swimbaits attached to a ¾-ounce jig head is a good bait choice. If you have a boat, fish have been caught in the middle channel the last few days, with swimbaits working best.

• Freshwater Lagoon trout —Planted regularly with catchable-sized trout, there should be ample opportunities for shore-based anglers as well as boat fishermen. An easy rig to fish is a Berkley PowerBait with an egg sinker.

• Ruth Lake trout and bass —Nice weather and a family-friendly atmosphere make this a great spot for the weekend. Reportedly, the trout and bass bite are heating up.

• Elk River redtail perch —If it’s perch you’re after and the ocean is too rough, Elk River Beach is a great spot to target redtails. Two hours prior to high tide and an hour after typically are the optimal times. Shrimp, clams, swimbaits and sand crabs all work.

• Trinidad Harbor rockfish —A great option for rockfish and crab, especially if the ocean is rough. Launching a small boat from the beach is fairly easy. You’ll want to get an early start before the afternoon wind kicks in.

• Dungeness Crab —Anglers dropping pots outside of the bay entrance are still catching a few Dungeness crab when the weather cooperates, though there hasn’t been a ton of effort. If it’s too rough, there’s some good locations inside Humboldt Bay. Out in front of the PG&E plant is a good spot as well as the flat off the South Jetty parking lot. Another top location is either side of the channel leading into the South Bay.

• North Coast rivers —Many of the local rivers will re-open to fishing beginning Saturday, May 25. Rivers that will open include sections of the main Eel (South Fork to Cape Horn Dam), South Fork Eel (South Fork Eel River from mouth to Rattlesnake Creek) Van Duzen, Mad, Little River, Mattole and Smith. Be sure to check the regulations prior to fishing.
• Fisheries currently closed: Red Abalone, Mussels, Razor Clams (both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties), Ocean and River Chinook fishing.

Weekend marine forecast
After a couple weeks of gale-force winds, we’ll finally get a break Friday. Winds will pick back up slightly over the weekend before they come back down Monday. Friday, winds will be out of the northwest 5 to 10 knots with northwest waves 3 feet at eight seconds. Saturday is looking a little windier, with north winds 10 to 15 knots and northwest waves 5 feet at seven seconds. Sunday, the wind will be out of the north 10 to 15 knots with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 4 feet at eight seconds. Monday is looking better, with north winds 5 to 10 knots forecast along with north waves 3 feet at five seconds and northwest 3 feet at nine seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or www.windy.com. You can also call the National Weather Service at 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at 443-6484.

Weekend tides
The latest round of minus tides will begin Friday, but low tides will occur in the mornings over the holiday weekend when boats could be leaving the bay. Coupled with decent-sized swells, this could create a dangerous Humboldt Bay bar crossing. Saturday May 25: Low: 8:12 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Sunday May 26: Low: 8:56 a.m. (-1.4 feet); Monday May 27: Low: 9:42 a.m. (-1.29 feet)

USCG Captains Course offered in Eureka
The USCG Master 100ton/OUPV course will be held here in Humboldt Bay from June 17-28. Hosted by the City of Eureka, tuition for 15 students will be fully funded by Vineyard and RWE. Information on requirements and a link to the course registration are can be found here. You will need to reserve your seat with a deposit.

Ruth Lake Bass tournament coming June 1
Southern Trinity Area Rescue will be holding the annual “Paul Jadro Memorial Bass Tournament” on Saturday, June 1. Blast off will be at 5:45 a.m. or at first safe light, by draw. The one-day tournament event offers a first prize award of up to $1,000 with payout to 1 in 3 in addition to door prizes and sponsor products. The entry fee is $140 per team with a big fish buy in option of $10. The tournament is catch and release and all competitors must fish from boats that are required to have operational live wells on board. Life jackets are required. Check in at the Marina on Friday May 31 at 4:30-6 p.m. or Saturday 4:30 – 5:15 a.m. For more information, contact Lon Winburn at 707-499-2490.

The Oceans:
Eureka
It’s been nearly two weeks since boats have crossed the bar out of Eureka for Pacific halibut and rockfish. The weather for Friday looks doable, and I expect quite a few boats will give it a go. Saturday and Sunday don’t look as good, but Monday is looking good as of Thursday.

Trinidad
Ocean conditions are looking good for Friday and Monday out of Trinidad. It looks like small boats and kayakers will have a window of opportunity to launch off the beach to target rockfish and crab. The boat launch will be open Wednesday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesdays. The launch fee this season is $45. For updates and current information, you can call the bait shop at 677-3625.

Shelter Cove
“We haven’t been out since last Saturday as it’s been very windy,” said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing.  “Due to the conditions, we just fished right out front. Fishing was slow but we managed limits of rockfish and two lingcod. The forecast doesn’t look to get better anytime soon but I’m going to try a few times this week.”

Crescent City
Like everywhere else along the North Coast, Crescent City has been dealing with wind for close to two weeks. A few of the bigger boats have got out for quick trips in the morning, but that’s been about it, reports Britt Carson of Crescent City’s Englund Marine. He said, “Friday’s forecast is looking much better, so I’d expect lots of boats to be out. Some warm water pushed in close to the beach last weekend and brought with it some California halibut. Anglers fishing from the rocks across from the boat ramp with some good timing landed a few. But the bite went south quick as the water cooled.”

Brookings
“Windy weather has kept boats close to the harbor in Brookings, limiting success for salmon, halibut and even rockfish and lingcod,” said Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. “A brief early morning window has allowed boats to get an hour or two of bottom fishing in before the gale-force winds arrive each day. Calmer weather is expected this weekend. Early in the season, salmon tend to be offshore, in 200 to 300 feet of water, three to five miles offshore.”

River openings
Sections of the main Eel (South Fork to Cape Horn Dam), South Fork Eel (South Fork Eel River from mouth to Rattlesnake Creek) Van Duzen, Mad, Little River, Mattole and Smith will re-open on Saturday, May 25. On most rivers, only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. Click here for a complete list of CA river openings and regulations. The Chetco opened to trout fishing Wednesday.

Lower Rogue
According to Martin, Rogue springer action is hit and miss, with a few salmon now being caught by trollers in the bay. “Wild salmon can be kept beginning June 1.” 

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.