Kenny Priest

The season for late fall kings finally got going last week following the first significant storms of the year. For the Smith and Chetco, I’d say the fishing was fair. While there were some big, bright fish caught on both rivers, the overall scores were pretty underwhelming. Now granted, conditions weren’t exactly perfect, but we were all hoping to see...
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The season’s first sizeable storms are finally filling our local rivers with fresh rainwater. And that means hard-charging, fresh from the salt king salmon – big and bright – will be making their way up all of our coastal rivers starting now. So, if you see a family member duck out early on Thanksgiving Day, or fail to show up,...
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The arduous wait for rainfall continues to drag on. For coastal salmon anglers waiting to drift the Smith, Chetco or Eel, it seems like a lifetime ago when the rivers last had enough flow for salmon to maneuver upriver. Hardly a drop has hit the ground since late October, when enough rain fell in the Smith Basin to put the...
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The sport Dungeness crab season kicked off this past Saturday, and those who ventured offshore reported the crabs were plentiful and good-sized, and much meatier than last year at this time. Captain Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing set gear south of the entrance this week in 90 to 120 feet of water and reported 18 to 25 keepers...
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The always-popular recreational Dungeness crab season will open statewide this Saturday, with one big exception. State waters from Patrick’s Point, Humboldt County (41° 8.00’ N. Latitude) north to the California/Oregon state line will remain closed due to unhealthy levels of domoic acid. This closure, which will keep Crescent City anglers off the water, will remain in effect until domoic acid...
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The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a press release on Wednesday advising recreational anglers not to eat Dungeness crab caught between Patrick’s Point North and the Oregon border. This warning is due to the detection of elevated levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin. The statewide recreational Dungeness crab season is scheduled to open on Saturday, Nov. 3...
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