Lingcod and rockfish fishing sizzles from Marin Coast to Rittenberg Bank

BERKELEY – During periods of calm weather this time of year, you can take your pick of fishing shallow water from a kayak, skiff or charter boat off the Marin County Coast or fishing newly-opened deep water spots outside of the Golden Gate on a party boat.

Anglers fishing aboard the California Dawn 2 and 1 sportfishing boats have been experiencing superb offshore fishing at the Rittenburg Bank, with limits of huge lingcod and rockfish reported on every trip since a break in the weather made fishing at the bank possible.

Rittenburg Bank is an arrowhead-shaped, or heart-shaped, rocky feature located in the northwest corner of the Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary. It is located approximately 31 miles off the Marin County coast and approximately 40 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We’re seeing world-class fishing at the bank,” said Captain James Smith of California Dawn Sportfishing. “It’s easily the best rockfish and lingcod fishing of the season.”

Anglers are using mackerel, live sanddabs, bars and swimbaits to entice the lingcod and rockfish. The new groundfish fishing regulations that went into effect this year allow anglers to fish the deep water that hasn’t been fished in years. In addition to Rittenberg, there are places outside of the Farallon Islands and Bodega Bay that have opened up to fishing, according to Smith.

“We’ve been fishing from 240 to 350 feet deep,” stated Smith. “Anglers are catching a wide array of olive, greenspotted, vermilion, canary, China, yellowtail and bocaccio rockfish to 8 pounds. The lingcod taken on our boats have weighed up to 31 pounds.”

On a trip to the bank on Sunday, August 20, the anglers experienced some “wild” rockfish and lingcod fishing aboard the California Dawn 2 with a final count of 28 limits of rockfish (280), 28 limits of lingcod (56) to 28 pounds and 250 sanddabs, said Smith.

“The smallest lingcod that we kept today was ten pounds and there were around 14 fish in the higher weight range that vied for the jackpot,” he stated.

He noted that the California Dawn 2, a catamaran, takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Berkeley to make the run to the bank.

The California Dawn 1 fished the main Farallon island the same day, returning with 14 limits of rockfish (14) and 15 lingcod.

On August 19, he reported similar results. “We saw some huge lingcod and rockfish on today’s trip up to Rittenburg. The California Dawn 1 and 2 combined fish score was 43 limits of rockfish (430) and 43 limits of lingcod (86) to 25 pounds,” said Smith.

On August 18, Smith reported “amazing fishing and flat calm weather” at Rittenburg Bank. The two boats took a combined 45 limits of jumbo rockfish (450), 45 limits of lingcod (90) to 25 pounds and 350 sanddabs.

In addition to the abundant rockfish and lingcod populations, Rittenburg’s ecosystem is also known for its high density of deep coral and sponge species.

The fishing along the Marin County Coast has also been very good when the boats can’t get to the offshore bank to fish.

On Smith’s last trip to the coast, the California Dawn 2 returned with 18 limits of rockfish (180) and 18 limits of lingcod (36) to 20 pounds. Smith plans to begin trips for bluefin tuna during the first week in September, weather permitting.

Fishing for rockfish and lingcod has also been productive for kayak anglers. Oscar Whitney of Berkeley recently launched his kayak in the surf on a relatively calm day at Muir Beach and caught a total of 5 brown rockfish, 2 gopher rockfish, 1 grass rockfish and a 24-inch lingcod while fishing shallow water.

On another August fishing adventure, Whitney caught three brown rockfish while fishing a white swimbait from his kayak, he reported during a trip I made to Muir Beach.

Retention of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) is now prohibited statewide in both the recreational and commercial fisheries.

The CDFW also announced that as of Aug. 21, the 50-fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line for the Northern Groundfish Management Area (GMA), from the California/Oregon state line to Cape Mendocino, is now in effect.

To meet harvest goals, the recreational groundfish fishery is subject to in-season regulatory changes. Stay informed by visiting CDFW’s summary of recreational groundfish fishing regulations webpage before fishing.

San Joaquin River/Sacramento River Stripers: Mark Wilson, striper fishing expert, reported solid fishing on his latest trolling adventures in the Delta.

On a trip Thursday, August 17, Wilson, Rene Villanueva of Elk Grove and Villanueva’s friend, Brian, caught 13 keeper stripers, keeping six fish and releasing the rest. They also released one undersized fish.

“The biggest fish weighed 7 pounds,” Wilson stated. “The rest of the fish were a smaller grade of fish in the 3 to 4 lb. range. We fished the San Joaquin River by the Antioch Bridge on the outgoing tide and the West Bank of the Sacramento River below Rio Vista on the incoming tide. We hooked everything on deep-running Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows in 14 to 16 feet of water.”

“Just about everybody has been catching stripers,” added Wilson. “Some guys spooning in the San Joaquin from Santa Clara Shoals to Broad Slough have been hooking stripers on Blade Runner spoons.”

Pardee Lake Kokanee: This Mother Lode reservoir continues to kick out kokanee limits for trollers. Nate Kelsch of Big Nate’s Guide Service reported great kokanee fishing at Pardee on his latest trip there.

“My clients Art and Bill are always a blast, and today was no different, as we talk a lot of smack back and forth especially when fish are lost, and, oh boy, were there some lost fish today,” Kelsch stated. “I didn't keep track, but let's just say there were more lost in battle than their limits that we wrapped up around 10:30 a.m.”

“We caught fish as shallow as 25 ft. and as deep as 70 ft.,” he said “The fish are definitely structure oriented and are partial to Paulina Peak Top Gun spinners behind Big Eye and Performer dodgers. The fish are still in great shape.”

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Lingcod and rockfish fishing sizzles from Marin Coast to Rittenberg Bank