Typical Salmon Fishing in Bodega Bay, California

Bodega Bay is in Sonoma County in northern California. It is a popular location with both local and traveling fishermen because of the prized salmon that are caught there. The bay is situated about 50 miles north of San Francisco and about 20 miles west of Santa Rosa, California, which is the nearest metropolitan area.

  1. Seasons

    • Spring and summer are the best times for salmon fishing in Bodega Bay. July 4 through mid-August is usually the peak of the season. The water temperature is normally in the low- to mid-50s during that time of year, although the water temperatures in Bodega Bay can vary from year to year depending on fluxuations in weather and surrounding water temperatures.

    Bait

    • Bodega Bay fishermen use a combination of artificial lures and fresh bait. Hoochies and Apex lures attract salmon because of their resemblance to fish and the way they move through the water. Many Apex lures are shiny, which helps attract the salmon. Hoochies are plastic and have frayed tails that resemble jellyfish. Live bait used to catch salmon in Bodega Bay includes anchovies and herring. Both are small fish, and salmon tend to chase them for food.

    Fishing Tactics

    • Two main tactics are employed in Bodega Bay for salmon fishing. The first method is called trolling. Fishermen troll by casting a line into the water, letting out some slack and slowly propelling the boat forward. This keeps the bait in continuous motion until a salmon eats the bait and is hooked. Salmon mooching is similar to trolling in that the movement of the boat does most of the work. In mooching, the boat is simply drifting, pushed by wind and current. Both methods allow the fisherman to cover a broader area than if they were sitting still.

    Catch Limits

    • The Bodega Bay fishing area has limits on the number and the size of salmon you can keep. Any salmon that do not meet the size requirements must be released back into the bay. Salmon limits can change often, and it is the responsibility of each fisherman to keep up to date on the current limits.