Spring San Francisco Bay Fly Fishing Report

Apr 23, 2019

Written by George Revel

Capt. Kevin DeGulis reports on 4.23.19

The San Francisco Bay is started fishing well in early March. LCO teammate Will, and I checked out Crissy Field at a Low tide on March 13th, 2019, we were able to wrangle a smaller California halibut., this seemed to mark the start of the season.

The past month has been excellent for schoolie size striped bass from shore, places like Marin and Crissy field have been our top producers, but I am sure the entire bay has filled in.

It has been a struggle to be 100% consistent at Crissy Field, that beach is so fragile, but Tides, do play a significant role in the sucess rate. After looking deep into my daily notes, outgoing vs. incoming tides have been about even. The latter part of the incoming hasn’t produced.

But the beginning of the incoming tide has been on fire. So chose the part of the flow wisely, remember on the west coast we have semidiurnal mixed tides, a type of tidal pattern that experiences two high tides, two low tides, two flood currents, two ebb currents in one 24 hr and 50 minute period.

Due to water levels being significantly different, tides are different, as is the water level of two lows. I have come up with a term that might help “tide within a tide” meaning in a 6ft tidal swing the fish might only choose to feed for an hour instead of entire four. In summary, find the time of the tide they are most likely feeding.

Enough about tides lets talk size of fish! The past three weeks have been schoolies, but last Friday Tyler LCO ambassador stuck a 32-inch striped bass off Crissy Field. Just like last year, this is the mark that big fished have arrived.