Mendocino Canyon Area

[Tuna Chaser]

I work in Afghanistan as a security advisor and have had a lot of time on my hands sitting around in my Hooch looking at possible areas to fish when I finish here and come home for good.  I have been looking at the Mendocino Canyon area for sometime now and was wondering if anyone has fished this area before and have they done any good as well as what your target species was that you caught.  I have been playing with a chart program I purchased a while ago and the Mendocino Canyon area seems to have all the attributes I have been looking for a possible night drift area for who knows what.  Can someone tell me the distance from Humboldt Bay or the next closest port if that would be too far.  I’m still trying to learn this program, but getting distances has been difficult to figure out thus far. 

[onokai]

Without getting a chart out my guess is 25+ miles south of Eureka
Its below the cape and can be one of the hardest places to get back from when the wind blows from the northwest. One of the windiest spots on the whole Cal coast is Punta Gorda which is near the canyon
which also make it a tough spot to access-you have to pick your days and its all weather dependent
more than most spots. They call it the lost coast for that reason as its hard to get to. You can get to it from Shelter cove but thats around Punta Gorda which is where wind is born
Mark

[Tuna Chaser]

Thanks Mark.  I was thinking of hitting the 100 fathom and deeper parts of the canyon just to see what is there.  The fact that it's hard to get to and fish just makes it all the more appealing.  Have you fished there and if so, what did you catch?

Mike

[onokai]

Fished inside for halibut 150-200 feet if I recall-also fished 20-30 miles outside for tuna-That area seems to always have some warm tuna currents in summer and many of us make the long runs down during clam weather-that area can rip with currents and get nasty right away. Its all dependent on the seas surface temps at the time. Mark

[Tuna Chaser]

Thanks again Mark.  The more I look at this area, the better I like it.  Finally figure out this chart program and I have been really checking out all those deep water canyons on the way to Shelter Cove.  I have also been checking out the Sat-Tagged Swordfish and Bluefin migration patterns from another website.  If the water temps are still up in October and November, this is deffenately going to be a place worth checking out if, like you said, the weather stays nice enought to make the treck down from Humboldt Bay or up from Shelter Cove.  With all the large squid that have been around the last few years and the direct access to the deep ocean right off the coast, something has to be traveling through there.  

[bigbert2]

we  used commercial fish down there   if you can find the right high spots  out  deep  there are tons of huge ling cod  and  deep water reds  there   but as was  said  b-4  its  where wind is made   it can be pee flat off of eureka  and  blowin 30  down there  so keep in tune  with the bouy reports  not the forcast[lol]  being about 20 miles farther offshore  the currents there are  much different  good luck   return  safe  so you can get there   Big Bert

[Tuna Chaser]

Thanks Burt.  I appreciate the concern and I'll make it home just fine.  That Taliban hasn't been born yet.  I'm too old and too stubborn to allow anyone to collect the reward without a lot of effort  LOL.  I appreciate the info on the area and I can't wait to get there and try it out. The more I study the area, the more appealing it looks.  If the conditions are right, like an (El Nino?), it would only make since to have Swords and other large Politics’ passing through.