threadfin shad

Fish in the Bay – March 2025. Baby Fishes & Interesting Oddballs

The Shaduary Shad population explosion ended by early March.  Only a small remnant of stragglers remained in the area.  Unfortunately,...

Fish in the Bay – Special Report: Lower South Bay Broodstock Trawls, Jan 2025 – Return to Oz.

Longfin Smelt Broodstock trawls continued over numerous days through January, February, and even into the first weeks of March.  I...

Fish in the Bay – Special Report: Suisun Bay Broodstock Trawls, December 2024.

I accompanied the UC Davis crew on a “Longfin Smelt Broodstock” trawling expedition in north San Francisco Bay in December...

Fish in the Bay – February 2025. Shaduary Continues.

Good news? Or Bad News?  Shad population explosion has spilled over into February.  January counts broke previous records: 533 American...

Fish in the Bay – January 2025 Part 2. Other Bugs & Fishes.

This second part covers additional fishes and bugs that were not included in the January report.   1. Colorful Clupeiforms.  Wintertime...

Fish in the Bay – January 2025. Crappie Shaduary!

January 2025 was a very disappointing month for Longfin Smelt.  Longfin spawning season started well enough.  November and December numbers...

Fish in the Bay – Merry Fishmas, 2024!

Merry Fishmas everyone!  I fell horribly behind in my fish reporting, so I am combining Fishmas with the November blog. ...

September 2024 Part 2: Goby Faces, Halibut Eyes, Clupeiform Colors, etc.

September report continued … 1. Gobies & Sculpin. Something odd is happening in Goby World.  All numbers were down compared...

Fish in the Bay – February 2024, Freshwater Flush & a Later Red Tide.

February trawls were conducted on 10 and 11 February just after two atmospheric rivers dumped a good amount of rain. ...

Fish in the Bay – March 2023, Freshwater Flushing & Spawning Fishes!

Atmospheric rivers and rainwater flushing continued through March.  This extended rainy season is a very welcome change after at least...

Fish in the Bay – February 2023, Freshwater Flushing Continues.

Cold rain continued to fall as Atmospheric Rivers blew in from the ocean throughout January and February, and even through...

Fish in the Bay – January 2023, Part 2 – The Rest of the Fishes.

Part 2 of the January report covers all the other interesting fishes and bugs.  Seven atmospheric river storms that swept...

Fish in the Bay – January 2021, part 1: Winter Fishes = Longfin, Shad, Herring, & Anchovy(?).

Trawl map. Good news first:  1126 Anchovies! That is the biggest January catch of Anchovies since 2014.  465 Longfin Smelt...

Fish in the Bay – January 2020: The Longfin Chronicles, Part 3.

Longfin trawl results from January 2nd & 3rd. Operation “Save Our Smelt” 2020/21, week three.  By this point, over 100...

Fish in the Bay – December 2020: The Longfin Chronicles, Part 2.

Longfin trawl results from December 27th& 28th. Longfin Smelt Broodstock Collection. Operation “Save Our Smelt” 2020/21 continued through the last...

Fish in the Bay – March 2020: Spring Spawns – Part 1

I am social-isolating and self-sheltering to maximum extent possible. Yet another naturally-mutated virus popped up and potentially threatens to mow...

Fish in the Bay – January 2020: Part 2, More Winter Bugs & Fishes.

Full Moon and perihelion.   As mentioned in Part 1, we were experiencing the second or third highest-high tide of the...

Fish in the Bay – January 2020: Part 1, Pregnant Sculpin, Saltwater Oddballs, and a Shad Experiment.

Trawl map. Full Moon and perihelion.   The Moon set at sunrise as we launched on Saturday.  The combination of full...

Fish in the Bay – December 2019, Special Report: Brown Shad after Bomb Cyclones & Atmospheric Rivers.

Hello again everyone.  If you live in the Bay Area you are aware that we had a lot of rain...

Fish in the Bay – October 2019, UC Davis Trawls – Winter Fish Arrivals & a goby surprise.

I joined the UC Davis trawls on both days of this October’s trawling weekend.  … Fish are on the move! ...

Fish in the Bay – March 2019, UC Davis Trawls – Fish & bug New Year?

March fish report:  Atmospheric rivers and freshwater flushing continue to influence critters in the Bay.  I am coming to the...