"The commercial guys were fishing in 1,500 feet of water, fishing 300 feet down and catching salmon at a time when we should have been fishing in 300 feet of water and catching fish in 50 feet of water."

As for the size of this year's run, only educated guesses can be made at this time -- as always.

Nonetheless, at the worst, a below-average run will occur. No one is predicting a banner run.

"Based on what we saw in the river three and four years ago, I think we had a decent escapement," said Squires.

"Not a great one, but a decent one, which would equate to at least a sustainable population in the ocean."

Unlike the river, which holds mostly three- and four-year-old fish, the ocean is made up of four years of size-classes, all mixed together. It's rare to catch first-year fish. However, second-year fish -- known as shakers -- tend to run 18 to 22 inches.

Third-year fish typically run 10 to 15 pounds. Four-year salmon historically run 20 to 30 pounds, depending on feed in the ocean.

"There's the potential for larger-than-average-size salmon this year in the ocean," said Squires.

"I believe some of the salmon stayed in the ocean and didn't go up the river in 2006, which means those fish could have put on a lot of extra weight."

When you're getting geared up, don't fret over the closure threat that loomed last year. Those were intended to protect Klamath River salmon. The runs that swim under the Golden Gate and head up into the Feather, Yuba, American, Merced, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mokelumne and Sacramento rivers are in good shape.

Late-winter storms can keep salmon anglers grounded and inside the Golden Gate. But in mid-May, weather patterns stabilize and water conditions improve.

The good news is that in late May and early June, anglers can find salmon north and south of the Golden Gate. To find those salmon, you'll have to find the bait first.

It's a challenge to predict where they'll be in May because they move around in search of bait. And there's normally lots of bait available.

Here are a few areas that can be productive this time of year:

• South to southwest of the Farallon Islands
• Duxbury Reef
• Point Reyes is also a possibility for good fishing.