After a few days of decent weather last week and over the weekend, salmon anglers on Monterey Bay were just getting tuned in. Pickings remained slim, and skunks remained a common complaint. Some exceptionally good anglers (and some lucky ones) were bringing home limits, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Conditions degraded at the beginning of this week as another storm passed over our area bringing rain and stiff winds. 

Salmon anglers from Monterey were finding the fish just north of town, near Mulligan’s Hill and the Soldier’s Club. Scores were low, with an occasional limit reported. The salmon are getting bigger however, as the season slowly progresses. Moss Landing anglers chasing salmon don’t have far to travel. Straight out of the Harbor along the canyon edges in 250-300 feet, they’re finding the fish by trolling deep, right on the bottom. This is likely due to the unseasonably warm surface waters. If the main canyon is not producing it’s a short boat ride to the Pajaro Hole to the north, or Mulligan’s Hill to the south in order to find fish. The Soquel Hole has produced most salmon for Santa Cruz anglers. Boats traveling up towards Davenport and the Pigeon Point area were mostly returning with blanks last week, but it seems a bite was developing in that area just before the storm hit. According to Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine, “There were a few better scores on salmon near Davenport. Anglers near Three Trees also caught a few salmon.”

Rockfishing out of Monterey is phenomenal right now. It’s early enough in the season that lingcod are abundant, even on the shallow 30 to 70-foot reefs. Many of the lings are shorts, though they all provide great action. The deeper reefs are a better target these days for bigger fish and quicker limits. From Point Pinos down to Point Sur, there are a myriad of reefs in the 250-400 foot depths holding big red vermilion, canary and chili peppers. A good number of large bocaccio are reported from those same areas. Boats launching from Capitola and Santa Cruz are finding very productive rockfishing, with limits almost guaranteed. The deepwater reefs are producing best for larger fish and quicker limits. Halibut season is early this year. The smaller males are already on the beach and biting for pier fishermen in Santa Cruz and Capitola.

Surfcasting has been a hit-or-miss proposition. Weather conditions didn’t help, and the fish are really on the move. There are plenty of sandcrabs all around the bay, it’s mostly a question of being in the right place at the right time. Reports indicate the most consistent surfcasting successes are coming from the central beaches of the bay, from Marina, Salinas Rivermouth and Pajaro River areas.