After a fairly decent salmon opener on Monterey Bay, mother nature decided to send some vexation to all those suffering from salmon fever. Kings were scattered across the bay last week with scores ranging from skunks to full limits of fish of up to 30 pounds. Sadly, fishing conditions deteriorated as last week progressed. Heavy winds created wind swells up to 10 feet and made it impossible to fish. Prior to the winds, catching salmon on the Monterey Bay was quite a decent proposition. Most boats mustered one or two fish, others caught a fish per rod and even limits for some.

As this current week opened, conditions calmed down, especially in the mornings. Monday’s salmon fishing was good, and each day it got better and better. Rodney Armstrong from Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing Charters counted salmon limits on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. On Tuesday he said, “Just four of us today. We were done in 20 minutes.  Some of the most wide open fishing I've seen. Trying to get rods out of the water because we were done and they were still biting. Had to catch and release a few.” Wednesday’s fishing was just as good if not better for Armstrong who reported, ”Today was one of the best bites I've ever witnessed.  We had the client limits of 12 fish by 7:45am, and then got our crew limits (four) not too long after.”

The salmon are still spread across the bay, with the best bite centering on Mulligan’s Hill near Moss Landing and the Soquel Hole area. Chris’ Fishing Trips from Monterey is averaging more than a fish per rod while mooching, which indicates the bait and the salmon are grouping up nicely. Many anglers from Moss Landing and Santa Cruz headed north towards Davenport to find wide-open fishing in that area. JT Thomas on the Miss Beth counted quick limits while fishing somewhere “north of the Soquel Hole.” Tuesday’s report from JT said, “We are starting to feel sorry for our deckhand.  JP had to clean, filet and bag fourteen King Salmon.  Yesterday it was sixteen salmon!” On Wednesday the hits just kept on coming for JT and company. “Today we landed twelve nice king salmon. Lost one to a sea lion. Threw back one shaker. We were back at the dock by 11am,” JT reported.

There’s plenty of feed in the bay, mostly anchovies but some schools of sardine as well. Anglers fishing for rock cod are doing well up the coast near Wilder Ranch, and other sources indicate the deeper reefs off West Cliff Drive and the South Rock area provided great rockfishing this week also. The Capitola area is still holding lingcod on its deeper reefs and an increasing number of halibut were reported caught from 50-70 feet of water in that area. The Mile Buoy area in 60-70 feet of water is providing some halibut action as well. Live bait is very available for jigging from the shallows. Anchovies are here in force as well as small smelt, perfect halibut bait for the drifters. Bounce-balling with a dodger and hoochie is always a good bet for the big flatties as well.

Surfcasters are finding the perch bite improving on most beaches around the bay. Most perch reported are barred surf perch in the 8-14-inch range, but quite a few walleyes are also biting. The walleye perch are usually a bit smaller than the BSP’s, but seem to school more closely and grab the bait more readily than the BSP’s. Rumors are beginning to percolate about a number of small stripers caught surfcasting from the more central beaches of Monterey Bay.