The latest atmospheric river storm was not quite as heavy as predicted, but did bring plenty of rain and wind. The waves were not giant, but big enough to pull the crab pots in for a few days and to shut down surfcasting for a while. Tom Niccum from Coyote Bait and Tackle had to hunt for the right spot while fishing on Tuesday. Niccum reported, “My biggest challenge was finding some clean water. All the creeks and rivers were discharging. It looked like chocolate milk.” He did find a beach near Santa Cruz with clear water and, though the fishing was somewhat slow, managed to enjoy multiple hookups using paddle tail grubs for the barred surf perch.

The big charter boats out of Monterey managed a few trips as well for their die-hard clients. J&M Sportfishing counted 82 Dungeness crab and 339 sanddabs on Monday aboard the Chubasco along with five of the larger Petrale sole. The New Horizon took 20 clients out on Sunday who caught 235 ‘dabs and 50 Dungeness for their efforts.

As we approach springtime, , most anglers are wondering what our seasons will look like for 2025. the California Department of Fish and and Wildlife announced this week that rockfish season will open on April 1, but will be limited to the deepwater only. Shelf and slope rockfish can be taken beyond the 50-fathom line only. That’s 300 feet of water and usually takes a bigger boat to get out and back safely and quickly. The beginning of May will likely open up inside that 50-fathom line. 

Salmon season possibilities are still a toss-up. With multiple agencies involved, and the need for updated data for projections, we usually get the word around the beginning of April as to what the ocean salmon season possibilities might be. The public is invited to a CDFW Salmon Information Meeting via webinar on 2/26/25 at 10am. Details for connecting can be found on the DFW Ocean Salmon webpage. This is the start of a process to determine what, if anything, the 2025 saltwater salmon season might look like. Dave Hurley who follows these multi-departmental processes diligently says, “The meeting will provide informational presentations on topics including last year's spawning escapement, estimates of forecasted ocean abundance and management objectives for 2025.” Directed primarily by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, it's a two month process that culminates in the adoption of final regulatory recommendations scheduled for April 15.