Local anglers both recreational and commercial are still coming to grips with the loss of salmon season for 2008. In years past, even when numbers were low and salmon fishing was spotty, each angler at least had the option of trying a different area for fish. Commercial boats would commonly travel north, occasionally for weeks at a time, to take advantage of migrating schools of salmon. This year is shaping up to allow no such latitude, though rumor has it a few short periods of salmon fishing may still be in the offing. We will know more once the PFMC meetings are concluded on April 11 in Seattle, Washington. In the meantime, most sport anglers will be trying for halibut on the flat sandy areas of our coast, and waiting for rockfish season, which opens May 1, 2008.

Surfcasters are still doing very well casting from the beaches south of Capitola. We received reports of exceptional fishing near the cement ship earlier in the week for walleye and barred surfperch. Anglers using grubs and even flycasters reported " a fish every other cast." This is the season for surfperch, and anglers need to find the right beach conditions of deeper holes or rip currents to locate the schools of feeding perch.

Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait reports action from the Wharf in Capitola this week. Most anglers were seeing a mix of walleye and barred surfperch, though a few rainbow and black perch were brought in as well. A few lucky pier anglers caught starry flounder and two schoolie-sized striped bass were brought over the rail this week in Capitola. Burrell is excited about their new website that debuted this week. The site features fishing photos from the wharf and a regular on the spot fishing report. This will be a good bookmark to add to your browser.

On the open ocean, sanddabs and mackerel are still the best bet. Skipper Ken Stagnaro took 20 clients out on the Velocity Sunday. The anglers aboard fished in 300 feet of water and bagged 180 sanddabs, 90 Spanish mackerel and 75 Pacific mackerel.