Ocean swells continued to have a significant impact on fishing forays on the Monterey Bay this week. While not giant as was last week’s swell, waves have persisted in the five to eight-foot range, and are forecast to go above 10 feet this weekend before subsiding Monday. The big conditions slow everything down, and that is reflected in a significantly lower catch rate.

Still, there are fish, and crab to be had for those determined enough to go out and get them. Sunday’s trip aboard the Go Fish Santa Cruz Charter’s six-pack Miss Beth proved this point. Skipper Jim Rubin had laid out 15 crab pots in 180-220 feet of water, just up the coast from Santa Cruz. In bumpy seas and low-visibility fog Rubin and deckhand “Joker” methodically located each pot, pulled it up, re-baited and dropped it back. A couple pots were empty. One or two had up to six crab. Most had only one or two Dungeness for the overnight soak.

Luckily, it doesn’t take more than a crab or two for a full meal, and all clients went home happy, especially after finishing the day drifting the reefs near Natural Bridges for rockfish. Rubin and crew found dozens of small blue rockfish and a few larger bottom fish, including one beautiful vermilion. Monterey area anglers tell pretty much the same story. Randy’s Fishing Trips reported half limits of rockfish and 63 Dungeness crab for their weekend trip aboard the Chubasco. They also caught four lingcod and a bonus halibut. Chris’ Fishing Trips are also running crab combo trips from Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. On Chris’ boats they are averaging about five crab per angler with half-limits of rockfish for the gunny sacks.

Surfcasting reports are few and far between. High surf makes it difficult to find fish, and also creates kelp and seagrass soup that is sometimes impossible to fish through. As the big waves continue, nearshore water is cleaning up, however. Feisty surfperch are still biting for those who find clean water around high tide, especially an outgoing high tide.

Remember, for perch you do not have to cast past the furthest breaking waves. Look for the areas where incoming whitewater “backs off.” This signifies a deep spot, hole or trough that could well be holding feeding perch or striped bass. Also, it’s getting near the time when Monterey Bay rivers breach the dunes and open once again to the ocean. When that happens, striper fishing as well as perch fishing can take off.