All conditions point to a good salmon season opener, and area anglers are gearing up the big day next week.

If you haven't done so already, now is a good time to check your boat's operating systems, including safety, navigation and radio equipment. Nothing is worse than having the boat conk out on the way to the fishing grounds.

When the season opens on April 7, salmon might be found anywhere in the 150-400 feet of water range, but a couple areas look especially promising. Anglers in pursuit of mackerel recently have been catching and releasing king and silver salmon from the Soquel Hole area down to Moss Landing. That area features giant bait balls of anchovies and sardines. According to Ed Burrell from Capitola Boat and Bait, skippers transiting the area report big haystacks of bait in 140-200 feet of water. Burrell has received reports of good fish marks on the edges of the bait. Those fish are salmon, and with the consistent bait we've seen over the winter, the salmon should stick around for a very good opening week.

Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy Charters has similar reports from the Three Trees to Davenport areas. Big bait balls, dark "salmon" water and feeding whales along with good fish marks on his sonar indicate this area as a logical place to begin the salmon hunt for the season.

Ideally, ongoing conditions will include regular strong afternoon winds that create upwelling and keeping the bait in place. As Skipper Ken Stagnaro quips, "For salmon, northwest is best." Stagnaro notes we have experienced lots of northwest winds lately, which bodes well for the upcoming season. Stagnaro will be running two boats this year: the flagship Velocity as well as the Princess, which is here from Morro Bay but will be operated by a local crew.

Perhaps the best positive salmon indicator this week is the rare appearance of a huge group of Orcas in the Monterey Bay. Estimated at between 20 to 40 whales, these orcas are a distinct pod and are feeding on salmon, unlike the transient orcas we occasionally see in the Bay that feed mainly on marine mammals.