Despite the muscular south swell that rolled through the bay this week, fishing remains very strong. Early morning conditions couldn’t be better especially with the heavy marine layer we’ve enjoyed all week while the rest of the country sweltered in 100 degree-plus temperatures. A few of our kayak fishing brethren checked in with a report about weekend fishing from one of the pocket beaches in Carmel. The south swell was still significant so it was not the most comfortable conditions for the small kayaks. A brisk current moved them along nicely though, so they covered a lot of territory without having to paddle much. The group reported ling cod and rockfish limits for only a few hours of fishing while enjoying the cooling fog.

Anglers working out of Moss Landing seem to be concentrating on halibut these days. It’s no wonder as the halibut bite is just getting better and better all around the bay, with flatties up to 30 pounds reported caught this week. There are a number of techniques for catching halibut including trolling and throwing swimbaits. Most anglers love drifting with live bait the best. And, there’s plenty of bait available right now. Small blooms of squid spawning still pop up here and there, but the dominant baitfish right now are anchovies. One Moss landing angler found a big anchovy bait ball in front of Pajaro on his last go-out. "There are lots of small schools of Spanish mackerel/herring/sardines spread out. Perfect halibut size,” he reported.

JT Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz Charters knows the right halibut spots to hit around Santa Cruz. His clients on Tuesday were all in for a halibut hunt. Thomas reported, “We fished with Steve Parker and his sons. They wanted halibut so that's what we fished for. Limits for everyone.” On Wednesday the prey was rockfish for Go Fish clients. "Today we went catching. Our party of six landed a nice ling cod, a Petrale sole and limits of quality rock fish including reds, browns, blues and canaries,” Thomas said. Six-pack charter Santa Cruz Coastal with Rodney Armstrong at the helm reported similar success this week on the Knot Alone, saying in regards to Monday’s trip, “Today the rockfish was still as good as it gets. We also had three keeper lingcod and a couple short ones.”

Surfcasting remains very productive from just about any beach around Monterey Bay. Barred surf perch are still the main targets, and sandcrabs are still the best bait. Using sandcrabs might also result in an explosive grab from one of the increasing number of striped bass while on the hunt.