Fishing remains very strong on Monterey Bay, and for a wide variety of species. We’re following a fairly normal pattern for late-summer fishing. The weather is calming down with no significant ground swells for a couple weeks now. The winds have been somewhat gusty, but generally low, with nice calm mornings and a growing tendency to ease off towards sunset. The biggest factor in this equation is the presence of an immense amount of bait in the bay. Mostly anchovies, the bait schools cover broad swaths of water from the beaches out to deep water. Locals and tourists alike are marveling at the masses of shearwaters, gulls, terns and pelicans massing just offshore as they feed on the giant anchovy schools. We’ve had only a few squid spawns lately, but even frozen squid is guaranteed to get a bite. Also present in big numbers are big jacksmelt, white croakers (kingfish) and an increasing number of mackerel. It’s no wonder then, that our predatory gamefish are on the bite right now. It’s like a buffet out there.

The halibut bite remains strong and steady and spreads from the beach out to 80 feet of water. The bite seems to have shifted from Pajaro/Capitola last week to Capitola/Mile Buoy in Santa Cruz this week. Private boaters Mike and Fisher Baxter along with Zach Collett took an afternoon drift last Friday through the Capitola area. They went sporting, using light gear and swimbaits on the drift. Results were spectacular and the action was hot. Many of the halibut caught were small, just barely legal. The larger specimens measured up to 30 inches. Practicing safe catch and release, the boys hooked nearly 30 fish, and kept their limits of two fish each. In Monterey, the halibut reports keep coming in from various locations centering mostly on the DelMonte Beach area. Look for calm clear water over a clean sandy bottom and it’s likely there are halibut there right now.

Surfcasters using GULP! Sandworms, grubs and small lures are catching barred surf perch by the dozens at nearly every beach along the bay. A few striped bass make their way into the reports, with the best bite mostly centering on beaches south of Moss Landing. One 14-pounder was caught from Main Beach in Santa Cruz this week by an angler casting a popper lure. With calm inshore waters, halibut are cozying up close to the beach. New Brighton and Seacliff Beaches in Santa Cruz are good spots to cast for flatties. A dropper-loop rigged white fluke seems to be the most productive technique for enticing these halibut to bite. Swim baits, KastMasters, Krokodiles and smaller stickbaits like the Lucky Craft 110 in an anchovy pattern can also work well. Tidal flow seems to have a great effect on these close-in halibut. Each location is a bit different, some better on the high tide, some better on the low.