Salmon fishing is still on the slow side, but local anglers report a steady bite close to home at the Soquel Hole. Weather was a negative factor for Tuesday's rockfishing opener as well.

When the salmon are few and far between, trolling usually produces better than mooching or drift fishing. The smaller six-pack charter boats are prepared to fish either technique, and have been finding fish for their clients by trolling in the Soquel Hole area lately. Gerry Brookes on board the Doble did well on Saturday, with four fish to 26 pounds for the four anglers aboard. Jim Rubin on the Becky Ann got two keepers on Sunday weighing 25 and 30 pounds respectively, and was the hot stick Wednesday with four salmon weighing up to 26 pounds each. Both skippers reported numerous hookups of feisty salmon that came unbuttoned before the net. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine says the fishing has been decent for those willing to work hard for their fish. Fraser reminds us to be ready for big fish with heavy leader line and strong hooks. The watchwords for Santa Cruz salmon these days is "quality not quantity."

Rockfish and lingcod season opened on Tuesday from Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to Lopez Point in Monterey. Weather was a factor for the opener, with high winds and cold water keeping fish counts low. Kenny Stagnaro from Stagnaro's Sportfishing traveled to an area north of Davenport, fighting wind and swells all morning. He finally got a good scratch bite going in the afternoon, fishing closer to Santa Cruz, and ended with half-limits for his clients aboard the Velocity. "They were mostly high-quality fish," Stagnaro said. "We had a good mix of Bolinas and vermillion with a few starry red rockfish in the mix. Most of the fish averaged between two to four pounds each." Lucky angler Will Dea from San Jose won the "Weekday Whopper" jackpot on the Velocity Tuesday with a five-pound vermillion, earning himself a free trip for later in the season.

Capitola is showing some promise. Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait reports more undersized halibut have come in from the wharf this week and a group of skiff anglers caught the season's first White Sea Bass on Monday. They were trolling a Krocodile in 50 feet of water straight out from the wharf when the 29-inch Sea Bass hit. Burrell also reports locals Larry Leo and Jojo Urbanic caught limits of grass cod fishing the shallow water near the Capitola kelp beds on Tuesday.

Allen P. Bushnell
Special Projects Coordinator
Crown and Merrill Colleges, UCSC
(831) 459-3780