CAPTION: Fred Horio took a little ride this week, catching this gorgeous 57-inch sturgeon in glassy South Bay conditions.

Last week heavy storms and giant surf kept all the boats inside the harbor. This week the weather has settled but the harbor entrance is shoaled as a result of the storms. It is very shallow and potentially dangerous for boats to leave or enter the harbor on lower tides. The Santa Cruz Port District Harbormaster has issued a warning to all boats for caution, and advises boaters to contact the Harbor office for current conditions before attempting to navigate the Harbor entrance. Dredging operations are being conducted at this time, according to the Harbormaster's office.

Smaller boats can make it in and out, according to Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy's Sportfishing. His boat, the Becky Ann, is a 31-foot Island Hopper and he managed to sneak out to check crab pots yesterday. After 3 weeks of storms, he reset and baited all his pots and came back to the dock with 15 fat Dungeness crabs as a bonus for the effort. Rubin will be taking a charter this weekend to pursue the "big game" Humboldt Squid. He'll likely search the Soquel Hole area and move to the deep water off Moss Landing if the "Hole" doesn't produce. Rubin also reminds us of an upcoming meeting to discuss Harbor dredging on February 10 at 6:30pm at the Live Oak Senior Center 1777A Capitola Rd, Santa Cruz. All are invited to attend this special meeting of the Port Commission, which will be informational as well as allowing for public input on the topic.

The White Sea bass bite near Monterey harbor disappeared as quickly as it blossomed last week. The storms moved in and the fish moved out. It's nice to know they are still in the area, and if the market squid return to Monterey, we may expect big white sea bass right behind them.

For other big game, our best suggestion this time of year is San Francisco Bay sturgeon. After the rains, anglers are catching the prehistoric fish between the Mothball Fleet and Benicia Bridge, off of China Camp in San Pablo Bay and even in some South Bay regions.

Veteran kayak angler Fred Horio paddled his Ocean Kayak out at the Dumbarton Bridge area on Wednesday in glassy bay conditions. Using grass shrimp for bait, he anchored up in the outgoing tide and waited only an hour before swinging his rod on a small bump. "It felt like some grass was hitting the line or something," Horio said. But it was the real thing. After a short fight, he brought in a beautiful 57-inch dino. Horio predicts the sturgeon fishing is going to get better in the next few weeks, so load up your kayaks, or hitch up the trailer boat for big time action just over the hill.