Despite heavy wind conditions this week, saltwater fishing in our area is getting better and better. The salmon are still around, rockfish are going on the bite and halibut finally are starting to show in the flat sandy areas of Santa Cruz.

Stagnaro's Sportfishing has been running two boats this year, the flagship Velocity and the Princess. The Princess nailed limits of Olives, Coppers and Vermillion on Sunday, fishing 180 feet of water near Pt Pinos. The Velocity only needed to travel as far as Natural Bridges with a private charter for ?? limits of rockfish.

The six-pack boats are finding similar local limits. The high winds last week were a big factor, keeping anglers away from the productive North Coast reefs. Jim Rubin on the Becky Ann found limits of big Vermillion and Olive rockfish on Monday. Fishing the South Rock area and local reefs near West Cliff, Rubin's group also caught five lingcod weighing up to 12 pounds each. Gerry Brooks from Reel Sportfishing had almost identical reports. His clients caught early limits of rockfish, mostly vermillion, and four lingcod to 121 pounds each.

Brookes is excited and hopeful about our salmon situation as well. He thinks there just might be a new school moving into our waters. On Wednesday morning, Brookes targeted the tip of the Soquel Hole, trolling straight bait for an early-morning double hookup. "We didn't have our line out more than 15 minutes and the fish were on," Brookes chortled. "These were cookie-cutter school salmon, about 10-12 pounds each."

Bayside Marine's Todd Fraser has been reporting a slow, but steady salmon bite all week. Fish were found at the Hole, and a good number were caught in shallow water by anglers trolling near the Mile Buoy in 55-75 feet of water. There are also reports of silver salmon in the mix, so be sure to check your fish before putting them in the box. Fraser also reports a steady halibut bite that seems to be getting better as the season progresses. "The fishing for halibut is still decent for the anglers who are working the area from in front of the Harbor and near Capitola. The halibut were caught trolling the B2 Bomber rig and drifting bait in 45-70 feet of water," Fraser says.

Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait reports 22 and 28-pound halibuts caught near the Mile Reef in Capitola by anglers using squid as bait, but his most exciting news concerns striped bass. Burrell hooked numerous stripers fishing live bait just behind the surfline on Monday. He reports at least six of the fish were "keeper" size, weighing up to 16 pounds, and one that threw the hook weighed at least 20 pounds. Other reports indicate a good surfcasting striper bite from the beaches from Manresa to Pajaro.