Local anglers still found afternoon winds to be a nuisance last week. The mornings were very fishable however, and an increasing number of rockfish and halibut were caught close by. Fishing for salmon remained spotty but most have high hopes for a better bite in the near future.

When all else fails, going for rockfish and lingcod is the closest to a "sure thing" that we have going for us recently. Though the water is still fairly cold, rockfish are definitely on the chew, and one need not travel far for quick limits. Out front of the Santa Cruz Harbor between the Mile Buoy and Black's Point has been very productive of late. Bolina and gopher rockfish are hitting on shrimp fly jigs, swimbaits and occasionally on irons. Of course bait is working well, including squid, anchovies, sardines or herring.

The charter boat skippers concentrated on rockies last week as the salmon bite slowed. Captain Jimmy Charters reported early limits on Sunday. The Becky Ann bagged 50 rockfish for the five anglers aboard, fishing near Natural Bridges in 80-120 feet of water. Gerry Brookes on the Doble fished every day since last Thursday, and had limits to report as well. Working the same area as Captain Jimmy, Brookes noted blues, olives, vermillion and high-grade black rockfish coming over the rail. The reefs near Capitola are producing as well. Ed Burrell from Capitola Boat and Bait informed us of "dozens" of smaller rockfish and lingcod released from his rental skiffs, and a good number of nice Bolinas and lingcod retained by his anglers.

Halibut fishing is getting better in Capitola as well, according to Burrell. Most were caught in between the Sponge Bob buoy and the Mile Reef area. The local hot spot for flatties has been the flat sand areas in front of the harbor. A steady stream of halibut are being hooked in that area ranging from shorts to 25-pounders. Whole squid is working well, though a few anglers rely solely on swimbaits, and are doing quite well, some even bringing in daily limits.

According to Mike Baxter from The Let's Go Fishing Radio Show, salmon are steadily trickling into Monterey Bay. "We're finally seeing the fish moving up from the Avila Beach area, where they've been holding for the past month. The fish are coming around the corner at Point Pinos, feeding near Mulligan Hill for a while, and then moving closer to Santa Cruz. The Pajaro Hole and the East Side of the Soquel Hole would be good places to look for salmon this weekend."