Anglers in Santa Cruz and the entire Monterey Bay region remain blessed with excellent fishing for a wide variety of species. Conditions will be changing soon, though. If you haven't gone out for some angling action, now is the time.

Rockfishing remains steady on the local reefs and is improving along the rocky shores of our North Coast. Ken Stagnaro aboard the Velocity has been working the area towards Wilder's Ranch. Fishing in 80-140 feet of water, Stagnaro reported limits of rockfish on Friday's trip, mostly blacks and yellow rockfish and one legal lingcod. After the whale watching trips Staurday morning, Stagnaro hosted a twilight trip for anglers. "On Saturday 34 people almost limited in an evening half day trip. Our next trips will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

Jim Rubin worked the reefs this week as well. Rubin, aboard the Becky Ann, has caught limits for his clients on every single rockfish trip this year. "It's been really good fishing this year," he says. "We're seeing more big vermilions and big lings right now, and the blacks and blue rockfish are getting bigger as well."

Gerry Brookes on the Doble took the long trip up to Ano Nuevo on Sunday. Careful to stay out of the Marine Protected Area there, Brookes nevertheless scored big time this week. "Today we ran to Ano Nuevo and wrecked the rockcod and lings. (We caught) over 40 Lings but kept only 16 of the biggest for our customers, and of course a couple for the Skipper. The blues, blacks, reds, and white bellies were huge. The weather was fantastic, and that allowed us to put in over 100lbs of fish."

White sea bass are still being caught from the Mile Buoy down to the Cement ship area. Todd Fraser at Bayside marine says finding the squid schools is getting more difficult, but anglers are hooking into the big bass while flylining as well as near the bottom for some. The same areas from 35-75 feet of water continue to produce halibut as well as the occasional salmon.

Albacore fishing was steady this week, for those boats that could make it offshore. Weather and winds were not ideal, but Fraser reports tuna as close as 25 miles from the harbor and adds, "The wind was not bad and the anglers did not have to go too far today (Sunday). The scores ranged from 5-20 fish a boat. The bite was decent in the morning and then it became slow. The anglers who stuck it out into the afternoon ended up with double digits."