Fall is in the air, which in Santa Cruz means it's hot as heck, and windy every afternoon. Despite the sloppy seas later in the day, most mornings have been very fishable, and there's still plenty of catching going on in our area.

Still most exciting for most people is the harbor salmon bite. Anglers continue to fish shoulder to shoulder at the north end of the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor. The bite is not as hot and heavy as in previous weeks, but big salmon are still being hooked on a regular basis. It's worth a bicycle ride or stroll along the upper harbor just to check out the scene. If your timing is right, you might witness a 20-30 pound king salmon netted as the entire crowd cheers. Kudos especially should go to Santa Cruz Harbor officials for patiently maintaining order while keeping the area open for fishing.

Rockfish are on the move. While the area in front of the harbor and out to the Mile Buoy was producing limits all season, that bite is tapering off as the rockfish move deeper. Fall fishing for rockfish and lings usually is best from South Rock to Wilder's Ranch in 70-130 feet of water. Captain Jim Rubin's record of limit-style fishing remains unbroken, as he reports from this week's trip to the West Cliff area. "Saturday and Sunday we had a great group of six anglers each day. Everyone got limits of big blues, blacks and vermilion plus two lingcod up to 10 pounds." Rubin also reminds us it will be Dungeness season soon. The Becky Ann will be running rockfish/crab combo trips starting in November.

Break out the paddles and put on your PFD! After a few years absence, we have a kayak fishing derby once again in Santa Cruz. The Kayak Connection will host the 2013 "Roots" Fishing Derby on September 29 this year. Owners Dave and Jessica Grigsby are offering an Old Town Predator fishing kayak as first prize for the heaviest fish caught. Details and entry forms can be found at http://www.kayakconnection.com.

And finally, apologies and overdue Atta boys go to local angler Joshua Sladwick, pictured above for his 44-pound epic king salmon. To set the record straight, Sladwick caught the fish and Cody Reed netted it. Reed was attributed with the catch in a caption in the Aug. 30 Fish Rap.