APPY NEW YEAR! First on the list if you have not done so yet, is to secure your 2015 fishing license.

And, remember to turn in any report cards such as steelhead for the 2014 season. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife makes it pretty easy to get a license online. Once you've transacted, the DFW will issue a temporary license for your immediate use, while your paper version is received in a week or so.

December 31st also marked the end of RCG Complex fishing in our area. Rockcod, lings and greenlings are off-limnits to boat-based anglers now, until the season opens again in May. We can still fish from the shore for these species, and a few north coast spots as well as the rocky shore of Pacific Grove are proven spots for wintertime shore fishing.

Despite windy and cold conditions, a few hardy souls got out for some last licks on the rockfish. Ken Kaysen and son Tommy, along with Jack Teresi and a couple others took their Tuf Boat to the area near Four-Mile Beach last weekend for limit-style fishing. "We caught 30 gophers, and a few lings. I had two over 20 pounds each caught on live bait," said the younger Kaysen.

Boaters still have Dungeness crab to trap in the meantime. The crabbing is slowing down, but still a very worthwhile pursuit. Over the next month or so, many crabbers will begin to move their pots closer to the middle part of the bay, the big flat areas on the canyon edges seem to produce better later in the season.

Boaters can also look for the abundant sand dabs in the flat sandy areas, and reports from Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine indicate a good concentration of mackerel and sardines are inshore now, close to the Santa Cruz Harbor. Captiola Boat and Bait reports jacksmelt being caught from the wharf there.

Perch fishing has remained very good from nearly all beaches that ring the Monterey Bay. The central areas closer to Moss Landing seem to be producing best, but anglers are catching barred surf perch and calicos at Del Monte Beach in Monterey, as well as the Live Oak beaches in Santa Cruz. Bigger wave days and especially overcast days seem to be the best for the sometimes elusive perch. The quality of perch this year is impressive. Bob Schneider checked in with a full limit of barred perch that weighed over 10 pounds total.

Send your photos, comments or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com