To Monterey Bay angler’s delight, El Nino conditions are keeping a good number of exotic fish in the area. There is a downside to the pervasive warm water, however.

In an emergency meeting Thursday, California officials postponed the November 7th recreational Dungeness crab opener due to a persistent algal bloom producing high concentrations of toxic domoic acid. The commercial season, scheduled to open a week later is also postponed.

Commissioners released this statement, ““The California Fish and Game Commission today voted 3-0 in favor of an emergency rulemaking to prohibit recreational take and possession of Dungeness crab and all rock crab from ocean waters, including bays and estuaries, north of the Ventura/Santa Barbara county line. Closure of the fisheries shall remain in effect until the Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), in consultation with the Director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), determines that domoic acid levels no longer pose a significant risk to public health and no longer recommends the fisheries be closed.” This will have an enormous negative impact on recreational and especially commercial crab operations, which is a multi-million dollar fishery for Northern California.

On the positive side, Monterey Bay anglers continue to enjoy a close offshore bluefin tuna bite. The bluefin average 35-65 pounds and are not real easy to catch. Most boats are averaging 1 fish for two trips, if they know what they are doing. Tom Joseph from Fish On Sportfishing has been hunting tuna exclusively for the past four weeks. On Sunday he reported “Today our private charter of two hooked three bluefin and boated two, going 55/65lbs. (On) the third one the hook pulled out. Another great day on the bluefin grounds!”

We’ve not had a good bluefin bite in Monterey Bay since 1997-1998. It is a cyclical occurrence, as noted by our local and esteemed historian Sandy Lydon, who took the time this week to contribute. “The recent appearance of bluefin tuna, as you've been reporting, occurred on almost a regular seven to eight year basis in the old days. The fishermen didn't know anything about El Nino, but they knew when they caught a warm-water fish not typically caught around here. For example, in September of 1915, a Santa Cruz Italian fisherman caught a 355 pound tuna in his nets (described as ‘rarely found this far north’) and then he noted that ‘six or seven years ago’ Cottardo Stagnaro caught 13 of those big fish one night.”

“Well, the ‘six or seven years ago’ was actually eight years prior, in September of 1907 -- when they were catching not only very big -- 300 - 400 pound bluefin, but also barracuda and bonito. I've suggested to Gary Griggs that we don't need satellites or sea surface thermometers to know about El Nino -- just need to ask a fisherman.” Lydon recounted.