Weather and sea conditions continue to change rapidly in Monterey Bay. Nearshore water temperatures have dropped to more “normal” levels, measuring in the mid-fifties. Anglers are still enjoying the pursuit of some transient southern species however, with barracuda and bonito caught this week near Capitola and Moss Landing. Sadly, the close offshore bluefin tuna seem to have disappeared. Fishing for rockcod and lingcod remains steady when the weather cooperates while white sea bass are still feeding on spawning squid along the North Coast near Davenport.

Aviv Ben-Dashan from The Kayak Connection in Santa Cruz found good bonito fishing about 10 miles from Moss Landing on Saturday. Ben-Dashan caught three bonito on the troll, the largest weighing 10 pounds. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine also fielded reports of bonito biting in 200 feet of water near the Soquel Hole.

In Monterey, the charter boats were challenged early in the week with windy and sloppy conditions. By Thursday both Chris’ Fishing Trips and Randy’s reported full limits of rockfish for their trips. Chris’ Check Mate also bagged lingcod limits on Thursday.

Both sport and commercial crabbing remain closed due to the toxic domoic acid levels present in the crustaceans. Sadly, no end is in sight for the closure. The latest information from California Department of Fish and Wildlife states the Dungeness and rock crab fishery will remain closed “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.”

On a positive note, the DFW also is inviting all stakeholder to a “groundfish management” meeting. We may see some liberalization of rockfishing in the next couple years. The DFW says “Several new groundfish stock assessments conducted in 2015 show some previously overfished stocks have been restored, possibly allowing for increased fishing opportunities.” Anyone interested can attend a local meeting on January 6 in Monterey at the California Fish and Wildlife Office, 20 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 100, Monterey, CA.

As we head towards winter, surfcasting becomes more and more productive. Already we are seeing good numbers of barred surf perch caught from most the beaches ringing Monterey Bay. Anglers fishing the beaches close to Moss Landing, Salinas and Pajaro river mouths, and near Carmel are also reporting occasional striper runs. When perch fishing, it pays to be ready with you heavier gear just in case the bass start to boil.