Weather and sea conditions along the Monterey Bay are finally starting to cooperate with avid anglers on both sides of the Bay. Winds have been moderate and the swell has dropped, making fishing more comfortable and more productive.

Tom Dolan from Monterey Bay Charters said it best last Saturday. “‪Yay! The big bad swell is gone! ‪These young ladies age 13 to 23 took over today and brought in BIG vermilions to five pounds. Came home with 3/4 limits of olive, blue, brown, china and red pacific snapper. About 80 pounds of fish. Not bad considering these gals have never fished on the ocean before today,” Dolan reported.

Monterey boats continue to rack up perfect scores of rockfish and/or lingcod as well. Chris’ Fishing Trips seems to be concentrating on the bigger lings. The Check Mate reported ½ to full limits of rockfish on three trips this week, with limits of lings on each trip. We are allowed to keep 10 rockfish but only three lingcod as a daily bag limit, but the lingcod are bigger, providing more pounds of fish and a much more exciting fight.

Salmon fishing remains hit or miss on the bay. Salmon schools are scattered, with the most consistent area for success being the Soquel Hole. According to Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine, a few kings were caught near Natural Bridges this week in 220 feet of water as well. All the salmon are being caught by anglers fishing deep.

It’s been a long wait, but California halibut are finally beginning to show in the near shore areas. Flat sandy areas close to some sort of structure is the best bet for these flatfish. Reports came in from Capitola, the Mile Buoy area, Lighthouse Point and the West cliff Kelp region in Santa Cruz for halibut. Monterey anglers have found a few of the big flatfish near “the Hotel” at the end of Del Monte Beach. Just north of Moss Landing, the Pajaro Pipeline area has kicked out a number of halibut in the past few weeks as well as an occasional white sea bass.

The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is holding its annual membership meeting tonight, Friday June 10, 2016 at the Aptos Grange Hall at six p.m. The event will feature a guest lecture and refreshments as well as voting for the Board of Directors. Attendance is open to all. As renowned angler and Salmon and Trout Project director Mike Baxter says, “Fishermen can be conservationists and good stewards of the local watershed. Supporting MBSTP is a way to express that stewardship.”