Fishing is getting better as we move slowly towards the spring season. Surfcasters are successful if they pick the right spot, and offshore fishing is booming, if you don't mind small fish.

Todd Arcaleo from Chris' Sportfishing in Monterey is sending one or two boats out every weekend, as they can gather clients. Once on the water, the skipper will head toward deep water to find schools of mackerel and the delicious sand dab flatfish for the boat. The Checkmate made it out on Sunday with a light load of eight anglers aboard. The group loaded up with 240 sand dabs and 48 Pacific and Spanish mackerel. These fish might not be big, but the numbers are astronomical. On any given trip, an angler can catch more than enough to feed the family and neighbors or stock the freezer for summertime bait.

Perch fishing was tough near Santa Cruz last week. We received few reports of successful surfcasting from the beaches near town. The week featured a large swell, and the surfperch tend to hang outside the breaker line in big surf. On Capitola Wharf though, some of the regulars are using shrimp for a variety of ocean perch. Ed Burrell confirms a few black perch as well as split tail and calico perch were brought over the rail last week. "The guys were working the middle of the wharf later in the afternoon for the fish," Burrell says. A few starry flounder up to 14 inches were also caught from that portion of the wharf last week. Rachel Reed of Santa Cruz entered the Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament this year and won a brand-new rod and reel combo. She used the new rig for surfcasting near Scott's Creek last week and nailed a 15-inch rubber lip perch.

According to reports, the best area for perching last week was below Moss Landing. Jim Franco from Gone Fishin' tackle shop in Sand City says limits are still being caught from the beaches near the old Soldier's Club. "There's also some striper action near Monterey Dunes," Franco added. One customer walked into his shop with three stripers in the five to six-pound range last week. Franco recommends using the Rebel "Jumping Minnow" in bone color, or the "Barney Green and White FishTrap" for the stripers in this area.