Many anglers view the Marine Life Protection Act and the Marine Protected Areas generated through the act as a sort of juggernaut, inexorably closing the best fishing spots along our coast, with anglers having little or no say in the matter. This is not entirely true. A number of new closures were instituted in our area last year via the MLPA process, including reserves established at Ano Nuevo and the Pinnacles area near Carmel. The area under scrutiny now is the north-central coast, from Pigeon Point to Alder Creek in Mendocino County.

The North Central Regional Stakeholders Group has been working for nearly a year drafting proposals to forward for implementation by the California Fish and Game Commission. Meetings scheduled for April 22 and 23 in San Rafael will result in a "preferred proposal" being forwarded to the Commission. A broad coalition of anglers and other fishing related interests are rallying to support 2XA as the preferred proposal. 2XA meets all the requirements of the MLPA process and balances with the needs of public user groups, especially recreational anglers.

It is not too late for anglers and others interested in the outcome of this phase of the MLPA process in our state to have their voices heard. Our opinions do count. Personal appearance at the San Rafael meetings for public comment is the best, but letters or emails to the Department of Fish and Game will be received and can have an effect on the MLPA decisions. The DFG provides this address for email comments: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/publiccomments.asp.

For a quick, pre-formatted email in support of proposal 2XA, use this address: http://capwiz.com/keepamericafishing/issues/alert/?alertid=11225626.

Enough politics, now for some fishing news. Locally, the water remains cool but we are seeing some early-season action. Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait was pleasantly surprised this week when a rental skiff returned to the Wharf with two barracuda measuring up to 30 inches. Both were caught near the Mile Reef area on the surface, where a school of barracuda had bait boiling. Burrell also reports the usual springtime black and rainbow perch caught from the wharf, and recommends fishing later in the afternoon for the best bite. Surfcasters working the New Brighton area brought in a few legal stripers this week, and , surprisingly, a few small halibut as well.