The ocean remains cool and afternoon winds are kicking up whitecaps. The stiff winds promote nutrient-rich upwelling off our coast. Perfect conditions for the salmon we cannot pursue. The realization is sinking in now; we will enjoy no sport salmon fishing in California this year. As a result, local anglers are even more eagerly awaiting the opening of rockfish season, scheduled for Thursday, May 1.

Rules and regulations for 2008 rockfish, cabezone and greenling complex (RCG) fishing will remain the same in our area as last year. Other regions along the coast have adjusted rules, including depth limits, so be careful and check your regs before dropping your lines. Early halibut hunters are already reporting incidental by-catch and release of quality rockfish and lingcod from the Santa Cruz Harbor area, and the flat sandy areas near South Rock off Lighthouse Point. With luck, the rockfish will prove abundant this year.

Though no legal halibut have been reported yet for the season, a surprising number of short flatties are being landed from the beaches below Pleasure Point. Mark Dingler at The Angler's Choice Tackle Shop targeted flatfish from the beaches this week. Before he was driven in by rising tides, Dingler managed to hook two short halibut using small white fluke swimbaits. A number of perch surfcasters using grubs or GULP sandworms have reported short halibut coming in from the beaches closer to the Cement Ship in Aptos.

Perch fishing remains consistent from the beaches south of Capitola, according to Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait. "We had one barred surf perch pulled in from the surfline at the Wharf this week that measured a full 17 inches," Burrell enthused. He adds that shrimp bits are still working well for the black and rainbow perch from the wharf.

Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine chimed in this week with a report of an unusual catch. A Santa Cruz angler identified only as "Brenden" pulled in a sevengill shark from the beach at New Brighton. He was drifting a dead sardine in shallow water off the beach when he hooked the 35-pound sevengill, a species more commonly located in San Francisco Bay.