Local anglers are celebrating the long-awaited opening of rockfish season today. With the absence of a salmon season this year, the rockcod fishery is doubly important to those that fish the saltwater.

Regulations for 2008 remain the same in our area as last year. Anglers can use only one rod with a maximum of two hooks on their leader. We are still allowed to fish in depths up to 240 feet. Bag and size limits also remain the same, 10 rockfish total. We are allowed two greenlings at a minimum of 12 inches each, and one cabezone at least 15 inches long as part of that 10-fish limit. We are also allowed two lingcod with a minimum size of 24 inches. We can take neither canary nor yellow eye rockfish. All reports indicate the fish are out there. Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy's Sportfishing reports a good number of rockfish being incidentally caught by boaters looking for halibut in the Pleasure Point and Natural Bridges areas.

Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait reports some halibut action from the Wharf this week. "Two legal halibut were caught by anglers using live anchovies from the Capitola Wharf on Tuesday, and Saturday saw another legal come over the rail, this time for an angler using frozen bait." Burrell adds more walleye perch are being caught from the Warf this week and the summertime shiners are beginning to show. In addition, a few striped bass were reported to Burrell this week from the beaches near the Cement Ship.

A good number of schoolie- sized stripers were reported to Mark Dingler at the Angler's Choice Tackle Shop in Capitola this week. Dingler's reports came from the Salinas, Pajaro, Sunset and Moss Landing beach areas. Catch of the week has to go to Dingler's customer Zealand Hunter, age seven, who caught a twenty-eight inch halibut from the beach at Capitola using a Zoom fluke bait.