Monterey Bay anglers enjoyed another week of decent fishing. Besides a few rain showers, and a day or two of south winds, the weather was generally cooperative. Most important, there are fish in the bay and they are biting.

By no means is it “lights out” fishing. Salmon anglers who cover territory while trolling are rewarded if they are in the right place at the right time. Schools of salmon are still moving rapidly throughout the bay, popping up in such diverse areas as the Soldier’s Club near Monterey, The deeper flats near Moss Landing and the Soquel Hole, the Pajaro area, and up the coast near Natural Bridges and Three Trees.

On Sunday, Captain Jim Rubin from Go Fish Santa Cruz found his salmon past Moss Landing near Marina. “They had crew limits by 10 am. The salmon varied in size weighing between 15-20 pounds. There was a pod of 20 whales adding to the entertainment,” owner Beth Thompson reported. Tom Joseph took the Sara Bella into that general area on Sunday and returned with boat and crew limits of 12 to 17-pound salmon for his four clients. On Wednesday, Joseph netted eight fish though his clients hooked 14. “The fish are out there, but they’re moving. You gotta spend some time to find them before you start fishing,” Joseph advises.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released final details on ocean salmon seasons for the state. The Klamath River area will remain closed this year due to low return numbers. Our area, from Pigeon Point to Pt. Sur will remain open through July 15. Two fish per angler per day is the bag limit, and each fish must be at least 24 inches in length. Tackle regulations remain the same as last year. Barbless hooks only are allowed, and circle hooks must be used when fishing “not under power.” Before going out to target salmon, it would be wise to review all the current regulations. A mistake could prove to be very costly with DFW ticket fines costing upwards of $500.00.

Rockfishing has yet to take off on the Santa Cruz side of the bay. Chris Victorino from Stagnaro Sportfishing has been running half-day and full-day trips. They are fishing reefs in the 120-foot range for a steady catch of brown, blue and red rockfish as well as lingcod. Monterey boats are enjoying a better bite right now, with Chris’ Fishing trips reporting limits of lingcod on every trip along with ½ limits of rockfish. The Kahuna, fishing out of Moss Landing reported full limits of lingcod and “near limits” of rockfish on their Tuesday charter trip. The Moss Landing and Monterey boats are fishing near Point Pinos and down towards Carmel Bay.