The weather hasn't been "perfect" for fishing, but it's a lot better than it has been. Finally, we enjoyed a whole week without rain or a big swell, and the winds have been manageable as well. Local anglers have found excellent fishing for rockfish and lingcod, a good steady bite for the halibut and, to top things off, a new surge of king salmon in the Monterey Bay.

Gerry Brookes from Reel Sportfishing has established a good routine lately. He is taking clients out to local reefs for early limits of rockfish, and then jigging up sardines and mackerel by the Wharf to use while drifting for halibut. On Saturday, Brookes returned to port with full limits of rockfish, two lingcod and two nice halibut.

The halibut are moving into shallow waters now that the swells have died down. Anglers are still finding them in the 50-60 foot depths, but an increasing number are caught in 30-40 feet, including a few from the Capitola Wharf, according to Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait. "We are seeing a lot of good bait near the wharf; sardines, mackerel, and decent-sized anchovies." Burrell says the halibut from the wharf have been small, but a shore angler pulled in a 15-pound flatty last weekend, using a popper lure from the jetty.

Captain Jimmy Charters has been doing well with halibut lately. Jim Rubin found limits of blues, blacks, and vermillion rockfish for his clients on Monday, and followed up with three flatties in the 12-15-pound range. On Tuesday, Rubin headed out to the Soquel Hole following reports of a new salmon school in the area. "Finally the salmon are here," he says. Clients on the Becky Ann that day netted three fish weighing up to 25 pounds, and lost at least four at the boat.

Captain Mike Baxter worked that area on Wednesday. "Monday and Tuesday were pretty good for salmon," he said. "An uphill current concentrated bait on the west side of the Hole, huge schools of krill, just piles and piles of bait." Baxter caught a shaker as soon as he started fishing, followed up by a small keeper, around 10 pounds. Sadly, the best fish of the day got away. "I had a hog that took a vicious run. Towing my Hot-Spot flasher backwards, it just snapped my line. 25-pound flouro leaders aren't going to cut it. Time to step it up."

Baxter adds the feeding salmon range from shakers to big fish in the mid-thirties, and cautions us there are some silvers in the mix as well. With luck, the bait will hold these salmon in the area for a while. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine has fielded a number of report from the Moss Landing area, which may indicate more salmon on their way towards Soquel.