Fall is turning towards winter, but the abrupt weather change last week did not put the bite off for long.

Anglers who got out early last weekend found good fishing from the local reefs and along the North Coast. The weekend afternoons were very windy and nearly unfishable, but limits were common for those who made it out at the crack of dawn.

Gerry Brookes from Reel Sportfishing dropped his crab pots on Saturday, and has been pulling limits of Dungeness ever since. Running "combo" trips, his clients have also enjoyed full limits of rockfish. Jim Rubin on the Becky Ann has similar reports. "The crabbing is great, we took 30 crab yesterday from four pots." Rubin says the dungies are big and meaty. "We only threw two softies back, great quality so far this season, and these were all six-inch or larger." The Becky Ann also boated limits of rockfish; mostly blues and blacks, with a good mix of olives and vermillion as well. The rockfish were caught in 80 feet of water off West Cliff, using jigs and swimbaits.

On the flagship Velocity, Ken Stagnaro traveled a bit further up the coast. Stopping on a productive reef, Stagnaro reports "Rockfishing has been excellent up at the Four-Mile area. Great quality black rockfish have been the norm with a few big reds and an couple ling here and there."

Carl Azevedo from Boccie Boy Bait checked in with the "exotics" report. "They are still getting some white sea bass up the coast. Just look for the birds, you'll find the fish." Azevedo says he's surprised at the amount of market squid still on this side of the bay. "It's kind of late in the year to have squid over here (Santa Cruz), but as long as they are here, the sea bass should stick around." In past years, he has seen the fall sea bass bite extend into December. Last year, there were a few good days for the big croakers near Monterey in January and February. He adds the warm offshore currents are receding to the south now. A few reports are still coming in of albacore caught out of Morro Bay, but chances are slim for further tuna action in our area this year.

A final chance to enjoy a delicious albacore dinner will occur this weekend. The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, a non-profit organization seeking to restore the native salmon and steelhead trout population in our area, is hosting their 34th Annual Fundraiser at the Castroville Recreation Center. Dinner is at 7pm on November 12, and features great door prizes and silent auction items. Tickets are under $20, and available at the door. Call MBSTP (831) 458-3095 for further details.