Local anglers have been anxiously awaiting the Department of Fish and Game's announcement regarding the 2012 salmon season. After a meeting of State and Federal agencies in Santa Rosa Tuesday, we are relieved to be one step closer to a final decision.

Cutting to the chase, we WILL have a salmon season this year, both sport and commercial. Sport salmon is likely to begin on April 7 and continue through October, while commercial season commonly starts a few weeks later. The National Marine Fisheries Service gave a go-ahead for a season starting April 7, with a minimum size of 24 inches. The California Fish and Game Commission and the DFG make the final call in collaboration with the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Their next meeting is scheduled from March 2-7 at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento. The public is invited.

We are not likely to have a definitive salmon start date until the very end of March or beginning of April, but because of the salmon abundance predictions a season opening is almost guaranteed. The predictions, based on the number of juvenile or "jack" salmon in the Sacramento River system, was very high this year which bodes well for us and could indicate a very good salmon run for 2012.

Perch fishing is heating up as the big waves subside. Just in time for the 8th Annual Sandcrab Classic Perch Derby, scheduled for March 10. Fish Rap reader Trevor Mclernon submitted ample proof of this with a picture of a beautiful calico surf perch he caught using a sabiki rig (no bait) from Rio Del Mar Beach last week. Other reports have filtered in from the beaches south of Moss landing on down to Monterey of some very big surfperch, including a barred surfperch from Monterey that was truly humungous. The report is not verified yet, so we must hold off on the estimated weight pending corroboration. But, all agree the perch are on the bite, and they are big!

Carl Azevedo from Boccie Boy Bait in the Santa Cruz Harbor also has good news to share. The commercial purse seiners are finding big schools of sardines and giant anchovies towards the middle of the bay. The past few years have featured more sardines than 'chovies, and it's good to see a mass of forage out there for the upcoming salmon season. Azevedo will start filling his bait receiver in the Harbor in a couple weeks for the early springtime halibut hunters.