Batten down the hatches, we're gonna have a blow! If the forecast is correct, this weekend's storm could be a doozy. Warm, moisture-laden air is flowing to our area from the south, and running right into a cold front coming down from the north. The predictable results are huge wind waves, a giant west swell and possible gale-force winds. Not a weekend to take the boat out. The weather should clear up early next week, and there is still plenty to fish for locally.

Rockfish and lingcod remain firmly on the menu. The season remains open through the end of December. While the local reefs outside of Capitola and close to Santa Cruz are slowing down with winter's approach, the rocky areas north of town are still producing quick limits of big rockies. Gerry Brookes on the Doble worked the area beyond Wilder's Beach last Saturday. Brookes found the fishing and the crabbing good, saying "Today we had two adults with their four kids that were screaming every fish they caught. You gotta love it. Plus, we put in early limits of Dungeness crab for six before fishing for rockfish. Ran into some really big blacks, plus a few blues and olives. Fantastic!"

Ed Burrell checked in from Capitola and reports a few limits caught by dedicated locals in the area. Best bets near Capitola last week were Boomer's and Surfer's Reefs, and near the "Sponge Bob" buoy. Fishing from the wharf is improving at Capitola as well, with walleyes, barred surfperch and kingfish coming over the rail this week.

We still have a good shot at "Big Game" in our area, according to Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine. "Anglers are finding big balls of squid and herring near Three-Mile Beach in 60-120 feet of water, with some big sea bass caught in the bait balls. There are a few halibut still being caught near Wilder Beach and Davenport, and Humboldt squid are near the canyon edges in 200 feet of water."

Besides charging up our freshwater system for the upcoming steelhead season, the current storms bode well for our surfcasting brethren. Big waves move the summertime beach sand around, and create the "structure" of holes and gullies in the surfline that hold feeding perch. Now is the time to unlimber those surfcast rods and put fresh line on the spinning reels. Look for a local surfcasting article here in the very near future.

Photo:
Mckenzie Ross with her first white sea bass, caught at Four-Mile