Welcome to February. Many area anglers feel the only thing good about the month is we are that much closer to salmon season. But, there's plenty to fish for locally and big-game fishing is just a short drive away.

Speaking of big game and Big Games, this Sunday right around 3pm would be an excellent time to look for sturgeon in San Pablo Bay. The tides are better early in the morning, but there will be little competition on the water while the Forty Niners play in the Super Bowl. Check the new Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for sturgeon before you start fishing. We now must use single hooks only, and snares are no longer allowed. The slot limit for keepers has been adjusted as well. Leave all fish to release in the water and keep only those between 40-60-inches measured to the fork of the tail, not the tip of the tail. Sturgeon report cards are necessary as well.

For a morning or afternoon jaunt locally, the beaches are producing increasing numbers of surf perch. The fish seem to be on the move most days. A few experimental casts at two or three different beaches will likely locate some feeding fish. As usual the beaches below Aptos are doing best for perch, though a good number have been reported caught near the Santa Cruz Harbor in the past few days.

With the 9th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament coming up, It's a good time to get some practice and check a number of beaches for structure. Get your strategy going for the March 9 Derby. Sign-ups are available until February 20 at Bayside Marine in the Santa Cruz harbor, or online at www.theletsgofishingradioshow.com.

February is an excellent time to go poke-poling as well. Try fishing deep within the rocks of our local harbor jetties on high tides, and hit the inside of rocky reefs at the surf spots on the very low tides. You might be surprised at the size of rockfish or monkey-faced eels you can pull out of the rocks and reefs. Though rockfish season is closed for boaters, it remains legal to catch and keep rockfish from the shore. Use a long pole with a hook-tipped wire on the end, or a short rod with heavy line, weighted on the bottom and the hook on a loop about a foot from the weight. Tip the hook with squid strips or raw shrimp bits and wait for the bites.