Everyone is getting antsy as we edge towards the salmon season opener, now confirmed for April 6, a week from tomorrow. Mike Schell at Bayside Marine says the shop is busy as anglers prepare for salmon, tuning up their boats and buying bait and tackle in anticipation. On the Capitola Wharf, Myron Larson says "It's a waiting game right now, we'll be hustling next week." Larson adds that some nice perch have been caught from the Capitola Wharf recently, as well as a few starry flounder, but the promise of salmon is paramount in most angler's minds. Sanddabbers continue to catch incidental salmon in the areas near our deep marine canyons. Luckily, they are easy to release from the tiny sabiki hooks commonly used for the 'dabs.

Diligent anglers have been looking for early-season halibut, and we've received some reports of limited success. Most hopeful is the unconfirmed report of a few legal flatties caught last week by boaters working 100 feet of water in the flat sandy areas off the North Coast. And, Travis Blymyer from The Kayak Connection found a few halibut close to the Santa Cruz Wharf on Wednesday, drift-fishing in his kayak. Sadly, all Blymer's halibut were shorts in the 18-inch range and therefore released. Most likely these are "advance scout" males staging in a classic spawning area. If the swell stays down during the next few weeks, we are sure to see the start of productive halibut fishing very soon.

Loch Lomond Recreational Area in Felton has been open for a few weeks now, and the fishing has been fairly decent, according to Chief Ranger Scot Lang. "I watched a guy catch a two-pound bss just this morning," Lang said on Thursday. "Most bass anglers are using worms now, this rain make for excellent bass fishing." Lang also confirmed the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will make a couple trout plants this year, as they did last year. The planters are triploid trout, and sterile, and represent no genetic threat to our native species. "We have a good number of holdover trout from last year's plants. You may not catch a limit, but the one or two you do catch could be in the five-pound range." Local angler Sam Mussetter proved this point last weekend when he landed an impressive rainbow in the 18-inch range.

Mark your calendars for two enthralling fly-fishing events, coming up soon! The Santa Cruz Flyfishermen Club will hold a free fly-tying and casting demo at the Patagonia store on River St. April 13 from 7-8:30pm. Included will be the McCloud River movie from CalTrout "Enough is Enough." Then, on April 19, the big show is at the Rio Theater on Soquel, where they will screen The International Fly Fishing Film Tour 2013. Additional information and ticket sales can be found at bigsurstyles.com or flyfilmfest.com.