Cool water and plentiful krill in the canyon areas are holding the king salmon in the area and on the bite. We have received reports of the occasional skunk, but most boats are getting a fish per rod if not limits.

Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait did well on Monday, mooching near the west side of the Soquel Hole, then trolling the east side. His fish were representative of the quality grade we are seeing, weighing in at nine and 16 pounds. Trolling seems to be the ticket for these fish. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine recommends using Tom Mack Spoons, U.V. Krippled Anchovies and Purple Haze Kajikis. "The fish are still being caught in the 40-80 foot range on the edge of the canyon. The winds are expected to stay down so come fish." Jim Rubin prefers to troll spoons on the Becky Ann, but switched to trolling straight bait with good results recently. Rubin had 10 hookups on Wednesday and kept four fish. Thursday was better for the Becky Ann, with boat limits from the Pajaro area before 11am.

The cool spring ocean temperatures are good for salmon, but not so much for halibut. We've had a few reports of flatties caught near the Mile Buoy, but they are few and far between. It may be that everyone has salmon fever, and aren't targeting halibut. The water is sure to warm over the next few weeks and we'll soon see some flatties in the 30-60 foot areas.

If you favor freshwater fishing, remember the trout season in the Eastern Sierras opens this weekend. Andrew Hughan from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reports: "The CDFW anticipates good fishing for the eastern Sierra trout opener due to early spring conditions and rising temperatures. Warm weather has been melting snow and ice on lakes that often are still frozen in late spring, giving anglers more access to lakes, streams and waterways for the Saturday, April 27 season opener. Lakes below 8,000 feet have already thawed and higher lakes could thaw considerably more prior to opening day. Warmer water often means the fish have had more time to forage and add some weight after the winter. Hatcheries have begun to stock the open waters."

Our local jewel Loch Lomond Reservoir is also reporting decent trout fishing. Ranger Karl Becker has seen a few limits lately. "Experienced anglers who know how to catch fish are getting them. Saw quite a few trout limits this week." Barker says these are "holdover fish" in the 14-16-inch range. Bass fishing at Loch Lomond is slow, likely due to spawning activity.

Bushnell can also be heard on The Let's Go Fishing Radio Show Thursday nights at 8pm on KSCO radio 1080 AM. Send your photos, comments or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com