Winter weather was quite cooperative last week, with a dropping swell, and balmy conditions. Some afternoons had so little wind that anglers enjoyed a glassy surface over crystal clear water. Though we are nearing the end of our season, rockfishing is holding steady and crabbing remains very good.


Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait had a few skiffs rented out last week. Burrell reports the lingcod fishing is still quite productive in the area, especially off Surfer's Reef and the Capitola Mile Reef. Burrell adds that perch fishing from the wharf should pick up as we move into January.


Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy Charters has been running rockfish/crab combo trips lately. On Tuesday he found limits of nice blues, blacks and yellowtail rockfish for his clients along with limits of tasty Dungeness crab. For rockfish, Rubin is concentrating on the reef areas in 90-150 feet of water off near Natural Bridges and Wilder's Ranch these days. Those setting pots for Dungeness are doing best in the deeper waters, from 180-250 feet deep. The Dungeness prefer a mud bottom, which is available at those depths straight out from Santa Cruz Harbor and up the coast towards Four-Mile Beach and Davenport.


Private boat and kayak angler reports for the West Cliff reefs indicate a decent rockfish bite in the area, and lots of lingcod. Usually, lingcod fishing season ends after November. This year it stretches to December 31, same as the rockfish regulations. It's spawning season for lings, hence the higher concentration of the big greenlings on the shallower reefs. Though they are a very hardy and aggressive fish, conscientious anglers will treat lingcod with care, especially any undersized or pregnant female fish that they release.


Surfperch fishing continues to pick up off the beaches from Seventh Avenue to Moss Landing. Anglers are catching barred surfperch up to 1.5 pounds, though a few larger walleyes have been reported. The larger rubberlip and rainbow perch should be on the bite within a few weeks, and the season remains very active through March. Motor oil grubs with red or gold flake are the top lures, rigged on a three-foot leader below a 1/2-ounce sliding sinker. Live bait also works very well for these fish, with sand-crabs or pileworms being preferred by savvy perch anglers.