The story this week is rain. Finally, we are experiencing what most consider a regular start to winter rainy season. Hopefully the pattern will continue, and help to bring us out of the drought conditions of the past few years. It's going to take a lot of rain to bring things back to "normal," but every little bit helps.

Nowhere is this more important than our local streams and rivers, and for the anadromous fish that spawn therein. Steelhead season opened for our area on December 1. The San Lorenzo River has reached 500 cubic feet per second a couple times over the past week, but has yet to experience a big, scouring flow that will clean out all the algae and moss growing in the river. Once scoured, the riverbed upstream becomes perfect habitat for steelhead spawning, with a good mix of boulders, sand and especially gravel beds. Steelhead fishing on northern rivers is doing well, especially those with bigger flows such as the Klamath and Trinity. Locally, steelhead fishing is usually better towards the end of the season.

The series of storms we are experiencing are forecast to last through the weekend, along with sometimes gusty south and southeast winds. Along with a moderate swell, this can create perfect surfcasting conditions. Already we have received reports of good surfperch fishing from Seventh Avenue Beach on down past Moss landing. The bigger fish and more consistent catch are closer to the central part of Monterey Bay. Marina and Seaside have been producing barred surfperch of substantial size, and the southern beach at Moss Landing is always a productive possibility. Bring along some heavier lures, such as KastMasters, Krocodiles, and surface Pencil-Poppers just in case. Striped bass are becoming more active and it pays to be prepared if you see bait busting just past the surf line.

The nasty ocean conditions remind us to be careful when venturing out on the ocean during the winter season. The Santa Cruz Coast Guard Auxiliary will perform a safety check of any vessel upon request, and its just common sense to be confident of the mechanical and electronic components of your boat. Anything can happen out on the ocean, especially when conditions are less than ideal.

When boaters do get in trouble, we are lucky to have a Vessel Assist craft stationed at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor. Towing and assistance contracts are available for a minimal fee, and Vessel Assist can literally be a lifesaver. Since October 3 this year, the Vessel Assist has been owned and operated by Monte Ash who is committed to the safety of all boaters in and around our area.

On Sunday, Ash and crew were called into action for a vessel adrift. Ash recounts "We saved a sailor and his boat from disaster earlier today. A sailboat called 911 this morning and was put in contact with Coast Guard Station Monterey. After assessing the situation and confirming the solo sailor was not in immediate peril, the Coast Guard contacted Vessel Assist Santa Cruz which departed Santa Cruz Harbor within 30 minutes headed toward the GPS coordinates of the 911 call. The sailboat was located in Small Craft Advisory conditions approximately 16 miles northwest of Santa Cruz Harbor. Almost five hours after departing, Vessel Assist returned with the damaged sailboat in tow, placing the lucky sailor safely at the dock in Santa Cruz Harbor."

Vessel Assist can be contact on VHF Channel 16, or locally by phone at 831-359-0702. A nationwide dispatch phone number is also available 24 hours at 800-391-4869

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