Last week featured some fine tuna fishing, as the winds slowed to allow anglers offshore access. Fishing for inshore species remains steady and productive.

After enduring tough weather conditions the past few weeks, a window of opportunity opened for the tuna hunters this weekend. The best area of deep blue albacore water is located some 50-60 miles northwest of the Santa Cruz harbor, near the 601 buoy and the Guide seamount. Todd Fraser, owner of Bayside Marine reports that boats were averaging 15-30 tuna each on Sunday fishing in that area. Skipper Gerry Brookes took the Doble out on Sunday with four anglers aboard and returned with 26 beautiful albacore on ice in the hold. Winds are forecast to remain relatively calm this week, with a slight increase on the weekend. Now is the time to get out for albacore, while the fish are here and the wind is cooperating. Stagnaro's Sportfishing will be running a party boat trip to the grounds on September 2.

While not a "wide open bite," fishing for salmon in our area has been consistent. Some boats returned with no fish, but many caught fish in the area, even some limits. Captain Tom Dolan on the MegaBite found limits of salmon for his customers fishing the Hole on Monday. A few more fish were located straight out of Santa Cruz during the week, and it would not be surprising to find salmon in 200-300 feet of water off the North Coast next week, as these fish stage towards the Sacramento river spawning grounds.

Ed Burrell at Capitola Boat and Bait says the White Sea Bass bite is diminishing lately, after the spawning congregation of the past few weeks. He reports on one Sea Bass weighing 43 pounds caught this week. Burrell also reports decent striped bass action from the beach at New Brighton and from the Capitola wharf. A few keeper halibut were landed from the wharf last week and a 26-pound flatty was caught by Phil Monk on a live sardine in 45-50 feet of water somewhere near Pleasure Point. Other halibut spots this past week reported by Todd Fraser include "local beaches," Natural Bridges in 80 feet of water and the Davenport area.

Fishing for rockfish and lingcod is improving, especially if the angler can make it to Ano Nuevo. Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy Charters found reds to eight pounds, olives to four pounds and a smattering of blacks and blues to fill out limits for his customers in that area on Friday, as well as two lingcod to 12 pounds for the boat.