Lack of rain continues to be a problem throughout the state though the larger rivers in Northern California are in pretty good shape, to the delight of steelhead anglers. And, the Monterey Bay still has plenty to offer even in this "off" season for boaters and surfcasters who know where to go and when.

In Monterey Harbor, Chris' Fishing Trips sends boats out just about every day. Chris' features combination Dungeness crab and sanddab sojourns, and their numbers remain high. Friday Saturday and Sunday trips aboard the Check Mate brought limits or near limits of crab every day, and "lots" of sanddabs. A bonus factor this past couple weeks are big mackerel in that area. Reports indicate the mackerel can be caught from the fishing wharf as well as by boaters in the area. Further reports indicate decent perch fishing from Del Monte Beach, with a few striped bass in the mix. More stripers are available towards the middle of the bay with successful anglers pulling in linesiders from Marina Beach and Salinas River State Beach, using poppers, Krocodiles or anchovy-colored swim baits in the surf.

Crabbing is improving near Santa Cruz according to Boccie Boy Bait owner Carl Azevedo. ""Crabbing got better for commercial guys and the sport guys. When we had those south winds, all the crab seemed to dig in and hide. They're a little deeper now, but I've been getting a good six keepers from every pot I have out there. The big swell didn't seem to affect the crab. There's plenty of them out there, and they are big." Typically found between 180-220 feet of water, it might be wise to set pots a little deeper for success this week.

Tides will be perfect for surfcasting perch this weeekend with high tides between 7:00 and 8:30am. Perch seem to favor the low light conditions, and high tide is usually the best time to cast your grubs or bait for these fiesty little gamefish. Get your practice in while you can, remember the Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby is scheduled for March 14, 2015. Check Bayside Marine for registration, or go to www.sandcrabclassic.com.

On and end note, history was almost made this week on the Smith River. Journalist David Hurley forwarded a report from steelheader Cody Gardner who was hosting a few friends on the Smith last Saturday. Gardner reported "This monster was landed today while I was helping a few of my buddies from Santa Rosa learn how to steelhead fish. This fish went 40 by 23 inches, which would put it in a state record potential weight, considering the state record was only 38.5 inches and a smaller girth. Wild steelhead however must be released in CA. So the mythical beast was released unharmed. Steelhead fishermen spend a lifetime trying to get a fish of this size. Today was just our day. It was truly amazing to hold a steelhead of this size and see it swim away. Good job guys for the team effort and way to go."

Send your photos, comments or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com