Alright, here…we…go. Rockfish season opened successfully on Wednesday and salmon season will open next weekend on April 11. Halibut have been filtering into shallow water over the past month, with at least one report of halibut from the beach and more than a few flatties caught from the Capitola and Santa Cruz wharves in the past week. In the meantime, surfcasting remains fairly decent in our area with an increasing number of striped bass in the mix of varied surfperch. Offshore of Carmel, at least two bluefin tuna were hooked this week, though details are scarce.

Rockfish season is really the bread and butter for our local ocean fishing scene. The fish are numerous and occupy wide areas of habitat and a broad range of depth. For the first time in many years, the season has no time period restrictions for different depths. California regulations were published for 2026 making all depths available for the entire season April 1 through December 31. This allows boaters to freely fish for nearshore, shelf and slope rockfish. The direct implication is  our biomass of Sebastes (rockfish) is healthy and robust. Good news all around.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife always reserves the right to make inseason changes according to data accumulated during the season. there are also some restrictions for specific varieties of species with the ten-fish daily bag limit. In the Central Management Area, we are allowed to keep only two vermilion rockfish per day this year. The two-fish limit applies to canary rockfish as well. A few threatened or endangered species allow no take whatsoever. These include the bronze spotted rockfish, cow cod, quilllback rockfish and yelloweyes. Hook any of these species and you must release them safely and immediately. Because of barotrauma, especially in the 100-500 foot depths, a safe release requires by law that every boat possess and utilize an effective descending device that can get a fish back to depth where depressurization revives the fish and it can go along it’s merry way. Lancing a rockfish swim bladder is not illegal, but the DFW advises strongly against the practice, as many angler do not know how to perform the action properly, and any internal wound is an invitation for infection and likely death for the released fish.

J&M Sportfishing from Monterey reported limits of reds, canaries, yellows and quite a few two-fish lingcod limits while fishing the deep reefs out of Monterey on Wednesday. And, up in Santa Cruz, private boater Chris Ferguson fished 300-400 feet of water, about nine miles offshore. He counted limits of rockfish, including chili peppers, vermilion, canary and yellowtail. Plus at least one petrale sole. “It was a successful day out at the deep reef  despite the wind chop and late start.”