Local anglers had to pick their days last week to avoid the gusty winds. A strong swell also complicated matters for inshore anglers. Despite those conditions the fishing was generally good in our area, especially for halibut which are showing up in greater numbers now. The powerful south swell started on Monday, peaked on Tuesday and will diminish slowly as the weekend approaches. Anther big south is expected sometime next week. almond fishing is less affected by the swell, except for discomfort and safety concerns. Kings are still being netted on a daily basis with anglers reporting limits of four to six fish per boat.

Rock fish and lingcod fishing has been productive near Natural Bridges, Four Mile Beach and South Rock. The flat sandy areas inshore are hosting an increase on halibut catches. Swell and wind are forecast to calm during and after this weekend, and inshore anglers will be keeping busy with halibut and the nearshore rockfish species. Prior to this swell, there were some good reports of halibut fishing near the Santa Cruz Harbor in 40-55 feet of water. The halibut have been biting sardines, mackerel, squid, and fish traps. As the swell dies, expect to find the halibut in even shallower water, especially in the Capitola/New Brighton area.

Ed Burrell has kept hopping at the Capitola Wharf. Skiff rentals are up, and plenty of fish (including some big ones) are being caught from the wharf. The key for that area is bait. Big schools of mackerel are on the prowl in that area, and often sweep in towards the wharf. When that happens, anyone with a sabiki rig in the water can catch as many macks as they may want. The mackerel make excellent bait for nearby halibut and especially for the striped bass that are feeding on these schools. Anglers using live macks with or without a bobber are catching good-sized stripers near the foot of the wharf, and boaters are using live bait flylined in towards the backside of the waves for success. 

Most of the striped bass are in the 18-24 inch class, but there are some hogs in the mix. Larger striped bass also were reported from a number of North Coast Beaches this week, mostly before the big swell hit. They’re biting pretty well on #110 and 115 stickbaits, or sandcrabs on a Carolina rig. Barred surf perch up to 14 inches were reported in that same area, near San Gregorio Beach. A bit of a drive, but worth it for us surfcasters getting skunked while fishing in town.