It’s hard to believe we just passed the longest day of the year. But, there’s plenty of summertime left. And things are shaping up towards a really good fishing season.

A series of powerful south swells with gusty daytime winds on top made for some uncomfortable boat rides, and slowed inshore fishing somewhat. Those swells have passed and reports indicate the inshore bite is improving rapidly. J&M Sportfishing from Monterey tallied limits of rockfish for their clients every full trip this week, including up to six lingcod for the Kahuna on Monday. Six-pack charters from Santa Cruz report full limits as well, while fishing the deep reefs. Remember, this is the first year in ages that we have no depth restrictions for rockfish and lingcod.

Another bonus, and ranked number one on most locals’ fishing list is the king salmon. It’s been a few years since we enjoyed an extended season for salmon in California, and the catch rate is steady enough it looks to continue for some time before anglers reach allotment limits. We are allowed to catch a maximum of 21,800 fish for this season, and the latest info from the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates 4300 caught as of May 31. That leaves 17,500 allowable catch before season’s end on August 31. The kings are still here feeding on abundant bait out towards the middle of the bay. The most consistent reports continue to come from anglers fishing the canyon edges out of Moss, the Soquel and Pajaro Holes. Patterns remain consistent as well, with most fish caught down deep, “in the mud,” meaning very close to the bottom. Typical depths for success are 180 to 250 feet of water, though an increasing number of catches were reported from much shallower water, like 100 to 140 feet, especially near the southern beaches like Mulligan’s Hill and The Soldier’s Club. These fish are also right on the bottom, in cooler water, biting a variety of trolled bait and lures. Bayside Marine’s Todd Fraser reported on Wednesday saying, “There were some early limits caught by anglers trolling in 160-220 feet of water. The anglers are having good luck trolling blue Kajikis, chrome Krippled Anchovies, Apexes, gold Tom Mack Spoons and Purple Haze Hoochies. The salmon are in the 12-25 pound range so be ready.”

Expect halibut fishing to ramp up considerably in the next few weeks, as waters closer to the beach warm up. It’s already been a good halibut fishing season, and we’d expect that trend to continue, especially if those pesky giant New Zealand swells stop being such a nuisance. Inshore bait consists mostly of Pacific Mackerel which grow to about 10 inches and school up in the thousands. We are seeing those giant schools right now in various spots around the bay. With the warm-water “blob” persisting offshore and a Super El Nino firming up in the forecasts, we would expect those macks to be here all summer and into the fall. they are excellent bait for lingcod, halibut and offshore bluefin tuna. When in the midst of a mackerel surface frenzy, don’t forget to send a couple out on a fly line. More than one white sea bass were caught in the bay over the past few weeks.