Monterey Bay anglers enjoyed a great week of fishing with mostly good conditions and plenty of fish on the bite. Nearshore waters have not gotten cold yet, so a variety of species are available to target. Topping the list of course are the majestic bluefin tuna that remain feeding in this area, providing locals and visitors with a chance at lifetime trophy fish. Anglers are catching bluefin in the 10 to 60-pound range. There are still some monsters in the mix weighing over 100 pounds, so be ready. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine tracks local tuna fishing closely, and reports, “The bluefin are being caught by anglers using Mad Macks and Cedar Plugs. Bluefin were caught near the Point of Monterey around 36'38/122'03, 36'43/122'08, and 36'34/122'12. There are schools of bluefin all over from Santa Cruz to Big Sur.” A number of boats fishing the southern area reported limits of tuna, according to Fraser. The bag limit is two Pacific bluefin tuna per person, per day. 

Inshore, things are holding steady for regular fall-type fishing. In Capitola the rockfishing is still great. Lingcod catches are on the rise for fish from 6-20 pounds on local reefs. A few white sea bass are biting for anglers fishing near the Cement Ship. Halibut remain active in the Capitola area from 30 out to 80 feet of water. There are still a few undersized flatties in the mix, but most are keepers ranging from nine pounds up to the mid-twenties. Both the lings and halibut are biting like crazy on live bait. And, there’s plenty of bait to jig in the area including Spanish and Pacific mackerel, jack smelt, kingfish and anchovies. Anglers are finding success trolling lures or bait with a three-way rig or drifting with a short-leader three-ways and Carolina rigs. This time of year, fishing for big halibut is usually best up the coast. The sandy areas between rocky points of Three-Mile and Four-Mile Beaches are classic spots for fall halibut fishing. The bull kelp in that area grows out to 70-foot depths. Anglers trolling or using live bait find big flatties just beyond the kelp beds out to 90-100 feet of water.

Surfcasters are exploring different beaches these days after a couple small rainstorms and big ocean swells. Structure is being established at the big broad beaches towards the center of the bay. Lots of barred surf perch were caught this week with only a few in the 14-15-inch range. A good number of small, but legal striped bass were reported by surfcasters as well. Most of the striped bass reports indicated that live sand crabs were getting the best results. Let's hope that trend continues. It’s a great time of year to start exploring the beaches near Salinas and Pajaro river mouths for stripers. It takes some effort to reach those spots but often is well worth it, as the bass identify with their spawning waters as the rainy season approaches.