We enjoy a wealth of fishing opportunities here on the Monterey Bay. You don’t need a boat to go out and have fun, work your skills and bring home a tasty and healthy dinner. Surfcasting has been discussed quite often in this column as an easily accessible option, and we will revisit that topic soon. Beach fishing will continue to improve as we move into summer. Last week we covered the opportunities piers and jetties can provide around the bay, to fish deeper water and have a chance at bigger harder-fighting fish. Another productive choice can be the skiff rentals.

 

Capitola Boat and Bait, located on the Capitola Wharf is closed down this year, due to storm damage from our ferocious winter. Their sister store, Santa Cruz Boat Rentals remains open, and business is booming! All the fishing staff from Capitola are currently working at the Santa Cruz launch right now, so if you are missing Ed Burrell, Mike Hicks or Myron Larson just head out to the Wharf. Rental skiffs are piloted by the renter. With a small outboard motor, they can’t go too fast or too far. Safety is always the number one priority, but it’s a great way to do some solo exploring and fishing, at a very reasonable cost. This week the reports from Santa Cruz Boat Rentals include halibut in the 30 to 36-inch range, loads of rockfish from the West Cliff reefs with an increasing number of lingcod in the mix. “They were using frozen squid for the halibut and live kingfish for the lingcod in about 60 feet of water on the inside of the whistle buoy,” the boat handlers advised.

 

The next step up to increase the size and number of fish you’ll likely catch are the charter boats. Bigger boats around the bay can carry as many as 30 anglers. They go farther and deeper and provide the expertise and up to date knowledge of what’s biting and where. Most economical are the bigger charter boats from Stagnaro’s Sportfishing in Santa Cruz, the Kahuna in Moss Landing and Chris’ Fishing Trips from Monterey. Slightly more expensive, but usually more comfortable and accommodating are the six-pack charters. Carrying a maximum of six anglers, these operators are faster and usually more adventurous in terms of the fish they are willing to pursue for their customers. Dedicated halibut trips or tuna hunting are examples of the kind of fishing a six-pack charter can provide in our area. 

 

So, you have no excuse not to go fishing! If you go this week, look for limits of chilipeppers, big vermilion and petrale sole on the deepwater charter trips. Half-day and inshore outings are finding limits as well, including lots of hefty black and blue schoolie rockfish. Halibut are definitely here, with the larger models hanging out in deeper water still. Try live bait in 50-70 feet of water for the big flatties. Frozen bait including herring, anchovies and squid are also doing the trick for halibut of late. On the beaches, we’re seeing more sandcrabs, always a good sign. The barred surf perch are biting from beaches all around the bay, while striped bass seem to be sticking mostly to those steep beaches between Sand City and the Salinas Rivermouth.