Just got home yesterday after a 9 day run starting on the opener fishing in Santa Cruz. It was great to be back on the water. Fishing was scratchy this year but we got the guys and girls fish everyday. With the salmon, they are where they are and they bite when they bite. We caught them at all depths and on all different lures and baits, no real pattern. They did seem to bite the bait a bit better than the junk the last few days though.
We spent 3 days way up the coast off Davenport and Pigeon Point and had one day we had no salmon and had to run inside above Ano and get into the lingcod bite, plenty of those around this year, including undersized ones. The other 2 days we had 7 salmon and 4 salmon respectively with other shots that didn’t make the boat. We also fished across the bay toward Marina dunes and off Moss Landing and had some good scores right off Capitola in 80-120 ft on a couple days. One day we slid up on a baitball rolling on the surface and dip netted about a 100 lbs of herring right off the surface. We had plenty of lingcod candy bars to fish the rest of the week. They love those things. Most salmon had little to no bait in them except some with small anchovies and several with butterfish in them, first time I remember seeing them in their gut. We also caught some mackerel trolling off Capitola. Even though the water conditions were warm all winter, things seem to be back to normal down there except the mackerel and butterfish being around. I think few more runs of good north wind will keep things on track for a normal pattern.
I am looking forward to our season opening in Eureka, I’m sure we will be into salmon limits right off the bat as usual and if the halibut fishing is anything like last may it will be limits for all also. There are reports of guys looking around the other day and finding good salmon signs. Salmon season will be finalized today and will open May 1st along with Pacific Halibut. I still have room for the opening day and the opening weekend.
Call Marc 707-601-3474