Let’s go fishing: Salmon anyone?

Will there be a salmon season in Monterey Bay for 2010?
This is a tough question to answer and goes back and forth from the fish and game department’s advisory commission and the Pacific Fisheries Management Council.
At this point, it seems there will be!
Salmon season is set to open in the Monterey Bay on April 3 and last through April 30 for sport fishing. The size limit is 20 inches, and two fish per day is the retention limit.
In mid-April, the PFMC will meet with the state fish and game commission to determine the ocean season to begin on or after May 1.
The options the two groups will decide on are as follows and can be found at www.pcouncil.org.
In option one, two king salmon with a minimum size of 24 inches may be retained.
Option two opens salmon season from April 3 to April 30, then again from July 1 through Oct. 3. In option two, the minimum size for king salmon is proposed to be 20 inches. 
Option three allows for no recreational fishing of salmon at all for the rest of 2010. 
The PFMC has also forwarded options for commercial salmon fishermen, which could allow for a limited commercial fishery this year. We will have the final decision after the groups meet in mid-April.
But now that we know we will be able to fish for salmon at least during the month of April, the next question is: Are there any salmon out there?
I am skeptical of the science used to determine returning stocks and do not believe there will be robust runs this year. There have been a few “incidental” salmon caught in the Monterey Bay. The water is 55 degrees and on the clear side, and we have not seen any bait fish around. These conditions are not conducive for salmon.
However, there should be a few salmon caught in Soquel Hole, outside Marina and along the deeper canyon edges of the bay.
If you get out, I hope you catch a tasty salmon for the grill.
• Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at ca************@ya***.com. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays April through September.