Recent rains have put a pulse of water back into local rivers, and our reservoirs are filling up. The ocean continues to bode well for fishing enthusiasts. Sand dab have been on a ravenous bite, crabs are still coming in and perch have been on the bite, as well.
Sand dabs might not be the largest game fish out there, but they are at the top of the charts for table fare. The small flatfish, when prepared correctly, is delicious, and people have been catching them by the bucket-load. There is no limit for these fish, so anglers need to take care to catch and keep only what they can use.
Sand dabs have been caught throughout the bay and the canyon edges from 240 to 300 feet of water. Some fishermen are reporting sand dabs schooled up off the bottom while they feed on krill and juvenile squid.
The prolific squid spawn that the Monterey Bay encountered this summer is producing tremendous amounts of juvenile squid emerging from the spawned larvae lying on the sea floor. The sand dabs have been gorging on small squid, and they are fat and healthy fish. It takes a few sand dabs to make a meal, but they are among the finest fish out there.
Ken Stagnaro reported: “We are getting 10 to 40 sand dabs per person on most of our half-day trips.”
The rate for a sand dab trip is only $49, and anglers have found this to be a great deal, as they head home with a healthy bag of sand dabs.
In Monterey, out of Chris’s Fishing Trips, folks are also catching as many sand dabs as most care to keep and then topping off the trip with crabs.
The limit of Dungeness crabs for a charter boat is six per angler, while private sport fishing boats can keep 10 per angler. Crabbing in Monterey Bay remains strong, as many sport boats continue to catch limits.
Commercial crab fishermen are still catching crab in the area and selling to wholesalers for distribution to restaurants and grocery stores. Some commercial fishermen sell the crabs live from the docks at the Santa Cruz Harbor.
Perch fishing has been hit-or-miss, but the days that hit are very good. Along the beaches of Aptos, anglers have had days when they catch and release many barred perch. The next day, an angler might struggle to catch a single perch. It seems as though the fish are still migrating along the beaches searching for food.
The top of a high tide has been good for fishing the edges of a rip or sand hole. Rubber grubs and all types of bait are working for perch.
Also, the Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament is filling fast, and entry forms can be found at www.theletsgofishingradioshow.com for this fundraising event.
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 radio fishing show April through September.
