Eclipsed by a fantastic start to our salmon season, rock cod season started Tuesday, May 1, in our area. Rock cod fishing was good last year, and hopes are high for the same this season. Commercial salmon season also started Tuesday.
Salmon fishing in Monterey Bay can be hit or miss, but most fishermen are hitting good scores of salmon. The bite has been early in the morning while salmon gorge on krill. There is such an abundance of krill in the outer bay waters that salmon are filling up in the first few hours of the day and spending the remainder of the day digesting. The key is finding the salmon early while they are feeding.
The best spots have been on the west canyon edges of the bay, where the northbound currents well up. The krill has been most abundant in these areas and trapped in the current breaks where different currents of water converge. Most of the salmon have been caught while fishing the surface of the water column, 30 feet down.
The west side of Soquel Hole has been very productive, as well as spots along the north coast above Santa Cruz.
Commercial salmon season started Tuesday amid high expectations. Commercial fishermen had been licking their chops as they watched sport fishermen steam back to port with early limits of salmon.
Catch estimates are high, and this may lower the price for wild troll-caught salmon, as loads of fish may flood the market. Demand is high, as consumers realize the health value of these fine fish, coupled with the delicious flavor. Wild local king salmon should be available at the local markets and farmers markets and off the docks.
Rock cod regulations are similar to last year’s. A 10-fish limit is set for the RCG complex — rockfish, cabezon, greenling. Of this 10-fish limit, three fish may be cabezon if longer than 15 inches, two fish can be kelp greenlings if measured over 12 inches, and two can be bocaccio rockfish if more than 10 inches long. The lingcod limit is two fish at 22 inches in length, and these can be in addition to the 10 rockfish. Rockfish anglers are limited to 240 feet of water or less and must use only two hooks.
The Monterey Bay is a great place to go fishing, and there are many choices right now.
– 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 20 years. Contact him at [email protected]. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 8:06 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through the end of August.
