Freshwater fishing in our area suffers when both anglers and fish need rain.
The San Lorenzo River is open to fishing, but low flows have slowed production. The ocean, however, is still producing well for crabs and rockfish before the close of the rockfish season.
With the busy schedule the holidays bring us, most fishermen are taking care of family needs and waiting for a moment to go fishing. We all must remember to get our new 2012 fishing licenses and all of the required punch cards and stamps. The steelhead catch report card is one that is easy to overlook — so remember to get that, too.
The San Lorenzo River and Soquel and Scott creeks all opened to fishing Dec. 1, but due to the lack of rain, most have not wetted a line yet.
I have received reports of a few small steelhead in the lower river for anglers willing to beat the brush. Night crawlers have been the bait of choice for early-season steelhead. Most fish are 1 to 3 pounds.
Once the river rises, you can expect to see some adult fish in the system. With the shortest day of winter now behind us, the steelhead migration timing is right.
The same pattern prevails for the famous rivers of northern California, like the Eel and Smith rivers: With lack of rain and low flows, the fishing has been tough. The salmon runs were fair, with many large fish but not exceptionally large numbers of fish. When the new rains arrive, the steelhead will follow on these rivers, too.
The ocean is a steady bet for crab and cod. Crab fishing has been a bit tougher this season with an average of five crabs per pot. Rock cod fishing has started to slow with the cool water temperatures.
Fishing for lingcod has been good, and many anglers have caught their limits of lings along the near-shore coastal reefs. Rock cod fishing closes to boaters Saturday, the last day of December.
Happy holidays, and remember to get your new fishing license.
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 [email protected].
