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3 weeks ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
The 2025 rockfish season opener can only be described as “anti-climactic.” Weather and sea conditions effectively kept all the boats inside at the docks on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Chris’ Sportfishing in Monterey sent out both the Caroline and Check Mate on Thursday, but fish counts were not in yet at the time of this reporting. The rolling rainstorms from last week may be over, but some mixed up weather conditions still remain.
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4 weeks ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
Only a few more days to wait. The 2025 rockfish season opens Tuesday. This first month of rockfishing will be limited to the deep waters only. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife prohibits any RCG take “shoreward of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line, which is a series of connected way points defined in Federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C). So, what’s the easiest way to get out on the water to look for your next limit of rockfish?
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1 month ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
No one did much fishing this past week in the Monterey Bay area. Conditions were just too rough, even for most surfcasters. If the wind and swells remain moderate, fishing for tasty sanddabs and sole is still very productive. Dungeness crab season will remain open until June 30. The extent and shape of salmon season is still to be finally determined, as ABC organizations continue their studies and talks.
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1 month ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
It’s hard to believe, but the Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby celebrated its 20th year over the weekend. It’s all in support of and a benefit for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, but really it boils down to having a blast. We say “It’s about fish, family, friends and fun!”Entrants had to move quickly when registration opened in January. The derby is capped at 300 entries due to facility limits. This year’s contest sold out online in less than two hours.
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1 month ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
We’re seeing more surf perch on the beaches, and more congregation of perch schools at certain sandy beaches at certain times and tides. It’s the beginning of spawning season so the fish are hungry and aggressive Originally Published: March 6, 2025 at 12:44 PM PST
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1 month ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
After a gargantuan effort, the Santa Cruz Harbor is making great strides on repairs of damage caused by the unprecedented swells that funneled into the Harbor on Dec. 23. The waves hit just about the same time as 100 feet of the Santa Cruz Wharf was being ripped off the end of the pier. A review of surf statistics from that day indicate waves were in the 25 to 50-foot height range that afternoon, with a long period of 20-26 seconds.
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2 months ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
The latest atmospheric river storm was not quite as heavy as predicted, but did bring plenty of rain and wind. The waves were not giant, but big enough to pull the crab pots in for a few days and to shut down surfcasting for a while. Tom Niccum from Coyote Bait and Tackle had to hunt for the right spot while fishing on Tuesday. “My biggest challenge was finding some clean water,” Niccum reported. “All the creeks and rivers were discharging.
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2 months ago | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Allen Bushnell
In general, the fishing scene is slow. Fairly normal for this time of year. But, boats are still getting out in between storms and big wave events. And, they are doing pretty well with wintertime fare. Chris Arcoleo from Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey reported, “Lots of sanddabs, and lots of mackerel,” plus 20 Petrale sole for anglers aboard the Caroline this week. The big charter boats continue to make multiple trips per week, with light loads and plenty of fish being brought in.
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2 months ago | 
fresnobee.com | Allen Bushnell
Marine disasters can manifest in a variety of forms. Not surprisingly, in many instances a calamity for the sea is triggered by an occurrence on the shore (Think Fukushima). Oil spills, hazardous waste disposals, increasing acidity and agricultural organic chemical runoff all come to mind as clear and present dangers. Now we can add fallout from lithium-ion battery fires to our list. The battery storage plant caught fire on Jan.
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2 months ago | 
modbee.com | Allen Bushnell
Marine disasters can manifest in a variety of forms. Not surprisingly, in many instances a calamity for the sea is triggered by an occurrence on the shore (Think Fukushima). Oil spills, hazardous waste disposals, increasing acidity and agricultural organic chemical runoff all come to mind as clear and present dangers. Now we can add fallout from lithium-ion battery fires to our list. The battery storage plant caught fire on Jan.
