Santa Cruz
Tom on the FishOn trailered up from Santa Cruz  to Half Moon Bay on Saturday 9-29 with three anglers. They took 26 SLUGS with a 24 pound average and fish to 38. He was working the jig gear on the inside water break  at 37.29 and 122.59. They got two on iron and said he they had had live bait could have easily held the fish which were swimming under the boat on several stops. To said there were some better scores offshore but the fish on the inside were much bigger. Tom has room all this week and the forecast looks great.

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Landing said the Checkmate went south to Little Sur on Thursday 9-27 for 3/4^th limits of rockfish and 25 ling cod. It was a bit windy, so they stopped short on their way to Big Sur. They are heading south for rockfish on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with room on all of the trips. Sea bass fishing has been sporadic with a few fish here and there near the Monterey Beach Hotel and the breakwater. There are very good commercial albacore scores southwest of Monterey near the Davidson Seamount which is a 60 mile run from Monterey.
 

Santa Cruz Area Report from Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Sentinel
Once again fall is in the air. The circle turns, fish come, fish go and fish come back again. We can look forward to some crisp cool mornings and long windless days searching for that final bruiser halibut of the season. Or, perhaps we’ll be drifting the North Coast reefs, dropping big iron into jagged underwater holes, hoping to entice Ms. Lingcod into taking a vicious swipe at the intruder. Best of all, this fall we can fish the blue pelagic waters offshore where albacore tuna speed through the deep accompanied by other, more rare exotics.
Fall also brings waves- sometimes big waves. Such was the case this week when an unusually early northwest swell came steaming into town. The large swells have a tendency to drive halibut out to deeper water, and cause rockfish to hunker in their holes. This swell will drop by the coming weekend, and hopefully the bottomfish bite will resume.
Up until last Sunday, it was limit-style fishing for rockfish and lings in our area and along the coast to the north. Jim Rubin on the Becky Ann reports “Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Another week for great fishing! We had limits all week of big vermilions, blacks, blues and big lings and very good weather.” Sunday was particularly nice on the water with a low fog and nearly windless, glassy conditions. Gerry Brookes from Reel Sportfishing took advantage and shot up to Ano Nuevo, where the fish are bigger. “Its still epic. Nine nice lings to 12 pounds, limits of blues, blacks, olives, white bellies and nine big reds to seven pounds. I love fishing that place, you never know what your gonna catch.”
Prior to the swell, halibut fishing remained consistent in the 40-65 foot depths. White sea bass were hit and miss, with reports from the Mile Buoy area, Capitola, Aptos and Pajaro coming in during the week, but no apparent concentration of the bass. Squid was still the best bait for both bass and butts last week. A few lucky anglers also hooked into king salmon in those same areas. Savvy anglers hedge their bets by fishing with barbless circle hooks for any of the three species, ensuring any salmon will be legal to keep. Remember, after a salmon is boated only barbless hooks may be used, and one fishing rod per angler is the limit.
Tuna hunters also enjoyed some success last weekend. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine was happy to report decent albacore scores from the area offshore from Big Sur. “The wind was down yesterday and anglers were able to go looking for albacore. The scores ranged from 12-25 albacore a boat down towards the Davidson Sea Mount. There were some good scores of 25-40 fish at the Gumdrop (Seamount closer to half Moon Bay).
Bushnell can also be heard on the Friday Morning Fish Report at 6:45am on KSCO radio 1080 AM. Send your photos, comments or questions to [email protected]

Santa Cruz
Tom on the FishOn trailered up from Santa Cruz  to Half Moon Bay on Saturday 9-29 with three anglers. They took 26 SLUGS with a 24 pound average and fish to 38. He was working the jig gear on the inside water break  at 37.29 and 122.59. They got two on iron and said he they had had live bait could have easily held the fish which were swimming under the boat on several stops. To said there were some better scores offshore but the fish on the inside were much bigger. Tom has room all this week and the forecast looks great.

Chris Arcoleo of Chris’s Landing said the Checkmate went south to Little Sur on Thursday 9-27 for 3/4^th limits of rockfish and 25 ling cod. It was a bit windy, so they stopped short on their way to Big Sur. They are heading south for rockfish on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with room on all of the trips. Sea bass fishing has been sporadic with a few fish here and there near the Monterey Beach Hotel and the breakwater. There are very good commercial albacore scores southwest of Monterey near the Davidson Seamount which is a 60 mile run from Monterey.
 

Santa Cruz Area Report from Allen Bushnell of the Santa Cruz Sentinel
Once again fall is in the air. The circle turns, fish come, fish go and fish come back again. We can look forward to some crisp cool mornings and long windless days searching for that final bruiser halibut of the season. Or, perhaps we’ll be drifting the North Coast reefs, dropping big iron into jagged underwater holes, hoping to entice Ms. Lingcod into taking a vicious swipe at the intruder. Best of all, this fall we can fish the blue pelagic waters offshore where albacore tuna speed through the deep accompanied by other, more rare exotics.
Fall also brings waves- sometimes big waves. Such was the case this week when an unusually early northwest swell came steaming into town. The large swells have a tendency to drive halibut out to deeper water, and cause rockfish to hunker in their holes. This swell will drop by the coming weekend, and hopefully the bottomfish bite will resume.
Up until last Sunday, it was limit-style fishing for rockfish and lings in our area and along the coast to the north. Jim Rubin on the Becky Ann reports “Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Another week for great fishing! We had limits all week of big vermilions, blacks, blues and big lings and very good weather.” Sunday was particularly nice on the water with a low fog and nearly windless, glassy conditions. Gerry Brookes from Reel Sportfishing took advantage and shot up to Ano Nuevo, where the fish are bigger. “Its still epic. Nine nice lings to 12 pounds, limits of blues, blacks, olives, white bellies and nine big reds to seven pounds. I love fishing that place, you never know what your gonna catch.”
Prior to the swell, halibut fishing remained consistent in the 40-65 foot depths. White sea bass were hit and miss, with reports from the Mile Buoy area, Capitola, Aptos and Pajaro coming in during the week, but no apparent concentration of the bass. Squid was still the best bait for both bass and butts last week. A few lucky anglers also hooked into king salmon in those same areas. Savvy anglers hedge their bets by fishing with barbless circle hooks for any of the three species, ensuring any salmon will be legal to keep. Remember, after a salmon is boated only barbless hooks may be used, and one fishing rod per angler is the limit.
Tuna hunters also enjoyed some success last weekend. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine was happy to report decent albacore scores from the area offshore from Big Sur. “The wind was down yesterday and anglers were able to go looking for albacore. The scores ranged from 12-25 albacore a boat down towards the Davidson Sea Mount. There were some good scores of 25-40 fish at the Gumdrop (Seamount closer to half Moon Bay).
Bushnell can also be heard on the Friday Morning Fish Report at 6:45am on KSCO radio 1080 AM. Send your photos, comments or questions to [email protected]