Evening Anglers Celebrate Opening of Rockfish Season With Limits   By: Dan Bacher July 29, 2005 More Articles by Dan

My favorite time to fish the ocean for rockfish, salmon and other species is in the afternoon and evening during the summer. There are few trips more fun, exciting and relaxing than an afternoon trip on the protected waters of Monterey Bay.

My first trip ever on the bay was on a small fiberglass boat with my friend, Felix Alvarez of San Jose, on an August afternoon in 1979. I was amazed by the colorful rockfish and lingcod that we nailed on that trip to the Lighthouse Point Kelp Beds - and ever since I get excited every time I have a chance to bag bottom fish in the reefs of the bay.

Fishing in Monterey Bay and along the Santa Cruz coast has been wide-open since the season opened on July 1 along the California Coast from Cape Mendocino to Point Lopez. Boaters fishing out of Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey have taken limits of rockfish and good numbers of lingcod while using shrimp flies and a variety of jigs. Charter boats are booking both all day and afternoon/evening trips, though the vast majority of anglers, unlike myself, seem to prefer going fishing in the mornings.

I went on the first twilight trip of the season aboard the new Velocity sportfishing boat, skippered by Ken Stagnaro, out of Stagnaro's Fishing Trips. These trips run at a great time for fishing - leaving the dock at 4:30 p.m. and then coming back to the harbor between 8 and 8:30 p.m. or whenever the anglers take limits.

This was also Stagnaro's first trip to the local reefs. Santa Cruz is blessed with lots of reefs within sight of the pier and the harbor mouth. "We will try to run these twilight trips every weekend during the summer," said Ken Stagnaro. "These trips are a lot of fun for families. A lot of parents don't want to bring their children out on all day trip, so this is a way for them to introduce them to fishing."

When we departed the harbor, we were fishing within 15 minutes in the South Rock area. I prefer to fish with bars, so I started off fishing with a 3 ounce Point Wilson Dart, I caught two gopher rockfish on the first drift. However, after not catching any more rockfish, I switched over to using the old reliable that most anglers on the boat - a two hook Super Fly rig.

The fishing for 30 minutes was hit and miss, but then the rockfish started chomping, as they often do in the afternoons and evenings. Everybody started hooking up fish. I was having a blast bringing up one rockfish after another, catching big bolina rockfish, large blue rockfish and smaller yellowtail and olive rockfish. I also released a couple of canary rockfish.

I can't think of a more awesome way to spend an afternoon than experiencing great rockfish action. We were only fishing in 60 feet of water. The only downside to afternoon trips is the wind; the wind was brisk on our trip and a few people got seasick. However, most days the afternoon wind subsides in the evening.

Chris Harris nailed a big vermilion rockfish, while Larry Morton of Santa Cruz landed two vermilions. Zach Powers of Folsom also nailed a lingcod, along with his limit of rockfish. Joe McGovern and Glen McGovern also came from Denver Colorado nailed their limits of rockfish.

The 32 anglers caught full limits of rockfish and three lingcod before 8 p.m. The deckhands, Mike Margard and D.J., began cleaning the fish on the way back and finished cleaning the fish at the dock.

"I was hoping we would get more lingcod, since we did very well in the local reefs last year on lingcod," said Stagnaro. "I believe that there is so much bait in the bay now - sardines and anchovies - that the lingcod are moving into the sand to feed, rather than holding on the rocks."

"The fishing the past five years has been good in the local reefs such as South Rock, Natural Bridges and the Santa Cruz Reef, " emphasized Stagnaro. "I believe this may have to do with the city putting in a new sewage pipeline that puts treated waste further offshore."

The trips to Año Nuevo Island have produced good lingcod scores. Stagnaro's trip on opening day produced 41 lingcod, 10 cabezon and limits of rockfish, including some big reds in the 6 to 8 pound range. On the following day, the 27 anglers nailed 35 lingcod and limits of rockfish aboard the Velocity.

The Velocity is a new 60 ft twin engine sport fisher built by Yank Marine, designed to get you to the fish with speed and comfort. She is powered by twin 550 HP Caterpillar Diesels, cruises at a speedy but comfortable 18 knots (topping out at 25 knots), and features a hot galley.

Other captains out of Santa Cruz and Monterey are finding excellent rockfish action, too. While Santa Cruz boats are fishing off Ano Nuevo Island, Davenport and the local reefs, the Monterey boats are nailing their bottom fish in both the local reefs and off Point Sur on the calm days.

For more information about rockfish trips out of Santa Cruz, call Sea Stag Sportfishing, (831) 427-0230; Shamrock Charters, (831) 476-2648l; Park Place Excursions, (831) 479-0213; Santa Cruz Sportfishing, (831) 426-4690; and Chartle Sportfishing, (831) 336-2244. For rental boats, call Capitola Boat & Bait, (831) 462-2208, or Santa Cruz Boat Rentals, (831) 423-1739. Private boaters can call Bayside Marine, (831) 475-2173. Randy's Fishing Trips, (800) 251-7440, and Chris' Fishing Trips, (831) 375-5951 offer rockfish trips out of Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. You can also contact Hook 'em Up Sportfishing in Moss Landing, (408) 847-8177, or J&D Auto Repair Gone Fishin' in Seaside, (831) 899-1111, for information on Monterey Bay fishing.

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