Monterey Bay anglers enjoyed a great week for fishing. Winds were light, swell was small and we had long mornings with glassy conditions. Making live bait is a no-brainer, with big schools of anchovies, mackerel and white croakers pretty much everywhere. Most of the meat anglers are focusing on rockfish and lings, but the halibut bite is compelling on flat sandy areas where the water is clear and warm.

Up in Santa Cruz, with the weather and sea conditions settling down, Skipper JT Thomas from Go Fish Santa Cruz took the long trip up to Franklin Point on Tuesday. It was well worth the ride for clients aboard the beautiful Miss Beth. They counted limits of big, quality vermilion and canary rockfish with a bonus of seven big lings, four brown and three blue. Stagnaro’s Sportfishing continues to offer a variety of trips, including sunrise and sunset get-outs, usually billed as a “six-hour trip.” They’re catching half to full limits of rock cod, and course counting a few lingcod per outing, plus an occasional halibut.

Captain Rodney Armstrong with Santa Cruz Coastal Charters ventured up towards Four Mile beach on Wednesday for near limits of rockfish, a couple keeper lings, and a beautiful 25-pound halibut. On his second foray for the day, they stayed closer to Santa Cruz and caught quick limits, including canaries, browns, and black rockfish.

Capitola Boat and Bait is reporting great fishing in their area. For a few weeks there’s been a daily flotilla of private boats scouring the sand for flatties outside Capitola and down towards the Cement Ship. The rental skiffs can do just as well as the big boats and they don’t need to go more than a mile from the wharf to get into the halibut grounds. Mike and Bryden Contreras proved the point on Sunday whilst landing a big double-digit halibut in calm, glassy conditions.

Charter boats from Monterey also cashed in on the conditions. Chris’ Fishing Trips reported limits (240) rockfish and 10 lings for their Check Mate trip on Wednesday. Down the dock, J&M Sportfishing had a great report on Monday with a light load only six anglers aboard. That meant plenty of elbow room at the rails. They made short work of it, catching limits of rockfish and three lings for the day.

Allen Bushnell also operates Santa Cruz Surf and Kayak Fishing Guide Service. Please send any reports, pictures or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com.