Fishing in Santa Cruz

Every year steelhead trout will run up the San Lorenzo river (if water levels permit). Even though you are allowed to catch them there are still some limitations to your technique and you are not allowed to keep any fish. They can still be a fun species to target. Not only do they put up a good fight, but also even if you aren't having much luck you are still standing in a beautiful environment in the Santa Cruz redwood forest. In my opinion it's the next best option to being in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

These fish are highly protected since they are just starting to make a comeback in the numbers found in this river. This means there are a few limitations to the types of tackle you are allowed to use. The most important item to consider is you are supposed to use barbless fishhooks. If you don't have any it is easy to squeeze the barb with a pair of pliers.

You are also supposed to not use any bait or fish attracting scent. This limits you to just using lures. I find that small fish shaped lures will work. My favorite setup to use happens to be a spin-n-glow above a section of a power worm. I will separate the two with a small bead. The next best thing has to be the rapala x-rap. This lure will definitely get strikes on this river. Use a steady retrieve when working it back to you. If that hasn't worked for you try a variation of retrieves using a slight jerking motion.

There are numerous holes on this river that are relatively deep. The fish will hold up in these holes waiting for rainwater to cause the river to swell up. Once the river is high enough the fish will swim upstream to their spawning grounds.

I have also found that some years the river will not be flowing fast enough to break the sand barrier to the sea. This means there will not be any adult steelhead in the river. The fish will be holding up in the ocean where the river is supposed to flow out. This happens to be at the beach in front of the Boardwalk. You may have some luck casting lures from this beach. Try spoons with a silver pattern or ones that look like sardines or small mackerel.

his local reservoir is found in the mountains near Ben Lomand. Although it is relatively close to the ocean, it always reminds me of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This gorgeous lake is surrounded with a Santa Cruz Redwood forest similar to the one found around the San Lorenzo River.

Target species at this lake are largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, catfish as well as trout when they are stocked. You are allowed to bring your boat to this lake or rent one here. If you decide to bring a boat be ready to have it inspected for New Zealand cone snails.

You should be prepared to wait for your boat to be inspected for two to three hours if you are visiting the lake on a busy day. Once introduced to any local water, these pests will readily multiply and drive out native species so it is important to be careful not to introduce them to any of our local lakes and rivers.

I have had some good luck trout fishing at this lake from shore. I typically use power bait off the bottom. I have seen people catching bass and bluegills but they are usually on a boat. I have also heard that people catch catfish in this lake but since the lake closes at dark there aren't many people targeting this species. I heard there are some decent size largemouth bass in this lake.

People will catch many species of fish from shore all year long in the Santa Cruz area. There are numerous species of perch found here. Be sure if you are going to fish from shore you have a California fishing license. They can be purchased from any sporting goods store that sells fishing gear.

Santa Cruz even puts on an annual perch fishing tournament. This could be a fun way to spend a weekend, or if you are the more competitive type you could enjoy the competition that other perch fishermen can offer.

During the summer months (around April until early September) is when baitfish like sardines, anchovies, and mackerel will come close to shore. Every year when the batfishes arrive they attract larger sport fish like different stripped bass, and halibut. When fishing from beaches it is common to use baits such as shrimp and pile worms. Some people even dig up sand crabs.

Typically while fishing with bait you will catch perch. Often anglers catch stripped bass and even halibut with these baits. The wide array of fish that can be caught from bait makes it a popular technique. I generally like casting lures such as top water plugs, spoons, and swimbaits that mimic the baitfish found in the area.

A friend of mine was casting a white top water popper with a red tip from the beach in Capitola just as the sun was setting. He ended up catching a 28 pound stripped bass right from the beach. Can you imagine what kind of spectacle that could have been if you were one of the people on the beach watching him reel in this large fish?

Shore fishing in California can be very good any time of year. The majority of the year you are only going to catch surfperch. During the summer you may catch larger species that can be good for dinner or even sold to someone else.

The Santa Cruz area has 3 very good piers to fish from. The first is the Santa Cruz Wharf. This wharf is located near the boardwalk and is a popular tourist attraction. This is the largest pier of the three and has many species of fish to be caught.

The second pier in the area is just south of Santa Cruz in the town of Capitola. The Capitola wharf has some great fishing in the summer months, and there is even a shark breeding ground nearby. These sharks can sometimes be caught on the pier. I caught a 36 inch lemon shark close to midnight one summer night. If you are going to keep any fish make sure you know what the size limits are and the quantity regulations are for that species.

The third pier is at the cement ship at seacliff state beach. This is the only pier of the three that has designated times you are allowed to be on the pier. People can be on the pier from sunrise to sunset. Since this is a state beach, there happens to be several tourist attractions nearby including campgrounds and RV campsites.
People have been able to catch lingcod, rock cod, and perch. Also halibut and stripped bass are caught in the summer as well as salmon and steelhead. I have even caught baby octopus from this pier using pile worms as bait. These worms are ugly looking and if you are not careful they will bite you.

The sandy beach below this pier is a breeding ground for halibut in the summer months making it a desirable destination for many fishermen. When I fish on any pier for larger sports fish I enjoy catching live bait like anchovies or sardines. Pretty much any species of baitfish will work. The key is to keep them alive when you use them. I feel live baitfish are a lot more desirable to halibut than dead ones.

The fishing techniques on these piers are going to generally be the same. I rely on 3 main techniques. One is using live baitfish as bait. These baitfish can be caught on the pier using a sabiki rig, or on the Capitola wharf you can even buy live baitfish for fifty cents each. The second technique would be using cut bait such as shrimp or dead anchovies on a surf leader. The third way I catch fish on the pier is using artificial lures like swimbaits and spoons.

One way I keep the baitfish alive is with the help of an aerator. These can be found at most fishing supply stores like west marine. Sardines and anchovies require a lot of oxygen in the water so it is important to supply them with a regular amount of new ocean water. Having a spare bucket attached to a rope is an easy way to do this.

Sardines and anchovies also tend to swim constantly. In order to reduce the amount of damage to the fish is to keep them in a round bucket. This allows them to swim in circles without banging into the corners of a square shaped bucket. This will vastly improve the life span of the baitfish.

My favorite technique for fishing with live baitfish is to put them under a bobber with a small split shot sinker a couple of inches above the hook. The bobber size doesn't matter because it is just supposed to keep the baitfish off the bottom. I don't mind if it pulls the bobber under because I know it will get tired and the bobber will pull the fish back up eventually.
I like to use a "stinger hook" or "trailer hook" in the tail/belly area of the fish and another hook in the nose or mouth of the fish. Be sure not to puncture any major organs including the gills because the fish will bleed out and die. A single split shot sinker should be enough weight to keep the fish away from the surface.

I generally put the bobber six feet above the hooks, but I have seen people catch halibut with the bobber much closer. The main concern you need to consider is to not put the bobber so close to your baitfish that the seagulls and other birds see your fish. They will usually swim down and eat your fish. I have seen people catch birds more than they catch fish.

Another predator to pay attention to on the piers are the sea lions and seals. These animals are hunting fish because they must in order to survive. They have become savvy with linking fishermen to baitfish. I have had dozens if not hundreds of baitfish stolen by seals. They have gotten so good at it that they can eat the part of your bait that doesn't have any hooks, leaving the head and tail sections attached to the hook. Pay close attention to your line when a seal is in the area.

I don't usually cast the fish out overhead because they generally fly off the hook. Instead I do a soft underhand cast and let out more line so the fish can swim out as far as I want it to. I also monitor the swimming fish to be sure it doesn't swim under the wharf. It will easily get tangled and you can loose your entire setup.

Fishing off the coast of Santa Cruz can be great when done from a boat. One destination many people seek out is a small, submerged reef near the mile buoy. Lingcod, rock cod, and halibut are common here. Another hot spot would be any of the numerous kelp beds found off the Santa Cruz Coast.

If you bring your own boat you can launch in the Santa Cruz Harbor for a small fee. They also have plenty of parking for your vehicle and boat trailer.

There are also numerous charter companies that offer guided fishing trips for a fee. These trips can range in price depending on the species of fish targeted but generally cost around $60. They also offer gear if you don't have the correct equipment for these larger fish.

Charter trips will target numerous species anywhere from halibut and sea bass to humbolt squid that can reach 6 feet in length. Bayside marine even offers thresher shark fishing trips. These sharks will regularly grow to 100 to 200 pounds in size.

If you are more adventurous, you will be able to rent a boat in the summer months at the Capitola Wharf. These rentals are $60 for the day. It will seat 3 to 4 people comfortably with all your gear. You are limited in the range you can go but are not limited in the species found in this range.

The range in these boats is south from the cement ship, up north to the radio towers in Santa Cruz and a mile off shore. There are plenty of reefs and kelp forests in this range to catch a lot of fish.