October 4, 2007 Fish Rap SALTWATER REPORT Local anglers are filling their bags with rockfish, and a surprising run of salmon appeared in shallow local waters. Link Despite rumors to the contrary, rockfish and lingcod season is still open in our area. The California Department of Fish and Game enforced an early closure for the Rockcod, Cabezone and Greenling RCG Complex season starting on October 1 from Pigeon Point north to the Oregon border. That leaves our area and points south open for RCG fishing through the planned November 30 closure. Further confusing the issue is the September 21 implementation of Marine Protection Areas in our region. Due to the MPA rules, Ano Nuevo is now closed to all sport fishing, the shallow water near Natural Bridges is a "no-take" zone and a few areas along the Monterey Peninsula have been closed under these new rules. Maps of the new reserve areas are available on the DFG website at this address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/ccmpas_list.asp . Despite these measures, which many sport anglers consider draconian, most areas in our region remain open for fishing. And the fishing has been very good, according to Jim Rubin from Captain Jimmy's Sportfishing. "We fished local last week," Rubin says. "It was a great day on the Bay. We had four limits by 9:30, fishing the reefs near Wilder Ranch. The catch was mostly big black rockfish, along with nine vermillion weighing up to eight pounds each" Stagnaro's Sportfishing also fished the local reefs last weekend to catch limits of blacks and reds for the 19 anglers aboard a private charter. Todd Fraser at Bayside Marine recommends taking the trek to Franklin Point , just above Ano Nuevo, and clear of the new MPA. Fraser received reports of great rockcod fishing in that area from 50-90 feet of water. He also reports a good bite for olive rockfish in 140 feet of water off Natural Bridges, though the halibut fishing is starting to slow down on the North Coast Beaches, according to Fraser. Most surprising were the reports Fraser received regarding king salmon being caught in 120 feet of water off Natural Bridges. A few lucky anglers found the salmon while trolling 80 feet down over the weekend. Frank Ealy at Capitola Boat and Bait chimed in with good reports of mackerel fishing over the weekend in the Capitola area. The "Mack attack" featured fish from 10-14 inches that bit on baited sabiki rigs or small flashy lures.   The Oregon Dead Zone SUMMER, 2006 - It's another day on the ocean for fishing guide John Krauthoefer. Normally, his clients try to catch prized Chinook salmon on the sea near Tillamook Bay. But so far this summer, there aren't many salmon to catch. Instead, Krauthoefer's found something unusual for people to reel in: halibut. Halibut are normally found many miles out to sea in water that's hundreds of feet deep. But this year, they're close to shore in just 60 feet of water. Krauthoefer told KATU: "They're here for food - no doubt about it! They're here for food." Commercial fishermen have discovered another species that's "here for food" too. More albacore tuna than ever are swimming near shore this summer. The reason, according to commercial fisherman Steve Fick, is simple: "We have warm water close to shore!" The tuna need water between 60-70 degrees to survive and catching albacore has never been better. The unusual ocean conditions have not only affected fish species but also wildlife, particularly seabird colonies that use the offshore rocks and islands. Experts told KATU that this past spring and summer there was little no seabird nesting success. The reason? There's just not enough food to go around. Sharlene Fees of Wildlife Rehabilitation of the Northwest, told KATU that between 30 and 40 have been cared for in her clinic this summer. They birds were the lucky ones that were rescued by visitors to Clatsop County beaches. She has been caring for both sick adult birds and a handful of starving baby murres. She's worried that so few seabirds successfully nested this year. "The murres are tied very closely to their environment. So, any environmental changes; subtle changes in the food web or toxicity or predation, they will be the first species to really show it - and dramatically - that there problems out there in the sea." Recently, OSU scientists found a big problem in the ocean called the "Dead Zone." It's a pool of saltwater that contains little or no oxygen. Scientists have tracked the dead zone for nearly 100 miles along the central Oregon coast. Dr. Jane Lubchenco told KATU that the dead zone may be linked to a fundamental shift in our climate. "It is possible that climate change is triggering changes in atmospheric circulation and oceanic circulation that resulted in this dead zone; it's a possibility. But more importantly, there's no obvious fix to this, so we're just tracking it and trying to understand it better." It's an environmental puzzle with more questions than answers and the OSU scientists will continue to study it through the summer.