The salmon preseason has started and the meetings to set the season have begun. Your chance to view or offer an opinion comes on February 25th at 9:00 am at the Sonoma County Water Agency at 404 Aviation Blvd in Santa Rosa. I believe that you can play along at home over the Internet. Links and other dates of meetings can be found here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/salmonpreseason.asp . For abalone divers and rockpickers, new rules are being created. Your opportunity to participate is also at hand. To fill out a questionnaire on your preferences for future regulations, go here: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Invertebrates/Abalone/Survey . It can't hurt, and maybe you can help direct where the regulations will be effecting. I know that I personally would enjoy the opportunity to choose the  color and composition of the rope with which I get hanged.
   The crabbing has been slow in the bay but there's still some Dungeness coming in. The pier has even given up a few crab dinners. The surfperch are feeding off of the beach if you're lucky enough to find the school. The leopard sharks are also doing the school thing inside the bay and if you're lucky enough to find them please let me know where. I was told "across the bay in a cove" but that wasn't enough info for me to find them.