After last weekend's wind the water has laid down and started to (barely) warm up. The rockfish are biting pretty well in the shallows in which we allowed to fish. Next month we switch to outside of the 50 fathom line, so if you want to catch shallow water rockfish you need to go now or wait for November. Going now is not a bad idea. Honestly, better chance for a ling in shallow now than waiting until October for a Rittenburg run, as this time of year the lingcod come in shallow to spawn. Well, October will hopefully let them make more little lings. Good for them. Then, good for us.

   In the bay the colder water has slowed down the action from Hog to the bar, although action can still be had at the bottom of the current low tides when the warmer water from in back runs all the way forward.  I was even able to connect with a 24 pound halibut on the bar this evening. They're here. It's just getting them to bite that's hard. James Ludovina stopped by again and, after seeing the cold, baitfish free water near Hog, went farther (further?) back and found warm water with schools of anchovies. In those schools, in the last few days, he and his guests have caught five halibut, three stripers (lost one of a triple yesterday) and three white sea bass (two keepers, one short) and a thresher shark. I think. I'm sure James kept a better count than I. But with the good weather forecast (inshore) this weekend I imagine we'll see a few more fish. Things are winding down, but it ain't over yet.