santa cruz help

q3fishboy · Post by **q3fishboy** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:33 pm

I am a busy student at UCSC. I really just want to pull on something so was hoping for some tips on where I could go and what I should use. Don't really care what I am targeting, just want to do some catch and release fishing. Was thinking maybe carp would be a good target but open to anything really. Am just hoping for some decent action as I don't have much free time. Thanks a bunch for any information; I really appreciate wall the help.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:57 am

I'm interested, too.
My youngest son, a UCSC alum, now lives and works in Santa Cruz, and I was thinking of towing my boat up and fishing with him, but I don't know anything about the lakes or bass fishing up there.
Hope the guys here can help us both out.

Champion Jon · Post by **Champion Jon** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:35 am

You looking for freshwater only?

I'd check out the saltwater action if it was me. I was in Capitola a couple months back and on the pier there they rent little motor boats for pretty reasonable rates for you to get out and fish from. The guy I talked to that was coming in had done very well that day and caught a few different species of fish.

You also got charter boats going out from all around you if you got time for a full day trip.

Or fish off any of the piers.....crab seasons open. Your right on the ocean...i'm jealous....enjoy it!

q3fishboy · Post by **q3fishboy** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:27 am

Along with being a busy student I am also a broke student. Haha. I am also more aware of what is going on with salt water and that is what I am more familiar with. Without a boat (and its associated time commitments and costs), shore fishing in the ocean has not been very productive for me. Was going to maybe try some perch fishing off the shore but am open to other suggestions as well. However, when I posted this topic, I was mainly hoping to find a couple near-by ponds or something for little short trips (from shore). Thanks a bunch.

K_Lincomfelt · Post by **K_Lincomfelt** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:23 pm

When I was a kid we used to go around in Santa Cruz and flip little small grubs around the rocks. We used to absolutely whack them (might be some exaggeration I was a kid) but damn it was fun. Wasn't a ton of size but would catch hundreds of fish over the weekend I believe they were some sort of rockfish. Looked like a little ugly bass. The little soft plastic grubs were extremely inexpensive and it was just like flipping grass and structure at home for me. Give it a try you might be surprised and it wont cost you but a couple bucks. Good luck

DDG · Post by **DDG** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 9:09 pm

Anytime I travel somewhere out of town that I am not familiar with and know I may have a chance to go fishing, I go on google maps and try to find water. Then I look for the nearest fishing/hunting store and ask questions usually theres a golf pond or something that has bass. Anyways if you live in sc and have a car there are tons of lakes in san jose that have bass and there is Loch Lomond in the santa cruz forest, lexington off 17, and lake elsman. Get SUM!

Tony P · Post by **Tony P** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 9:42 pm

Go down to the Santa Cruz boat harbor & talk with Todd at Bayside Marine. He'll be able to tell you all about shore fishing the area. I've caught perch, stripers, halibut, assorted rock fish, & steelhead from the shores & beaches from Monterey to Halfmoon Bay.

q3fishboy · Post by **q3fishboy** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:48 pm

Thanks for all of the help guys. I have been throwing some little jigs for rockfish but was hoping to find something that pulled some drag and the rockfish it seems like you either have to rip them out or they get you stuck. Hence the interest in carp fishing - I was going to try using ultralight tackle. I have also been looking into the perch fishing, but I was under the impression that halibut and stripers etc were more of a summer time thing. Would appreciate any more suggestions you guys might have. Thanks again.