BY MERIT McCREA
MORRO BAY/AVILA — Just like that, when the wind quit the counts bounced right back up and it was limits on every outing aboard the party boats, both out of Avila and Morro Bay. Private boaters and 6-pack charters whacked the salmon and scores upwards of 70 salmon each day came in to the Port San Luis Sportlaunch over the weekend.
Friday the Patriot took just 15 anglers out on its Crab-N-Cod trip. Not only did they get nearly boat limits of rockfish, but those traps came up stuffed — 102 Dungeness.
Sunday the Phenix fished Purisima and turned in rockfish limits for 15, which included 20 reds, 6 bocaccio, 60 bolina, 4 canary and 2 treefish. In addition they had a pair of lings and a whitefish.
Both the Patriot and Flying Fish were on half-day trips and had full limits of rockfish for all anglers.
The Sportlaunch put out 16 boats Friday for 3/4-limits on cod and 31 salmon; 40 Saturday for the same on rockfish, 3 halibut and 72 king salmon; and 49 boats Sunday, similar rockfish numbers and 79 kings.
Up in Morro Bay on Sunday, the Black Pearl was on half-day duty and reported chilly weather and a bit of breeze later in the afternoon. The bite was sufficient to get all anglers their limits, but not what they’d been used to earlier in the week.
Capt. Sergio posted back open this week on the 4-pack Bent Rod. He’s been putting people on the great salmon bite this season, right out front of the rock.
At Morro Bay Landing, boats were out fishing daily this past week with every trip finding full limits of rockfish for all anglers.
Sunday the Avenger carried 24 anglers and turned in limits including 100 kelp rockfish, a cabezon and 10 reds. The Endeavor fished a 12-hour and their 20 anglers’ limits included 100 reds (limits), 40 coppers and 40 bocaccio, with 4 lings on top. Colton Dyrer had the biggest ling, a 9 pounder.
The Starfire fished 3/4-day with 20 fishers finding 80 reds, 10 copper, 10 bocaccio and 90 more of other rockfish species.
