Summary: Cold weather pattern, awful winds, slower tides--hell, it's a challenge, but you're up for it, right?

STRIPED BASS: The Marin coast north of San Quentin is still the best place to go for stripers this week.   The action has tapered with the slower tides and funky weather, but the fish are still around.  Try something with a good aroma, like cut fishy baits, but pile worms and grass shrimp will also work.  River stripers are active up the Napa, around American Canyon.    Elsewhere it's a royal pain with tiny guys impaling themselves on any bait; not worth sticking around for a keeper when you find the shakers now.

STURGEON: Two spots worth mentioning are the Alameda Rockwall (and perhaps the nearby Bay farm Island shoreline) on herring and pile worms, and the  Dumbarton Bridge on the same baits.  Nothing Earth-shaking but the prospects are on the plus side.   San Pablo Bay is tough, though a late afternoon shot with five feet of water or more might yield a fish on grass shrimp or pile worms. No special spot.  Montezuma Slough is cold and slow.

PERCH:  Better on the surf than the bays of late, only because these damn winds are slightly less irritable on the seashore.   Redtail and, calico, barred, and striped perch are all possible on pile worms, mostly north of Muir Beach.  Both towers of the Gate are productive for walleyed and striped perch, and the East Bay has pogies where there are rocks and a decent mean depth.

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES: No change except for the tidal slowdown. Sand dabs are still plentiful at Fort Baker and will take squid strips. So are jacksmelt, though more will be found from the ledge at Point Cavallo using the standard float rig.  Kingfish are best found on the bottom of the tide in San Pablo Bay. Bullheads are ubiquitous.