Many of us almost forgot what it’s like to have a real salmon season along the Central Coast of California. As the Chinook situation developed over the past month, things are actually looking pretty good. Last week, water temps dropped a critical four or five degrees thanks to an increase in northwest winds and resultant upwelling, which brings cool nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface and feed a beautiful array of sea life, including salmon. … Because the population of Chinook salmon is fragile, with most West Coast runs labeled as “threatened” and a few considered “endangered,” the powers that be included total harvest restrictions in the regulations. The Harvest Guideline for “Summer Season” in the Central Region is set at 21,800 fish. The official count of king salmon caught since the opener as is 2,328 recreational chinook as of April 30. That leaves 19,472 fish still available to catch before Aug. 31.