Southern California
Imperial Beach Pier - Kiyoko, at Cox Bait & Tackle, reports that anglers are still flocking to the pier. Inshore, they're catching corbina and barred surfperch while further out they are catching mackerel, and a few sharks and rays on the bottom. Use fresh mussels or bloodworms inshore, cut mackerel or squid out at the end. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.
Ocean Beach Pier - Bruce, at the Ocean Beach Bait Shop (on the pier), reports that the mackerel have moved back in and good numbers are being taken by most fishermen. Some large leopard sharks (to 5 1/2 feet) have been taken in the mid-pier area and some calico (kelp) bass have been taken out at the T-end of the pier. Lastly, anglers continue to pull in corbina and perch at the inshore section of the pier; perch species include opaleye, rubberlip and black seaperch. I visited the pier mid-month and was skunked in one hour of fishing, the first time that has happened this year. The water was dirty, the tide was wrong and NO ONE was catching any fish. But the fish move in and out. How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.
Crystal Pier - Our reporter, Russell Grossbard, relays the following: "Week ending 7/5/98 -- some nice shovelnose sharks were taken and mackerel and some small halibut were caught and released. Closer to the shore, the action was slow as the surf was heavy so there wasn't any sargo, but there were a lot of croakers, the odd one in the 2-3 lb. range and the odd surf perch and corbina were taken in between sets. About mid way up the pier the action was a lot better with a lot of croakers hitting on mussels. Week ending 7/12/98 --sargo were back with a whopping 5 lb one been taken by a French bloke, this fish was as big as the lid of my fishing bucket which is a 5 gallon one. He also had 7 others in the 1-3 lb range. At the end of the pier there wasn't much going on ,the odd sting ray and thornback were being caught and some still small halibut, and smelt. But down where the sargo were hitting in the mid surf there was lots of walleye perch, croakers, all falling prey to mussels, ghost shrimp and bloodworms. Week ending 7/18/98 -- I went after work and fished in the surf, and had some luck with sand crabs and mussels and caught croakers in the 1-2 lb range and some small surf perch. I was told by the owner of the coffee stand that someone had caught a 28-inch white seabass early on in the week and the king of halibut had been down and had caught 4 halibut but none of them were keepers. On a last note, the Fish & Game have been down once more and this time they have posted a notice informing fisher men & women that as from the 8/1/98 any one found to be fishing without a license will be sited. They also said they would be coming down to enforce this." How To Get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.
Pepper Park Pier - No report this month. How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.
Embarcadero Marina Pier - A two-hour, mid-month visit by myself yielded lots and lots of mackerel together with a small shovelnose shark (guitarfish). All of the mackerel were nice sized fish that were a blast to catch on my light tackle. Also saw a couple of bass, croakers and a needlefish. How To Get There: Take I-5 to the Market St. exit, take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center.
Shelter Island Pier - Buddy, at the Shelter Island Pier Bait & Tackle Shop (on the pier), says that anglers have been doing very good on bass and croakers while using ghost shrimp, bloodworms or cut anchovies on the bottom. Mackerel also provide a lot of action when the schools move past the pier. A two-hour visit by myself, during the middle of the day, mid-month, yielded kelp bass, sand bass and mackerel, all of which were returned to the bay. It was the most bass I have seen during the last few years at the pier. How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy.209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.
Oceanside Pier - Carl, at the Oceanside Pier Bait & Tackle, reports that almost all the action is inshore. Out at the end of the pier the mackerel have been absent and only a few halibut have been landed. Inshore however he says there's the usual summertime run of yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker and corbina. Be sure to use the right bait -- fresh mussels, bloodworms or ghost shrimp. Carl says anglers are also catching a lot of shovelnose sharks (guitarfish) and bat rays -- at almost any section of the pier. For the sharks and rays use squid or mackerel. I visited the pier mid-month and an hour and a half of early-evening fishing in the inshore waters yielded three large yellowfin croaker, a mid-sized spotfin croaker and a number of large jacksmelt. The fish were caught on bloodworms and ghost shrimp. How To Get There: From I-5 take Mission Blvd. west to Pacific, turn left and follow it to the pier.
Oceanside Harbor Pier - I visited the pier one evening in the middle of the month. Fishing for an hour, and using bloodworms and ghost shrimp for bait, I managed to pull in a pretty good sized yellowfin croaker, a keeper kelp bass and a blackperch. Most anglers were using squid or anchovies and not catching fish. Match the bait you use to the environment you are fishing! How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Dana Point Harbor Pier - Just over one hour of fishing by myself during one mid-month morning produced two kelp bass, a spotfin croaker and a diamond turbot. All of the fish hit on bloodworms and all were returned to fight another day. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.
Aliso Beach Pier - The pier is closed and needs to be rebuilt.
Newport Pier - A note from "bombermom" said she went to the pier and in 5 hours managed to catch "3 calicos, one sand bass, one starfish, and one sanddab -- an ugly thing." She said not much was going on although one man was catching small sharks. Two early morning hours of fishing by myself, mid-month, resulted in 33 fish, again most of them being small mackerel and most were returned to the sea. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turnoff and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.
Balboa Pier - Two hours of mid-afternoon fishing here produced 35 fish, mostly small mackerel, and most were returned to the ocean to grow. Bait of choice was fresh pieces of mackerel. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and an adjacent parking lot.
Huntington Beach Pier - I received two notes this month from our reporter Audrey K. In the first note she reported " I caught a 29" Barracuda half way up the HB pier using live bait (it was small mackerel or herring, don't remember what). I was trying for halibut. A week earlier, my dad caught two 15" Bass. Lots of little fish and big ones on the way when I was last there." In her second report she said " fishing down here has been inconsistent, but when they do hit, they're usually a good size. Using live bait (small smelt, small mackerels, herring, sardines are around pier), there's been an unusually large number of barracuda hanging out with the halibut, sharks and sea bass. They're even biting cut mackerel, mussels, etc. In the past week, (8-hour days, every single day), my dad caught one 25-inch halibut, three good size seabass, and quite a few barracuda cutting his line in the last minute with their sharp teeth. Mackerel are at the end of the pier." She and her dad certainly did better than me. I visited the pier mid-month for an hour and was almost skunked. All I caught was one mackerel and one large jacksmelt. Also got a report from I'm Alex K. who said "I usually fish at Huntington Beach Pier. I went there last Sunday and caught 7 sand sharks, 1 small-sized halibut, 2 rays, and 1 yellow-fin croaker. And, I only used sardines for bait." How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier. It is located at the end of Main Street.
Seal Beach Pier - Janie, at Norm's Big Fish Sportfishing Shop (on the pier), says that anglers continue to pull in a mixed bag of fish. Out toward the end, fishermen (and fisherladies) are pulling in some mackerel, sargo, an occasional halibut, bass, and even a barracuda now and then. Inshore, anglers continue to catch yellowfin and spotfin croakers while using bloodworms, ghost shrimp or fresh mussels. A short mid-month visit by myself yielded mostly mackerel but also one nice sized sand bass. Did see a few croakers but no halibut or sharks. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Cabrillo Pier - Our reporter, Tom T, said "I was out there about a week ago and I heard third hand reports that some guys caught legal size barracuda, I'm not sure if that's true but I wouldn't be surprised since barracuda are hanging around outside the breakwall. So, I decided to try my luck for something and threw a "crippled herring" half the day and had nothing. I did glance into people's buckets and found to my surprise nothing..... However, on Monday (7-27-98) I was walking to work and I saw some guys walk out with fairly big fish but I didn't see what kind, just didn't have enough time to take a look at the pier." A short mid-month visit by myself yielded mackerel, tom cod (white croaker) and a lot of good-sized jacksmelt. The jacksmelt hit on pieces of mackerel fished just under the surface of the water. Almost all of the fish were returned to the water. How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.
Redondo Beach Pier - I visited the pier for one hour during a busy, mid-month Sunday afternoon. It was mac attack city and after 40 (mostly released) fish I left. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Redondo Beach Sportfishing Pier (King Harbor) - Riley, at Redondo Sportfishing (on the pier), says that a good run of mackerel was in progress when I called. But it's day to day. Anglers continue to pull in quite a few small kelp bass and one fisherman even landed a sheephead recently. As usual, there are a lot of small perch and rocky-shore species under the pier (opaleye, blacksmith, blackperch, salema, sargo, rock wrasse, giant kelpfish, etc). Try for them with small hooks and bloodworms, fresh mussels, ghost shrimp or frozen peas as bait. Also be prepared to lose a lot of your bait to the bait-stealing senorita. I visited the pier for a couple of hours mid-month and mainly caught small kelp bass, salema and one sneaky little senorita, all of which were of course released. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Beryl St. west to Harbor Dr. and follow it to the entrance of the sportfishing parking lot.
Hermosa Beach Pier - Pete, at Just Fishing by Pete (near the front of the pier), says there's been a good run of mackerel and 'dines lately at the pier. Get them with bait rigs and/or strips of squid or mackerel under a light weight. Pete also says that barracuda are being caught EVERY day from the pier, both on bait and on jigs. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy.1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Burton Chace Fishing Platform (Marina Del Rey) - One short mid-month visit by myself yielded a couple of nice-sized sand bass using ghost shrimp as bait. How To Get There: From Lincoln Boulevard turn west on Mindanao Drive and follow it to the park. To reach the dock you must go through the park.
Venice Pier - Two short, mid-month visits by myself yielded a LOT of mackerel but not much else. I didn't see any fish caught on the bottom. The fish were tossed back to fight another day. How To Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier - Karen at the Santa Monica Pier Bait & Tackle Company (on the pier) says that sargo continue to be taken as well as barred surfperch in the inshore area. Further out, mackerel continue to make a good showing along with an occasional flurry of bonito. A few halibut, mostly illegal fish, continue to be caught each day and regulars with the know-how are still pulling in corbina in the shallow waters. Finally, bass continue to show up out toward the end of the pier along with an occasional small shark and bat ray. How To Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, and go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier - The pier remains closed as officials try to figure out where to get the money needed to rebuild the pier.
Port Hueneme Pier - Michelle, at the Hueneme Bait and Tackle Shop (near the foot of the pier), reports that anglers continue to pull in good numbers of smelt and mackerel along with smaller numbers of yellowfin croakers, bass, halibut and perch. Most of the smelt and mackerel are hitting bait rigs like the Filipino jigs, while the bottom fish are hitting on mussels, shrimp or cut anchovy. I fished the pier for one windy afternoon hour mid-month and caught only two fish, a lizardfish and a jacksmelt. Both were caught on Filipino jigs and the fishing was slow while I was there. I did see one angler lose an unattended rod that received a strong pull and was immediately jerked over the railing. I have heard of this happening several other times at this pier. What was the fish? Was it a big bat ray? Who knows but I advise you to always watch your pole closely if you are not going to hold it. Also, the T-end of the pier is gone (from the winter storms) and part of the pier, including the fish cleaning sinks, is blocked off by a wire fence. I would guess it is about 2/3 the former length. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.
Ventura Pier - No report this month -- I need a reporter for this pier. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Goleta Pier - A short, one-hour, mid-morning visit resulted in 0 fish, the second skunk of my southland trip and something I don't care to repeat too often. During the visit there were only 8 anglers on the pier and their sum total was one small barred surfperch. The gods must have been against us! The outer half of the pier remains closed and there is still quite a bit of damage to the campground. Park personnel said it will hopefully be fixed this fall. How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff.
Gaviota Pier - I visited the pier for one lone single hour during a mid-month evening and only managed to catch two fish, a white croaker and a jacksmelt. No one else was catching fish but the number of anglers suggested that fish were expected. Perhaps they were on a late, late bite. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.
Central California
Pismo Beach Pier - Troy, from Sheldon's Clam Stand, on the pier, reports that anglers continue to pull in some barred surfperch inshore while anglers at the end are seeking out jacksmelt (with an occasional flurry of mackerel or sardines). Regulars, mostly at night, continue to seek out thresher sharks although mostly what they catch are sand sharks or bat rays. A short, one-hour, mid-month visit by myself resulted in no fish (my third skunk of the trip) and one unhappy fisherman. I did see one angler that had landed a few barred surfperch in the inshore area. He was using bloodworms which unfortunately I did not have during the visit (always bring the right bait). How To Get There: From the north, take Hwy. 101 to the Five Cities Dr. exit; follow Dolliver into the middle of town, then turn west on Pomeroy and follow it to the pier and parking lot. From the south, take the Pismo Beach Exit (Price St.), follow it to Pomeroy; turn west and follow it to the pier.
Avila Pier - A two-hour, early evening visit by myself produced 17 fish including many good-sized kingfish (white croaker), mackerel and sardines. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to Avila Rd. and go west; turn left off of Avila Rd. on to Front St. and follow it to the pier.
Port San Luis Pier - Mike, at Avila Beach Sportfishing (on the pier), said that anglers are beginning to catch some halibut from the pier when using anchovies or live shinerperch. He says action has also been good on sardines and sometimes mackerel while using bait rigs. As usual, there are also a lot of kingfish (white croaker) on the bottom. A one-hour, mid-month visit by myself, just before dark, produced 14 fish. Included were Spanish mackerel (jack mackerel), sardines and walleye surfperch. Mackerel and sardines were around the pier and anglers with Lucky Lura-type bait rigs were getting lots of fish. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to the Avila Rd. turnoff and head west; follow the road to the end and the pier.
Morro Bay Wharf - A half hour of fishing by myself in the early morning hours, mid-month, produced no bites nor any fish (fourth skunk on my weaker-than-normal trip). The water looked o.k. and the tidal current wasn't too strong but the fish were absent. How To Get There: From Highway 1 turn south onto Main Street, follow it to Morro Bay Boulevard, turn left toward the bay and follow it to Embarcadero, turn right and follow Embarcadero to the end of the public parking which adjoins the piers.
Cayucos Pier - Lorna, at the Tidepool (near the front of the pier), reports that fishing is still good with quite a few nice-sized perch for the adults and lots of small perch for the kids. Regulars are also pulling in some decent-sized sharks and rays. One early morning hour only produced a single kingfish (white croaker). Things were slow on the pier (and tides were wrong). How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
San Simeon Pier - A new reporter, Greg Hickman, joins our force this month. Greg has been fishing the pier almost daily and reports that fishing is getting better by the day. What was already a decent number of barred surfperch in the inshore areas has heated up and both the quantity and quality of fish has improved. Quite a few BIG perch have been taken including one that Greg felt would have approached 4 pounds in size. While most of the barreds continue to be landed on sand crabs or pile worms/bloodworms, they're also hitting on anchovies -- even whole anchovies -- which gives an idea as to how big the perch have been. Halibut have also started to bite with a few being taken every day; the largest Greg measured was a 26" beauty. Most of the halibut have been landed on anchovies. Lots of jacksmelt are also showing up as are some silver surfperch and buttermouth perch (black seaperch). Greg says it doesn't seem to matter which tide you fish right now but the morning hours are definitely the best time to fish. It looks like this is the time to visit San Simeon! I was down to the pier mid-month and an hour and a half of mid-morning fishing yielded 2 barred surfperch, a white seaperch, and a new reporter. I met Greg, realized quickly that he was a resident "expert," and talked him into giving us a monthly report. Greg is a personable and knowledgeable young angler who fishes both saltwater and freshwater but admits a certain love for the pier -- a true "pier rat." How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance.
Monterey Wharf #2 - Frank, at the Compass at the front of the wharf, says that things are still slow. There were a few striped bass taken (7-14 pounds) but it was a short lived run. A couple of halibut were also landed but again, only a couple. Even the mackerel have been slow! There is an occasional run of Spanish mackerel (jack mackerel) but it's not consistent or reliable; they're in one night and gone the next. Frank feels things are still messed up from El Nino. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the central Monterey exit and follow Del Monte Avenue to Figueroa Street, turn left and follow to the wharf.
Capitola Wharf - Ed, at the Capitola Boat and Bait Shop (on the wharf), reported that most of the attention recently has been on striped bass and halibut with both species being caught daily. The stripers are running to 20 pounds while the halibut are mostly under sized fish with maybe one legal fish every day or so. Both species are hitting on live shiners, mackerel and frozen anchovies. Ed says there are also a lot of barred surfperch available and the always present kingfish (white croaker). He's also seen a few split tail perch (either white seaperch or pileperch). A few dog sharks (dogfish), bat rays and leopard sharks (to 4 feet) add spice to the action and when a school of mackerel or sardines moves in to the pier's waters everyone will catch some fish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the Bay Avenue exit west until it hits Capitola Avenue where you turn right; stay on this to Cliff Drive, turn right and park wherever you can find a spot.
Santa Cruz Wharf - Cintra, at Andy's Bait and Tackle (at the end of the wharf), says that things have been pretty slow. Schools of mackerel and jacksmelt come in and out but they're not steady. The same with the halibut, a few have been caught but there is no consistent action. There was a short run of green lingcod but almost all of the lings were just under legal size and even they have now departed. Lastly, there are a few perch and kingfish but it isn't like it should be this time of the year. A note from "John" said he went to the wharf and using anchovies landed about 10 jacksmelt. How To Get There: There are many ways to get to the wharf, the way I usually go is to take Ocean Street south from Highway 1, when you get to Laurel Street turn right and follow it to Pacific Street, turn left and follow Pacific to the wharf.
Piller Point Pier - Matt S reported a visit to the pier. He said, "plenty of bait in the water (shiners, walleye, pogie, anchovies) and your usual riot of kingfish and jacksmelt hanging around. Heard of lots of big halibut being landed by anglers drifting in small boats in the breakwater and there's also rumor of some salmon and striper frenzies that make attacks. Unfortunately, they haven't gotten within casting range yet. I'm just waiting for the spring tide of this month." How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot. This pier is to the far right of the parking lot.
Pacifica Pier - Al, at the Community Bait & Tackle shop (near the entrance to the pier), said that the fish quit biting last Friday at 1 p.m. Why, no one is sure. Before that day the king salmon and striped bass were fighting each other for the bait. The water is great but Al feels the tides must be wrong. He says that anglers are still getting kingfish (white croakers), jacksmelt and perch, but the mobs who came to the pier on the weekend expecting limits of salmon were very disappointed. However, it is too early for the kings and stripers to leave, they'll be back. I did get a couple of e-mails regarding fishing at the pier. The first was from Matt S: "last weekend I made a couple of trips to the Pacifica Pier and it was more crowded than sardines in a can. When I managed to get some rail space near the end, I noticed people catching salmon and near the mid-pier they were landing some nice stripers. Some stripers were as big as the benches they were sitting on. Although something was troubling me. I was stationed near the cleaning table (translation: getting skunked) and I saw people cleaning tiny salmon. I mean, they had to be about 12 to 18 inches long. That's illegal isn't it? I was to afraid to say anything though." That's one result of the new fishing regulations -- you keep the first two salmon you catch no matter the size. The second message was from Larry: "although I don't fish everyday I do fish often and I thought I might drop a line or two. I have fished piers and shore line since I was five years old (I am forty-six this year) and I still enjoy going to the pier with my daughters (sometimes) on the weekends , which brings me to this letter . Yesterday, Sat. July 11th, I and a friend arrived at the Pacifica Pier about 6:00 am and it was already crowded with anglers. The lady at the bait shop at the end of the pier said the fishing had been pretty good (which was an understatement). By noon (high tide) over one hundred salmon had been taken (not counting the ones taken by sea lions and seals). By early afternoon over two hundred salmon were taken (to 25 lbs) and a large number of stripers (to 25-30 lbs) were landed. My fishing buddy later told me if he wasn't there to witness it he wouldn't have believed if I told him about it. In all, it was a good day ( I hooked one but it shook free). How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Pacifica, take the Paloma Avenue-Francisco Boulevard exit, take Paloma west to Beach Road, turn left and follow the road to the pier.
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Shoreline Piers - Hippo, at Hi's Tackle Box in San Francisco, said that things are slow at the local piers. Everyone is fishing the beaches for stripers and the anglers remaining on the piers are only pulling in an occasional kingfish (white croaker), jacksmelt or shark. But the beaches are thick with BIG stripers.
South San Francisco Bay Piers - No report this month (except for Oyster Point). Can anyone out there help me?
Oyster Point Pier - Andy Llora reported that he visited the pier mid-month. His comments: "at the Oyster Point Pier two weeks ago, rays and sharks were the catch of the day. I caught 4 rays, 30 - 40 pounds on anchovies and a surf rig." How To Get There: From Highway 101 south take the Oyster Point Boulevard turnoff, follow Oyster Point Boulevard to Marina Drive, turn right and follow the road to the pier. From Highway 101 north take the Sierra Point turnoff and follow it to Oyster Point Boulevard. (A new Oyster Point Boulevard overpass was being built, is it finished?)
Dumbarton Pier - No report this month.
San Mateo Pier - Closed until November.
Ravenswood Pier - Closed and may not reopen.
Berkeley Pier - Bruce, at the Berkeley Marina Sport Center (near the pier), reports that halibut and striped bass contin ue to fall to anglers with the proper know-how. There are also flurries of jacksmelt and kingfish as well as some leopard sharks and bat rays. Jeff Green reported a visit he made to the pier, "I have been away from the pier for some time but had the chance to go out Tuesday night for about four hours. Me and my fishing buddy Rick caught over twenty fish. The majority were perch -- about 10, we caught several brown sharks, one thresher shark, four jacksmelt and five bat rays and to top it off I even caught an anchovy! Things seem to be heating up. A couple of guys caught some very large halibut. We were fishing with pile worms, squid and anchovies. How To Get There: Take I80 to University Avenue in Berkeley, turn west and follow the road to the pier.
Point Pinole Pier - The Anglers' Edge reported that a few striped bass and sturgeon continue to be caught by anglers using anchovies but the overall fishing is somewhat slow. How To Get There: From I80 take the Hilltop ( Richmond ) exit; go west on Hilltop till you come to San Pablo Avenue. Take a right at San Pablo to Atlas Road; go left on Atlas Road and follow it till you see the park parking lot.
Vallejo Pier - The pier has been torn down and the Vallejo Recreation Department is apparently discussing the feasibility of rebuilding the pier -- and trying to find the money.
Martinez Pier - Mark Grim reports that "fishing here continues to be slow. I visited the pier one evening and fished through sunset and into the early evening. I was able to catch a few small striped bass. I saw a few other fishermen catch stripers on other parts of the pier and even on the marina side of the pier. I have heard that the City of Martinez has decided to sell the marina to a private company that runs several other marinas. The city has not had much luck maintaining the marina and it has been fallen into disrepair. It has lost berth renters and the restaurant has closed recently due to lack of enough traffic going in and out of the marina. The new company running the marina has promised to upgrade the marina and make many improvements that will make the marina (and hopefully the fishing pier) a much nicer area to use. How To Get There: The pier is found at the foot of North Court Street. From I680, take the Marina Vista exit west off of the freeway, continue to the middle of the downtown area to Ferry Street and turn right, follow Ferry Street to Joe Dimaggio Road where you take another right, follow it a short distance to North Court Street, turn left, and follow the street through the Martinez Shoreline Park out to the pier parking lot. From Highway 4, take the Alhambra exit north and follow it to Escobar Street, turn right and follow it to Ferry Street, turn left and follow to Joe Dimaggio Drive, turn right and follow it to North Court Street, turn left and follow it out to the pier.
Antioch Piers - No report this month. How To Get There: The pier is located at the foot of H Street in downtown Antioch. From Highway 4, go north on G. Street; follow it to Second Street where you will turn left; follow Second Street about a block to the free public parking lot near the Jerome Waldie Plaza. A short walk through the park and down the hill will take you to the foot of the pier.
Antioch Marina Pier - No report this month. How To Get There: From Highway 4, take the G Street exit and go north to Sixth Street; turn left and follow Sixth to L Street; turn right on L Street and simply follow it to the Antioch Public Marina and Marina Plaza Drive which takes you straight to the pier. The pier is to the right of the large Humphrey's Restaurant.
Antioch Bridge Fishing Pier - Mark Grim reported that " the fishing here has been very good lately. I've seen good sized catfish (up to 20 inches long), striped bass and starry flounders being caught on several trips to the pier. Best baits continue to be frozen anchovies, shad, and worms. I seemed to have good luck no matter where on the pier that I was fishing. How To Get There: Follow Highway 4 east until it turns into Highway 160; just before you get to the bridge take the Wilbur Avenue off ramp (it is the last exit before the bridge), then turn left on Bridgehead Road and follow it to the entrance to the Antioch Regional Shoreline Park -- the pier is the main feature of the park.
Rio Vista Pier - Mark Grim reported the following: "on my first visit to this pier, I was able to catch quite a few striped bass (all of them too small to keep). I used frozen anchovies and had bites on every cast. The pier is fairly short and a bit higher above the water than most of the other piers along the delta. There is ample parking at the base of the pier which is located just south of the Rio Vista Bridge on the Rio Vista side of the bridge. There are picnic tables and a restroom at the base of the pier."
Marin Rod and Gun Club Pier - No report this month.
McNear Beach Fishing Pier (San Rafael) - John, at Western Boat & Tackle, says that this is the time to go fishing. At the McNear Pier anglers were catching sturgeon until last week but the sharks and rays have moved in and are swiping most of the bait. Many of the regulars have switched to anchovies and number 1 hooks and are concentrating on the kingfish (white croaker) which are in very good numbers. Down shore, at the Paradise Pier , regulars who know what they are doing are getting halibut on almost a daily basis. Try live shiners or whole anchovies on a sliding sinker rigging. The Fort Baker Pier is giving up quite a good number of king salmon now. The key is to fish a whole anchovy under a float with the top of the tide being the best time to fish. McNear Pier: How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Point San Pedro Road east -- follow it for approximately 8 miles to the park entrance and road. Paradise Beach Pier: How To Get There: Take Highway 101 to the Tiburon exit (State Highway 131). Drive west on Tiburon Boulevard until you come to Trestle Glen Boulevard where you will turn left; follow this until you hit Paradise Drive where you turn right and drive a short distance to the entrance of the park. Fort Baker Pier: How To Get There: Take Alexander Avenue off of Highway 101. It is the last exit before driving onto the Golden Gate Bridge going south, and the first exit after the vista point going north. Take Alexander Drive down the hill till you see Danes Drive and then, just before the tunnel, turn right onto Bunker Road and follow it down to the pier
Elephant Rock Pier - closed for repairs but hopefully should reopen soon.
Northern California
Lawson's Landing - No report this month. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to the middle of the town of Tomales. Turn west onto the road which goes to Dillon Beach. At Dillon Beach you will see a road marked Lawson's Landing; simply follow it down to the entrance, pay your money, and stay on the road to its end at the foot of the pier.
Spud Point Marina Pier (Bodega Bay) - No report this month although jacksmelt, perch, sharks and rays should be available. How To Get There: Take East Shore Rd. off of Hwy. 1 to Bay Flat Rd. Turn right and follow until the road turns into West Shore Rd. Continue on past the marina until you see the breakwater.
Point Arena Pier - Mitch, at the Harbormaster Office, reports that it's the normal summertime species: striped seaperch, seatrout (kelp greenling), and cabezon. Added in will be a few rockfish and an occasional lingcod. Biggest news lately was a legal-size halibut taken mid-month, an unusual fish for the rocky bottom cove. A large lingcod was taken the same day. How To Get There: From the south, turn left from Hwy. 1 onto Iverson Ave. which will turn into Port Rd. Simply follow the road to the pier. From the north, turn right onto Port Rd. and follow it to the pier.
Del Norte Street Fishing Pier (Eureka) - Alan at Bucksport Tackle reports the usual mix of fish at the pier. Redtail surfperch and pileperch are being landed on tube worms, shrimp and jigs, while sharks, skates and bat rays are being landed by night-time anglers using squid. Some people are also continuing to crab for rock crabs and Dungeness. How To Get There: Take Highway 101 to the south end of Eureka, turn west on Del Norte Street and follow it to the pier.
Commercial Street Dock (Eureka) -
Trinidad Pier - Bob, at Bob's Boat Basin (at the foot of the pier), said that fishing is slow on the pier. He attributes the lack of action to the amount of bait and fish guts dumped into the water by the boat anglers; say's the fish are too well fed (although I've always thought that chum was good for attracting fish). Nevertheless, a few anglers have picked up a few fish. Most of the fish have been black snappers/kelp bass (black rockfish) or sea trout (kelp greenling). The perch action has slowed which is typical for this time of the year. For baits, try shrimp, tube worms or grubs. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Trinidad exit and follow the road all the way to the harbor -- it will change from Main Street to Trinity to Edwards Street.
Citizen's Dock (Crescent City) -Chris, at Englund Marine (near the front of the pier), says that anglers continue to pull in a few striped perch (pogies) and even an occasional halibut. Anglers using snag lines are getting into some nice schools of jacksmelt, sardines and occasionally anchovies (for bait). A few people also continue to crab off of the local piers. Citizen's Dock: How To Get There: From Highway 101 turn west on Citizens Dock Road and follow it to the dock. "B" Street Pier: How To Get there: Take Highway 101 to Front Street, go west on Front Street to B Street, go south (left) on B Street to the pier.
I would like to thank the following people who have bought books and thus help to keep this site alive:
Kevin Atwell (Loxley, Alabama)
Richard Kenway (Flint, Michigan)
David Thornton (Mobile, Alabama)
Daniel Franks (Sparks, Nevada)
Gordon Holland (Vinita, Oklahoma)
Patrick Whalen (Canoga Park, California)
David Goings (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Joyce Evans (Suisun City, California)
Robert Galvin Jr. (Boulder Creek, California)
Bud Raridon (Dana Point, California)
Ariel Blason (Walnut Creek, California)
Scott Strickland (San Jose, California)
Henry Chi (Los Angeles, California)
Jeff Green (Oakland, California)
Gil Sperry (San Clemente, California)
Joe Malat ( Nags Head, North Carolina)
Elizabeth Shockney (Montara, California)
Janet Fram (Rupert, Vermont)
Richard Brewer Jr. (Santa Maria, California)
Cal Mock (Vacaville, California)
Mark Spangler (Quartz Hill, California)
Barb Storms (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Mary Silver (Santa Cruz, California)
Cristina Pelina (San Francisco, California)
David Cottrell (Pacifica, California)
Tsutomu Kagiyama (Westminister, Colorado)
Mark Von Seggern (Grass Valley, California)
John Siembieda (Santa Cruz, California)
Anastacio Herrera (Cathedral City, California)
Fred Goorjian (Sunland, California)
Craig Grim (Sunnyvale, California)
Takahiro Hirai (Placentia, California)
Jacob Lee (Walnut Creek, California)
Garry Hofer (Long Beach, California)
Thanks for your support and hope you liked the books!
If you're a "pier rat," a regular who fishes on one of these piers, knows the ins-and-outs of the pier, and knows what is being caught, send me a message and I'll make you a monthly reporter. You may not make any money, and you may not get much glory, but at least you'll help make this the best pier fishing site in the universe.