September '98 Southern California Imperial Beach Pier - Liz, at Cox Bait & Tackle (on Palm Ave.), reports that fishing's not too bad. Most of the action has been on barred surfperch in the inshore areas and on mackerel out in the deeper water sections of the pier. Most of the perch are hitting on bloodworms or fresh mussels while the mackerel are hitting on bait rigs or strips of squid. Anglers fishing at night continue to pull in a few sharks, mostly small sand sharks (gray smoothhounds), but also a few leopard sharks. 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 fishing is WAY GOOD! The biggest news has been on yellowtail and he said he had seen at least seven of the hard fighting fish in the last two days. All were over 10 pounds. There have also been good runs of bonito for the past three weeks. Most of the yellows are hitting on lures -- anchovy lures, crippled anchovy lures, and Krocodiles. He says there are also lots and lots of mackerel as well as queenfish and smelt. He's only seen one legal halibut recently but it was a nice 38-pound fish so a few are still around. An angler also lost a HUGE bat ray which most of the locals felt had to be in the 200-pound range. He said the wings appeared to be 8-foot across but although it was hooked with two separate treble-hook-gaffs, the anglers couldn't get it up onto the pier and eventually it was lost. Water temperature has varied from 72 degrees down to 66 degrees. 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: "This last month has been an up and down month. On 8/8, a 4 1/2-foot leopard shark was caught on a whole mackerel by Sam the Shark Man. I too was lucky and caught a 23 1/2 inch halibut the same day using a small, live mackerel for bait. A lot of people were caching mackerel and smelt at the end of the pier. The shark was caught at the end of the pier and the halibut was almost at the end as well. In the mid-section, there were a lot of croaker being taken on squid/shrimp/bloodworms. On 8/12, I caught an 18-inch halibut which I returned; after that I didn't have any more luck. The bait shop informed me that someone had caught a 35-pound bat ray earlier that week and that there hadn't been much action other than the ray. On 8/14, I was back at the pier hunting that allusive big halibut but I didn't have any luck. There were a lot of people having luck with mackerel and smelt, and one person caught a nice 14-inch bass off the end of the pier. There were also a lot of thornbacks being caught as well. Down in the mid-section there wasn't a lot going on as most of the fishermen and women were at the end, and ever since the Fish and Game has been coming down there hasn't been as many fishermen and women on the pier. On 8/22, I was back down and this time I was lucky and caught a 19-inch halibut which was released; there were a lot of shovelnosed sharks caught and most of them were released. There were some small striped perch being caught at the end of the pier and yes, a lot of mackerel and smelt." 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. Bayshore Park Pier (by the Chula Vista Marina) - Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) - No report this month. How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing -- the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex. Embarcadero Marina Pier - No report this month. 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 - Ray, at the Shelter Island Pier Bait & Tackle Shop (on the pier), says that fishing is great. Anglers are catching mackerel, sand bass and a few halibut with about a half dozen of the flatties being legal size each week. Mackerel are falling to strips of squid while the bass and halibut have been hitting on ghost shrimp. There have also been a lot of bat rays and shovelnose sharks; most are hitting on squid. 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 (on the pier), reports that although the pier is surrounded by boats that are catching bonito and yellowtail, few of the fish have come close to the pier -- so far. Inshore, corbina and yellowfin croaker continue to be caught on fresh mussels, while out at the end of the pier mackerel and sardines are being caught on bait rigs like Lucky Luras. How To Get There: From I-5 take Mission Blvd. west to Pacific, turn left and follow it to the pier. Oceanside Harbor Pier - No report this month. 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. San Clemente Pier - Priscilla, at the Pier Tackle Shop (on the pier), says things are starting to slow down a little. There continue to be lots of yellowfin croaker but the mackerel is sporadic and only a few keeper halibut are being landed. An angler did land a 4 1/2-foot-long leopard shark this past week and smaller sharks and shovelnose guitarfish are still plentiful. How To Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier. Dana Point Harbor Pier - No report this month. 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 - No report this month. 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 - No report this month. 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 - Cliff, at Let's Go Fishing (on the pier and on Beach Blvd.) reports that fishing has been good. Inshore, anglers are picking up a good mix of spotfin and yellowfin croaker together with corbina and barred surfperch. Most of these are falling to bloodworms, ghost shrimp or fresh mussels. Zebraperch are also being caught in the shallow-water areas; try frozen peas or corn for these vegetarians. Further out on the pier it's the usual mix of mackerel (and evidently some are pretty good size) together with an occasional barracuda and bonito. The barracuda are hitting 1-1 1/2 oz. silver spoons. Cliff also says halibut continue to be caught daily although it's only about one keeper every two days. Sharks, rays and sand bass are also showing up from the mid-pier to the end. For the sharks try squid or bloody mackerel. Cliff says there is a lot of bait in the water and fishing should continue good as long as that is the case. I also got a report from Tom G who said he caught a bunch of mackerel at the pier. He also said that a lady told him how to cook the mackerel: "a lady I met there told me that she marinates the mackerel overnight in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic then smokes it." Sounds good! Tom was also the first person to correctly identify the sign from the Crab Cooker Restaurant on my Games 'n Things Page and thus wins a free book. 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 - Darren, at Norm's Big Fish Sportfishing Shop (on the pier), says that anglers continue to pull in fair numbers of sargo and yellowfin croakers inshore while using ghost shrimp and fresh mussels. Anglers at the end are catching small mackerel and herring (queenfish) while jigging with bait rigs while fishing the top. Anglers trying on the bottom with squid are pulling in some leopard sharks and shovelnose guitarfish. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier. Belmont Pier - Jimmy, at the Belmont Pier Sportfishing shop (on the pier), reports that fishing is slowing down a little. Anglers still do fairly well on sardines, small mackerel, 7/11 perch and herring (queenfish) when using bait rigs at the end, but the bass count has dropped. Some sargo and buttermouth perch continue to be caught on fresh mussels by people fishing near the bait shop, while sharks, both gray smoothhounds and sand sharks (shovelnose guitarfish), are being landed off the corners by anglers using mackerel and squid. Jimmy says a few lobsters are also being landed and most are in the 8-10 pound category. It's dead on croakers and corbina and very slow on halibut. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot. Cabrillo Pier - No report this month. 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 - No report this month. 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) - T.C., at Redondo Sportfishing (on the pier), reports that the bonito are back in the harbor and a few are being taken from the pier. However, more of the boneheads are being caught by anglers casting lures from the rocks, or by fly fishermen fishing from boats (and using long white hackle flies). The mackerel bite has picked up at the pier and sardines are also showing up; both are falling to bait rigs. Some sargo and opaleye are being caught under the pier by anglers using ghost shrimp or fresh mussels. Halibut fishing has been slow although he saw a 12-pound fish the day I called. The pier finally has some decent sized live anchovies for bait so more and more bonito should start being caught. The water temperature seems to be returning to normal; recently it has ranged from 66 to 69 degrees. 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 - Don, at Just Fishing by Pete (near the front of the pier), says that a few bonito are being picked up and one yellowtail (8-10 pounds) was caught toward the end of the month. As usual, jacksmelt, sardines and mackerel are falling to bait rigs while some yellowfin croakers and corbina are being caught inshore on fresh mussels and sand crabs -- although the soft shells are in short supply. He says a few sharks are also being landed, mainly shovelnose and leopard sharks. Two unidentified anglers reported seeing large, 40-pound or so torpedo-shaped fish swimming by the pier which sound like bluefins but the chances of that are remote. A few bluefin tuna are showing up on the boats but most are far out to sea. Don also reports that the pier will be closed for much of the fall and perhaps the winter. Apparently the city is going to fix and reinforce the pier, build a Ruby's Restaurant out at the end, and redo the lights. After the work is done this may once again become one of the top piers in the south. 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) - No report this month. 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. Manhattan Beach Pier - Venice Pier - No report this month. How To Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier. Burton Chace Park Fishing Dock (Marina Del Ray) - Santa Monica Pier - Sharon at the Santa Monica Pier Bait & Tackle Company (on the pier) says that fishing has been a little slow. Mackerel continue to be caught in good numbers, but everything else is sporadic. Example: the day I called some keeper-sized white seabass were landed -- to nearly 3-foot in size; the day before there were several large bonito and barracuda landed -- but no sustained runs. Interestingly, the barracuda have been landed on whole frozen sardines fished under a float, the first time I have heard of such a set-up for the toothy critters. She also said there have been a few good-sized leopard sharks landed but again, the overall shark fishing is only so-so. 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. Paradise Cove Pier (Malibu) - Port Hueneme Pier - Michelle, at the Hueneme Bait and Tackle Shop (near the foot of the pier), reports that the usual fish are being caught. Jacksmelt, mackerel and sardines on bait rigs, a few bat rays and an occasional halibut. 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 - A new reporter, Matt O, reports that he visited the pier and action was pretty slow. He did see some (maybe) keeper barracuda, caught two sand bass himself, and also landed one halibut which he released. He caught the bass on live anchovies and the halibut on a smelt. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier. Santa Barbara Wharf - Mike Katz, at Mikes Bait & Tackle (on the wharf), reports that there are some sea lions hanging around the wharf and fishing has slowed because of it. There are still lots of foot-long mackerel being caught on bait and bait rigs, some short calico bass and short halibut, but not much else. He says he has seen a lot of huge corbina in the shoreline waters but no one fishes for them. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier. Goleta Pier - Brian K reported a visit to Goleta during the month. Said he caught a couple of mackerel together with some kind of croaker with yellow fins (probably white croakers although possibly yellowfin croakers). 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. Gaviota Pier - Zoy reported that he only made one trip to Gaviota during the month. He said, "Fishing was fair with a little of everything except halibut. The only excitement was a guy who hooked a BIG bonito. The fish went out to sea like a rocket and went airborne twice. Just when it looked like the guy would land it, it did an about face and went under the pier and cut him off. If he had a fast retrieve reel, and no stretch line he might have been able to take up the slack fast enough to land it. That is why I use spinning reels and spider wire, the nasty under the pier maneuver. All I caught was 3 mackerel and 4 smelt, the halibut line drew a zero." The far end of the pier is still closed. How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff. Central California Pismo Beach Pier - Dwight Hwang reported that he fished the pier mid-month. He said, " I caught 27 barred surfperch and about a dozen smelts and mackerels! Four of the perch were nice enough to bring back to the camp for a fish fry! I caught all of them on cut anchovies!" 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 - No report this month. 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 - Rick, at Avila Beach Sportfishing (on the pier), said that the fishing has been great lately. Anglers using bait rigs are filling buckets with sardines, jacksmelt and mackerel (both Spanish mackerel and Pacific mackerel), while bottom anglers continue to pull in lots of kingfish (white croaker) and a few California halibut. Most of the halibut are being caught on live sardines that have been jigged from the pier. It has been slow on sharks. 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 - No report this month. 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 - Glenda, at the Tidepool (near the front of the pier), reports that the fishing has slowed somewhat. Anglers continue to pick up a few mackerel and small perch but shark action is dead and not much else has shown up. There has been a light run of red snapper (the first since 1996) but even it hasn't really been strong. She says the fishing is up and down. 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 - Our reporter, Greg Hickman, says it has been a great month. Lots of barred surfperch, big rubberlip perch and blackperch. He says a number of halibut have been landed including a 23-inch flattie that he nailed out near the cleaning station (while his son caught a smaller halibut using sand crabs). Mackerel are currently hot (8/30), with anglers getting 4-5 at a time using bait rigs out toward the end of the pier -- and some large jacksmelt are joining into the fun. Greg says the best fishing he has seen is when there is a good surf. When the water was up from the hurricanes down Baja-way, the fishing was great. Greg says anglers are also picking up some English sole by the cleaning station with most fish running 15-16 inches; Greg also picked up a starry flounder in the same area. There's a lot of kelp around the pier and some rock/sand bass are also showing up (which probably are really kelp rockfish or grass rockfish). Lastly, anglers are reporting 30-40 pound sand sharks (not sure what they are) and some huge bat rays have been hitting at night. One angler fought a long fight with a bat ray estimated at 100 pounds but his nylon rope broke while bringing the fish up onto the pier (see the Ocean Beach Pier). A 30-pound striped bass was landed by a surf fisherman fishing fifty yards or so from the pier -- an unusual catch for the area. How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance to the park. Monterey Wharf #2 - Frank, at the Compass (at the front of the wharf), says that the salmon are finally making a showing with 2-5 of the fish being taken daily. The salmon, and they're running to about 14-15 pounds in size, are being caught on anchovies with a circle hook and a bobber, or on casting lures such as Kastmasters or heavy spoons in either blue or silver colors. Lots of mackerel are being landed by anglers using bait rigs; most of the mackerel were blue mackerel (Pacific mackerel) until this week, but Spanish mackerel (jack mackerel) have now also entered the picture and it's a good mix of both. Sardines and jacksmelt are also being taken by the bait rigs. No halibut have been seen lately but some gopher cod (rockfish) are being taken by anglers fishing out at the end of the pier on the harbor side. Lastly, a few rubberlip perch continue to be taken on grubs and fresh mussels. 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), reports that things are slow. There's been a strong swell and the water has been dirty. A few mackerel early in the morning, a few barred surfperch and rubberlip seaperch, and an occasional shark is about all that has shown lately. There was one 11-pound striped bass but no halibut have been seen recently. Even the kingfish are slow! 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 - Andre, at Andy's Bait and Tackle (at the end of the wharf), says things are really slow. People are catching fair numbers of mackerel on bait rigs together with a few jacksmelt but that's about it. He has seen a couple of halibut and striped bass but it isn't something that an angler should expect. What action there is occurs between 6-10 a.m. and the early evening hours, while the mid-day hours are dead. It's even slow on kingfish (white croaker). Andre says a person should just enjoy the weather which has been beautiful. By the way, the fellow who bashed in the heads of the sea lions (see the July report) received a 6-month sentence and a $6,000 fine. 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 which he now calls the Pillar Point Disaster --since some people are seriously vandalizing the pier. He said it was the usual mix of fish -- bucket loads of kingfish, along with some perch and jacksmelt. 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 -o Ann, at the Community Bait & Tackle shop (at the entrance to the pier), said things are slow. Three striped bass had been landed the day I called but the salmon were absent. Evidently there were only about four short runs of the salmon this summer unlike the tremendous runs of some past years. Anglers continue to pull in a few kingfish (white croaker), jacksmelt, and a variety of perch -- redtail, calico, barred, walleye, and silver, but the perch action isn't hot. It's been a disappointing season for Pacifica. 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 he really hasn't heard of too much going on. Nothing is really hot although there is a variety of fish available to anglers. Pier 7 - I fished Pier 7 for a couple of hours toward the end of the month and managed to land a dozen fish -- walleye surfperch, two large brown rockfish and two nice-sized striped seaperch. Anglers on the sides were snagging anchovies while people at the end were pulling in an occasional kingfish (white croaker) and halibut. I saw one halibut that I estimated at fifteen pounds but the anglers really messed up in trying to land it. First, when pulling the fish in, the angler managed to tangle a couple of other lines. Then, when another angler dropped a treble-hook-gaff down to get the halibut, that angler managed to get tangled in the plethora of lines. Soon, a second treble-hook-gaff was dropped and the fish was snagged. However, on the way up, the flattie gave a flip, came off the gaff, and was gone. The gaffing or netting of fish from a pier is always the moment of truth and this was one time when the fish won. Just hope it survived the hooking. I also received a report from Chris who says he's been fishing at Pier 7 and seeing anglers catch plenty of jacksmelt, lots of bat rays, and lesser numbers of striped bass, halibut, and salmon. Anglers were also snagging anchovies. Another report came from TTsui (?) mid-month. He said he visited the pier on the 19th and lost a lot of fish. On that one day he lost a striper estimated at 15-pounds, a salmon estimated to weigh 20-pounds, and a halibut estimated to weigh 17-pounds. He did manage to land a 6-pound striper and pulled in a lot of kingfish (white croakers). Another angler pulled in a 10-pound striped bass, while a third angler lost another big striper. He recommended heavy enough tackle for the "big one" and a net. He also asked if the reports could be updated more often but I simply do not have the time nor resources ($$) to do so at this time. How To Get There: From the Bay Bridge follow the First Street exit and follow to The Embarcadero, then left past the Ferry Building to the pier. From the Golden Gate, take Lombard to Van Ness, turn left and go to Bay, turn right and follow to The Embarcadero, turn right and follow to the pier. From the south and Highway 101 take Van Ness and follow as listed above. Ferry Building Pier - I checked out the Ferry Building Pier and it was heavily populated by anglers catching kingfish together with a shark now and then. Some jacksmelt also made an appearance but the action wasn't hot. How To Get There: Same directions as for Pier 7 but this pier is about one block east of Pier 7. Fort Mason Piers - Reports indicate that tons of kingfish (white croaker) and an occasional salmon and halibut are being taken from the Fort Mason piers. How To Get There: The entrance to the parking lot is at the intersection of Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street. From the north, Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge, head east on Doyle Drive till you come to Marina Boulevard, follow it to the entrance of the park. From the south, Highway 101, take Van Ness Avenue north all the way to Bay Street, turn left and follow it to the park entrance. San Francisco Municipal Pier - Some kingfish, jacksmelt and perch are showing up at the Muni Pier. How To Get There: From Highway 101 north, take Lombard Street to Van Ness Avenue, turn left and follow the street till it ends at the pier. From Highway 101 south, take Van Ness Avenue straight to the pier. South Harbor Marina Pier - Things were slow down at the South Harbor Marina Pier although anglers could see large perch swimming back and forth next to the inside of the concrete breakwater. How To Get There: From the Bay Bridge or south on Highway 101 follow the roads to exits marked for Fisherman's Wharf (First Street). This will take you to The Embarcadero. Once on The Embarcadero turn right and follow it all the way until just past Townsend. You'll see the marina and adjacent parking on the left but you need to go down to the next light and make a u-turn back to the marina. Coming up the Embarcadero from the south you simply turn right into the marina parking lot. If you get tired of the fishing, watch the construction going on next door at Pac Bell Park, the new home of the Giants. The ballpark adjoins the marina parking lot. Agua Vista Park Pier - Bad news to report on the Agua Vista Park Pier -- it is gone. Destroyed and evidently there are no plans to rebuild it. Warm Water Cove Pier - The Warm Water Cove Pier was devoid of anglers but the park itself was filled with fifty or so green haired, purple haired, and spiked haired teenagers. It was evidently a gathering of so-called musicians and their followers/friends. I'm not sure if the music was punk or grunge or something else, but it was loud, obnoxious, and terribly off key (I think). Most people were simply standing around but a few had guitars with LOUD amplifiers. Every so often someone would blast off with some strange rendition of a song -- and one was a truly bad copy of Jimmy Hendrix's version of the national anthem. There weren't any anglers present but I haven't a clue if the sounds emanating from the park had anything to do with it. The small pier is heavily covered with graffiti, the small park itself is unkempt, and the shoreline area is littered with broken pieces of concrete structures, old barrels, supermarket carts and other debris. It's an embarrassment to the San Francisco Port Authority (which built the pier and park) and I wouldn't be surprised if the pier reaches the same end as the Agua Vista Pier. Someone needs to take a little pride and spend a few dollars to keep these piers up. As for the music, I'll stick with my Dylan -- which of course some people find just as obnoxious. How To Get There: The pier is located at the end of 24th Street. From Highway 101 take Third Street to 23rd Street, turn right on Illinois and proceed a short distance to 24th Street. South San Francisco Bay Piers - No report this month (except for Oyster Point). Can anyone out there help with information? Candlestick Point Pier - Oyster Point Pier - I fished the pier for an hour and a half toward the end of August. All I caught was five LARGE jacksmelt before the tide changed and it began to bring in clumps and clumps of green moss which quickly surrounded sinkers, bait, and lines. It made fishing impossible. I did see one small 7-gill shark taken while I was there. Also, regulars reported super fishing for striped bass during the evening hours. Using live midshipmen, anglers are catching limits of 5-15 pound stripers as well as many large bat rays and sharks. Not too many other species at this time although white sturgeon have really been jumping around the pier. They just aren't biting. 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. Dumbarton Pier - No report this month. Evidently was closed but set to reopen August 31. San Mateo Pier - Closed until November. Ravenswood Pier - Emeryville Marina Pier - Berkeley Pier - Brian, at the Berkeley Marina Sport Center (near the pier), reports that anglers continue to pull in a handful of striped bass and halibut but also says that the fishing isn't exactly booming. The striped bass are being taken by anglers using whole pile worms, while most halibut are being taken on live bait fish -- small kingfish (white croaker), jacksmelt or shinerperch. Some pileperch are also falling to pile worms or crabs, while lots and lots of sharks and rays are being caught on a variety of baits. Brian reports that the shop has live anchovies available but mostly it's the boat fishermen who are getting them -- even though they are a super bait on the pier. How To Get There: Take I80 to University Avenue in Berkeley, turn west and follow the road to the pier. Point Pinole Pier - No report this month. 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. Dowrelio Pier (Crockett ) - Vallejo Pier - The pier is history and there are apparently no plans to rebuild it. However, Tom Balmer reports that "the Vallejo waterfront, from the public ramp to the marina (seawall, concrete walkway with metal railing, benches, and bait cutting pads) is now the designated 'public fishing pier' in Vallejo. Haven't fished in years but went there twice this week. Six stripers to 12 inches one day and three the next, all on anchovies. Fished mid-day, about two hours each time." Martinez Pier - No report this month. 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. City of Benicia Fishing Pier - Mark Grim reports that " fishermen have had some luck catching stripers here recently. The stripers are biting on frozen anchovies, shad, or pile worms. One successful angler told me that he uses pile worms because only the larger stripers will bit at them and you don't waste your time catching and releasing all those small ones." How To Get There: From Interstate 780, take the Second Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow it west to First Street, turn left and then follow it south to the end of the street. Pittsburg Pier - Antioch Pier - Mark Grim reports that "fishing continues to be slow here. I was able to catch two small stripers during a one hour visit to this pier. I was using frozen anchovies and casting out from the east end of the pier." 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 Fishing 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. City of Antioch Fishing Pier - Antioch Bridge Fishing Pier - Mark Grim reported that "fishing here is a bit slower compared to last month. Stripers are still biting on frozen anchovies and shad -- but seem to be smaller in size and the wait between bites is longer. Catfish have begun biting on anchovies or sardines. I've heard that a few fairly large ones have been caught. One fisherman on the pier had hooked a catfish that was large enough to look like a salmon as it was fighting." 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 - no report this month. Marin Rod and Gun Club Pier - No report this month. McNear Beach Fishing Pier (San Rafael) - John, at Western Boat & Tackle, says that the action has been wonderful at the Paradise Park Pier. Anglers are getting a combination of the big three -- salmon, halibut and striped bass. The salmon are hitting anchovies fished under a float, halibut are hitting live bait fished on the bottom, and stripers are hitting on a combination of baits on the bottom. This is the time to go. The McNear Beach Pier has also been good but not as many quality fish; a lot more "junk" fish like kingfish and small sharks. A few stripers are being caught but not as many as at Paradise. Sturgeon are also jumping all over the place but just don't seem to be biting at this time. 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. 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. Elephant Rock Pier - still closed for repairs but hopefully it should reopen soon. Fort Baker Pier - Dwight Hwang reports he caught "one rather large rubberlip seaperch at the pier together with a skate." He also said "what really irks me is that I had three HUGE unknown fish fight with me for a while and subsequently snap my line! The first one was like a large wave of fish that just took my bait and snapped my line! The second one, I fought for a good while...running up and down the pier in order to keep up with it...and then IT happened! The third one was ferocious! I don't think I've ever had anything on that big before! But after a few seconds of fish wrestling, that one too got away! Ugh...I"M SO P.....!!! It's time for Dwight to head to the sports shop and buy super thick fishing line and head back out there! I was fishing at night near the rocks and using anchovies." Dwight said he was going to return, "this time better equipped! Heh heh, heavier line, appropriate drag, unbreakable hooks! BWA HA HA!!!" 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 until you see Danes Drive and then, just before the tunnel, turn right onto Bunker Road and follow it down to the pier Sausalito Pier - 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. 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 - Anglers tell me that fishing has been a little slow; a few striped seaperch with an occasional kelp greenling, cabezon and kelp rockfish. Some smelt are also showing up which can be caught with bait rigs (small hooks) and there are a few silver and walleye surfperch to be found in the mid-depth areas. Only a couple of lingcod have been landed recently. 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) - Greg, at Bucksport Tackle reports the usual: lots of jacksmelt are being caught on bait rigs or tube worms, while sharks and rays are falling to fishermen using squid on the bottom. Most of the sharks are leopards but a few are sand sharks (brown smoothhounds). Occasionally a salmon or halibut (both California and Pacific) will surprise an angler but only a few. 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) - Adorni Pier (Eureka) - Trinidad Pier - Glenace, at Bob's Boat Basin (at the foot of the pier), said no one is really fishing from the pier. The weather has been foggy and windy and she says she hasn't seen a single fish taken from the pier. 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. "B" Street Pier (Crescent City) - Citizen's Dock (Crescent City) - Leonard, at Englund Marine (near the front of the pier), says that it has been windy and a little rough and it has slowed the fishing. Anglers do continue to snag smelt and Pacific herring using bait rigs, while a few pogies (pileperch?) fall to anglers using tube worms or small shrimp. He says it is about the same over at the "B" Street Pier -- smelt and herring. (There should also be a few flatfish like sanddabs and small halibut being landed but there is no report from the pier.) 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 Atwel (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) Andy Butler (San Francisco, California) Edward Martin (Twin Falls, Idaho) Alfred Kuo (San Francisco, California) Lynne Yirchot (San Carlos, California) Nick Gladdis (Kihei, Hawaii) Fred Green (Joshua Tree, California) Thanks for your support and hope you liked the books! I need reporters for the following piers: Embarcadero Marina Park Pier, Oceanside Small Craft Harbor Pier, Dana Point Harbor Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Green Pleasure Pier at Avalon, Redondo Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, Burton Chace Park Pier, Venice Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Ventura Pier, Morro Bay Piers, Seacliff State Beach Pier, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Pier 7, Candlestick Point Pier, Brisbane Pier, Oyster Point Pier, San Mateo Pier, Dumbarton Pier, San Leandro Marina Pier, Fruitvale Bridge Pier, San Antonio Pier, Franklin D. Roosevelt Pier, Port View Park Pier, Point Pinole Pier, Angel Island Pier, Sausalito Public Pier, Lawson's Landing Pier and the "B" Street Pier in Crescent City. 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. 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.
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