California Pier Report
April 2024 Fishing Report, Southern California (#293)
Lobster season is now closed!
San Diego County Piers
Imperial Beach Pier – No report, need a reporter. 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 — The pier is closed and will remain closed until at least the end of spring and possibly later. 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 – The pier is closed and though some repairs were made to winter storm damage a second contractor is scheduled to do additional work, he hasn’t started, and they have no idea when he will be done, perhaps not until the fall. 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. We need a reporter! 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.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave.; turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way; turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), 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. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although bass (kelp, sand and spotted) generally seem to be around as well as a mix of sharays (mostly round stingrays and bat rays). 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.
Shelter Island Pier — Need a reporter. 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 — Waiting for the report. 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.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier — Stephanie at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy. said she hasn’t had many reports although the number of anglers is picking up. She’s heard of some perch action inshore along with croakers (yellowfin and spotfin) but hasn’t heard of any surface action (mackerel) to date. A report from evanluck on April 1 said, “Fished on Monday morning from 7:45 AM-12:30 PM. Used market shrimp on two hi-lo setups. One long casting with size 2 Kahle hooks. Another shorter casting setup with size 6 baitholder hooks. I was casting off the end of the pier to the reef off the end. I did not see or detect any bait fish in the water but I didn't investigate that thoroughly because the bottom bite was active. Final catch tally: 5 Black perch, 2 Brown rockfish, 1 sculpin,1 Shovelnose guitarfish (approximately 5’ lost while attempt to hand line over the rail). Was good to be out there. Been to long since I had time to fish. Saw one small/medium size spotfin landed by an angler fishing inshore with mussels.” An earlier report from Fishman Fishman on March 28 said, “Today was a good-great fishing trip for me. Anytime I can go fishing is good. Catching fish, any kind or size, is double good. Catching a fish that I have never caught before is great! Today was a good great day for me at San Clemente pier. My first catch of the morning was also the first of its kind for me. I landed a 24-inch Horn shark. The fish hit a squid baited on a fish finder rig. I was very happy to catch and release this shark. Next catch of the morning was a 19-inch Shovelnose Guitarfish. The fish hit a piece of anchovy on a high / low rig. I was breaking in a new fishing rod, a 7-foot medium power, fast action Stimula by Shimano. Very cool to christen the rod with the Shovelnose. For the next 1 1/2 the bite was slow. I expected a slow bite as I was fishing the low tide. But, it was dead! Around 9 a.m. a father and his two young sons arrived. The boys began casting sabiki's and within a few minutes had caught a few Queenfish. As I mentioned earlier, a good day is catching any fish, any size. I changed my high / low rig to a Sabiki and joined the fun! For about the next hour I caught (kept some) and released several Queenfish. My final take home tally was 24. When the run subsided I switched back to the high / low rig and baited it with fresh mussel. I hooked a Spotfin Croaker but lost it as I was bringing it out of the water. No further action on this setup for the trip. I did catch and release a short Sand bass and a short Calico bass. Both fish hit on an anchovy baited on the fish finder rig. Overall, five different species of fish caught, christening a new rod by catching something with it, and catching a specific species of fish for the first time. Made this a good great fishing trip for me!” 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 Harbor Pier — Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy. Stephanie said she’s getting some reports of spotfin croaker at the pier (on lugworms or mussels) along with a few bass and short halibut. 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.
Balboa Pier — Our reporter Snookie said on March 29, “This week things began to look better. On Tuesday I got a 16 inch Spotted Sand Bass on a sardine, which was a delicious supper. A friend of mine got the same size Spotted Bay Bass the next day. On Thursday, yesterday, there were three halibut caught in the surf area. Andy, my friend got two. One was 20-1/2 inches and the other one was 18-inches. He had some good strikes too. I got a 30-inch halibut, which weighs about 10 1/2 pounds on a sardine. That was exciting! It got cold about noon so we left shortly after that. There were some mackerel and jacksmelt caught farther out. Still not seeing too many whales. We should be though. The bait situation has been good with lots of sardines and bigger smelt. We are hoping for some striped bass soon. It is time for them. The weather hasn't been too bad lately except for yesterday. The next two days are going to be raining.” 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 the adjacent parking lot.
Newport Pier — No report this month but the action is usually similar to Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turn off and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.
Huntington Beach Pier — We need a reporter. A mid-month report from Ladygoose said, “Fished Huntington from 3 pm till 10:30 pm. Started in the surf zone. Got one barred surfperch (6”) on a Carolina rig and mussels. Moved to the end at sunset hoping for mackerel. They never showed. Slow night there. One round ray (12” length) on a fish finder rig with whole squid. One snagged jacksmelt (5”) on a mackerel sized Sabiki.I started home around 10 but decided to stop back in the surf zone to see if anything there would take a mackerel chunk. 10 minutes into the bait and wait the Jigmaster’s clicker started screaming. Popped her into gear and enjoyed a good fight. The peeling of full drag and plenty of head shakes let me know it was a shark. As soon as it surfaced I saw a good size leopard. After some nearby fisherman helped with the net we got it up onto the pier. 54” Leopard shark on mackerel chunk fish finder with 80-lb mono leader. Personal best for me. Shark was measured and photographed then released. He swam off strong. Tide: L 3:59pm, H 8:55pm; Moon: waning crescent; Sunset: 5:55pm; Water temp: 61. How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.”
Seal Beach Pier — Nat, at Big Fish Bait & Tackle. 1780-C. Pacific Coast Hwy., saysmost of the reports he’s had indicated croakers are hitting on mussels and lug worms and some short halibut are falling to anchovies or live smelt. A mid-month report from Fishman Fishman said, “Great fishing weather today at Seal Beach pier. Sunny, warm and no wind until about 11:30 a.m. I fished the incoming high tide. Morning bite consisted of multiple Round Stingrays. Followed by a steady Thornback Ray bite. About 9:30 Jacksmelt bite started up for me. Final catch and release tally - 13 Jacksmelt, 10 Thornback Rays and 5 Round Stingrays. Most of the fish caught on a high / low setup. Round Stingrays hit on anchovy. Thornbacks hit on shrimp, squid or anchovy. Jacksmelt hit on shrimp and anchovy. Another fisherman targeting Jacksmelt left with a bucketful. He fished from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. He was using salted mackerel as bait. Some fisherman catching Queenfish near the fish cleaning station.”How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier — An early in the month report from Fishman Fishman said, “morning session at the pier yielded a mixed bag. Caught and released 4 White Croaker, 3 Short Sandbass, 2 Jacksmelt, 1 Lizardfish, and 1 Thornback Ray. Caught all the fish on cut anchovy using a high/low rig. Weather was sunny, warm, and no wind.” How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and 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.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker casting out from the pier, sargo and perch when fishing the inshore waters. Expect some very dirty water conditions and possibly a lot of debris in the water. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Pier J Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker, queenfish, perch and perhaps some mackerel. How To Get There: From I-710 follow the signs saying S. Harbor Scenic Drive. From downtown Long Beach follow Queens Way past the Catalina Landing and on to the Queens Way Bridge over the water and take the S. Harbor Scenic Drive.
Cabrillo Beach Pier (San Pedro) — Alex at the Rusty Hook, 245 N Gaffey St., San Pedro said the main report was from regulars who went out on the grunion runs and then used the grunion to catch some halibut (makes sense). A report from Fishman Fishman on March 20 said, “Fished the high tide this morning. Overall bite was slow. Managed to catch a variety of small fish. All released. Caught 2 Black Perch, 1 Cabezon, 1 Catalina Blue aka Half-moon, 1 Calico Bass and a Round ray. All fish caught on high/low rig baited with muscle or shrimp. Round ray went after a whole frozen anchovy on a fish finder setup. A fisherwoman near me caught a 14-inch Sheephead on shrimp. Another fisherman caught a 17-inch Calico Bass on shrimp. A large gray whale swam parallel with the pier and was about 15 feet from the pier. It actually swam below my fishing lines! Incredible surprise and joy to see and hear this large marine mammal.” 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.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – Expect the normal species—kelp bass, rock wrasse, senorita, opaleye, halfmoon, and sheephead. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — Expect the normal species—kelp bass, rock wrasse, senorita, opaleye, halfmoon, sheephead and ocean whitefish. Some bonito and barracuda may also show up. The biggest question is on the future of the Mole for fishing; investigating. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon when you walk off the ferry onto the landing you are at the Mole.
Redondo Beach Pier — No report this month although mackerel were being caught. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Manhattan Beach Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How To Get There: From Sepulveda Boulevard, turn west on Manhattan Beach Drive and follow it to the pier.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu) says with the rain and wind, especially the wind, not too many people are fishing so she hasn’t gotten many reports. About the only report for Malibu is that quite a few sargo and small walleye surfperch are showing up. No reports of top-water action, i.e., mackerel or sardines and no reports of sharks. Hopefully the weather will improve but it was pouring down rain when I called. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu). Ditto the above with few reports but Ginny did see a picture of a nice legal-size halibut taken from the pier recently. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot. Parking is very expensive unless you buy an expensive meal at the restaurant and then you are allowed to fish for, I think, three hours.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier — Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura, said not the weather has put a crimp on the number of fishermen but things are now starting to pick up. She said perch action has been good and some halibut are also being caught. Most interesting are the number of striped bass that have been taken inshore—quite a few. 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 — Ludia at Hyun's Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura said the pier is still closed due to damage from last winter’s storms. No reopening date. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, said there aren’t too many reports due to a lack of fishermen (ongoing weather problems). What fishermen are showing up are reporting slow action due perhaps to the dredging going on in the harbor. 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 — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, said the pier is now open but not too many people are fishing. There was a massive sewage spill into the inlet by the pier followed by all the debris from the storms flushing down from the surrounding hills into the bay. As a consequence the water is very, very dirty and people are staying away. The few still fishing are reporting an occasional bass from the pier or thornback ray. 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 — Ongoing report—The pier has now been closed for somewhere around eight years and the rumors of repair and reopening continue. Don’t know if there is any additional damage from the recent high tides. There are all kind of reports on the Internet regarding projected work but don’t hold your breath. How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.
April 2024 Fishing Report, Southern California (#293)
Lobster season is now closed!
San Diego County Piers
Imperial Beach Pier – No report, need a reporter. 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 — The pier is closed and will remain closed until at least the end of spring and possibly later. 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 – The pier is closed and though some repairs were made to winter storm damage a second contractor is scheduled to do additional work, he hasn’t started, and they have no idea when he will be done, perhaps not until the fall. 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. We need a reporter! 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.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave.; turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way; turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), 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. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although bass (kelp, sand and spotted) generally seem to be around as well as a mix of sharays (mostly round stingrays and bat rays). 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.
Shelter Island Pier — Need a reporter. 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 — Waiting for the report. 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.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier — Stephanie at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy. said she hasn’t had many reports although the number of anglers is picking up. She’s heard of some perch action inshore along with croakers (yellowfin and spotfin) but hasn’t heard of any surface action (mackerel) to date. A report from evanluck on April 1 said, “Fished on Monday morning from 7:45 AM-12:30 PM. Used market shrimp on two hi-lo setups. One long casting with size 2 Kahle hooks. Another shorter casting setup with size 6 baitholder hooks. I was casting off the end of the pier to the reef off the end. I did not see or detect any bait fish in the water but I didn't investigate that thoroughly because the bottom bite was active. Final catch tally: 5 Black perch, 2 Brown rockfish, 1 sculpin,1 Shovelnose guitarfish (approximately 5’ lost while attempt to hand line over the rail). Was good to be out there. Been to long since I had time to fish. Saw one small/medium size spotfin landed by an angler fishing inshore with mussels.” An earlier report from Fishman Fishman on March 28 said, “Today was a good-great fishing trip for me. Anytime I can go fishing is good. Catching fish, any kind or size, is double good. Catching a fish that I have never caught before is great! Today was a good great day for me at San Clemente pier. My first catch of the morning was also the first of its kind for me. I landed a 24-inch Horn shark. The fish hit a squid baited on a fish finder rig. I was very happy to catch and release this shark. Next catch of the morning was a 19-inch Shovelnose Guitarfish. The fish hit a piece of anchovy on a high / low rig. I was breaking in a new fishing rod, a 7-foot medium power, fast action Stimula by Shimano. Very cool to christen the rod with the Shovelnose. For the next 1 1/2 the bite was slow. I expected a slow bite as I was fishing the low tide. But, it was dead! Around 9 a.m. a father and his two young sons arrived. The boys began casting sabiki's and within a few minutes had caught a few Queenfish. As I mentioned earlier, a good day is catching any fish, any size. I changed my high / low rig to a Sabiki and joined the fun! For about the next hour I caught (kept some) and released several Queenfish. My final take home tally was 24. When the run subsided I switched back to the high / low rig and baited it with fresh mussel. I hooked a Spotfin Croaker but lost it as I was bringing it out of the water. No further action on this setup for the trip. I did catch and release a short Sand bass and a short Calico bass. Both fish hit on an anchovy baited on the fish finder rig. Overall, five different species of fish caught, christening a new rod by catching something with it, and catching a specific species of fish for the first time. Made this a good great fishing trip for me!” 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 Harbor Pier — Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy. Stephanie said she’s getting some reports of spotfin croaker at the pier (on lugworms or mussels) along with a few bass and short halibut. 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.
Balboa Pier — Our reporter Snookie said on March 29, “This week things began to look better. On Tuesday I got a 16 inch Spotted Sand Bass on a sardine, which was a delicious supper. A friend of mine got the same size Spotted Bay Bass the next day. On Thursday, yesterday, there were three halibut caught in the surf area. Andy, my friend got two. One was 20-1/2 inches and the other one was 18-inches. He had some good strikes too. I got a 30-inch halibut, which weighs about 10 1/2 pounds on a sardine. That was exciting! It got cold about noon so we left shortly after that. There were some mackerel and jacksmelt caught farther out. Still not seeing too many whales. We should be though. The bait situation has been good with lots of sardines and bigger smelt. We are hoping for some striped bass soon. It is time for them. The weather hasn't been too bad lately except for yesterday. The next two days are going to be raining.” 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 the adjacent parking lot.
Newport Pier — No report this month but the action is usually similar to Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turn off and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.
Huntington Beach Pier — We need a reporter. A mid-month report from Ladygoose said, “Fished Huntington from 3 pm till 10:30 pm. Started in the surf zone. Got one barred surfperch (6”) on a Carolina rig and mussels. Moved to the end at sunset hoping for mackerel. They never showed. Slow night there. One round ray (12” length) on a fish finder rig with whole squid. One snagged jacksmelt (5”) on a mackerel sized Sabiki.I started home around 10 but decided to stop back in the surf zone to see if anything there would take a mackerel chunk. 10 minutes into the bait and wait the Jigmaster’s clicker started screaming. Popped her into gear and enjoyed a good fight. The peeling of full drag and plenty of head shakes let me know it was a shark. As soon as it surfaced I saw a good size leopard. After some nearby fisherman helped with the net we got it up onto the pier. 54” Leopard shark on mackerel chunk fish finder with 80-lb mono leader. Personal best for me. Shark was measured and photographed then released. He swam off strong. Tide: L 3:59pm, H 8:55pm; Moon: waning crescent; Sunset: 5:55pm; Water temp: 61. How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.”
Seal Beach Pier — Nat, at Big Fish Bait & Tackle. 1780-C. Pacific Coast Hwy., saysmost of the reports he’s had indicated croakers are hitting on mussels and lug worms and some short halibut are falling to anchovies or live smelt. A mid-month report from Fishman Fishman said, “Great fishing weather today at Seal Beach pier. Sunny, warm and no wind until about 11:30 a.m. I fished the incoming high tide. Morning bite consisted of multiple Round Stingrays. Followed by a steady Thornback Ray bite. About 9:30 Jacksmelt bite started up for me. Final catch and release tally - 13 Jacksmelt, 10 Thornback Rays and 5 Round Stingrays. Most of the fish caught on a high / low setup. Round Stingrays hit on anchovy. Thornbacks hit on shrimp, squid or anchovy. Jacksmelt hit on shrimp and anchovy. Another fisherman targeting Jacksmelt left with a bucketful. He fished from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. He was using salted mackerel as bait. Some fisherman catching Queenfish near the fish cleaning station.”How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier — An early in the month report from Fishman Fishman said, “morning session at the pier yielded a mixed bag. Caught and released 4 White Croaker, 3 Short Sandbass, 2 Jacksmelt, 1 Lizardfish, and 1 Thornback Ray. Caught all the fish on cut anchovy using a high/low rig. Weather was sunny, warm, and no wind.” How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and 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.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker casting out from the pier, sargo and perch when fishing the inshore waters. Expect some very dirty water conditions and possibly a lot of debris in the water. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Pier J Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker, queenfish, perch and perhaps some mackerel. How To Get There: From I-710 follow the signs saying S. Harbor Scenic Drive. From downtown Long Beach follow Queens Way past the Catalina Landing and on to the Queens Way Bridge over the water and take the S. Harbor Scenic Drive.
Cabrillo Beach Pier (San Pedro) — Alex at the Rusty Hook, 245 N Gaffey St., San Pedro said the main report was from regulars who went out on the grunion runs and then used the grunion to catch some halibut (makes sense). A report from Fishman Fishman on March 20 said, “Fished the high tide this morning. Overall bite was slow. Managed to catch a variety of small fish. All released. Caught 2 Black Perch, 1 Cabezon, 1 Catalina Blue aka Half-moon, 1 Calico Bass and a Round ray. All fish caught on high/low rig baited with muscle or shrimp. Round ray went after a whole frozen anchovy on a fish finder setup. A fisherwoman near me caught a 14-inch Sheephead on shrimp. Another fisherman caught a 17-inch Calico Bass on shrimp. A large gray whale swam parallel with the pier and was about 15 feet from the pier. It actually swam below my fishing lines! Incredible surprise and joy to see and hear this large marine mammal.” 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.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – Expect the normal species—kelp bass, rock wrasse, senorita, opaleye, halfmoon, and sheephead. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — Expect the normal species—kelp bass, rock wrasse, senorita, opaleye, halfmoon, sheephead and ocean whitefish. Some bonito and barracuda may also show up. The biggest question is on the future of the Mole for fishing; investigating. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon when you walk off the ferry onto the landing you are at the Mole.
Redondo Beach Pier — No report this month although mackerel were being caught. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Manhattan Beach Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How To Get There: From Sepulveda Boulevard, turn west on Manhattan Beach Drive and follow it to the pier.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu) says with the rain and wind, especially the wind, not too many people are fishing so she hasn’t gotten many reports. About the only report for Malibu is that quite a few sargo and small walleye surfperch are showing up. No reports of top-water action, i.e., mackerel or sardines and no reports of sharks. Hopefully the weather will improve but it was pouring down rain when I called. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu). Ditto the above with few reports but Ginny did see a picture of a nice legal-size halibut taken from the pier recently. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot. Parking is very expensive unless you buy an expensive meal at the restaurant and then you are allowed to fish for, I think, three hours.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier — Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura, said not the weather has put a crimp on the number of fishermen but things are now starting to pick up. She said perch action has been good and some halibut are also being caught. Most interesting are the number of striped bass that have been taken inshore—quite a few. 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 — Ludia at Hyun's Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura said the pier is still closed due to damage from last winter’s storms. No reopening date. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, said there aren’t too many reports due to a lack of fishermen (ongoing weather problems). What fishermen are showing up are reporting slow action due perhaps to the dredging going on in the harbor. 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 — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 4010-5 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, said the pier is now open but not too many people are fishing. There was a massive sewage spill into the inlet by the pier followed by all the debris from the storms flushing down from the surrounding hills into the bay. As a consequence the water is very, very dirty and people are staying away. The few still fishing are reporting an occasional bass from the pier or thornback ray. 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 — Ongoing report—The pier has now been closed for somewhere around eight years and the rumors of repair and reopening continue. Don’t know if there is any additional damage from the recent high tides. There are all kind of reports on the Internet regarding projected work but don’t hold your breath. How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.
