Ken Jones, Author at Pier Fishing in California

Franklin D. Roosevelt Pier — Oakland — Gone But Not Forgotten

Franklin D. Roosevelt Fishing Pier — Closed But Not Forgotten For about ten years I lived in the East Bay community of Pinole. During that time I learned to appreciate and respect the town of Oakland, a town that seemed to get little positive publicity…

Swell Shark

Cat Sharks: Family Scyliorhinidae Species: Cephaloscyllium ventriosum(Garman, 1880); from the Greek words cephalo (with a head) and scyllium (like a dog or monster) and the Latin ventr (referring to the belly). Alternate Names: Catshark, puffer shark and balloon shark. Called bocaccio (bigmouth) shark by commercial…

Alice Street Pier — Oakland

Public Access Area — Status Unclear — Fishing License May Be Required My first fishing trip to this small pier was on a fairly balmy, shirtsleeve weather kind of day in early January. Boat traffic was minimal, most of the nearby trees were void of…

Martinez Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Recent reports indicate the pier is now closed for repair and possible reconstruction. Although the stories vary somewhat, striped bass were introduced into California waters near Martinez in 1879. Some accounts say the fish were dumped into the…

Oceanside Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The date was August 25, 1966, just nine days before my bride and I would tie the knot. The plans were finished and hopefully everything was ready to go. It was time to relax and this would be…

Paradise Beach Pier — Tiburon

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required This is another of the Marin County piers that on a day-to-day basis offer only so so fishing but which, because of it’s other facilities and surroundings, is a place visitor’s return to cheerfully time after time. The…

Pacifica Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The question of what is the best pier in the state is one that I have been asked fairly frequently over the years. Given that the answer depends on a number of factors (including the personal affection which…

Monterey Municipal Wharf #2

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The floating docks of Monterey Harbor and the pilings beneath Municipal Wharf II provide a rich and diverse community created largely by human activity. Such communities have imaginatively been called “accidental zoos.”… At low tide the pilings, shaded…

Monterey Coast Guard Pier aka Coast Guard Jetty

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required John Steinbeck called it “the hour of the pearl.” It’s “the gray time,” he wrote in Cannery Row, “after the light has come and before the sun has risen—the interval between day and night when time stops and…

Balboa Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Piers are one of the most romantic spots on earth! If you don’t believe me, tag along on a visit to Balboa Pier on almost any summer night. By 10 P.M., darkness has enveloped the pier. But while…

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