Recent content by nolandw

Hi all, I'm sadly moving from California for at least the next year and some of my existing tackle won't be applicable anymore. I was a very novice fisherman before discovering PFIC (and still am in many ways) but PFIC let me discover a whole new world and really up my game. I wanted to give...

Yesterday, I was fishing with a sabiki for perch and ended up with some bycatch of salmon smolts and the world's smallest lingcod. All obviously released. First time having either of those happen in my recent years of fishing the Bay. Something to be wary if you frequent these piers of as the...

I got lucky this past weekend with my first bonito ever and a size 10 sabiki. Biggest fish I've gotten on a sabiki! I was excited, fun fight. Sounds like I should bring my Krocodile and Kastmaster next time...

Anything else needed for volunteers and logistics? Trying to figure out if it is helpful for the weekend but sounds like it's unsure.

What's the best way to volunteer? (I think I posted on the other thread, but it got deleted.) Just show up at 8:30 and say we're from PFIC? I can tie rigs, bag up some bait, and have a few loaner light rods to bring. I also have a great camera to capture photos for the day.

love it. great report. sometimes that fishing urge just kicks in...so you spent 24 hours straight awake?

@OaklandP are there that many sardines in the SF Bay? I've fished all around and never got a sardine. Just a lot of shiners, walleye perch, jacksmelt, and anchovies. Also, I second you on the local regs. Most times people have the standard six, and I've seen as much as 20-some hooks on one rig...

IMO Oyster Point is a close one to doing it all well... Easy parking. Restrooms. Rod holders on the top rail. Pilings with plenty of waterflow. Sink. Trash cans/line receptacles.

Very thorough reporting, beutelevision. Have you had luck whenever the water is stained/low viz? It's enough to turn me away from even trying at one of the spots I go to when using lures--I've never had good luck when the water is dirty or murky. I feel like the only chance for halibut is...

I like the discussion here. Agree the LCs can get snaggy especially if you keep the treble hooks. They can always be swapped out. Somehow I've not yet lost one, though I've gotten close. I usually test the waters with something else (like a swimbait) to identify snag points and then use the LC...

My favorite jerkbait lures. I use them mostly for striper in SF Bay but have caught halibut on them too. A lot of SoCal anglers seem to use them for halibut in the surf. Great action. Expensive but worth the price.

Looks like it would be tough to net a solid catch there with the way those underlying beams jut out.

As I fish more I have begun to do piers less and more surf, bank, poke-poling, and rockfishing. Part of it is the solitude and spot discovery which can make the trip all the more rewarding. However, my gear has not kept up as well with this change. I usually have a pair of waders I wear (cheap...

Went to Ocean Beach SF area yesterday for crabbing. Got a keeper 30 min in, but only one other short in the few hours I was out. Kinda disappointing. And yes, very cold. Maybe my snares need some reworking. The birds, however, were feasting like crazy. They were flying everywhere. A school of...

I ended up talking with her yesterday, she was great. Most of our conversation was just about my general fishing story since I couldn’t really speak to ever fishing the Berkeley Pier except for longingly in my dreams. We actually met up at the Berkeley Marina, and I threw a line out when we...