Point Arena, Jun 28 - July 5th

I'll be staying at a time share up in Point Area for that week. I've never fished the area but was intending to visit the pier. Anyone up there with direct tips and advice? Looking for shore access too, but it looks like it's mainly cliff fishing. Is there much beach access in the area?

Between Gualala and Point Arena there are a few public beach access parking areas, but I think they may charge for day use nowadays. Hearn Gulch, Schooner gulch/beach, etc. Also Gualala Point Regional park has a big beachfront where the Gualala River enters the ocean, but I have never fished it, just played the golf course there a few times, and it looks very fishy. Also try the Gualala seafood shack if you go to Gualala, it's quite excellent.

You should check out trhe Sea Lion Cove by the Point Arena Lighthouse. Although a Marine Protected Area it allows fishing and it is a spot that produced MANY fish for me over the years (9.42 fish per trip). It has many inlets that cut into the rocks and allow you basically fish say ten feet or so up from the water. Striped seaperch will be your #1 fish followed by kelp greenling, rock greenling, cabezon, black and yellow rockfish, blue rockfish and black rockfiish. If lucky you might evev see a lingcod. A GREAT spot (although that was admittedly a few years ago).

BTW, when the MLPA Committee (all 50+ of us) were fighting over the various proposals the environmental groups wanted to close the cove to all take including fishing, I fought long and hard and showed them that allowing recreational fishing in the cove would not harm the population. I agreed with them on prohibiting the take of abalone and they agreed with me on the fishing.

Want to go on vacation now instead of waiting...

I am not a local there but fished the pier a few times. Try hi-lo to the left among the kelp for greenlings. As Ken said Striped sea perch can be found around posts. Have a great time out there!