Last weekend I went to Goleta to attend the send off for Boyd Grant (Pierhead). Given the distance and location, I also decided to visit a few piers to and from the area. My expectations were somewhat low given the recent heavy rains and run-off along the coast. I could remember similar winter trips that were, to put it mildly, poor as far as fishing. But, you just never know what you might find.
Day 1 saw a drive from Fresno to Ventura. It’s about a two hour drive to Paso Robles from Fresno and then, heading south on HY 101, about another 45 minutes or so to Pismo Beach where I planned to stop, fish a couple of hours, and take pictures of the rebuilt pier. I would then proceed south to Ventura where I would spend the night. Unfortunately, I had come down with a really bad cold the previous night and was miserable (health wise) during most of the trip but wasn’t going to let that stop me from fishing.
The initial drive from Fresno is on HY 41 through Kettleman City and a lot of open range territory. Eventually the highway merges with HY 46. Just past where it merges (the site where the actor James Dean crashed his sports car and died), is the memorial to James Dean.
A small and simple memorial sits next to the Jacks Ranch Café in Cholame and it’s where I stopped for a cup of coffee. Took a few pictures and headed on to Pismo.
Unlike summertime and/or busy weekends, my arrrival at Pismo Beach found a mostly empty parking lot at the foot of the pier. Pismo Beach has totally rebuilt the pier and it looks great.
Unfortunately the fishing wasn’t as great as the looks of the pier. I was trying for some barred surfperch, which usually are abundant this time of the year, but couldn’t coax a single one into biting. I think I saw three barred surfperch on the entire pier and all were small. I had to settle for 8 silver surfperch.
Although the pier facilities were great, there was a problem with the surfers. They populated the inshore waters adjacent to the pier. The would paddle out to their spots between the pier’s pilings and then, when riding a wave would head in close to the pier swatting away fishing lines as they came. I don’t understand why the city doesn’t have a mandatory 100-foot clearance around the pier and am fairly sure they are going to have some problems down the road.
Parking fees at the lot adjacent to the pier also seemed to have gone up, they are now $2 an hour (which can be paid by credit card).
Pismo Beach Pier — 11:45-2:45
Tackle: the normal high low with size 6 hooks and a one-ounce sinker on the light rod, high low with size 4 hooks and a heavier sinker on the heavier rod.
Bait: some left over frozen mussels and market shrimp.
Fish: 8 silver surfperch
After the short three-hour visit to Pismo Beach I headed on down HY 101. Fifty miles later I was in Buelton (near Solvang) and stopped for an early dinner at the venerable but aging Pea Soup Andersen’s.
My friend and fishing buddy Mike Granat and I used to stop there and we would usually get the “Traveler’s Special” — all the pea soup you can eat along with a milk shake. Nothing fancy but filling. I ordered the same but ate only one bowl of soup. It just isn’t the same eating alone as eating and discussing fishing with a friend. I then headed down to Ventura. Little traffic until Santa Barbara and then heavy and slow traffic from Santa Barbara to Ventura. The 70-mile drive turned into an hour and 45-minute drive.
Day 1 saw a drive from Fresno to Ventura. It’s about a two hour drive to Paso Robles from Fresno and then, heading south on HY 101, about another 45 minutes or so to Pismo Beach where I planned to stop, fish a couple of hours, and take pictures of the rebuilt pier. I would then proceed south to Ventura where I would spend the night. Unfortunately, I had come down with a really bad cold the previous night and was miserable (health wise) during most of the trip but wasn’t going to let that stop me from fishing.
The initial drive from Fresno is on HY 41 through Kettleman City and a lot of open range territory. Eventually the highway merges with HY 46. Just past where it merges (the site where the actor James Dean crashed his sports car and died), is the memorial to James Dean.
A small and simple memorial sits next to the Jacks Ranch Café in Cholame and it’s where I stopped for a cup of coffee. Took a few pictures and headed on to Pismo.
Unlike summertime and/or busy weekends, my arrrival at Pismo Beach found a mostly empty parking lot at the foot of the pier. Pismo Beach has totally rebuilt the pier and it looks great.
Unfortunately the fishing wasn’t as great as the looks of the pier. I was trying for some barred surfperch, which usually are abundant this time of the year, but couldn’t coax a single one into biting. I think I saw three barred surfperch on the entire pier and all were small. I had to settle for 8 silver surfperch.
Although the pier facilities were great, there was a problem with the surfers. They populated the inshore waters adjacent to the pier. The would paddle out to their spots between the pier’s pilings and then, when riding a wave would head in close to the pier swatting away fishing lines as they came. I don’t understand why the city doesn’t have a mandatory 100-foot clearance around the pier and am fairly sure they are going to have some problems down the road.
Parking fees at the lot adjacent to the pier also seemed to have gone up, they are now $2 an hour (which can be paid by credit card).
Pismo Beach Pier — 11:45-2:45
Tackle: the normal high low with size 6 hooks and a one-ounce sinker on the light rod, high low with size 4 hooks and a heavier sinker on the heavier rod.
Bait: some left over frozen mussels and market shrimp.
Fish: 8 silver surfperch
After the short three-hour visit to Pismo Beach I headed on down HY 101. Fifty miles later I was in Buelton (near Solvang) and stopped for an early dinner at the venerable but aging Pea Soup Andersen’s.
My friend and fishing buddy Mike Granat and I used to stop there and we would usually get the “Traveler’s Special” — all the pea soup you can eat along with a milk shake. Nothing fancy but filling. I ordered the same but ate only one bowl of soup. It just isn’t the same eating alone as eating and discussing fishing with a friend. I then headed down to Ventura. Little traffic until Santa Barbara and then heavy and slow traffic from Santa Barbara to Ventura. The 70-mile drive turned into an hour and 45-minute drive.