Arrowhead Marsh Fishing Pier and license

[Ken Jones]

I received a note that an angler received a $200 fine for fishing the Arrowhead Marsh Fishing Pier without a license. It should be a public pier and I am going to try o find out why they (the park rangers) say it isn't a public pier. If anyone has any information, I would appreciate you passing it along. It shows once again the arrogance of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife by refusing to give an official list of public piers. It also shows an ignorance on the part of the park itself since no signs are posted saying a fishing license is required. How are you supposed to follow the law when the law is hidden (or left to the judgement of people often misunderstanding the law themselves)?

 

[shonuff88]

Park police also said lucky he didnt fine me for having two poles out even though one of them was in the poleholder not even set up yet 🤷‍♂️

 

[Ken Jones]

Ridiculous. Have you already paid the fine?

 

[ddejong]

Sounds very odd, even on their website it says license required when fishing from "shore".

 

[shonuff88]

Ridiculous. Have you already paid the fine?

Yup!

 

[Red Fish]

That is ridiculous if no prior warning was given. And also for suggesting that use of two poles on a public pier was a “no go.” There are no signs around these piers saying that a license is required and that they are not municipal piers. If these piers have been condemned because of disrepair or some other unknown reason, this information should be relayed to the public. Some of us aren’t aware these piers are “gone but not forgotten!”

I have experienced law enforcement around these Oakland estuary piers; it hasn’t been DF&W. The last time was at High Street dock which is just north of the same body of water you are fishing. I was fishing there and regular law enforcement told people they could not fish there without a license. I always carry a license, even when I am pier fishing, and openly wear it around my neck although currently not a requirement.

What I don’t like is that the people fishing High Street dock (open to the public for fishing) are anglers displaced from the now closed Fruitvale Bridge Pier.

More and more public piers in California are being closed with no replacements.

 

[Gary]

More and more public piers in California are being closed with no replacements.

Little bit of a trend, isn't it? If you're not happy with the public pier situation, try looking into the public school, public transportation, public health, public anything situation and I think you'll agree the abandonment of pier building and maintenance is pretty low on the list of California's social problems. Plus, it forces more people to buy licenses....or better, vastly increase profits by ticketing poor people who can't afford them but still want to fish. Sad and unfortunate. The disappearance of public fishing piers is a canary-in-the-coal-mine if you ask me.

 

[Ken Jones]

You do need a license when fishing from the shore or a non-public pier but that pier should be a public pier. I was just there a few weeks ago and the pier and park look in great shape. Some guys were casting out lures for stripers from the shore by the creek entrances (which does require a license) but, as said, if you're fishing from the pier itself you shouldn't need a license. Step off the pier and you do.

 

[Ken Jones]

The estuary piers along the Embarcadero in Oakland—the Estuary Park Pier, San Antonio Pier, and the Oakland Fruitvale Pier (when open) are PUBLIC PIERS and anglers should not need licenses. It's less clear if the Union Point Pier is a public pier.