Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — No report this month although a few stripers and sturgeon should still be available. How To Get There: From I80, take the Crockett exit, turn east on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the Bull Valley Staging area entrance to the park. From I680 take Hwy 4 to the Cummings Skyway. Take the Crockett Blvd. exit and turn right on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the entrance of the park.
Martinez Pier — Katharine at the Martinez Marina Bait & Tackle reports that anglers are getting stripers, some shakers but also some keepers, with most being taken on anchovies or sardine. Several sturgeon were also reported including fish of 50 and 52 inches in length (which reportedly took some time to bring in.) The sturgeon have all been caught on grass shrimp (which is available at the shop). How To Get There: The pier is found at the foot of North Court Street. From I680, take the Marina Vista exit west off of the freeway, continue to the middle of the downtown area to Ferry Street and turn right, follow Ferry Street to Joe DiMaggio Road where you take another right, follow it a short distance to North Court Street, turn left, and follow the street through the Martinez Shoreline Park out to the pier parking lot. From Highway 4, take the Alhambra exit north and follow it to Escobar Street, turn right and follow it to Ferry Street, turn left and follow to Joe DiMaggio Drive, turn right and follow it to North Court Street, turn left and follow it out to the pier.
Benicia 9th Street Pier – Tony, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers (and not too many are fishing the pier) continue to pick up some stripers (shakers and keepers) from the pier using anchovies, pile worms and grass shrimp but he hasn’t had any reports recently of sturgeon from the pier. How To Get There: From I780 take the Seventh Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow to Ninth Street, turn left and follow it to the end of the street and the pier.
City of Benicia Fishing Pier/First Street — Tony, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says everyone is casting lures for salmon but it’s still too early (they normally show up at the end of August). Some stripers do show up hitting on the usual baits—anchovies, pile worms, and grass shrimp, as well as a few hitting the lures. How To Get There: From Interstate 780, take the Second Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow it west to First Street, turn left and then follow it south to the end of the street.
Pittsburg Pier — No report but a few stripers as well as a mix of freshwater species (catfish, squawfish, etc.) should be available. How To Get There: From Highway 4 take the Railroad Exit north toward the center of Pittsburg; when Railroad ends, turn left on Third Street and follow it to Marina Boulevard; at Marina turn left and follow to Bay Side Drive; now turn right and follow it to Riverview Park Drive. Turn left and follow it to the parking lot.
Antioch Pier – Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports fairly slow fishing with an occasional striped bass being taken along with a few freshwater fish. How To Get There: The pier is located at the foot of H Street in downtown Antioch. From Highway 4, go north on G. Street; follow it to Second Street where you will turn left; follow Second Street about a block to the free public parking lot near the Jerome Waldie Plaza. A short walk through the park and down the hill will take you to the foot of the pier.
Antioch Marina Pier – Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports not too many are fishing the pier but some stripers are being taken, mostly smaller-size fish. Catfish should also be available. How To Get There: From Highway 4, take the G Street exit and go north to Sixth Street; turn left and follow Sixth to L Street; turn right on L Street and simply follow it to the Antioch Public Marina and Marina Plaza Drive which takes you straight to the pier. The pier is to the right of the large restaurant.
Antioch Bridge Pier — Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports that a LOT of shaker-size stripers at the pier along with a few keeper-size fish (pretty much the same as always). Most of the stripers are hitting on sardines or anchovies with the bigger fish hitting on mudsuckers. Inshore anglers try minnows for an occasional largemouth bass. No recent reports of strurgeon. How To Get There: Follow Highway 4 east until it turns into Highway 160; just before you get to the bridge take the Wilbur Avenue off ramp (it is the last exit before the bridge), then turn left on Bridgehead Road and follow it to the entrance to the Antioch Regional Shoreline Park - the pier is the main feature of the park.
Rio Vista Pier — Jeanette at Rio Vista Bait and Tackle (510 CA-12), says anglers are getting quite a few stripers off the pier, many, many shaker-size fish but also keepers from 24 to 34 inches. Best baits? The usual—anchovies, mudsuckers, or pile worms. She says the bigger bass have big heads, which usually means they are fish coming in from the ocean. No sturgeon have been reported from the pier but good numbers of bluegills and crappie are being taken, both fairly uncommon species at the pier. The bluegills are being taken on red worms, the crappie on crappie jigs. How To Get There: The pier is located near the west end of the Rio Vista Bridge (the Rio Vista side of the bridge). Going east on HY 12 take the last exit right before the bridge. Go one block until you see Front Street, turn left, and the entrance to the pier parking lot is approximately one half block on your right. Going west on HY 12 continue past the bridge until you can turn left safely. You can turn around and continue to the last exit or go through the downtown area until you hit Front Street. Turn left on Front Street and follow it to the pier parking lot.
Eckley Pier — No report this month although a few stripers and sturgeon should still be available. How To Get There: From I80, take the Crockett exit, turn east on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the Bull Valley Staging area entrance to the park. From I680 take Hwy 4 to the Cummings Skyway. Take the Crockett Blvd. exit and turn right on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the entrance of the park.
Martinez Pier — Katharine at the Martinez Marina Bait & Tackle reports that anglers are getting stripers, some shakers but also some keepers, with most being taken on anchovies or sardine. Several sturgeon were also reported including fish of 50 and 52 inches in length (which reportedly took some time to bring in.) The sturgeon have all been caught on grass shrimp (which is available at the shop). How To Get There: The pier is found at the foot of North Court Street. From I680, take the Marina Vista exit west off of the freeway, continue to the middle of the downtown area to Ferry Street and turn right, follow Ferry Street to Joe DiMaggio Road where you take another right, follow it a short distance to North Court Street, turn left, and follow the street through the Martinez Shoreline Park out to the pier parking lot. From Highway 4, take the Alhambra exit north and follow it to Escobar Street, turn right and follow it to Ferry Street, turn left and follow to Joe DiMaggio Drive, turn right and follow it to North Court Street, turn left and follow it out to the pier.
Benicia 9th Street Pier – Tony, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers (and not too many are fishing the pier) continue to pick up some stripers (shakers and keepers) from the pier using anchovies, pile worms and grass shrimp but he hasn’t had any reports recently of sturgeon from the pier. How To Get There: From I780 take the Seventh Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow to Ninth Street, turn left and follow it to the end of the street and the pier.
City of Benicia Fishing Pier/First Street — Tony, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says everyone is casting lures for salmon but it’s still too early (they normally show up at the end of August). Some stripers do show up hitting on the usual baits—anchovies, pile worms, and grass shrimp, as well as a few hitting the lures. How To Get There: From Interstate 780, take the Second Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow it west to First Street, turn left and then follow it south to the end of the street.
Pittsburg Pier — No report but a few stripers as well as a mix of freshwater species (catfish, squawfish, etc.) should be available. How To Get There: From Highway 4 take the Railroad Exit north toward the center of Pittsburg; when Railroad ends, turn left on Third Street and follow it to Marina Boulevard; at Marina turn left and follow to Bay Side Drive; now turn right and follow it to Riverview Park Drive. Turn left and follow it to the parking lot.
Antioch Pier – Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports fairly slow fishing with an occasional striped bass being taken along with a few freshwater fish. How To Get There: The pier is located at the foot of H Street in downtown Antioch. From Highway 4, go north on G. Street; follow it to Second Street where you will turn left; follow Second Street about a block to the free public parking lot near the Jerome Waldie Plaza. A short walk through the park and down the hill will take you to the foot of the pier.
Antioch Marina Pier – Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports not too many are fishing the pier but some stripers are being taken, mostly smaller-size fish. Catfish should also be available. How To Get There: From Highway 4, take the G Street exit and go north to Sixth Street; turn left and follow Sixth to L Street; turn right on L Street and simply follow it to the Antioch Public Marina and Marina Plaza Drive which takes you straight to the pier. The pier is to the right of the large restaurant.
Antioch Bridge Pier — Danny, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports that a LOT of shaker-size stripers at the pier along with a few keeper-size fish (pretty much the same as always). Most of the stripers are hitting on sardines or anchovies with the bigger fish hitting on mudsuckers. Inshore anglers try minnows for an occasional largemouth bass. No recent reports of strurgeon. How To Get There: Follow Highway 4 east until it turns into Highway 160; just before you get to the bridge take the Wilbur Avenue off ramp (it is the last exit before the bridge), then turn left on Bridgehead Road and follow it to the entrance to the Antioch Regional Shoreline Park - the pier is the main feature of the park.
Rio Vista Pier — Jeanette at Rio Vista Bait and Tackle (510 CA-12), says anglers are getting quite a few stripers off the pier, many, many shaker-size fish but also keepers from 24 to 34 inches. Best baits? The usual—anchovies, mudsuckers, or pile worms. She says the bigger bass have big heads, which usually means they are fish coming in from the ocean. No sturgeon have been reported from the pier but good numbers of bluegills and crappie are being taken, both fairly uncommon species at the pier. The bluegills are being taken on red worms, the crappie on crappie jigs. How To Get There: The pier is located near the west end of the Rio Vista Bridge (the Rio Vista side of the bridge). Going east on HY 12 take the last exit right before the bridge. Go one block until you see Front Street, turn left, and the entrance to the pier parking lot is approximately one half block on your right. Going west on HY 12 continue past the bridge until you can turn left safely. You can turn around and continue to the last exit or go through the downtown area until you hit Front Street. Turn left on Front Street and follow it to the pier parking lot.