December 2020 Fishing Report, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, and West Delta (#261)
Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — Personal reports from several sources have indicated both striped bass and sturgeon being caught. 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 — Waiting for the report and not sure if the pier is still open. 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 are picking up good numbers of stripers. Given the high salt content in the water, anglers have also picked up a few bat rays and also some halibut using lures intended for salmon and stripers. 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 it’s a strange year. Lots of stripers are being caught from the pier and shoreline while the salmon run never has really gotten under way. So far there’s only been about 40 salmon caught whereas last year it was over 200. He blames the high salt content of the water due to lack of rain. Anglers have also picked up a couple of halibut using lures and some bat rays using bait. 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 stripers 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 – Bailee at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports fairly good striper fishing with both shakers and keepers up to about the ten-pound size. No report of sturgeon. 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 – Bailee, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), says she hasn’t heard reports of stripers from the pier but three sturgeon have been reported, all oversize fish that had to be released. 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 — We’ve had PFIC reports that sound eerily similar to what we’ve always reported—tons of small undersized striped bass along with an occasional keeper-size fish. Inshore a few black bass may also be available on lures. The pier is supposedly open 24 hours a day but I imagine with the curfew that may change. 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 pulling in good numbers of striped bass to about 28-inches in size with shad being the key bait (sometimes with garlic). Sturgeon have also begun to show up but they’re all in the 40-inch range and undersized. Biggest reported was a 44-inch fish. Most of the sturgeon are being taken on ghost shrimp. Black bass are also making a showing with most caught on crank bait. Lastly, the pier is still producing good numbers of catfish, most at night, and most falling to chunks of liver or clams. 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.
Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — Personal reports from several sources have indicated both striped bass and sturgeon being caught. 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 — Waiting for the report and not sure if the pier is still open. 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 are picking up good numbers of stripers. Given the high salt content in the water, anglers have also picked up a few bat rays and also some halibut using lures intended for salmon and stripers. 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 it’s a strange year. Lots of stripers are being caught from the pier and shoreline while the salmon run never has really gotten under way. So far there’s only been about 40 salmon caught whereas last year it was over 200. He blames the high salt content of the water due to lack of rain. Anglers have also picked up a couple of halibut using lures and some bat rays using bait. 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 stripers 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 – Bailee at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports fairly good striper fishing with both shakers and keepers up to about the ten-pound size. No report of sturgeon. 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 – Bailee, at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), says she hasn’t heard reports of stripers from the pier but three sturgeon have been reported, all oversize fish that had to be released. 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 — We’ve had PFIC reports that sound eerily similar to what we’ve always reported—tons of small undersized striped bass along with an occasional keeper-size fish. Inshore a few black bass may also be available on lures. The pier is supposedly open 24 hours a day but I imagine with the curfew that may change. 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 pulling in good numbers of striped bass to about 28-inches in size with shad being the key bait (sometimes with garlic). Sturgeon have also begun to show up but they’re all in the 40-inch range and undersized. Biggest reported was a 44-inch fish. Most of the sturgeon are being taken on ghost shrimp. Black bass are also making a showing with most caught on crank bait. Lastly, the pier is still producing good numbers of catfish, most at night, and most falling to chunks of liver or clams. 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.