San Luis Obispo County Piers
Pismo Beach Pier — I fished the pier on the 24th with limited success. I was fishing inshore for barred surfperch with some old mussel bait and saw (I think) three small barred surfperch caught but I did not catch any. I had to settle for 8 smallish-sized silver surfperch. A beautiful day but slow action. How To Get There: From the north, take Hwy. 101 to the Five Cities Dr. exit; follow Dolliver into the middle of town, then turn west on Pomeroy and follow it to the pier and parking lot. From the south, take the Pismo Beach Exit (Price St.), follow it to Pomeroy; turn west and follow it to the pier.
Avila Pier – The pier is currently closed while the port district decides how to rebuild the pier. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to Avila Rd. and go west; turn left off of Avila Rd. on to Front St. and follow it to the pier.
San Luis (Harford) Pier — I fished the pier on the 27th with limited success: small perch and nothing else. However, quite a few anglers were fishing on the pier and in addition to the perch it looked like some small kingfish (white croaker) were also taken. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to the Avila Rd. turnoff and head west; follow the road to the end and the pier.
Morro Bay T-Piers – A variety of perch and rockfish should be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black and yellow rockfish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 turn south onto Main Street, follow it to Morro Bay Boulevard, turn left toward the bay and follow it to Embarcadero, turn right and follow Embarcadero to the end of the public parking which adjoins the piers.
Cayucos Pier — There’s been wind and rain but when clear the surfperch should be increasing in numbers. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
San Simeon Pier — There’s been wind and rain but when clear the surfperch should be increasing in numbers. How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance to the park.
Monterey-Santa Cruz-San Mateo County Piers
Monterey Coast Guard Pier — No report although quite a few lingcod (including some big ones) have been taken recently from the pier. There should also be some perch, rockfish and occasional cabezon. How To Get There: From Hwy 1 going north: Take the Aguajito Road exit, turn left at the first traffic signal intersection, which is Aguajito Road, and continue under Highway 1 and cross Fremont Street. At the next traffic signal intersection, which is Del Monte Avenue, turn left. Continue down Del Monte Avenue and under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot. From Hwy 1 going south: Take the Del Monte Avenue exit, continue down Del Monte Avenue for several blocks and go under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot.
Monterey Wharf #2 — Wind and rain and apparently slow fishing. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the central Monterey exit and follow Del Monte Avenue to Figueroa Street, turn right and follow to the wharf.
Seacliff State Beach Pier — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, said not much is going on at Seacliff. The pier has largely been shut down since the concrete ship turned on its side. A few barred surfperch and calico surfperch should be available in the surf area, along with some walleye perch. How To Get There: How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, on the pier, said the weather has been tough but anglers continue to haul in perch, a combination of barred surfperch (inshore) and blackperch and walleyes further out on the wharf. Most have been taken on cut shrimp. Some small steelhead have also been taken (and released). Not much else. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the Bay Avenue exit west until it hits Capitola Avenue where you turn right; stay on this to Cliff Drive, turn right and park wherever you can find a spot.
Santa Cruz Wharf — Carrera from the Santa Cruz Boat Rental (on the pier) said things are very slow. The weather is rough, both wind and rain, and there aren’t too many anglers on the wharf. How to get There: Ocean Street south from Highway 1; when you get to Laurel Street turn right and follow it to Pacific Street, turn left and follow Pacific to the wharf.
Pillar Point Pier — No report, need a reporter but the normal bottom mix of small rockfish and a few sculpin should be available. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot. This pier is to the far right of the parking lot
Pacifica Pier — Marque at Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle, 1604 Francisco Blvd, said the weather’s been rough but anglers are hanging in there. Dungeness are still the main goal of most anglers but some surfperch (mostly barred) are showing inshore and some jacksmelt are available in the top water areas throughout most of the pier. The perch are mainly hitting on cut shrimp and sand crabs; the normal pile worms are not available due to the cold weather conditions back east. Marque said some striped bass are still being caught on the beach even though it’s late in the year for them. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Pacifica, take the Paloma Avenue-Francisco Boulevard exit, take Paloma west to Beach Road, turn left and proceed a short way until you see markers indicating the way to Fort Point, turn left on Long Avenue and it will take you down to the pier.
Pismo Beach Pier — I fished the pier on the 24th with limited success. I was fishing inshore for barred surfperch with some old mussel bait and saw (I think) three small barred surfperch caught but I did not catch any. I had to settle for 8 smallish-sized silver surfperch. A beautiful day but slow action. How To Get There: From the north, take Hwy. 101 to the Five Cities Dr. exit; follow Dolliver into the middle of town, then turn west on Pomeroy and follow it to the pier and parking lot. From the south, take the Pismo Beach Exit (Price St.), follow it to Pomeroy; turn west and follow it to the pier.
Avila Pier – The pier is currently closed while the port district decides how to rebuild the pier. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to Avila Rd. and go west; turn left off of Avila Rd. on to Front St. and follow it to the pier.
San Luis (Harford) Pier — I fished the pier on the 27th with limited success: small perch and nothing else. However, quite a few anglers were fishing on the pier and in addition to the perch it looked like some small kingfish (white croaker) were also taken. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to the Avila Rd. turnoff and head west; follow the road to the end and the pier.
Morro Bay T-Piers – A variety of perch and rockfish should be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black and yellow rockfish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 turn south onto Main Street, follow it to Morro Bay Boulevard, turn left toward the bay and follow it to Embarcadero, turn right and follow Embarcadero to the end of the public parking which adjoins the piers.
Cayucos Pier — There’s been wind and rain but when clear the surfperch should be increasing in numbers. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
San Simeon Pier — There’s been wind and rain but when clear the surfperch should be increasing in numbers. How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance to the park.
Monterey-Santa Cruz-San Mateo County Piers
Monterey Coast Guard Pier — No report although quite a few lingcod (including some big ones) have been taken recently from the pier. There should also be some perch, rockfish and occasional cabezon. How To Get There: From Hwy 1 going north: Take the Aguajito Road exit, turn left at the first traffic signal intersection, which is Aguajito Road, and continue under Highway 1 and cross Fremont Street. At the next traffic signal intersection, which is Del Monte Avenue, turn left. Continue down Del Monte Avenue and under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot. From Hwy 1 going south: Take the Del Monte Avenue exit, continue down Del Monte Avenue for several blocks and go under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot.
Monterey Wharf #2 — Wind and rain and apparently slow fishing. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the central Monterey exit and follow Del Monte Avenue to Figueroa Street, turn right and follow to the wharf.
Seacliff State Beach Pier — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, said not much is going on at Seacliff. The pier has largely been shut down since the concrete ship turned on its side. A few barred surfperch and calico surfperch should be available in the surf area, along with some walleye perch. How To Get There: How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, on the pier, said the weather has been tough but anglers continue to haul in perch, a combination of barred surfperch (inshore) and blackperch and walleyes further out on the wharf. Most have been taken on cut shrimp. Some small steelhead have also been taken (and released). Not much else. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the Bay Avenue exit west until it hits Capitola Avenue where you turn right; stay on this to Cliff Drive, turn right and park wherever you can find a spot.
Santa Cruz Wharf — Carrera from the Santa Cruz Boat Rental (on the pier) said things are very slow. The weather is rough, both wind and rain, and there aren’t too many anglers on the wharf. How to get There: Ocean Street south from Highway 1; when you get to Laurel Street turn right and follow it to Pacific Street, turn left and follow Pacific to the wharf.
Pillar Point Pier — No report, need a reporter but the normal bottom mix of small rockfish and a few sculpin should be available. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot. This pier is to the far right of the parking lot
Pacifica Pier — Marque at Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle, 1604 Francisco Blvd, said the weather’s been rough but anglers are hanging in there. Dungeness are still the main goal of most anglers but some surfperch (mostly barred) are showing inshore and some jacksmelt are available in the top water areas throughout most of the pier. The perch are mainly hitting on cut shrimp and sand crabs; the normal pile worms are not available due to the cold weather conditions back east. Marque said some striped bass are still being caught on the beach even though it’s late in the year for them. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Pacifica, take the Paloma Avenue-Francisco Boulevard exit, take Paloma west to Beach Road, turn left and proceed a short way until you see markers indicating the way to Fort Point, turn left on Long Avenue and it will take you down to the pier.