San Diego County Piers
Imperial Beach Pier – Waiting for a report. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.
Ocean Beach Pier — Antonio at the Ocean Beach Pier Bait Shop & Café, on the pier said action is still slow with the exception of mackerel, sardines and anchovies that populate the upper waters at the pier. Few fish on the bottom although he has seen a few leopard sharks. Ditto a few lobsters, mainly at night. How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.
Crystal Pier – Hunter at the Crystal Pier Bay & Tackle said action remains slow. Most of the catch has been on mackerel and some perch along with an occasional small halibut. Anglers able to hoop at night are also reporting some lobsters. How To get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.
Pepper Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter! How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave., turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way, turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — No report although jacksmelt, mackerel and bass (kelp, sand and spotted) should be available. How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although bass (a variety) always seem to be around as well as a mix of sharays (mostly round stingrays). How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.
Shelter Island Pier — Michael, at Angler’s Choice, 1910 Rosecrans St., said anglers are getting a few bass and even a few halibut but the action on top water species is slow. But, he is still getting reports from anglers using mackerel and fishing at night from the corners for 7-gill sharks. He also mentioned that there is a lot of small bait in the bay, i.e., anchovies, so some live bait fishing might be available for a few bottom species. How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy. 209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.
Oceanside Pier — Bill at the Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle shop on the pier, said it’s wintertime fishing, i.e., no mackerel lately but quite a few jacksmelt. He does say there are a lot of sardines so anglers are stocking up on bait (and food) but most other species are hit and miss. He’s seen halibut recently that went 20”, 20”, 21” and 25” along with several smaller fish but it’s nothing reliable; ditto a 6-pound spotfin croaker. He is seeing some BIG sculpin (scorpionfish) along with a few calico bass and sheephead but he’s not seeing any sharks. He’s had some big tides and cold water so it’s the expected wintertime action. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Oceanside Harbor Pier —Awaiting the report. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point) said he hadn’t gotten a single report from the pier. It is what it is! Typically though there should be a few perch inshore and some mackerel or sardines out toward the end of the pier. Ditto some bass down around the pilings. How to Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier.
Dana Harbor Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, said there are a lot of jacksmelt being reported along with some sand bass (that may be chasing the jacksmelt). He’s also heard of a few legal halibut. Nothing else. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.
Balboa Pier — Our reporter Snookie said “Not much to tell about except lots of sardines and some topsmelt. They are not doing us any good catching other things. It has been nice weather this week. No whales yet. Those people who were getting as many jacksmelt as possible are now trying to get as many sardines as possible and not for bait. Maybe this next month will improve.” How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and the adjacent parking lot.
Newport Pier — Generally the action mirrors, for the most part, that seen at Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turnoff and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.
Huntington Beach Pier — Michael at Let's Go Fishing (on the pier) reports big numbers of spotfin croaker inshore but surprisingly very few surfperch. He said the spotfin action was so good he couldn’t keep enough lugworms in stock; a normal week’s supply was gone in 2-3 days. But it has also slowed down a little. He says mid-pier to the end is seeing BIG jacksmelt, some sardines, and a few mackerel. Evidently the white seabass action has also slowed although they’re still getting fish, just the smaller sized ones. He says sharay action remains good — tons of bat rays and sting rays along with a few leopard sharks. We also got a PFIC report from silver55amg on the 20th who said, “Got a late start at 9am this morning and was greeted with an outgoing tide. Bought a pack of lug worms which caught all but one 6 inch corbina. No other surf fish being pulled besides jacksmelt. Proceeded to the end where mom caught 5 baby-sized spotted bay bass on market shrimp no less. Saw 1 small mack, 2 pile perch, 1 yellowfin croaker and a few more smelt. Finished the day with a 15-inch halibut on a hookup bait before the wind blew us out around 12:30.” How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.
Seal Beach Pier —Rada at “Big Fish Bait and Tackle in Seal Beach” reports things are slow with quite a bit of wind. Mackerel and sardines are available on top while a few halibut are showing on the bottom. Not much else. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Pier — Rada at “Big Fish Bait and Tackle in Seal Beach” reports that the best action is probably on mackerel and sardines in the top-water areas although some short halibut are reported on the bottom along with some spotfin croaker. The wind has been a problem. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers — No report this month but expect some perch, sargo and croaker while fishing the inshore shallower waters. Mackerel and white croaker should be available with a cast out from the pier. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Cabrillo Pier (San Pedro) — Alex at the Rusty Hook (245 N Gaffey St., San Pedro) said the halibut action continues for those who know what they are doing. Some regulars are getting five or more fish a day (of which 1-2 are legal size). The key with the regulars continues to be the use of a pearl white-colored Zoom Flukes (or white-colored Berkely Gulp Jerk Shads) with a drop shot rig. Alex says anglers continue to pick up some mackerel in the top-water areas (most days) while anglers fishing the break-wall are reporting some bass, a mix of spotted bay bass, kelp bass and sand bass. Alex also adds that there hasn’t been much wind. When the Santa Ana winds blow and bedevil most coastal areas they don’t seem to show up in San Pedro.How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – The normal mix of fish—kelp bass, opaleye, halfmoon, rock wrasse, senorita, sheephead should be available while the number of ocean whitefish should be increasing. Some wind and high seas have been reported making fishing tough at times. We also got an early in the month PFIC report from EgoNonBaptizo who said, “I took the usual 6 am boat and started off fishing the GPP. Fishing was incredibly slow, to the point that I only caught a topsmelt by 10 am. There was a lot of bait in the water, mostly smelt with a couple jack mackerel mixed in, and, using live bait, I had a couple short bites that I suspect were short calico. At around 12, some opaleye and calico showed up by the pilings, but both proved extremely spooky. I only hooked one opaleye that broke me off in the pilings, and one 13.5" calico, both on flylined peas. At around 2 pm, I dropped by High Tide, bought a day pass and fished the inside of the Casino jetty. The action was better there, with many short sheephead and at least two legals that I released, plus several missed bites due to snags. I was using dropper loops with shrimp and cut mackerel. I moved back to the GPP by 5 pm. Fishing continued to be slow, with only a couple short sheephead, calico, and a handful of jack mackerel for my efforts.” How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — The Mole is closed for repair and reopening dates are unclear. How To Get There: The trick is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the mole that sits right where most boats disembark.
Redondo Beach Pier — Sunny, at the Redondo Pier Tackle (on the pier), said some mackerel are still around most days but not much else. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report this month although jacksmelt and (possibly) mackerel should be found mid-pier to the end as well as a few small some croakers, sharks and rays. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month although jacksmelt and (possibly) mackerel should be found mid-pier to the end as well as a few small some croakers, sharks and rays. How To Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — John at the Santa Monica Pier Bait & Tackle shop towards the end of the pier reports fairly slow fishing. A few yellowfin croaker are taken inshore, some perch show up under the pier, and jacksmelt and (some days) mackerel are taken out at the end. A few sharks show up, mainly leopard sharks, but only a few. Lobsters are still in season but for the poachers at the pier lobster season never ends. Unfortunately, the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife chooses to ignore the problem.] How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu) said things are fairly slow due in part to few fishermen. Apparently quite a few mackerel and jacksmelt are available along with an occasional small halibut. The biggest surprise was a large, several-pound cabezon caught down around the pilings. The other species showing up are sharks, mainly leopard sharks. Anglers fishing rocky areas along the shoreline are also reporting quite a few sheephead. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — No report. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier — No report. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.
Ventura Pier — No report although this should be the time for surfperch inshore and big jacksmelt mid-pier to the end. Shark action should have slowed. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf —Bretzel at the Stearns Wharf Bait Shop on the wharf says it is windy but some fish are still being caught. The main action is on jacksmelt and (some) mackerel in the top-water areas while a few short halibut, calico (kelp) bass, and bat rays have shown on the bottom. Most unusual fish recently was a blue rockfish, a fish more common in deeper waters. She said crabbing remains good and an occasional octopus also shows up. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier.
Goleta Pier — Awaiting the new report. We did get a PFIC report from SC McCarty on the 19th who said, “A friend and I went to Goleta yesterday, fishing just before the boat launch. As usual, the area beyond the boat launch was well coated with bird droppings, making fishing uninviting. We got a late start, and did not get fishing until about 11:00 AM. Using mussels, I had consistent action by casting close to the pipe reef, getting a fish on almost every cast, but they all were small: shiner perch, walleye perch, white croaker, and jacksmelt. Some of them went in the live bait bucket (with aerator). The rest were released. I did not catch anything with the live bait. My friend caught mostly the same things. One of the guys near us caught an approximately 10" olive rockfish. Further out a couple of guys were catching the same things, as well as herring (sardine like fish without spots).” How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.
Gaviota Pier — The pier continues to be closed while the state moves with its typical glacial speed and bureaucratic response in efforts to actually get it open; it’s now been closed for over five and a half years. Ridiculous! How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.
Imperial Beach Pier – Waiting for a report. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.
Ocean Beach Pier — Antonio at the Ocean Beach Pier Bait Shop & Café, on the pier said action is still slow with the exception of mackerel, sardines and anchovies that populate the upper waters at the pier. Few fish on the bottom although he has seen a few leopard sharks. Ditto a few lobsters, mainly at night. How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.
Crystal Pier – Hunter at the Crystal Pier Bay & Tackle said action remains slow. Most of the catch has been on mackerel and some perch along with an occasional small halibut. Anglers able to hoop at night are also reporting some lobsters. How To get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.
Pepper Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter! How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave., turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way, turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — No report although jacksmelt, mackerel and bass (kelp, sand and spotted) should be available. How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although bass (a variety) always seem to be around as well as a mix of sharays (mostly round stingrays). How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.
Shelter Island Pier — Michael, at Angler’s Choice, 1910 Rosecrans St., said anglers are getting a few bass and even a few halibut but the action on top water species is slow. But, he is still getting reports from anglers using mackerel and fishing at night from the corners for 7-gill sharks. He also mentioned that there is a lot of small bait in the bay, i.e., anchovies, so some live bait fishing might be available for a few bottom species. How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy. 209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.
Oceanside Pier — Bill at the Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle shop on the pier, said it’s wintertime fishing, i.e., no mackerel lately but quite a few jacksmelt. He does say there are a lot of sardines so anglers are stocking up on bait (and food) but most other species are hit and miss. He’s seen halibut recently that went 20”, 20”, 21” and 25” along with several smaller fish but it’s nothing reliable; ditto a 6-pound spotfin croaker. He is seeing some BIG sculpin (scorpionfish) along with a few calico bass and sheephead but he’s not seeing any sharks. He’s had some big tides and cold water so it’s the expected wintertime action. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Oceanside Harbor Pier —Awaiting the report. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point) said he hadn’t gotten a single report from the pier. It is what it is! Typically though there should be a few perch inshore and some mackerel or sardines out toward the end of the pier. Ditto some bass down around the pilings. How to Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier.
Dana Harbor Pier — Josh at Hogan's Bait And Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy, said there are a lot of jacksmelt being reported along with some sand bass (that may be chasing the jacksmelt). He’s also heard of a few legal halibut. Nothing else. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.
Balboa Pier — Our reporter Snookie said “Not much to tell about except lots of sardines and some topsmelt. They are not doing us any good catching other things. It has been nice weather this week. No whales yet. Those people who were getting as many jacksmelt as possible are now trying to get as many sardines as possible and not for bait. Maybe this next month will improve.” How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and the adjacent parking lot.
Newport Pier — Generally the action mirrors, for the most part, that seen at Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turnoff and proceed west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place.
Huntington Beach Pier — Michael at Let's Go Fishing (on the pier) reports big numbers of spotfin croaker inshore but surprisingly very few surfperch. He said the spotfin action was so good he couldn’t keep enough lugworms in stock; a normal week’s supply was gone in 2-3 days. But it has also slowed down a little. He says mid-pier to the end is seeing BIG jacksmelt, some sardines, and a few mackerel. Evidently the white seabass action has also slowed although they’re still getting fish, just the smaller sized ones. He says sharay action remains good — tons of bat rays and sting rays along with a few leopard sharks. We also got a PFIC report from silver55amg on the 20th who said, “Got a late start at 9am this morning and was greeted with an outgoing tide. Bought a pack of lug worms which caught all but one 6 inch corbina. No other surf fish being pulled besides jacksmelt. Proceeded to the end where mom caught 5 baby-sized spotted bay bass on market shrimp no less. Saw 1 small mack, 2 pile perch, 1 yellowfin croaker and a few more smelt. Finished the day with a 15-inch halibut on a hookup bait before the wind blew us out around 12:30.” How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.
Seal Beach Pier —Rada at “Big Fish Bait and Tackle in Seal Beach” reports things are slow with quite a bit of wind. Mackerel and sardines are available on top while a few halibut are showing on the bottom. Not much else. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Pier — Rada at “Big Fish Bait and Tackle in Seal Beach” reports that the best action is probably on mackerel and sardines in the top-water areas although some short halibut are reported on the bottom along with some spotfin croaker. The wind has been a problem. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers — No report this month but expect some perch, sargo and croaker while fishing the inshore shallower waters. Mackerel and white croaker should be available with a cast out from the pier. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Cabrillo Pier (San Pedro) — Alex at the Rusty Hook (245 N Gaffey St., San Pedro) said the halibut action continues for those who know what they are doing. Some regulars are getting five or more fish a day (of which 1-2 are legal size). The key with the regulars continues to be the use of a pearl white-colored Zoom Flukes (or white-colored Berkely Gulp Jerk Shads) with a drop shot rig. Alex says anglers continue to pick up some mackerel in the top-water areas (most days) while anglers fishing the break-wall are reporting some bass, a mix of spotted bay bass, kelp bass and sand bass. Alex also adds that there hasn’t been much wind. When the Santa Ana winds blow and bedevil most coastal areas they don’t seem to show up in San Pedro.How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – The normal mix of fish—kelp bass, opaleye, halfmoon, rock wrasse, senorita, sheephead should be available while the number of ocean whitefish should be increasing. Some wind and high seas have been reported making fishing tough at times. We also got an early in the month PFIC report from EgoNonBaptizo who said, “I took the usual 6 am boat and started off fishing the GPP. Fishing was incredibly slow, to the point that I only caught a topsmelt by 10 am. There was a lot of bait in the water, mostly smelt with a couple jack mackerel mixed in, and, using live bait, I had a couple short bites that I suspect were short calico. At around 12, some opaleye and calico showed up by the pilings, but both proved extremely spooky. I only hooked one opaleye that broke me off in the pilings, and one 13.5" calico, both on flylined peas. At around 2 pm, I dropped by High Tide, bought a day pass and fished the inside of the Casino jetty. The action was better there, with many short sheephead and at least two legals that I released, plus several missed bites due to snags. I was using dropper loops with shrimp and cut mackerel. I moved back to the GPP by 5 pm. Fishing continued to be slow, with only a couple short sheephead, calico, and a handful of jack mackerel for my efforts.” How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — The Mole is closed for repair and reopening dates are unclear. How To Get There: The trick is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Newport Beach. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the mole that sits right where most boats disembark.
Redondo Beach Pier — Sunny, at the Redondo Pier Tackle (on the pier), said some mackerel are still around most days but not much else. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report this month although jacksmelt and (possibly) mackerel should be found mid-pier to the end as well as a few small some croakers, sharks and rays. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month although jacksmelt and (possibly) mackerel should be found mid-pier to the end as well as a few small some croakers, sharks and rays. How To Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — John at the Santa Monica Pier Bait & Tackle shop towards the end of the pier reports fairly slow fishing. A few yellowfin croaker are taken inshore, some perch show up under the pier, and jacksmelt and (some days) mackerel are taken out at the end. A few sharks show up, mainly leopard sharks, but only a few. Lobsters are still in season but for the poachers at the pier lobster season never ends. Unfortunately, the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife chooses to ignore the problem.] How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Ginny at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle (18757 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu) said things are fairly slow due in part to few fishermen. Apparently quite a few mackerel and jacksmelt are available along with an occasional small halibut. The biggest surprise was a large, several-pound cabezon caught down around the pilings. The other species showing up are sharks, mainly leopard sharks. Anglers fishing rocky areas along the shoreline are also reporting quite a few sheephead. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — No report. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier — No report. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.
Ventura Pier — No report although this should be the time for surfperch inshore and big jacksmelt mid-pier to the end. Shark action should have slowed. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf —Bretzel at the Stearns Wharf Bait Shop on the wharf says it is windy but some fish are still being caught. The main action is on jacksmelt and (some) mackerel in the top-water areas while a few short halibut, calico (kelp) bass, and bat rays have shown on the bottom. Most unusual fish recently was a blue rockfish, a fish more common in deeper waters. She said crabbing remains good and an occasional octopus also shows up. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier.
Goleta Pier — Awaiting the new report. We did get a PFIC report from SC McCarty on the 19th who said, “A friend and I went to Goleta yesterday, fishing just before the boat launch. As usual, the area beyond the boat launch was well coated with bird droppings, making fishing uninviting. We got a late start, and did not get fishing until about 11:00 AM. Using mussels, I had consistent action by casting close to the pipe reef, getting a fish on almost every cast, but they all were small: shiner perch, walleye perch, white croaker, and jacksmelt. Some of them went in the live bait bucket (with aerator). The rest were released. I did not catch anything with the live bait. My friend caught mostly the same things. One of the guys near us caught an approximately 10" olive rockfish. Further out a couple of guys were catching the same things, as well as herring (sardine like fish without spots).” How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.
Gaviota Pier — The pier continues to be closed while the state moves with its typical glacial speed and bureaucratic response in efforts to actually get it open; it’s now been closed for over five and a half years. Ridiculous! How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.