Got to the pier early morning on Friday at about 6AM. Started in-shore but could not get any bites on a high low rig with Berkeley Gulp on one hook and a salt cured ghost shrimp on the other.
Moved to the north side of the pier caddy corner to the restrooms. I started fishing a sabiki to get live bait and caught about 10 smelt and 2 small mackerel. I fish both a live smelt and a small mackerel on a fish finder rig with no bites. I also walked the northside of the pier along the long section leading up to Rubies with a live smelt collar hooked on a drop shot rig. Only bite I got was a Cormorant.
I left and released all my unused bait fish.
On Sunday I arrive at around 5AM. Conditions were terrible. It was cold, with light rain and very windy. I fished a high-lo rig with salted market shrimp and a berkeley gulp on the southside of the pier leading up to Rubies. I caught one larger smelt on a sabiki. It was too big to use for bait. I walked to the end of the pier before I left to try to see if anyone caught anything. In the 2.5 hours that I stayed, I saw another small smelt that someone used for bait and what looked like a small sand bass (not sure, the fish was released before I could get a good look at it).
Monday I got there around 5:15AM and headed to the same spot (beginning off the long section leading up to Rubies). Another very slow morning. I caught two smelt, one larger and one smaller. I put the smaller fish on a reverse fish finding rig. I did reel up with the fish missing once but my rig was tangled on itself and with a bunch of mix kelp/seaweed so hard to tell if it was a bite. It was so slow that the older Vietnamese gentleman who I always see reeling up sabikis full of mackerel was walking around lamenting how there were no fish. I gave him my larger smelt. This was the first two days (Sunday and Monday) where I could not find bait fish anywhere were I dropped my line. Tried a few places including a couple spots at the end and nothing.
Maybe the rapid water temp change has something to do with it. My calendar app rated all the days I went as good-excellent days for fishing. I believe the app recommendations are based on tides and solar lunar conditions.
These conditions are encouraging me to try different spots for the winter. I think I give the Bolsa Chica inlet a few tries. I have a planned trip to the Newport Jetty with my brother in-law on this coming Saturday and I'm thinking about jumping on a party boat out of San Pedro on Sunday.
Moved to the north side of the pier caddy corner to the restrooms. I started fishing a sabiki to get live bait and caught about 10 smelt and 2 small mackerel. I fish both a live smelt and a small mackerel on a fish finder rig with no bites. I also walked the northside of the pier along the long section leading up to Rubies with a live smelt collar hooked on a drop shot rig. Only bite I got was a Cormorant.
I left and released all my unused bait fish.
On Sunday I arrive at around 5AM. Conditions were terrible. It was cold, with light rain and very windy. I fished a high-lo rig with salted market shrimp and a berkeley gulp on the southside of the pier leading up to Rubies. I caught one larger smelt on a sabiki. It was too big to use for bait. I walked to the end of the pier before I left to try to see if anyone caught anything. In the 2.5 hours that I stayed, I saw another small smelt that someone used for bait and what looked like a small sand bass (not sure, the fish was released before I could get a good look at it).
Monday I got there around 5:15AM and headed to the same spot (beginning off the long section leading up to Rubies). Another very slow morning. I caught two smelt, one larger and one smaller. I put the smaller fish on a reverse fish finding rig. I did reel up with the fish missing once but my rig was tangled on itself and with a bunch of mix kelp/seaweed so hard to tell if it was a bite. It was so slow that the older Vietnamese gentleman who I always see reeling up sabikis full of mackerel was walking around lamenting how there were no fish. I gave him my larger smelt. This was the first two days (Sunday and Monday) where I could not find bait fish anywhere were I dropped my line. Tried a few places including a couple spots at the end and nothing.
Maybe the rapid water temp change has something to do with it. My calendar app rated all the days I went as good-excellent days for fishing. I believe the app recommendations are based on tides and solar lunar conditions.
These conditions are encouraging me to try different spots for the winter. I think I give the Bolsa Chica inlet a few tries. I have a planned trip to the Newport Jetty with my brother in-law on this coming Saturday and I'm thinking about jumping on a party boat out of San Pedro on Sunday.
Last edited: