July 2022 Fishing Report, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, and West Delta (#276)
Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — No reports but striped bass should be available as well as possibly a few more saltier water species like halibut and bat ray. Expect a few sturgeon as well. 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 — The pier is currently closed while the city tries to decide on what it can and cannot afford to do as far as replacement and renovation. I hope they can make it work. 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 most of the action is on stripers with bait, both anchovies and grass shrimp working well. He’s also seeing some halibut both on bait and lures, i.e., BrokenBack lures. Salmon season opens the 16th. The water is very salty which is fairly usual for this time of the year. 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 — Basically the same report as the 9th St. Pier. 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 as well as several types of freshwater fish, i.e., catfish (a variety). 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 –Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports most of the action is on stripers with the linesides mainly falling for sardines, anchovies and pile worms. She hasn’t heard of any sturgeon at the pier. Nighttime anglers may also see a catfish or two but I would recommend being in a group if fishing at night. 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 – Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports most of the action is on stripers with an occasional sturgeon showing up (but they’ve slowed). Use the same baits as above. This can be a good pier form salmon once the season opens on the 16th. 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 — Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports a lot of striped bass being taken, mostly small ones, but also a few decent-sized fish. Although she didn’t have a report I imagine a few sturgeon may also have shown up. Best baits have been sardines, anchovies and pile worms. Inshore a few black bass continue to be taken. 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 — Sharon at Hap’s Bait, 84 Main Street, Rio Vista, said the fishing has been good with a lot of nice-sized striped bass. Most are being caught on sardines or live mudsuckers when she can get them. Anglers fishing at night continue to pull in catfish using the various catfish baits—chicken liver/garlic flavored, anchovies and night crawlers. She says the action on largemouth bass is also picking up. 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 — No reports but striped bass should be available as well as possibly a few more saltier water species like halibut and bat ray. Expect a few sturgeon as well. 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 — The pier is currently closed while the city tries to decide on what it can and cannot afford to do as far as replacement and renovation. I hope they can make it work. 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 most of the action is on stripers with bait, both anchovies and grass shrimp working well. He’s also seeing some halibut both on bait and lures, i.e., BrokenBack lures. Salmon season opens the 16th. The water is very salty which is fairly usual for this time of the year. 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 — Basically the same report as the 9th St. Pier. 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 as well as several types of freshwater fish, i.e., catfish (a variety). 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 –Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports most of the action is on stripers with the linesides mainly falling for sardines, anchovies and pile worms. She hasn’t heard of any sturgeon at the pier. Nighttime anglers may also see a catfish or two but I would recommend being in a group if fishing at night. 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 – Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports most of the action is on stripers with an occasional sturgeon showing up (but they’ve slowed). Use the same baits as above. This can be a good pier form salmon once the season opens on the 16th. 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 — Kylie at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports a lot of striped bass being taken, mostly small ones, but also a few decent-sized fish. Although she didn’t have a report I imagine a few sturgeon may also have shown up. Best baits have been sardines, anchovies and pile worms. Inshore a few black bass continue to be taken. 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 — Sharon at Hap’s Bait, 84 Main Street, Rio Vista, said the fishing has been good with a lot of nice-sized striped bass. Most are being caught on sardines or live mudsuckers when she can get them. Anglers fishing at night continue to pull in catfish using the various catfish baits—chicken liver/garlic flavored, anchovies and night crawlers. She says the action on largemouth bass is also picking up. 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.
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