Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep. BUT, it appears the California Fish and Wildlife may/will be closing the sturgeon fishery July 12.
Eckley Pier — No reports but striped bass should be available and this time of the year a few more saltier water species like jacksmelt and bat rays. 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 — Apparently the bait shop is closed so no report but traditionally both sturgeon and a few striped bass should be available from the pier. As a rule most of the stripers hit on anchovies, pile worms or grass shrimp while the sturgeon hit on ghost shrimp, grass shrimp and anchovies. 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 – Pam at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says most of the action is on stripers, a few legal size fish and a lot of shorts. She says they are also seeing some jacksmelt and some bat rays (so it sounds like there’s some saltwater intrusion into the area). Bloodworms and grass shrimp seem to be producing the most fish. 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. Not seeing any sturgeon off the 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., Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, and
Antioch Pier – Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports anglers are getting both striped bass and sturgeon with most of the stripers falling to cut bait (anchovies and sardines) although I imagine some are also being taken on pile worms. He says most of the stripers are under size but one 21-inch fish was reported. He says a good number of sturgeon are also being taken. He also mentioned a bat ray being taken at one of the piers. Good to hear he has a variety of bait including the usual frozen baits, anchovies and sardines, as well as live baits like ghost shrimp and pile worms. The grass shrimp are in low supply right now but later in the year he should also have grass shrimp. 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 – Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports both stripers and sturgeon being taken from the pier. The stripers (linesides) are mainly falling to cut bait but some are also hitting pile worms. Evidently the locals who know what they are doing are catching quite a few sturgeon. They use spike weights to avoid snagging on the bottom and a variety of baits with, I imagine, ghost shrimp being the top bait. Apparently the sturgeon are hitting both during the day and at night (traditionally the best time). However, it looks like the Fish and Wildlife will shut down the sturgeon fishery on July 12. 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 — Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports that most of the action is on stripers and as usual most of them are shorts. The majority of the stripers are being caught on cut anchovies or sardines. He did say some guys went out recently using lamprey eel for stripers and wound up catching three shaker-size sturgeon. I remember years ago when I fished the pier I considered it a slow day if I didn’t get at least 50 stripers but almost all were too small to keep. Most days might see one legal-size fish. 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 — Dakota at Rio Vista Bait & Tackle — 510 CA-12, Rio Vista, said he hasn’t gotten many reports from the pier but one guy said he recently caught a sturgeon there—on an artificial lure. That’s strange. Traditionally that pier had been good during the summer months for small stripers and at night some catfish. Cut bait (anchovies or sardines) was always the best bait for the stripers. All kind of concoctions for the catfish. 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
Eckley Pier — No reports but striped bass should be available and this time of the year a few more saltier water species like jacksmelt and bat rays. 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 — Apparently the bait shop is closed so no report but traditionally both sturgeon and a few striped bass should be available from the pier. As a rule most of the stripers hit on anchovies, pile worms or grass shrimp while the sturgeon hit on ghost shrimp, grass shrimp and anchovies. 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 – Pam at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says most of the action is on stripers, a few legal size fish and a lot of shorts. She says they are also seeing some jacksmelt and some bat rays (so it sounds like there’s some saltwater intrusion into the area). Bloodworms and grass shrimp seem to be producing the most fish. 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. Not seeing any sturgeon off the 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., Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay, and
Antioch Pier – Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports anglers are getting both striped bass and sturgeon with most of the stripers falling to cut bait (anchovies and sardines) although I imagine some are also being taken on pile worms. He says most of the stripers are under size but one 21-inch fish was reported. He says a good number of sturgeon are also being taken. He also mentioned a bat ray being taken at one of the piers. Good to hear he has a variety of bait including the usual frozen baits, anchovies and sardines, as well as live baits like ghost shrimp and pile worms. The grass shrimp are in low supply right now but later in the year he should also have grass shrimp. 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 – Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports both stripers and sturgeon being taken from the pier. The stripers (linesides) are mainly falling to cut bait but some are also hitting pile worms. Evidently the locals who know what they are doing are catching quite a few sturgeon. They use spike weights to avoid snagging on the bottom and a variety of baits with, I imagine, ghost shrimp being the top bait. Apparently the sturgeon are hitting both during the day and at night (traditionally the best time). However, it looks like the Fish and Wildlife will shut down the sturgeon fishery on July 12. 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 — Matt at Gotcha Bait and Tackle (3500 18th St., Antioch), reports that most of the action is on stripers and as usual most of them are shorts. The majority of the stripers are being caught on cut anchovies or sardines. He did say some guys went out recently using lamprey eel for stripers and wound up catching three shaker-size sturgeon. I remember years ago when I fished the pier I considered it a slow day if I didn’t get at least 50 stripers but almost all were too small to keep. Most days might see one legal-size fish. 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 — Dakota at Rio Vista Bait & Tackle — 510 CA-12, Rio Vista, said he hasn’t gotten many reports from the pier but one guy said he recently caught a sturgeon there—on an artificial lure. That’s strange. Traditionally that pier had been good during the summer months for small stripers and at night some catfish. Cut bait (anchovies or sardines) was always the best bait for the stripers. All kind of concoctions for the catfish. 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