July 2024 Central California Fishing Report
San Luis Obispo County Piers
Pismo Beach Pier — No report but some surfperch should be available on the bottom and some jacksmelt or sardines on top. This is also the time of the year when some sharks also seem to show up at night. 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 – Closed Will it ever be repaired and reopen? 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 —Debbie at the Patriot Sportfishing says it’s been slow on the pier. Most of the action has been on jacksmelt; no sardines, no mackerel and few kingfish (white croaker). She says she heard of one halibut being taken but just that one. I asked about the boats and she said they have been slow most days averaging 2-3 bottom fish a person (at a cost of $80-$150 depending upon the length of the trip, 5-8 hours. 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 small rockfish should still be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black rockfish. Some years it is an excellent pier for sardines but I have not had any reports on the pier lately. 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 — Traditionally there has been some decent action this time of the year for surfperch (barred and calico) when the winds cooperate. Walleye surfperch should be caught under the pier, mid-pier to the end, using small hooks or a Sabiki baited with pieces of worms or other bait. White croaker should be on the bottom (cast out from the pier using pieces of worm, anchovy or strips of squid). Jacksmelt should be in the top-waters all along the pier and most people use Sabikis for the pelagics. Shark action should be picking up and SOME years is excellent at night. 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 — The pier was closed for some time to make repairs and I am not sure if it has reopened. 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 the usual mix of perch, rockfish and an occasional cabezon or lingcod should be available. 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 — No reports and hard to predict; we need a reporter. The pier is usually very good or very bad. 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 — Gone, removed, demolished, destroyed and no longer there. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — The pier is closed and will be largely rebuilt. 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 — Anthony at the Santa Cruz Boat Rental & Bait, on the wharf, said some halibut are being caught mid-pier, 2-3 a day mainly on artificial lures. There’s a ton of anchovies around the pier but they are largely pinheads and too small to use for bait (although I’ve always seen a lot of shinerperch at the pier and they can make good halibut bait). The lures he mentioned are mainly swim baits, i.e., Double A’s and Green Flukes with a strip of squid added to the lure. He said there has been a good mackerel bite out at the end of the pier at night, one that doesn’t start until the sun goes down. Traditionally there are usually good numbers of kingfish (white croaker) available at the end for those using cut anchovies and some years good numbers of sanddab show up. g a bit of shrimp and casting out to work the Sabiki back yielded Jacksmelt on occasion. 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.
Johnson Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — No report. Need a reporter. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot.
Pillar Point Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — No report. Need a reporter. Traditionally there are small rockfish and perch by the rocks and kingfish (white croaker) available with a cast from the pier. 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 — Unable to get a report from Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle our traditional reporter. Need a reporter. Perch, jacksmelt and an occasional striped bass should be available. 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.
San Luis Obispo County Piers
Pismo Beach Pier — No report but some surfperch should be available on the bottom and some jacksmelt or sardines on top. This is also the time of the year when some sharks also seem to show up at night. 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 – Closed Will it ever be repaired and reopen? 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 —Debbie at the Patriot Sportfishing says it’s been slow on the pier. Most of the action has been on jacksmelt; no sardines, no mackerel and few kingfish (white croaker). She says she heard of one halibut being taken but just that one. I asked about the boats and she said they have been slow most days averaging 2-3 bottom fish a person (at a cost of $80-$150 depending upon the length of the trip, 5-8 hours. 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 small rockfish should still be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black rockfish. Some years it is an excellent pier for sardines but I have not had any reports on the pier lately. 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 — Traditionally there has been some decent action this time of the year for surfperch (barred and calico) when the winds cooperate. Walleye surfperch should be caught under the pier, mid-pier to the end, using small hooks or a Sabiki baited with pieces of worms or other bait. White croaker should be on the bottom (cast out from the pier using pieces of worm, anchovy or strips of squid). Jacksmelt should be in the top-waters all along the pier and most people use Sabikis for the pelagics. Shark action should be picking up and SOME years is excellent at night. 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 — The pier was closed for some time to make repairs and I am not sure if it has reopened. 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 the usual mix of perch, rockfish and an occasional cabezon or lingcod should be available. 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 — No reports and hard to predict; we need a reporter. The pier is usually very good or very bad. 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 — Gone, removed, demolished, destroyed and no longer there. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — The pier is closed and will be largely rebuilt. 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 — Anthony at the Santa Cruz Boat Rental & Bait, on the wharf, said some halibut are being caught mid-pier, 2-3 a day mainly on artificial lures. There’s a ton of anchovies around the pier but they are largely pinheads and too small to use for bait (although I’ve always seen a lot of shinerperch at the pier and they can make good halibut bait). The lures he mentioned are mainly swim baits, i.e., Double A’s and Green Flukes with a strip of squid added to the lure. He said there has been a good mackerel bite out at the end of the pier at night, one that doesn’t start until the sun goes down. Traditionally there are usually good numbers of kingfish (white croaker) available at the end for those using cut anchovies and some years good numbers of sanddab show up. g a bit of shrimp and casting out to work the Sabiki back yielded Jacksmelt on occasion. 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.
Johnson Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — No report. Need a reporter. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot.
Pillar Point Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — No report. Need a reporter. Traditionally there are small rockfish and perch by the rocks and kingfish (white croaker) available with a cast from the pier. 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 — Unable to get a report from Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle our traditional reporter. Need a reporter. Perch, jacksmelt and an occasional striped bass should be available. 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.